CONNECTING TO FEDERAL CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES

The Small Business Contractor’s Forum of the National Association of Small Business Contractors and the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce presents a full day of connections to federal contracting opportunities. 

Contacts & Contracts is totally focused on bringing businesses up to date on current contracting opportunities and connecting you with federal agency and prime contractor representatives.  During the morning session, an overview of opportunities in the region is provided.  The afternoon session is matchmaking between small businesses and representatives from federal agencies and prime contractors. 

The National Association of Small Business contractors and the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce are highly respected supporters of small business contractors.  

Contacts & Contracts will be held August 5, 2010 in Arlington Virginia and again in November in San Diego, CA.   For more information, check the website at   www.nasbc.org.

DOING BUSINESS WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DoD) (Part 2 of 2)

Now that you have become familiar with the Federal Contracting Guide and other great resources at the www.business.gov web site, you are ready to take the plunge and become a Federal Contractor!!

To find information on how to establish yourself as a defense contractor, check out the guide to DoD Contracting Opportunities, a step-by-step approach to the DoD marketplace.

The DoD’s Office of Small Business Programs (DoD OSBP) will help with registering to do business with the DoD, finding your target market and finding and securing contract opportunities.

If you know which defense agencies you want to target, take advantage of the numerous small business offices and comprehensive web sites; such as www.sellingtoarmy.info maintained by at least 15 DOD agencies to help small business explore opportunities and resources.

DOING BUSINESS WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DoD) (Part 1 of 2)

Doing business with one of the largest purchasers of goods and services in the world – the US Department of Defense (DoD) can seem like an overwhelming experience for small business owners.  Many small business owners mistakenly believe that only the “big guys” can really compete for DoD business.

The reality is that the Department of Defense (DoD) and various areas of the U.S. Armed Forces have specific contracting opportunities set aside for small business.  DoD typically allots 20% of its procurement contracts and over 30% of its sub-contracting opportunities to small businesses each year. This doesn’t even take into account the set asides given to small businesses owned by veterans, women, minorities and disadvantaged businesses.

Whether you are selling a product or a service, the procurement process can be in the very least challenging for a small business to navigate.  There are many considerations that you will need to navigate through on your way to securing your share of what can be a very profitable line of business.  Here are some resources to help you get started.

Understanding Federal Government Contracting.  A great place to start is the government’s www.business.gov web site for small business.  The Federal Contracting Guide can guide you through how to become a federal contractor, find business opportunities, and the rules and regulations that federal contractors need to follow.  Another great resource is the downloadable PDF “Open Forum – The Essentials: Securing a Share of Government Business”,  which summarizes best practices for selling to the government plus how you can use government resources, such as the Small Business Administration (SBA), to your advantage.

Remembering our veterans  past, present and future.  Thank You for your service

- the FRS team

PREPARING FOR A DISASTER

Following a major disaster, 25% of small businesses don’t reopen.   No one can predict the moment a major disaster will happen, but you can arm yourself and your business with a disaster preparedness plan.  Here are some tips from the Small Business Administration.

• Meet with an insurance agent who understands the needs of your business.  Consider business-interruption insurance. Normal hazard insurance doesn’t cover floods, so make sure you have the right kind of insurance.
• Copy vital business records, both paper and electronic, and save them on a hard drive and backup diskettes at an offsite location at least 50 miles away from the main business site. 
• Be sure to have emergency supplies on the premises. Some of the key items to include are:
  • Water
  • Food
  • Battery powered radio and extra batteries
  • Flashlight and extra batteries
  • First aid kit
  • Tool kit
  • Cleaning Supplies
  • Garbage bags and ties
  • Tarps
  • Camera – to document damage
  • Duct tape
  • Blankets

Implement a recovery communications plan.  Key employees can be assigned as spokespersons who will contact suppliers, creditors, other employees, customers, media and utility companies to get the word out that the business is still viable.  Also, that spokesperson can keep the public informed of rebuilding efforts, if necessary.

For more information on disaster preparedness, visit these Web sites:

• www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance/disasterpreparedness/index.html
• www.ready.gov/business/plam/index.html
• www.fema.gov/business/index.shtm
• www.redcross.org

NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

Every year the President of the United States has proclaimed National Small Business Week to recognize the contributions of small business to the economic well being of America.  In 2010 National Small Business Week will honor the estimated 27.2 million small businesses in America.  Small businesses are major contributors to the strength of the American economy.  More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business.  They also create 60-80 percent of new jobs in the country.  Small businesses drive innovation, create 21^st century jobs and increase U.S. competitiveness. 

