Small business owners in Nevada looking for SBA loans, federal contracting opportunities, and veteran business programs will find direct answers from SBA Deputy Administrator Bill Briggs in this interview with Nevada Department of Business and Industry Director Kristopher Sanchez. Briggs details how the Small Business Administration supports Nevada's 353,000 small businesses — which employ roughly 45% of the state's workforce — through counseling, capital access, and disaster recovery programs.

The conversation covers SBA loan requirements and how to find a lender through sba.gov/lendermatch, the suspension of the CMMC cybersecurity certification that had burdened small defense manufacturers, and specialized programs for veteran-owned small businesses through Veterans Business Outreach Centers at UNLV and UNR. Briggs explains how the service-disabled veteran-owned business certification backlog was cleared in three weeks under Administrator Kelly Leffler.

Briggs also breaks down two major policy developments affecting small businesses nationwide: the Working Families Tax Cut provisions that allow immediate expensing of equipment and facilities, and the Made in America manufacturing initiative focused on reindustrialization and onshoring. Nevada's role as a critical minerals mining state and its position within the Southwest aerospace and semiconductor manufacturing corridor — spanning Arizona, Nevada, California, and New Mexico — makes these federal priorities particularly relevant for local business owners.

The SBA operates over 900 Small Business Development Center offices nationwide, with more than 16 locations across Nevada offering free or low-cost business counseling. Briggs emphasizes that small business owners should seek mentors through these centers and leverage the full ecosystem of state and federal resources available before pursuing capital.