Small Business Owner to Share Tips and Advice on Rebuilding After a Disaster During SBA's June Web Chat

WASHINGTON, June 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The SBA's June Web chat series will highlight small business owner Luis Yepez, Jr., co-owner of Mainstream Global, Inc. in Lawrence, Mass. Yepez learned that the Merrimack River had flooded while away on a business trip in 2006. The company, a distributor of integrated circuits and computer products, was housed on the banks of the Merrimack and sustained severe water, debris and sewage damage. After losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in inventory, the company received a disaster loan from the SBA, which helped Mainstream Global stay in business.

WHO: Small business owner Luis Yepez will host the June Web chat on

"Disaster Preparedness for Business Owners -- An Inside Perspective,"

and give a personal account of how the company was able to stay in business during a three-month shutdown, keep its entire staff on the payroll, and ultimately rebuild after disaster struck. Yepez will take questions and offer tips and advice on how to best prepare for physical disaster, and how to lay the groundwork for recovery.

WHAT: SBA's Web chat series provides small business owners an opportunity to chat online about relevant business issues with experts, industry leaders and successful entrepreneurs. Chat participants have direct, real-time access to the Web chats via questions they submit online, both in advance and during the live session.

WHEN: June 18, 2009, 1 - 2 p.m. ET

HOW: Participants can join the live Web chat by visiting www.sba.gov, and clicking the "Online Business Chat" icon. Web chat participants may post questions for Yepez before the June 18th chat at http://app1.sba.gov/livemeeting/jun09/.

Internet Address: http://www.sba.gov/news