A memorandum of understanding was inked at 9 a.m. today byHector V. Barreto, the SMA's national administrator, and JeffMoseley, the executive director of Texas Economic Development(TxED). The signing, which took place in Austin, kicks off theexploratory stage that more likely than not will end in an officeand team while shoring up state and federal cooperative effortswith other SBA programs.

The SBA launched the entrepreneur center in San Jose, CA, whereit met with unprecedented success, according to feedback fromWashington, DC. The federal agency is making plans for centers inOrlando and Missouri. The goal, says a TxED insider, is to have theTexas office up and running by yearend.

"The bottom line is we are looking forward to working with TxEDand small businesses in Texas," Raul Cisneros, the SBA's assistantadministrator, tells GlobeSt.com. The site selection will be basedon interest in government and private circles. The office, he adds,won't necessarily fall to the regional office in Fort Worth or eventhe Dallas operation.