Dear Friends,
Have you been watching season four of the hit Hulu television series, Small Business Revolution?
This season features our very own Searcy, Arkansas and highlights the stories of six incredible Searcy entrepreneurs. It is exciting to watch Searcy gain national recognition and I am proud of the entire Searcy community for coming together and showing the country how Arkansas supports the mission of small business owners.
As a founder of the House Entrepreneurship Caucus, and an Arkansas entrepreneur, I know how valuable it is to simply get the word out about your business. I'm pleased that these Searcy businesses, along with the entire community, are invigorated by this national television series.
Small businesses in Arkansas make up 99.3% of Arkansas businesses, including 479,727 employees working at 247,018 small businesses. This show reminds us all to shop local and support all of our Arkansas entrepreneurs and business owners that make central Arkansas a better place to live.
Episode 1 of Small Business Revolution, "Meet Searcy, Arkansas" introduces the country to the town we know and love:
Click here or on the image above to watch episode 1. |
"The town of Searcy, Arkansas, roughly a 45-minute drive northeast of Little Rock and two hours west of Memphis, is home to more than 24,000 people. The town, rich in southern history, is trying to make a comeback after the natural gas industry left town leaving Searcy with fewer jobs and less profitability. Blessed with a large and active small business community, Searcy’s leaders are trying to drum up more excitement by getting people to shop local."
Episode 2 shares the amazing story behind Whilma's Filipino Restaurant:
Click here, or on the image above to watch episode 2. |
"From every nation on earth, people come to America in search of the American dream. It takes dedication, hard work and passion to reach those lofty goals. Whilma Frogoso is a shining example of what it takes to achieve the American dream. Whilma left the Philippines with her husband and four children for a chance to give her children a better life and a better future. Arriving in Searcy, she found work where she could for a few years before deciding to open her own restaurant, bringing her father’s traditional Filipino recipes to Arkansas. And while her food is delicious, roughly 80 percent of her customers are local college students and when school isn’t in session, business suffers. In addition, locals are unaware her restaurant exists.
"Deluxe brought in James Beard Award-Winning Chef and Restaurateur, Ann Kim, to help change the perception of Whilma’s and get the word out. The Deluxe marketing team updates Whilma’s branding, giving her a new website with more insight on her food in order to drive more customers in to eat. Ty Pennington provides advice on how to update her restaurant in ways that will help her financially. Make sure the tissues are on hand when watching this amazing transformation come together."
Earlier this fall, Congressman Hill stopped by Whilma's Filipino Restaurant for a delicious lunch. |
I recommend watching all of season four of Small Business Revolution, which is available to view here, or by clicking on the image below. Each episode tells the story of our hard-working and community-centered, local business owners pursuing their own American dream–which is what we are all about in central Arkansas.
Sincerely,
Representative French Hill
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Service academy nomination deadline:
Friday November 1st
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Do you know someone interested in attending one of our nation’s Military Academies? If so, forward them the link below to fill out a nomination application with my office. America’s Military Academies are some of the most prestigious educational institutions in the world that offer students an excellent education in addition to a commission as a military officer.
This year, the deadline for submitting an application to my Little Rock office is Friday, November 1st. Click here or on the image below for more information.
Congressional App Challenge deadline:
Friday, November 1st
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The Congressional App Challenge application closes on Friday, November 1st. Last year, Arkansas was the only state with 100% participation in the Congressional App Challenge in each of its congressional districts. As the Co-chair of the App Challenge, I am so proud of the Arkansas students who participated last year and I'm excited to see what inventive ideas our STEAM students think of this year.
I encourage every central Arkansas student to apply by clicking here, or on the image below.
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