By Carol Coultas,Business Writer

LEWISTON – It was breakfast time at the Ramada Inn, the topic was start-up financing, and Bonnie Loubier was nodding her head.

The owner of Cafe Bon-Bon on Main Street, Loubier understood firsthand what Charlie Summers, the regional administrator of the Small Business Administration, was talking about. Several banks had denied her request for financing to get the cafe off the ground. Discouraged, she finally got the help she needed from Mechanics Savings Bank and the SBA 504 loan program.

“It was very important,” said Loubier, whose SBA loan coupled with a third mortgage on her home got her the capital she needed. “It was the best thing … to have that access.”

Her experience is the first objective of the federal program’s five-point mission. In addition to providing access to capital, the SBA also offers technical assistance, help in snagging government contracts, disaster assistance and advocacy to guard against regulations that could hamper small business.

“The SBA allows entrepreneurs to not only exist, but thrive,” said Summers, who was addressing the monthly meeting of the Chamber of Commerce.

He said small business is where innovation thrives, and that it behooves the economy as a whole to support it. In 2004, Maine businesses received 405 SBA loans, totaling about $65 million. Nationally, 83,000 SBA loans were made in 2004 – a 25 percent increase over 2003 – for a total of almost $20 billion. The average loan in Maine last year was $42,000.

Money is the SBA service that is mentioned most often, but there are others. It offers a free service matching retired executives with aspiring entrepreneurs and resources geared toward businesswomen, as well as general assistance for all small-business owners. It also acts as a liaison between the federal government’s need for contractors and the country’s small business community.

Summers said the SBA introduced a new program this year that brings a “speed dating” concept to government contracts. The SBA coaches small-business people on how to make a pitch for government contract work. Then the SBA gathers procurement officers from the big defense industry corporations and introduces them to the entrepreneurs who deliver their pitches. The direct connection streamlines what’s often a yearlong process.

“We’re trying to make sure small business gets its fair share of the government contracts,” said Summers.

The SBA also stepped in this year to offer disaster assistance to clam diggers who were affected by this spring’s red tide. And its watchdog arm saved small business about $17 billion by helping to weed out unnecessary government regulations, said Summers.

It’s also changing with the times, becoming leaner and more efficient, as are many of the businesses it serves. The regional SBA office has shrunk from 500 employees to about 100 today, and Summers said it has improved its operations to accommodate clients.

“We used to require banks to use our paperwork (for loan processing),” he said. “Now each bank uses its own.”

The agency is also becoming more aggressive about getting word out about its services. Each region has goals for quantities of loans, types of loans and training programs. New England ranks third out the 10 national SBA regions for meeting goals.

Summers said he and his staff expect to increase their visibility in Maine so there can be more success stories like Cafe Bon-Bon.

Loubier said she has been able to make a go of it so far, sustaining her staff of six employees and even expanding into catering. The cafe opened a year and half ago.

“Business really picked up in June and July,” said Loubier. “We went over our projections. I hope it continues.”