RECOGNIZING THE IDAHO SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER

RECOGNIZING THE IDAHO SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 41 (Wednesday, March 4, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 41 (Wednesday, March 4, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S798] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS ______ RECOGNIZING THE IDAHO SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, with my Idaho congressional delegation colleagues Senator Jim Risch and Representatives Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher, I congratulate the Idaho Small Business Development Center, SBDC, for 40 years of advancing small business success in the Gem State. Statewide expansion, broadened infrastructure, and modernized assistance have been hallmarks of the Idaho SBDC's 40 years of support for Idaho small businesses. In 1986, Idaho SBDC opened at Boise State University with the assistance of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Over the next 5 years, Idaho SBDC regional centers expanded statewide to provide critical counseling services for budding entrepreneurs across Idaho's 44 counties. The Idaho SBDC's reach was extended further in 2003 with the opening of the TECenter in Nampa to support startups and the Boise Business Accelerator opening in 2008. Then, amid the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Idaho SBDC reports its response helped preserve more than 2,600 Idaho jobs. In the years since, Idaho SBDC has provided significant economic support, celebrating $58.8 million in sales growth for its clients in 2024 alone. The centers offer extensive services to help Idaho small businesses succeed. These services include customized training and business planning and expansion. SBDC staff also help with the development of marketing and advertising plans, providing market research, cost analysis, and organizational development. Securing capital is another important aspect of starting and maintaining a business, and staff also assist with loan information for any stage of a business, cash flow projections and analysis, and the purchase or sale of a business. Furthermore, the Idaho SBDC assists with more specialized needs beyond its core support. These focused services include assistance with complying with environmental regulations, navigating government contracting, cyber security, selling into foreign markets, and more. The Idaho SBDC has leveraged its assistance to Idaho businesses into significant economic impacts. From 1986-2026, Idaho SBDC indicates the center's support has resulted in $984 million in capital formation and a sales increase of $1.29 billion. Importantly, since its start, Idaho SBDC has helped start 2,149 businesses and helped create 18,482 jobs. The wide range of businesses Idaho SBDC has assisted reflects the diversity of our great State. Specialty shops, restaurants, bakeries, manufacturers, and so much more are among the Idaho SBDC's success stories. The first page of Idaho SBDC's success highlights on its website illustrates its far-reaching assistance to a specialized drilling company, law firm, irrigation systems company, fish farm- processor, rare bookstore, and firearms training range. We have been proud to support this important work by advocating for pro-growth policies that help small businesses hire, invest, and innovate. This includes many of the tax provisions made permanent in the Working Families Tax Cut Act, along with a resounding push for regulatory relief from costly requirements placed on businesses of all sizes by the Federal Government. Former President Ronald Reagan's reflections in 1983 about the central role of small businesses reinforce the importance of Idaho SBDC's work: ``America is small business . . . Too often, entrepreneurs are forgotten heroes. We rarely hear about them. But look into the heart of America, and you'll see them. They're the owners of that store down the street, the faithfuls who support our churches, schools, and communities, the brave people everywhere who produce our goods, feed a hungry world, and keep our homes and families warm while they invest in the future to build a better America.'' Thank you to the Idaho Small Business Development Center for your steady work to help small businesses across Idaho build strong foundations, innovate, and grow. We all benefit from these local engines that not only provide jobs in communities across our State, but also back countless important local efforts. We wish you well on this SBDC Day, as we express our gratitude for your decades of providing trusted counsel, resources, and support for these great American assets. ____________________