The conference will be held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Conference Center in Washington, DC May 23 – 25.   If you can’t be there in person, some events will be webcast live! For more information visit the web site  www.nationalsmallbusinessweek.com

COMMUNICATION:  THE FIX

Good quality communication with staff is essential to business success.  Employee’s that are not aware of what’s expected of them rarely perform to their potential.  You can relate nearly every employee issue; attendance, performance, morale and productivity, to communication.  Workplace communication is most often far from satisfactory.  To improve and foster healthy communication at your company, be honest, show respect to employees and build trust.

Some keys to good communication are:

Establish open guidelines for communication with employees by being as transparent and straightforward as possible.  Have informal one on one conversation daily if possible, and schedule quick, 10 to 15 minute group meetings.

Keep your communication concise and quick.  People typically retain only a small portion of daily interactions, so make your words and your point count.  Make sure your communications are not always negative, recognize good work and thank employees for their hard work.

Remember to follow up on communications to be sure you were heard and understood.

THE HUBZone

The HUBZone program provides federal contracting opportunities for qualified small businesses located in distressed areas.  Fostering the growth of these federal contractors as viable businesses, for the long term, helps to empower communities, create jobs and attract private investment.  The HUBZone Contracting program was enacted into law as part of the Small Business Reauthorization Act of 1997, and encourages economic development in historically underutilized business zones through the establishment of preferences.   SBA’s HUBZone program is in line with the efforts of both the Administration and Congress to promote economic development and employment growth in distressed areas by providing access to more federal contracting opportunities.

A HUBZone is an area that is located in one or more of the following:

• A qualified census tract of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986
• A qualified “non-metropolitan county” with a median household income of less than 80 percent of the State median household income or with an unemployment rate of not less than 140 percent of the statewide average, based on US Department of Labor data or
• Lands within the boundaries of federally recognized Indian reservations.

Eligibility – a small business must meet all of the following criteria to qualify for the HUBZone program

• It must be located in a “historically underutilized business zone” or HUBZone
• It must be owned and controlled by one or more US Citizens and
• At least 35% of its employees must reside in a HUBZone

For more information, or to determine if your small business may qualify for the HUBZone program, contact your local Small Business Administration.

8 Principles for Managing People

In 2000 the US General Accounting Office (GAO) issued a Human Capital report.  If you did a quick assessment of your business you should quickly recognize that your employees are an asset or capital; do you recognize them as such.  The GAO sponsored a symposium of participants and the demand for faster, cheaper, and better service delivery led their organizations to develop new and more flexible ways of managing people.   Here are the eight interrelated principles common to these organizations:

1. Value people as an asset rather than a cost.
2. Emphasize mission, vision, and organizational culture.
3. Hold managers responsible for achieving results instead of imposing rigid, process-oriented rules and standards.
4. Choose an organizational structure appropriate to the organization rather than trying to make if “one size fits all.”
5. Instead of isolating the “personnel function” organizationally, integrate human resource management into the mission of the organization.
6. Treat continuous learning as an investment in success rather than as a cost to be minimized.
7. Pursue an integrated rather than an ad hoc approach to information management.
8. Provide sustained leadership that recognizes change as a permanent condition, not a one-time event.

Transforming the Civil Service: Building the Workforce of the Future—Results of a GAO Sponsored Symposium (GAO/GGD – 96-35, Dec 20, 1995)

EARTH DAY 2010

Earth Day 2010 can be a turning point to advance climate policy, energy efficiency, renewable energy and green jobs.  Earth Day Network is galvanizing millions who make personal commitments to sustainability.  Earth Day is a pivotal opportunity for individuals, corporations and governments to join together and create a global green economy.  Join the more than one billion people in 190 countries that are taking action for earth day April 22, 2010.

According to the Organic Trade Association’s Survey, the organic industry grew by 21% to reach $17.7 billion in consumer sales in 2006.  Over the last decade organic sales have increased by an average of 20%, and this rate is expected to remain steady over the next 20 years.

Should you be thinking of starting a ‘green’ business, consider the following:

• Find you niche – find opportunities that match your interests cleaning products is one area which is growing within the organic trade.
• Get Certified – Obtain certification from an independent third party.  Being ‘certified’ means you can include their “ecolable” on you products.
• Practice what you preach – Live a green lifestyle while selling it.  Build your brand and image as socially responsible.