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Saturday, November 25, 2017 is Small Business Saturday® – a day to celebrate and support small businesses and all they do for their communities. Please join the SBA and organizations across the country in supporting your local community by shopping at a small business. Learn More Do you have ideas on how the SBA can better serve you and the small business community? SBA invites you to complete a 10-15 minute survey to help assess your small business needs and your satisfaction with SBA programs. Your feedback will help reshape the way SBA does business. Launch the Survey National Entrepreneurs' Day celebrates one of our nation's proudest qualities: our innovative, hardworking, entrepreneurial spirit.  American entrepreneurs invent and sell fascinating and endlessly useful new products and services, creating millions of jobs and driving American global leadership along the way. We celebrate these achievers on November 21, 2017 with National Entrepreneurs' Day. Learn More If you were affected by hurricanes Maria, Irma, Harvey or the California fires, you can find the latest information about SBA disaster loans and Disaster Recovery Centers at www.sba.gov/disaster. Applicants are encouraged to apply online for a disaster loan. If you do not have access to a computer or smartphone, you can visit one of our disaster recovery centers and apply in person. Blogs Why hire Veterans? The month of November is a time to honor veterans. There are more than 19 million veterans, and one or more of them may be a good fit for your company.  Read More Should You Be Looking At New Franchise Opportunities? When it comes to investigating franchise opportunities, you have lots of choices these days. Before investing, be sure to get the facts you need so you can make an intelligent decision. Read More How to Protect Your Small Business from a Negative SEO Attack Negative SEO -- does it really exist?   And if it does, what is it and how can you protect your site?Consider this post a short whirlwind tutorial for a typical small business website. Read More Learning Center Competitive Advantage What sets you apart from your competition? Learn how to brand, study your competition, identify customers and their preferences, create pricing strategies and much more. Launch the Course   For over 50 years, National Small Business Week has served as our nation’s salute to small business owners. SBA is currently accepting nominations for a variety of awards, including SBA’s signature award, the National Small Business Person of the Year. Read More The SBA is hiring to fill temporary positions to provide aid to those affected by the recent hurricanes. Check out the list of positions open at this time on the disaster section of the website. Apply Today Four Score and Seven Years Ago...  One hundred fifty-four years ago, President Abraham Lincoln delivered one of our nation's most iconic speeches as he dedicated the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. What later became known as the Gettysburg Address, touched some of the most American values while honoring the more than 51,000 Confederate and Union soldiers who were wounded, missing, or lost their lives on that field. Experience this reading of the speech, paired with powerful images from the Civil War era courtesy of the Library of Congress and the National Archives.    FTC Announces Final Agenda for Ed Tech Workshop The Federal Trade Commission today announced the final agenda for the Ed Tech Workshop on December 1, co-hosted with the Department of Education and focused on privacy issues related to education technology. The workshop will examine how the Federal Trade Commission’s Rule implementing the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) applies to schools and intersects with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), administered by the Department of Education. Tom Pahl, the FTC’s Acting Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, will give opening remarks, and Kathleen Styles, Chief Privacy Officer at the Department of Education, will deliver closing remarks at the event. The workshop also will feature a discussion with school officials and sessions on current laws related to education technology, on issues and challenges related to protecting student privacy, and next steps. The workshop, which is free and open to the public, will be held from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. ET at the Constitution Center, 400 7th St., SW, Washington, DC. It will be webcast live on the FTC’s website. Additional information about the workshop can be found on the event page. The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition, and protect and educate consumers. You can learn more about consumer topics and file a consumer complaint online or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357). Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, read our blogs and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources. TC Staff to Tennessee Legislature: Consider Making Permanent the Animal Massage Therapy Exemption from The Practice of Veterinary Medicine Federal Trade Commission staff submitted comments to the Tennessee General Assembly in support of a state law exemption that allows non-veterinarians to practice animal massage therapy in Tennessee. FTC staff recommend that the exemption, which is set to expire next year, be made permanent, because greater competition in the markets for professional services typically benefits consumers. Unless the Tennessee legislature takes action, the provision exempting animal massage from the definition of the practice of veterinary medicine in Tennessee is set to expire on July 1, 2018, after which the Tennessee Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners may once again determine that the practice requires a veterinary license or veterinary supervision. In response to a request by Tennessee State Senator Kerry Roberts, staff of the FTC’s Office of Policy Planning, Bureau of Competition, and Bureau of Economics submitted the comments, explaining that competition benefits consumers through “improved access to services, lower prices, and improved service quality,” and that competition can “spur innovation in how services are delivered.” FTC staff generally encourages legislatures to “maintain only the level of occupational regulation necessary to address well-evidenced public policy concerns . . . [as] competition in professional services marketplaces typically benefits consumers, while excessive regulation can leave consumers worse off.” Unless supported by a legitimate policy justification to protect consumers, the loss of competition can prevent such benefits from reaching consumers. With respect to the proposed legislation, FTC staff noted that certification in animal massage is offered by schools in Tennessee to “animal trainers, animal handlers, and others who can legally provide certain animal care services without the supervision of a licensed veterinarian.” Staff explained that not only would “letting the exemption expire appears inconsistent with current animal health training protocols,” but doing so “erects barriers to entry in a profession, which means it can significantly raise prices for consumers and prevent otherwise qualified individuals from using their skills to earn a living.” Because staff is not aware of evidence of a credible policy justification that requires this licensing, FTC staff “strongly encourage the Tennessee legislature to consider making the 2017 exemption permanent [.]” The Commission vote to issue the staff comment was 2-0. It was sent to Tennessee State Senator Kerry Roberts on November 15, 2017. (FTC File No. V170007; the staff contacts are Ellen Connelly, Office of Policy Planning, 202-326-2532, and Connor Shively, Northwest Regional Office, 206-220-4487. The Federal Trade Commission develops policy initiatives on issues that affect competition, consumers, and the U.S. economy. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, read our blogs, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources. FTC Issues Agency Financial Report for Fiscal Year 2017 The Federal Trade Commission issued its Fiscal Year 2017 Agency Financial Report, which describes the strong fiscal management and key program performance of the agency during the past year. The report highlights FTC accomplishments in its missions of protecting consumers and promoting competition, and reaffirms the agency’s commitment to efficient and effective stewardship of taxpayer resources. Prepared in accordance with OMB Circular A-136, this report includes annual audited financial statements, as well as the Office of the Inspector General’s assessment of the FTC’s key management accomplishments and opportunities for performance improvements. The FTC’s FY 2017 independent financial statement audit marks the FTC’s 21st consecutive unmodified opinion, the highest audit opinion available. The report is being submitted to Congress and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, as required under the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 (amended by the Reports Consolidation Act of 2000), the Government Management Reform Act of 1994, the Accountability of Tax Dollars Act of 2002, and the Annual Management Reports under the Government Corporations Control Act. The Commission vote to release the Performance and Agency Mission Challenges sections of the report was 2-0. (FTC File No. P859900, the staff contact is Joseph O’Leska, Office of the Executive Director, 202-326-2716.) The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition, and protect and educate consumers. You can learn more about consumer topics and file a consumer complaint online or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357). Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, read our blogs and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.