Business Resource: US Small Business Administration

If you have a business idea or question, The US Small Business Administration is a great resource to use.  There are courses on starting a business,  managing a business, and information about loans and grants, and even local assistance availability.

Here is an introduction video on SBA:


Like US Small Business Administration on FB: https://www.facebook.com/SBAgov
Follow on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/sbagov

Resources on International Women's Day

In honor of International Women's Day, we have been searching the 'Net for some resources that benefit women.  We hope that you may benefit from these resources, or you can pass them to someone who will. In no order, here are some of the best resources we found online.

• Kiva: A site where you can lend women in other countries money to start their own businesses.  This is a chance for women to get out of poverty to help themselves and their families.
• Small Business Administration is a site where where women can find content on business and its related issues.  Need to know how to write a business plan? What should you know about hiring employees?  Be sure to visit the SBA.
• Dress for Success provides professional wear for women looking for work or are in the workplace.  A woman can get two outfits; one for a job interview and the other to wear to work.  In fact, visit the site to find out where you can donate a suit.
• Women's Sports Foundation helps promote physical and sports activities awareness to girls and women.  This is a great site 
• Kickstarter allows you to post your creative venture idea online in hopes of getting financial supporters to make it a dream come true.  There are different categories available.  Be sure to take a look, and be inspired to create or back an idea financially.  No backing is too small.
• International Museum of Women: An online museum that curates via multimedia  arts, stories and ideas of women globally.  There are also real live events as well.  Be sure to visit it for a little taste of the cultural arts.
• Women for Women: This organization works with women who are from war torn countries.  Women are given opportunities to learn new skills and training, in hopes of rebuilding their lives with stability through work.

Be sure to list some of your favorite resources.

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.

Learn the Ins and Outs of 8(a) Certification to Succeed In Govt. Contracting

One way for small business owners to gain traction in federal contracting is through the 8(a) certification, the SBA’s program for socially and economically disadvantaged firms.  Through the 8(a) program, billions of dollars worth of contracts are set aside for only 8(a) certified firms. Learning to correctly certify under the 8(a) program gives a company the opportunity to take advantage of set aside contracts and specialized business training – thus increasing chances of success.

For the last couple of months, we’ve been sending you webinar information on special one-hour, one-on-one mentorship sessions where a federal contracting expert has mentored a small business owner on how to strategically expand into the federal contracting arena. These webinars are a part of the Give Me 5 program – a national program by American Express OPEN and Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) to help women businesses owners access and win government contracts.

As part three of this training session, Ann Sullivan, WIPP Government Relations and Give Me 5 instructor, will help business owner Regina LePak of Frances Construction, Inc., learn the ins and outs of 8(a) certification. 

During the one-hour webinar, Ann will discuss the process of becoming 8(a) certified, how a business owner can use the certification to their advantage, and the potential pitfalls to avoid once certified.
Additional information can be found below:

Give Me 5 315– Lessons Learned: The Ins and Outs of 8(a) Certification

Date: Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Time: 3-4 p.m. ET / 12 p.m.-1 p.m. PT

Where: Virtual

Registration is open to everyone; more details can be found here: http://www.wipp.org/events/event_details.asp?id=137550.

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Related articles

• Help for Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs to Rock Their Profits in 2011 (prweb.com)
• Small-Business Owners And The State Of The Union (npr.org)