Live Mentoring Session on 7/24 for small biz in govt contracting with Amex OPEN Advisor on Teaming

Last year, small businesses received $91.5 billion in government contracts. Landing contracts takes planning, persistence and ingenuity. For many business owners, the road to success comes in the form of subcontracting and/or teaming -- banding together with fellow small business owners to pursue larger prime contracts. According to American Express OPEN’s government contracting survey, three-fourths of small business contractors have had some procurement revenue from subcontracting and teaming, averaging 34% of their procurement revenue.

Pursuing subcontracting and/or teaming can be an excellent way for small businesses to gain procurement experience, expand their networks, improve their chances for contracting success, and obtain additional opportunities. For example, the same survey revealed that nearly one-quarter (22%) of active small firm contractors have accessed additional subcontracting opportunities after being recommended to a large prime contractor by a prime that they had performed successfully for in the past.

On July 24^th from 3pm – 4:30pm EST, Denise Rodriguez-Lopez, American Express OPEN Advisor on Teaming, will host a live chat on the American Express OPEN Victory in Procurement group on LinkedIn to guide small businesses on how partnering with another company can give their business the break it needs to surge ahead. This is an exclusive opportunity for business owners to have Denise answer questions LIVE on teaming and subcontracting.

Anyone can join the American Express OPEN Victory In Procurement® (VIP) group on LinkedIn, where members are able to:

·         Post and respond to Teaming needs/opportunities

·         Interact with Teaming experts

·         Learn of upcoming government contracting opportunities (on the “Jobs” tab)

·         Learn about upcoming events

Government Contracting Excellence Recognized by AMEX OPEN's 2012 VIP Awards

Even amidst pressures to reduce deficits, the U.S. government remains the world’s largest single purchaser of goods and services with federal contract spending amounting to just over $535 billion in fiscal year 2011. With all of this federal government money on the table, small businesses are working harder to land the government as a customer – in fact, according to American Express OPEN’s government contracting survey, small business contractors invested $103,827 seeking federal contracts in 2010, an increase of 21% over 2010.

American Express OPEN will spotlight small business achievements in government contracting with the third annual Victory in Procurement (VIP) Awards.  The VIP Awards are part of American Express OPEN’s Victory in Procurement (VIP) for Small Business– a national program that helps small business owners capitalize on the enormous growth opportunity provided through government contracts. Now through May 1, nominations are being accepted for the following three categories:

• Government Contractor of the Year
• Woman Contractor of the Year
• Teaming Contractor of the Year

Three business owners will be selected and honored at an upcoming VIP event on June 15^th in Washington, D.C. They will also be considered for panel discussions at future events as well as marketing and PR opportunities courtesy of OPEN. More information on the awards, including a link to the application, can be found at http://www.openforum.com/governmentcontracting/resources/awards.  Interested business owners will need to fill out the application and email it to VIPAwards@mbooth.com by May 1, 2012.

Related articles

• How to Get Rich on Government Work (inc.com)
• Contests & Awards: Entrepreneurial Women, Procurement Mentorship & More - April 9 (smallbiztechnology.com)

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

• Opening Doors for Women-Owned Businesses (openforum.com)
• The $27 Billion Opportunity for Women Business Owners (openforum.com)

AmEx Offers Free Mentorship Opportunity for Small Business Government Contractors

Government contracting has proven a viable means of opening new revenue streams for small businesses. In fact, small business contractors are more likely to exceed $1 million in revenue versus their non-contracting peers with nearly half (47%) earning revenues in excess of $1 million versus the 5% of all small businesses that have achieved that level of business success. For novices or those looking to diversify their work in the space, however, identifying a mentor to help navigate these muddied waters can prove difficult. Not anymore.

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Small contractors across the country now have an opportunity to take part in the Victory in Procurement (VIP) mentorship program from American Express OPEN. Participants will be educated on a host of topics, including the GSA schedule, business certifications, teaming arrangements and the importance of networking. 

The mentorship program consists of 12 hours of one-on-one virtual communications with a government contracting experts Lourdes Martin-Rosa, American Express OPEN Advisor on Government Contracting, and/or Dona Storey, American Express OPEN Advisor on Procurement. To apply, interested business owners will need to fill out the VIP Mentorship Application, and email toVIPMentorship@mbooth.com. Applications will be due by May 1, 2012.

