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

• 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 Succeed in Federal Procurement through Subcontracting

Due to set aside requirements in federal procurement, small businesses are a valuable resource for large companies seeking federal contracts. Partnering with a large prime contractor also has its benefits for small businesses - including building past performance history, learning the ropes from more experienced contractors and accessing more contracting opportunities. According to an American Express OPEN survey, business owners who perform as subcontractors win 50 percent more contracts versus the average small business contractor. 

To help small business owners learn how to market to prime contractors and perform effectively as a subcontractor, American Express OPEN and Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) are offering a free web tutorial on Wednesday, May 18. This one-hour session will teach small business owners:

·         How to promote their unique value proposition within their industry and with government prime contractors

·         The necessary credentials required of government contractors

·         How to strengthen relationships with prime contractors to find new opportunities and build past performance for federal contracting

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 5 140: Getting Prepared for Subcontracting

Date: Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Time: 3:30 ET / 12:30 PT

Where: Virtual

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)