Vietnamese Group, SBA Form Alliance

The Vietnamese Community of Orange County Inc. signed an agreement Wednesday with the U.S. Small Business Administration to begin a cooperative relationship that will help address the needs of minority businesses.

The agreement will help the organization, which represents more than 3,000 local businesses owned by Vietnamese-Americans, increase participation in such SBA programs as those providing help with capital access and international trade and help to women-owned businesses.

The memorandum of understanding, which the organization said in a press release is the first between the government and a Vietnamese-American business community, takes effect immediately. It runs through this year and can be extended for two years.