Small businesses want things streamlined, and one of the great successes we’re having is less paperwork, faster turnaround times.

It’s not government that creates jobs; it’s small business. Our job is to make sure they have the access to capital, the access to contracting opportunities, and the help, advice and mentoring that they need to go out and be successful.

I think we’ve learned that the S.B.A. plays a critical role in providing access and opportunity when the market is not providing that access. We help banks get that money out into the hands of important and viable businesses, particularly those owned by minorities, women, immigrants and veterans.

I recently had the opportunity to participate in Inc.’s first-ever ‘Hire Power Awards‘ event in Washington, D.C. The event was a testament to the power of American entrepreneurship and the role that it plays in driving job creation and innovation in a wide array of industries.

Small businesses, you can give them capital, but what they often need as much is mentoring, advice and help with their business plan.

As I’ve traveled around the country, it has surprised me how many times I’ve heard people in small businesses use that word ‘saved.’ I believe many small businesses would not have had access to credit and would not have survived without the $50 billion that we were able to put into the market.

The morale when I came in was not the best. It was because the agency had not been valued.

The S.B.A. does not lend directly to businesses, but instead backs loans to encourage banks to invest in small businesses as part of a nearly $90 billion portfolio.

One of the most important tools we have at the Small Business Administration (SBA) to reach high growth entrepreneurs is the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program.

If you want to have prosperity here, we really have to see our small businesses able to grow and compete around the world.

One of the most important things we hear is the S.B.A. needs to be ubiquitous. We do all these things, but people still don’t know.

This is not a zero-sum game. We know that if we provide access and education, particularly where there are gaps in the market, we will create more jobs, we will create more growth, and we will create more activity in the U.S. market, which will be good for our economy.

Health care is the No. 1 concern of small businesses and the status quo is untenable.

We see entrepreneurship and small businesses and supply chains as a critical part of the economic growth and competitiveness agenda.

Small businesses have told us that having cash in their pocket is one of the primary things that they need.

Among our responsibilities is to make sure that 23 percent of all government contracts go to small businesses. That’s about $150 billion annually, from all the government agencies.

In October 2008, when the credit crunch hit, small businesses were really crushed by the lack of capital.

This has always been a small agency with a big mission. But these days, especially, we have to stand up every day, deliver value into the hands of small-business owners and get taxpayers the biggest bang for their buck so that we can help these job creators do what they need to do.

We are not going to be the agency where large businesses can masquerade as a small business and get a contract. We are closing down on fraud, waste and abuse.

We are very much engaged across the government, very much engaged in streamlining and simplifying our activities with borrowers and lenders, because that saves time and saves costs and we believe we can do that while maintaining the same or increased levels of oversight and risk management.

Our economy creates and loses jobs every quarter in the millions. But of the net new jobs, the jobs come from small businesses: both small businesses on Main Street and many of the net new jobs come from high growth, high impact businesses that are located all across the country.

After four years as Administrator of the SBA, I have let President Obama know that I will not be staying for a second term. I will stay on until my successor is confirmed to ensure a smooth and seamless transition.

We don’t want to give a business that is not going to come through the troubled waters a loan that they can’t pay back.

We’ve gotten tremendous support. Everybody now understands how critical it is to help small businesses get out of this recession and into recovery.

I recently had the opportunity to participate in ‘Inc.”s first-ever ‘Hire Power Awards’ event in Washington, D.C. The event was a testament to the power of American entrepreneurship and the role that it plays in driving job creation and innovation in a wide array of industries.