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This Op-Ed originally appeared in the El Paso Times on August 8, 2017.

Small businesses are big in Texas. More than nine in 10 businesses in Texas are small businesses, and they employ nearly half of all private-sector employees.

Men and women willing to take a risk, to dig deep into their own pockets and stake their future on an idea, have long written the story of Texas. That pioneering spirit still fuels our shared prosperity.

Today, Texas is No. 1 in the nation for jobs created by Hispanic business owners as well as by Hispanic women business owners. Texas also has the second-highest number of businesses owned by military veterans. And El Paso ranks second in the nation among the best cities for Hispanic entrepreneurs.

If you are thinking of opening your own business or growing your small business, I invite you to register for the Governor’s Small Business Forum at the El Paso Convention Center on Aug. 10.

Small businesses drive the state’s dynamic economy. In total, self-employed entrepreneurs and small business employers create an annual economic impact in Texas of over $1 trillion.

Small businesses also drive the local economy. In 2016, the rate of job growth in El Paso exceeded that of Texas. And small business loans soared, up 20.3 percent according to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s El Paso District Office.

Because it doesn’t just take courage to start a new business. It also takes capital.

In fact, finding money to invest in their businesses is the top concern of small business owners in Texas. And while established businesses often re-invest earnings or apply for bank loans, start-ups are more likely to rely on personal savings or credit cards. But there are better, low-cost financing options such as through the Small Business Administration and non-profit lenders.

The Governor’s Small Business Forum, co-sponsored by my office, the Texas Workforce Commission and the city of El Paso, is designed to help entrepreneurs and small businesses find answers on accessing affordable financing, hiring skilled employees, bidding on government contracts, marketing a business and more.

Featuring a wide range of seminars and expert speakers, the forum provides a great opportunity to network and connect with industry specialists, government officials, service providers and other regional businesses.

Each session will also include a focus on small business resources for military veterans.

Local small business owners will also be honored with a Governor’s Small Business Award for their contributions to the El Paso economy.

Texas needs small businesses to succeed.

That’s why we slashed the franchise tax to spur job creation, removed roadblocks for veteran-owned businesses and reined in burdensome state regulations to allow free enterprise to flourish.

That’s why the Texas Workforce Commission, Texas Education Agency and Higher Education Coordinating Board are working together to place our education system on a parallel pathway with the changing needs of Texas employers.

And that’s why I will continue to fight back against runaway regulations at the federal, state and local level that disproportionately hurt small business job creation.

Today, I’m proud that Texas continues to rank at the top for small-business friendliness, for women-owned businesses and for startup activity.

But there is more work to do.

My goal as governor is to help small businesses grow even faster in Texas. And I invite you to take advantage of all the resources being shared at this forum.

Because when small businesses succeed in Texas, all of Texas succeeds.

For more information and to register for the Governor’s Small Business Forum on August 10 at the El Paso Convention Center, visit www.elpaso.org.