Small Business

 President Bush and Small Business Administration Acting Administrator Sandy Baruah met with women small business owners in Oklahoma City in September as part of a campaign to promote the benefits of health savings accounts (HSAs). The meeting highlighted the benefits of HSAs and included testimony from women business owners who have benefited from them or are considering them.

The roundtable discussion was part of the joint effort by the SBA, the National Economic Council and the Treasury Department to promote the benefits of HSAs. Those agencies have also created a fact sheet that highlights the benefits of the accounts. More resources for small businesses and individuals are available at www.hsa.gov.

 The SBA submitted a final rule on women-owned small business (WOSB) contracting procedures and a new proposed rule on the industries eligible for WOSB contracting assistance. The proposed rule would increase from four to 31 the number of industries under which a set aside could be established. The final rule sets procedures for implementing set asides in the eligible industries.

The final rule, which went into effect Oct. 31, is available at the Federal Register online at www.gpoaccess.gov/fr.