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SBA Adds New Training Tools to Increase Opportunities for Vets

November 11, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Disabled VeteranWASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration today announced a three-year agreement to expand and deliver entrepreneurship training for service-disabled veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The agreement with SBA’s Office of Veterans Business Development will support the expansion of the year-long Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV). The expansion of this innovative management training and mentorship program will maximize small business programs for veterans, service-disabled veterans, reserve-component members, and their dependents or survivors.

Additionally, this week SBA launched a new online contracting tutorial on www.sba.gov, as part of its ongoing efforts to expand services to veterans and service-disabled veterans. Veterans and military spouses who own small businesses can utilize this free online course to learn how to identify and take advantage of federal contracting opportunities.

“At this important time, with veterans returning from foreign soil in increasing numbers, we at the SBA are working to ensure they have the resources to successfully start and run their small businesses. As a result of the leadership skills they develop during their service, veterans over-index in entrepreneurial activities,” SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills said today. “Our commitment is to honor that service by helping our nation’s veterans – especially those who return home with disabilities – fulfill the American Dream. Initiatives like the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp and our online training courses give veteran business owners the tools they need to grow, be competitive, and create
jobs.”

Working with Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management, the University of Connecticut School of Business, Mays Business School at Texas A&M, UCLA Anderson School of Management, Florida State University’s College of Business, and the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University, SBA’s grant and other assistance will significantly expand the reach and impact of the EBV initiative and help maximize economic opportunities for U.S. veterans with disabilities.

The expansion of SBA’s entrepreneurship training initiatives builds on SBA’s support for veterans through its Patriot Express loan program. In less than two-and-a -half year’s time, this pilot loan initiative has supported nearly $400 million in loans to more than 4,700 veterans and spouses looking to establish or expand their small businesses. As a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which raised loan guarantees to 90 percent and temporarily eliminated fees, the number of Patriot Express loans increased by more than 20 percent this year over 2008. Local SBA district offices have a listing of Patriot Express lenders in their areas. Details on the initiative can be found at
www.sba.gov/patriotexpress.

To learn more about additional opportunities for veterans available through the SBA, please visit: http://www.www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/ovbd/index.html

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SBA Proposes Revision of Small Business Size Standards

October 26, 2009 By Leave a Comment

The announcement below was just released by the SBA. It’s hot off the presses so there hasn’t been time to assess the impact across the various business types with changes proposed. More on the impact and unintended consequences later.

SBA Proposes Revision of Size Standards To Expand Opportunities for Small Businesses

Karen Mills

Karen Mills

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration is proposing increases in the size definitions for three broad commercial sectors. The proposed increases cover size standards for 71 different types of businesses, two-thirds of them in retail trade sectors. The rest are in accommodations and food services, and other services.

The changes, if adopted, will expand eligibility to small businesses and help them gain access to SBA’s financial assistance, contracting and other programs.

“SBA has undertaken a comprehensive review of our size standards to ensure they are current and reflect changes in the economy and the marketplace,” SBA Administrator Karen Mills said. “SBA’s lending and government contracting programs provide effective opportunities for small businesses to help them expand and create jobs, especially during these tough economic times. This review and proposed changes will help make these critical programs available to more small businesses and ensure SBA is in a position to be a real partner in helping our nation’s entrepreneurs and small business owners succeed.”

SBA recognizes that in some industries, existing size standards have been affected by changes in industry structure, market conditions and business models. SBA is therefore conducting a comprehensive review of all its small business size standards, and these three proposed rules are the first in the series. SBA is examining every industry to ensure that existing size standards are based on current economic data and SBA will propose to revise those where it believes it is necessary. The newly proposed rules give the public an opportunity to review and comment on SBA’s proposed standards as well as on the data and methodology that SBA uses to evaluate and revise size standards.

Before this comprehensive review, the last overall review of size standards occurred more than 25 years ago. Since then, most reviews of size standards have been limited to in-depth analyses of specific industries requested by the public and federal agencies. The SBA also makes periodic inflation adjustments to its dollar-denominated size standards. The latest inflation adjustment to size standards was published in the Federal Register on July 18, 2008.

Comments can be submitted on this proposed rule on or before Dec. 21, 2009, to www.regulations.gov, where they will be posted, or mailed to Khem R. Sharma, chief, Size Standards Division, 409 3rd St. SW, Mail Code 6530, Washington, DC 20416, or via e-mail at: sizestandards@sba.gov. For more information about SBA’s revisions to its small business size standards, visit http://www.sba.gov/size and click on “What’s New.”

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Winning Federal Contracts: A Guide for Women Entrepreneurs

October 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

SBA Launches New Online Training Course: Winning Federal Contracts – A Guide for Women Entrepreneurs

The SBA added a nifty resource to help small business owners learn more about government contracting and what steps are needed to strike out on that path. They don’t require proof that you’re a woman so feel free to check it out as well guys. 

SBA Government Contracting Training for Women

Washington D.C. -Women who own small businesses will be able to use a new online U.S. Small Business Administration training course to learn how to identify and take advantage of federal contracting opportunities. The new training course, Winning Federal Contracts: A Guide for Women Entrepreneurs, is part of an ongoing government-wide initiative to promote opportunities for women-owned businesses in the area of government contracting.

