FREE Webinar on 5/23: The 90 Rules Small Businesses Must Know for Government Contracting Success

Government contracting is filled with regulatory compliance, which can be especially challenging for small businesses that are short on time and may have limited assistance.  Yet, compliance has never been more critical due to the increased competition among small businesses for contracting opportunities – in fact, sometimes the difference between one company and another can come down to its ability to comply with all regulatory requirements. 

To help small businesses avoid compliance pitfalls as they pursue government work, American Express OPEN and Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) are offering a free one-hour educational webinar on Wednesday, May 23 on the must-know set of rules governing the federal agencies’ acquisition process – also known as the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR).

As part of Give Me 5, a national program created by American Express OPEN and WIPP to help women business owners get a leg up on selling to the world’s largest customer – the U.S. government, the webinar will walk business owners through the standard FAR clauses they will expect to see in all contracts and explain what they mean. Taught by Barbara English, president of English Solutions, Inc., the webinar will also discuss the processes and systems contractors need to put in place to be compliant with the FAR clauses.

 Business owners who are interested in participating can register here.

Additional Information can be found below:

Give Me 5 132: The 90 F.A.R Clauses You Need To Know

Date: Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Time: 3 PM ET/12 PM PT

Where: Virtual

Understanding the 8(a) Program Webinar - 5/9

American Express OPEN and Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) are offering a free one-hour educational webinar on Wednesday, May 9 on the formal certification process for the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development Program – a nine year program designed to assist in the development of small companies owned and operated by individuals who are socially and economically disadvantaged. The program provides participants with access to a variety of business development services, including the opportunity to receive federal contracts on a sole-source or limited competition basis, and has been an important driver of growth for thousands of minority entrepreneurs over the past few years.

Taught by Give Me 5 instructor Gloria Larkin, participating business owners will learn in detail what to do before, during and after 8(a) certification. This session will clearly define the eligibility criteria, the program’s timeline, tips to market your certification effectively, the secret of 8a sole source contracts, and teaming to leverage the 8(a) certification after graduation. This webinar is part of Give Me 5, a national program created by American Express OPEN and WIPP to help women business owners get a leg up on selling to the world’s largest customer: the U.S. government.

Additional Information can be found below:

Give Me 5 190: Understanding the 8(a) Program

Date: Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Time: 3 PM ET/12 PM PT

Where: Virtual

Free Webinar for Small Businesses – “How to Write Successful Proposals (Part 2)”

It takes small businesses an investment of both time and money to seek federal contracting opportunities. In 2010, active small business contractors reported they invested an average of $103,827 in time and resources seeking federal contracts – an increase of 21% over 2009, according to a survey conducted by American Express OPEN. Learning how to write a winning proposal is critical in helping to save business owners’ most precious assets – time and resources.  

American Express OPEN and Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) are offering a free one-hour educational webinar on Wednesday, April 11 on the “Do’s and Don’ts” of writing an effective proposal on federal government solicitations. Taught by Give Me 5 instructor Barbara English of Solutions, Inc., participating business owners will learn in detail the contents of a request for proposal (RFP), the pricing tools, and whether “to bid or not to bid.”  This is the second of three webinars (the first of which ran on March 28) to be held as part of Give Me 5, a national program created by American Express OPEN and WIPP to help women business owners get a leg up on selling to the world’s largest customer: the U.S. government.

Additional Information can be found below:

Give Me 5 129: How to Write Successful Proposals (Part 2)

Date: Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Time: 3 PM ET/12 PM PT

Where: Virtual

Business owners who are interested in participating can register here.

Free Webinar – Leveraging Women-Owned Small Business Certifications to Win Contracts

Women business owners are working harder for government contracting opportunities. According to a recent survey from American Express OPEN, they invested $86,643 seeking federal contracts in 2010, up 23% from their 2009 investments of $70,512. Currently, just over one-third (37%) of active women contractors who have self-certified as a woman-owned small business (WOSB) report that the designation has been useful to them, with 17% saying that it’s been very or extremely useful.

Given recent efforts to enhance the WOSB Procurement Program and make it easier for women-owned businesses to win federal contracts, the WOSB certification will certainly become more beneficial. To help women-owned businesses maximize the year-old federal contracting program and receive their fair share of federal contracting dollars, American Express OPEN and Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) are offering a free web tutorial on Wednesday, April 4. This educational webinar is part of Give Me 5, a national program created by American Express OPEN and WIPP to help women business owners get their full 5% share of federal contracts. 

In this one-hour webinar, Give Me 5 instructor Gloria Larkin, President of TargetGov, explains the unique requirements of the WOSB Procurement Program. The session will take a look at what happens after women entrepreneurs self-certify their business and walk them through the four required steps in order to compete for a WOSB set aside contract.

Business owners who are interested in joining the webinar can register at http://www.giveme5.com/events.

Additional information can be found below:

Give Me 5 131: Using your WOSB Certification to Win Contracts

Date: Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Time:  3 PM ET/ 12 PM PT

Where: Virtual

Related articles

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Free Webinar Teaches Small Business Owners How to Write Successful Proposals

Small businesses are working harder for government contracting opportunities. According to American Express OPEN’s government contracting survey, small business contractors invested an average of $103,827 seeking federal contracts in 2010, an increase of 21% over 2010. Since small businesses are investing more time and money in growing their businesses through government contracting, learning how to write a well-developed proposal can not only save business owners time and money but also make the difference in winning a major contract.

To help business owners get contract ready and achieve contract success, American Express OPEN and Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) are offering a free web tutorial on Wednesday, March 28. This educational webinar is part of the Give Me 5 program,a national program created by American Express OPEN and WIPP to help women business owners get a leg up on selling to the world’s largest customer: the U.S. government.

