Read in Japanese (日本語はこちら）
What is SBRN?
The Small Business Resilience Network (SBRN) is a new program by the Japan-America Society of the State of Washington that supports Japanese immigrant or Japanese American small business owners and sole proprietors in the U.S. by providing business operation assistance in Japanese. However, many non-native English-speaking business owners have missed out on valuable information due to language barriers. To address this disadvantage, the Japan-America Society has partnered with the Washington State Department of Commerce and the Washington State Small Business Recovery Working Group to provide business support information in Japanese through this program.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, various financial aid programs have been offered by federal and state governments to help businesses recover. However, many non-native English-speaking business owners have missed out on valuable information due to language barriers. To address this disadvantage, the Japan-America Society has partnered with the Washington State Department of Commerce and the Washington State Small Business Recovery Working Group to provide business support information in Japanese through this program.
What programs are available?
SBRN consists of two main components:
① Information on government support programs-Providing updates and guidance on available financial aid and business support programs from federal and state governments.
② Free online business courses (Small Business Empowerment Academy)
- Learn essential business knowledge from professionals in Japanese.
- Live Q&A sessions for after-support.
- Opportunities to promote your business.
For more details, please visit the respective pages linked below.
This program is designed to help small business owners and sole proprietors operating in the U.S. minimize the impact of COVID-19, expand their businesses, and build new networks with other local businesses.
Feel free to take advantage of these resources!
Grant and Financial Aid Applications For information
on business support programs
For information on the free
online business courses
Small Business Resiliency Program Staff
Dale L. Watanabe was Executive Director from May 2012 until retiring from this full-time role at the end of 2023. During his long tenure at the Society, he initiated several new programs the latest of which is the Small Business program in partnership with the Washington State Department of Commerce’s Small Business Resiliency Network (SBRN). He continues to serve the Society as its Director of the Small Business Program which was created with the help of Society Board Member Kanako Matsumoto. The other 30 SBRN partners voted for him to serve on the SBRN Advisory Council and the SBRN Policy Committee as part of the innovative co-governance structure created by the WSDOC leaders of SBRN. The Society’s Small Business efforts have helped over 100 businesses through technical assistance, business training, and a food business incubation program.
After 20 years in public accounting as a CPA, Kanako has started her own accounting and consulting firm to assist small businesses owned by Japanese immigrants. She is passionate about assisting small and micro businesses to maneuver through the complex world of doing business in Washington state. During COVID, she created many YouTube videos in Japanese to breakdown the rules and regulations of grant and loan programs created by the federal and local governments, so that Japanese-immigrant business owners were aware of and were able to take advantage of those programs. She is originally from Kyoto, Japan and grew up in a family where her entire family members were serious athletes. Her childhood dream was to become a professional volleyball player. Her secret from the past is an experience of singing Karaoke on a float during one of the past Torchlight parades in Seattle.
Satomi Mitsutomi is a program coordinator of the Small Business Resiliency Program that helps immigrant Japanese and Japanese-American owners of small and microbusiness with their operations in Washington. She began working there in May, 2024. She moved from New York, where she had lived for twelve and a half years, to Seattle during the pandemic. She worked as an occupational therapist in Japan and in New York City. She always wanted to work in jobs that help people. Now, she is looking forward to assisting hardworking entrepreneurs in Washington state.
ワシントン州日米協会で、小規模/個人ビジネスを支援する「Small Business Resiliency Program」のプログラム・コーディネーターになりました光富里美です。１２年半暮らしたNYから２０２０年、パンデミック中にシアトルに引っ越してきました。
人を助けるような仕事がしたくて、以前はリハビリの仕事や、お店でのお客様の対応をしていました。今度はワシントン州でがんばってらっしゃる事業主の方のお手伝いができるのを楽しみにしています。
Here in the U.S. Fred has continued his career as a professional interpreter. He has also worked many years recently as a contract interpreter for the US Department of State – handling DoS program work, ceremonies, conferences, and military interpreting work. He is also registered by the Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts as an Interpreter of Japanese.
Fred remarked for this profile: “Japanese people have shown me patience and kindness throughout my life. My fellow Americans can learn much from Japanese culture and the Japanese worldview, and I hope I can play a role in bringing those to the Pacific Northwest.