This free online tutorial is a practical and easy to use guide that walks a woman-owned small business through the contracting process. SBA is committed to ensuring that women-owned businesses receive at least 5 percent of federal contracts and believes better training opportunities are central to meeting this government-wide goal.

“Federal contracts can provide unique opportunities for women entrepreneurs and small business owners to grow their businesses and create jobs, particularly during these tough economic times,” Administrator Karen Mills said. “It’s also a win for federal agencies, by contracting with women-owned small businesses; they are working with some of the most innovative and dynamic companies in the country.”

The SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership oversees a national network of more than 100 Women’s Business Centers (WBCs) that provide education and training to help women start and grow small businesses. In addition, the SBA has 68 district offices and other resource partners throughout the country available to train and counsel women-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs seeking government contracts.

“This online training course makes critical information and training available to an even wider array of women entrepreneurs and small business owners,” said Ana Harvey, assistant administrator for SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership. “SBA wants to help ensure they have the tools and resources they need to compete for and win federal contracts.”

The Winning Federal Contracts course is designed to help women entrepreneurs learn about the federal procurement process and to prepare them to compete for contracting opportunities. The self-paced guide uses audio and script to provide information about contract rules, how to sell to the government and where to find contracts.

The Winning Federal Contracts course is available on SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov or directly at www.sba.gov/fedcontractingtraining. It is indexed by subject matter, and includes direct links to additional contracting resources.

Release Number: 09-71

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JADA Creative Communications

October 6, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Named after Al Bullock’s first-born daughter, JADA Creative is a graphics design and production agency specializing in tradeshow and exhibit materials. With 2009 sales forecast to come in close to $6 million, his company has come a long way from when it began operating from his home in 1997.

His is an American entrepreneur’s story turning his experience and desire into a small operation grossing only $39,000 in it’s first year. His business really began to take off after he took his experience and passion to the next level with help from an SBA loan of $100,000 in 2003. Never looking back his firm borrowed another $650,000 in 2007 and he has put the funding to good use.

Al BullockWith a firm financial foundation JADA has been able to move into government contracting delivering product and services for Janssen, Boeing, DuPont, Johnson &Johnson, GE, Glaxo, Bristol Myers, Lockheed Martin, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, US Army, and dozens of others.

You can learn more about JADA Creative from their listing in our directory or directly from their impressive Website:

www.jadacreative.com
Directory listing: JADA Creative

Filed Under: New Listings, SBA Tagged With: ,

SBA Launches New Online Training Course: How to Win Federal Contracts

September 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment

The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering several free online training courses for entrepreneurs interested in government contracting.

Several available courses are designed to help entrepreneurs understand the basics about government contracts. These self-paced courses are easy to use and understand and will take about 30 minutes to complete. it’s a good first step to take for those considering contracting for the first time.

Link to the courses: Government Contracting Courses

The press release below was issued earlier today (Sept 1, 2009)

Government Contracting training

Online Course Part of Federal Government-wide Initiative

WASHINGTON ─ The U.S. Small Business Administration today launched a new
online training course to help strengthen access to contracting opportunities
for small businesses, including those owned by women, minorities,
disadvantaged individuals and veterans.

The training course, “Recovery Act Opportunities: How to Win Federal
Contracts,” is part of a federal government-wide initiative announced last
month by President Obama and being led by SBA and the Department of
Commerce.

“Government contracts can play a key role in helping small businesses turn the
corner in terms of expansion and job creation,” SBA Administrator Karen G.
Mills said.  “But make no mistake, the benefits the government receives are
equally as impressive – working with small businesses allows the federal
government to work with some of the most innovative companies in America,
often with direct contact with the CEO.”

“The SBA online training course can help businesses access the federal
purchasing system and position themselves to compete for the commercial
opportunities offered by government contracting,” Mills continued.

In announcing the government-wide initiative, President Obama reiterated his
Administration’s commitment to providing “our Nation’s small businesses with
maximum practicable opportunity to participate in federal government
contracting.”  As part of the initiative, federal agency procurement officers are
participating in more than 200 events over the next several weeks to help
connect small businesses with contracting opportunities.  Additionally, SBA and
Commerce are expanding their outreach to contracting officials across the
federal government to ensure they have the tools to meet their annual
contracting goals and increase opportunities to small businesses, including
those owned by veterans, women and minorities, as well as those in
designated HUBZones.

As part of the outreach to small businesses, the comprehensive online course
uses both audio and script to provide information about the federal
marketplace, contract rules and, most importantly, how to sell to the
government and where to find contract and Recovery Act opportunities.  The
new training portal is a free online training course designed to assist
entrepreneurs during this period of economic recovery.  This self-paced,
instructional guide provides an overview of the federal procurement process.

The Recovery Act Opportunities course is available on SBA’s Web site at
www.sba.gov or directly at www.sba.gov/fedcontractingtraining.  The course
is indexed by subject matter to allow ease of use, and it includes multiple
direct links to additional contracting resources.

The Recovery Act Opportunities course includes direct links that highlight the
best contracting resources and engages small business owners in the
contracting process.  The course also includes practical and fundamental
steps to engage business owners in the federal contracting arena.

It is one of more than 24 online tutorials offered by the SBA, and is available
24/7.

For more information please visit www.sba.gov.

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