GUEST COLUMN: Helping Missouri small business owners reach their dreams

JEFFERSON CITY – On July 30, 1953, the Small Business Administration was founded and has since helped millions of American small business owners find the loans and information they need to be successful. Today, the SBA estimates there are more than 100,000 small businesses in Missouri with fewer than 20 employees. These are the mom and pop shops, such as hardware stores, pharmacies and restaurants, we visit every day. These small business owners and the jobs they create – 75 percent of the jobs created during an economic recovery – are one of the focuses of my administration and the low-interest loans we provide through the Missouri Linked Deposit Program.