Each mentee that completes the program will be awarded a certificate of achievement and an online badge to be displayed on their website.  Mentees will also be given free PR during the program. Additional information on the program, including a link to the application and details on the mentors, can also be found at http://www.openforum.com/governmentcontracting/resources/mentor.

The VIP Mentorship program is free to business owners as part of American Express OPEN's Victory in Procurement™ (VIP) for Small Business initiative - a national program launched in 2009 designed to help small business owners capitalize on the enormous growth opportunity provided through government contracts. Since 2009, OPEN has mentored twelve small business owners looking to grow their business through government contracting.

Related articles

• Small Businesses Working Harder for Federal Contracting Opportunities (openforum.com)
• For the Good of Your Business: Develop a Mentoring Mentality (insatiablesolopreneur.com)

Free Webinar for Small Business Owners on how to Self-Certify for the WSOB Federal Contract Program

Thanks to the Small Business Association’s Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Program, which went into effect on February 4, women business owners have a greater chance to win government contracts; 684,000 women-owned businesses could potentially benefit. (Male-owned businesses are not exempt; they can take part by partnering with women-owned businesses.)

To help business owners take advantage of this growth opportunity, American Express OPEN and Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) are offering a free, one-hour tutorial on Thursday, April 14. This session will provide further details on eligibility requirements and contract set-asides, and the step-by-step requirements for certification, including:

·         WOSB and EDWOSB certification requirements

·         Submitting documents to the SBA’s WOSB program repository

·         Update on 3rd Party certifications

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.

Additional information can be found below:

Give Me 5: How to Self-Certify for the WOSB Federal Contract Program (Part 2) 

Date: Thursday, April 14, 2011

Time: 3-4 p.m. ET / 12 p.m.-1 p.m. PT

Where: Virtual

Business owners who are interested in joining the Webinar should visit http://www.giveme5.com/events#232. Additional resources for business owners is the OPEN Insight Guide, Government Contracting: Women in Procurement, found on OPEN Forum. This OPEN Insight Guide offers tips and advice to help business owners understand the program and determine whether their businesses qualify to participate.

Related articles

• US Federal Contractor Registration Now Offers Direct Access to Government Buyers (prweb.com)

Women Procurement Program Effective Today

Today the Small Business Association’s (SBA) Women’s Procurement Program law goes into effect to expand federal contracting opportunities for women-owned businesses. There are $30 billion in contracts set aside specifically for women.  For the 80,000 women-owned small businesses registered to do business with the federal government, this is an enormous opportunity.

For the first time, federal agencies can set aside contracts specifically for women-owned small businesses.  In addition to opening up more opportunities for women business owners, the rule is also another tool to help the government meet its statutory goal that 5% of federal contracting dollars go to women-owned small businesses. Women received only 3.4% of federal contract dollars in 2009.

Participation by women business owners in federal contracting can be a lucrative revenue booster. According to American Express OPEN’s government contracting survey, two thirds of women whose firms do business with the federal government generate more than $1 million in sales.

After a business has its NAICS code, D-U-N-S number and is registered on the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) – the primary supplier database for the federal government, Lourdes Martin-Rosa, American Express OPEN Advisor on Government Contracting, offers the following tips to help business owners stand out from the competition and get a leg up on the more than $500 billion the U.S. government spends each year on goods and services.

• Get your business certified: Visit www.sba.gov/gcbd to determine if your business qualifies for Small Business Certification
• Know the agency you are targeting: Before responding to any government solicitation, check out the history of the agency’s product/service awards at www.fpds.gov.
• Check out the procurement forecasts for your targeted agencies: Each federal agency produces and is required to post on their website an annual procurement forecast, maintained by its Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) or equivalent. Contact each agency OSDBU at www.firstgov.gov to see what goods or services they anticipate buying.
• Make your price list easy to understand: Address all required items, even if they’re not applicable. If you’re in a competitive area, you may need to discount your top commercial price. But don’t discount so much that you will lose money on the transaction, and keep in mind that government agencies seek the best value, not necessarily the lowest price.
• Learn from those who preceded you: Use available resources to find information that will save you time and money.

For more resources on how women can get ahead, visit the Give Me 5 website for online resources and information about regional events.  American Express OPEN also created OPEN Insight Guides on OPENForum.com/governmentcontracting to provide tips and advice for business owners looking to do business with the government.