In this one-hour session, Give Me 5 instructor Barbara English will teach business owners step by step instructions on how to write winning proposals on federal government solicitations. Business owns will also learn in detail the contents of an RFP, understanding pricing tools and whether "to bid or not to bid".

Additional information can be found below:

Give Me 5 129: How to Write Successful Proposals (Part 1)

Date: Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Time:  3 PM ET/12 PM PT

Where: Virtual

Business owners who are interested in joining the Webinar can register at:  http://www.giveme5.com/events .

Related articles

• Government Contracting Insights: Marketing To Government (openforum.com)
• The $27 Billion Opportunity for Women Business Owners : Innovation :: American Express OPEN Forum (spiceofyourlife.wordpress.com)
• No Taxes? No Way (businessweek.com)
• Opening Doors for Women-Owned Businesses (openforum.com)
• Something Small Biz Could Love: Risk Help From DoD - Aol Defense (govconchannel.com)

hanges to SBA's 8(a) Program are a Boon to Small Business Owners

Today, the Small Business Association’s (SBA) revisions to its rules governing the 8(a) Business Development program go into effect. These new changes will enable more small businesses to qualify for the program and access a variety of business development services, including the opportunity to receive federal contracts on a sole-source or limited competition basis. The changes also strengthen the overall program for existing 8(a) firms so that the benefits go to deserving small businesses.

To help business owners get a leg up on the billions of dollars worth of contracts that are set aside for only 8(a) firms, Lourdes offers the following tips:

• Explore the 8(a) program to see if you qualify: The 8(a) program is for small firms that are socially and economically disadvantaged. To qualify, a firm can’t exceed a certain size limit, which varies by industry; has to be able to meet certain economic criteria; and show that it is socially disadvantaged, meaning minority-owned or disadvantaged. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/8abd/programs/index.html. 
• If you qualify, make sure that your financial house is in order: The SBA requires a huge quantity of documentation on every aspect of the business and its owners. They want to see everything, so make sure that your business is being run very cleanly.
• If you don’t qualify, explore other SBA certifications that give you a competitive edge: The government recognizes a number of small business certifications including Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, Service-disabled Veteran-Owned Business and HUBZone Business.
• If your business is women-owned, familiarize yourself with the SBA’s newly created Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program. A checklist to determine your business’ eligibility can be found on OPEN Forum.
• Team to help win government contracts: If you are new to government contracting, teaming can help you gain the experience and credibility you need to be awarded more government contracts. With various set-aside contracting programs for small businesses, partnering with an 8(a) or women-owned firm can help increase your chances of winning contracts.
• For more resources and tips on how to sell to the government: Visit OPEN Insight Guides on www.OPENForum.com/governmentcontracting.

Round Four - Small Business Owner Receives Help in Leveraging Teaming Arrangements to Win Contracts

Through the power of collaboration and partnerships as well as developing a subcontracting and teaming plan, business owners can effectively capitalize on the more than $500 billion the U.S. government spends each year in federal contracts. In 2009, the federal government awarded $537 billion in contracts, making it the largest consumer in the world.

According to an American Express OPEN survey, business owners who team up with other small businesses to jointly bid on federal contracts see the greatest results: Two-thirds (68 percent) of active small business contractors who have pursued teaming opportunities have exceeded $1 million in federal contracts won to date, and 38 percent have exceeded $10 million. Also, businesses that partner with a larger prime contractor also report a higher success rate versus the average small business contractor: 61 percent of active small businesses that have performed as a subcontractor report that the total value of all of the federal contracts they have won to date exceeds $1 million, and 31 percent have exceeded $10 million.

As the fourth part of the special hour-long, one-one-mentorship webinars we’ve been promoting the last couple of months, Lourdes Martin-Rosa, American Express OPEN Advisor on Government Contracting, and Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), will help one woman business owner develop an effective strategy for teaming.  These webinars are a part of the Give Me 5 program – a national program by American Express OPEN and WIPP to help women businesses owners access and win their share of government contracts.

During the one-hour session, Lourdes will provide insights for both small and mid-sized businesses on how to find and market their unique value proposition to potential teaming partners. Women business owners who are interested in receiving the consultation opportunity and playing a feature role on the webinar should visit http://www.giveme5.com/events#232 to download the application. Completed forms should then be e-mailed to Michael Fravel at mfravel@wipp.org. All submissions will be reviewed but only one woman business owner will be chosen. 

Additional information can be found below:

Give Me 5 “Ready For Prime Time”: How to Leverage Teaming Arrangements

Date: Wednesday, March 13, 2011

Time: 3-4 p.m. ET / 12 p.m.-1 p.m. PT

Where: Virtual

Free Webinar by American Express OPEN and Women Impacting Public Policy

To help business owners get a leg up on selling to the government, American Express OPEN and Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) joined forces to launch Give Me 5, a program designed to help women-owned businesses win 5 percent of government contracts. A key aspect of the Give Me 5 program is a series of interactive webinars designed to provide the resources necessary to create successful contracting bids, and ultimately increase the amount of contracts awarded. The next webinar will feature a special one-hour, one-on-one mentorship session where Judy Bradt, a federal contracting expert, will mentor business owner Sandra Foland on how to strategically expand her business into federal contracting and grow. See detailed webinar information below:

Give Me 5: Ready for Prime Time – Is Your Company “Market Ready”?
Date: Wednesday, December 16, 2010

Time: 2-3 p.m. EST / 11 a.m.-1 p.m. PST

Where: Virtual

This special, first-hand case-study will help small business owners answer the questions:

·         How can I tell if my company is ready for Federal Contracts?

·         Which government buyers are my best prospects?

·         How can I find opportunities before they hit FedBizOpps?

For more information or to register for the webinar, go to Women Impacting Public Policy.