Free SBA Workshops will Help Native Americans Remove Small Business Barriers

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The U.S. Small Business Administration, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis will hold a series of free workshops on “Uniform Commercial Codes: Bringing Business to Indian Country.”

The Uniform Commercial Codes workshops will help tribal affiliated organizations, tribal governments and Native American businesses understand how adopting a secured transaction code can increase economic development opportunities.

The workshops will demonstrate how to compete in the marketplace; identify roadblocks and solutions to secure---- business transactions in Indian Country; explain the significance of commercial laws to borrowers; and discuss why lenders must have the ability to secure loan transactions.

As sovereign nations, Native American tribes are free to adopt their own commercial codes, so tribal commercial laws can vary widely. Tribal commercial codes include business laws governing commercial transactions and financial services, but the differences among tribal codes and with the Uniform Commercial Codes that give legal structure to the rules outside tribal areas can complicate business dealings outside the tribe.  These workshops will improve understanding of the Uniform Commercial Codes and lead to more efficient cross-border business activity.

The five one-day workshops, all free and open to the public, will be held from June to September 2012, and include the following cities (The location marked TBA will be updated online with the confirmed date):

Sacramento, California: June 5, 2012: 8:30am – 3:00pm

Seattle, Washington:June 7, 2012: 8:30am – 3:00pm

Phoenix, Arizona:June 12, 2012: 8:30am – 3:00pm

Bismarck, North Dakota: September 27, 2012: 8:30am – 3:30pm

Niagara, New York Date: TBA: 8:30am – 3:00pm

For additional information on the Uniform Commercial Codes workshops, including local area registration information, visit http://www.frbsf.org/community/resources/2012/0605-Uniform-Commercial-Codes-Bringing-Business-to-Indian-Country/index.html.

SBA also offers free online courses for starting a business, managing a business, financing a business, and contracting that includes a Native American Small Business Primer course offering strategies for business success.  It is one of nearly 30 online tutorials offered by the SBA’s Online Business Training at www.sba.gov/training.

For more information on SBA’s programs and services, please visit www.sba.gov.