This dynamic week celebrates small business owners' accomplishments, but also encourages these winners to continue their growth. You embody self-reliance, perseverance, hard work and optimism.

The new standards will provide these growing firms with continued access to SBA's small business development assistance, helping them succeed and serve their customers into the 21st century.

These loans will help finance economic revitalization in areas that have experienced trade-related job losses attributable to NAFTA. NAFTA has been a net plus for the nation's economy, and the Clinton/Gore Administration's free trade policies have been a big contributor to our nation's economic prosperity.

This year may be President Bush's best year; it would have been President Clinton's worst year.

Knowing what is available out there to present to your employees and having access to various types of information about plans is vitally important. We have to encourage employees to participate and modernize their contributions to savings.

We are excited about this step in the franchise registry project. The registry is a breakthrough effort to cut red tape, and we believe it will greatly up the approval process on franchise loans.