Congress, SBA reach out to local small businesses

Lautenberg staffers, SBA representatives to visit South Orange on Friday.On Friday, staff members of U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park) and others will visit South Orange to get the word out about small-business support programs and services. The “small-business walk” will visit local business owners to provide information about federal programs and field questions about economic challenges, according to Harry Menta, public affairs specialist in the Newark office of the Small Business Administration.

Staffers from the SBA and Main Street South Orange, a nonprofit aimed at revitalizing the town, also will participate in the walking tour, which starts at 10 a.m. at South Orange Village.

Menta said the discussion will include information on programs supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, commonly called the federal stimulus. He said such tours are held several times per year both with and without congressional delegations. “This is a nice way to reach out to business owners and also to get a pulse of the business community,” he said.

Having congressional staff on hand allows small-business owners’ concerns to be carried back to Washington, D.C., Menta said.

Friday’s visit follows a similar tour of Highland Park with the SBA and staffers for Lautenberg, which took place Monday. Next Wednesday, the walking visits head to West Caldwell, and will include a representative from the Caldwell Downtown Alliance, said a Lautenberg spokesperson.

E-mail Joao-Pierre Ruth at jpru[email protected]