U.S.A.'s interesting news

Interested in certifying your LGBTQ-owned business? The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce offers a certification for LGBTQ-owned small businesses. By becoming certified, you can build relationships with America's leading corporations, generate prospective business and clients and learn about contracting opportunities. Learn more Be Inspired: Small Business Success Story Andreas Ozzuna grew up baking alfajores with her grandmother and visiting her grandfather’s deli in Buenos Aires. As a child, Andreas aspired to work in the family business, but it wasn’t until she was 41 that she decided to turn her hobby of cooking into a full-time job. Read more   A Guide to SBA's Disaster Assistance Programs A disaster can happen without warning. Prepare your small business by launching SBA's FREE self-paced online training for an overview of SBA's Disaster Assistance Programs. Launch the course Webinars: 2019 National Small Business Week In case you missed the 2019 National Small Business Week Virtual Conference, you are still in luck. The seven webinars are available to watch on demand. The topics include SBA funding programs, driving growth with customer obsession, online marketing and ads, mastering your cash flow, government contracting and disaster preparedness. Watch on demand  Why Visiting Franchisees In-Person Is So Important Doing your due diligence on franchise opportunities you’re interested in involves several steps. The most important step: talking to existing franchisees. But in our hyper-connected world, “talking” can mean several things. Read more

U.S. Small Business Administration 409 3rd St, SW. Washington DC 20416www.sba.gov

Upcoming Webinars   Webinar Doing Business with the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank June 18, 2019, 1 - 2 p.m. ET (No Fee) Get an overview of the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank, the life-cycle of bank projects, and considerations/strategies used when evaluating Bank opportunities.

Webinar "Port Opportunities in Honduras" Thursday, June 20, 2 - 3 p.m. ET ($25) Hear from the General Manager of the Honduran National Port Authority Mr. Gerardo Murillo about the agency's immediate plans and proposals. Webinar Doing Business in the Indian State of Maharashtra June 28, 2019, 8 - 9 a.m. ET (No Fee) Learn why Maharashtra is an attractive market for U.S. companies across a range of industries and gain expert insight about Maharashtra’s business climate and economic development priorities.  News: June 14, 2019   Workforce Development U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta joined President Donald J. Trump and governors at the White House to discuss how skills-based workforce development can help increase good, safe, family-sustaining career opportunities.   More Health Coverage Choices and Portability The new Health Reimbursement Arrangements rule offers millions of American workers more health coverage choices and portability.   Supporting Successful Re-Entry The Department has awarded more than $2.2 million in Fidelity Bonding Demonstration Grants to help individuals transitioning from the justice system secure family-sustaining jobs.   In Case You Missed It Opioid Recovery Department funding will encourage the use of fidelity bonds to help workers recovering from opioid misuse secure employment. Support Women's Careers The Department's Women's Bureau announced funding to recruit, mentor, train, and retain more women in quality apprenticeship programs and pursue family-sustaining careers in growing industries. In-Demand Skills Instruction A new Job Corps demonstration project will serve at-risk youth with skills instruction through the expansion of the Louisiana National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program. Pay Recovered The owner of five Central Florida restaurants has paid $83,577 in back wages to 91 workers. Mine Data The Mine Safety and Health Administration has completed a major upgrade to its Mine Data Retrieval System, including increased functionality and more intuitive navigation. Fall Hazards OSHA cited an Illinois residential homebuilder for continuing to expose roofers to fall hazards and proposed $196,905 in fines.   Stat of the Week 7.4 Million Job Openings There were 7.4 million job openings in April, and 5.9 million hires set a new record high, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data released this week.    U.S. Department of Labor 200 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20210 www.dol.gov | 1-866-4USADOL (1-866-487-2365) Develop the Future Workforce: Help Us Use Federal Open Data for Good Beginning June 25, The Opportunity Project will bring tech companies, universities, communities, and government together over 14 weeks to develop digital products that solve workforce challenges using federal open data. Want to join them? Learn More Teams will tackle four specific challenges identified by federal agency partners: Catalyzing Investment in Opportunity Zones Modernizing Talent Discovery for High Growth Entrepreneurship Unleashing American Entrepreneurship and Small Business Growth Leveraging Apprenticeships for Career Growth Help make government data more usable and accessible, support cross-sector collaboration, and create impact for families, communities and businesses. Join the 30 federal agencies and more than 100 organizations that have developed consumer-facing digital products using open data. About The Opportunity Project The Opportunity Project (TOP) brings together government agencies, technology companies, and communities to translate government open data into user-friendly digital tools that solve real-world problems for families, communities, and businesses nationwide. Visit opportunity.census.gov to learn more.