Strategies: Small business needs more from Washington

— -- I have an invitation to every member of Congress and President Obama who cares about small business: Join me Sept. 14-17 in Orlando. No, we won't go to Disneyworld. We'll go to the annual meeting of the Association of Small Business Development Centers.

Then, after meeting the incredible group of people who are the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) counselors, I'm sure Congress and the President would rush back to DC and increase their measly — and I mean measly— financial support for this incredibly effective network of small business assistance. I've got an idea: Let's allocate the SBDCs just one-tenth of one-percent of what the government spent to bail out just one huge corporation, General Motors.

(I'll also be speaking at the group's new Community Day on Thursday, September 17. If you're in the Orlando area, come on over to the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort. I'd love to meet you! You can register here.

Day in and day out, SBDC counselors dedicate their lives to helping small businesses succeed and individuals become self-employed. There are roughly 1,000 centers all across the country. Nearly a million entrepreneurs a year get in-depth, one-on-one business counseling at SBDCs — all for free! The centers also provide free research and library resources and low-cost workshops and classes and serve many millions more small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs.

I know all about this incredible network and group of counselors. I not only attend their meetings every year and visit many centers around the country, but years ago, when I was starting a business, I was an SBDC client. I got help when I needed it. In response, over the years, my businesses have directly created dozens of jobs. That's exactly the kind of return on investment the government intended.

I've gotten to know many, many counselors. Almost all have been in business themselves or in a related field such as small business banking. They know their stuff and are incredibly dedicated. These are people who put in the extra hours and go the extra mile for their clients. They constantly take classes, learn new skills, read business books.