3C Endorses Isabel Guzman to Lead the Small Business Administration

This week, 3C shared a letter with members of the U.S. Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee endorsing President Biden’s choice to head the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Isabel Guzman. She brings substantial experience running the California Office of the Small Business Advocate, and we believe she will be a strong advocate for America’s digitally empowered small businesses. 

As COVID-19 has decimated small businesses, the SBA has become more critical than at any time in its 67-year history. It is the leading advocate for small businesses in the federal government at a time when small businesses need strong supporters at the highest levels of government. SBA administered the crucial Paycheck Protection Program, which provided grants and loans to millions of small businesses. While Ms. Guzman’s predecessors did not handle the program perfectly, it was an essential part of what kept millions of small businesses open during the pandemic. It will be equally critical in helping small businesses in the next crisis.  

3C hopes that Ms. Guzman will support small businesses through the remainder of the pandemic and the ongoing recovery. To do this, she must support and promote the Digital Safety Net, the digital tools and platforms that helped millions of small businesses survive the worst economic crisis in decades. Small businesses will need Ms. Guzman and the SBA to advocate for more funding for education and training resources and investments in public-private partnerships to help small businesses better maximize digital tools, bounce back stronger from the coronavirus pandemic, and be significantly better prepared for the next crisis. 

The Digital Safety Net is critical to small businesses, now more than ever, and small businesses need government advocates that understand the importance of these tools. 

We look forward to working on our members’ behalf with the SBA to ensure that small businesses can access the digital tools and resources they need to succeed and look forward to having a strong advocate for digitally empowered small businesses in Ms. Guzman.