SBA regional leader visits Helena to hear small business concerns

Justin Everett spent part of this week in Helena meeting individually with business owners, turning a routine agency stop into a checkup on how small firms are coping with financing costs, equipment purchases and federal rules.

Everett serves as the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Rocky Mountains regional administrator for Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. In Montana, the SBA district office says it serves the entire state from offices in Helena and Billings, making the capital a natural place to hear directly from employers across Lewis and Clark County and beyond. Everett also took part in the Montana Economic Developers Association spring conference, held April 7-9 in Helena.

The agency’s pitch in Helena centered on capital access. Everett said one of the SBA’s main jobs is working with lenders so owners can get financing on reasonable terms when they want to expand or buy equipment. He also pointed to the permanence of 100% bonus depreciation, saying tax policy can shape whether a business moves ahead with a purchase at all. That matters in Montana’s manufacturing and agricultural sectors, where loan availability, equipment costs and changing federal regulations can quickly affect margins.

The visit came as Montana continues to see a strong pace of business formation. The Montana Secretary of State’s Office reported more than 6,000 new business registrations in January 2026, then more than 8,000 new businesses in March, which the state described as a record-breaking month. For Helena, that means more entrepreneurs are entering the market even as established companies press for lower costs and less paperwork.

State officials have also kept reducing red tape at the center of business-policy discussions, a point that matches Everett’s message that entrepreneurs want a stronger voice in federal decisions that shape day-to-day operations. He said Montana’s culture of collaboration gives businesses a chance to work together instead of in isolation.

Everett plans to return to Montana within about two weeks for visits to Great Falls, Billings, Bozeman and Lewistown. For Helena owners, the message was clear: the SBA wants specific problems, from lending barriers to regulatory friction, before it can decide what help fits best.