Harry L. DeWolf
District Director
Portland District Office

As a 20-year U.S. Navy veteran, I look forward to the opportunities the new Patriot Express loan program will provide to the veterans and their spouses in Oregon and SW Washington.

According to figures from the SBA, U.S. Census Bureau and the Government Accountability Office, approximately 4 million veterans own small businesses, and approximately 13 percent of Reservists in the private labor market are small business owners.  Research also shows that nearly 22 percent of service members leaving the military consider starting small businesses.

I encourage all aspiring entrepreneurs and existing business owners to seek out the resources of our partners such as SCORE: Counselors to America's Small Business; Small Business Development Centers; Women's Business Centers; and Veterans' Business Outreach Centers.   These powerful resources can help you take your business to the next level; they will assist you in creating a business plan, help with credit applications and give valuable advice on how to stay successful once your business has started, as well as offer Export assistance and help with contracting opportunities.