SBA adjusts size standards for inflation

Almost 12,000 companies will be re-classified as small businesses after a move by the Small Business Administration to factor three and one-half years of inflation into its monetary-based size standards. SBA increased the size standard for business and personal services firms from $6 million to $6.5 million. Size standards for other industries that are higher than $6 million also reflect similar percentage increases, the report states. Full Article

Minority-Owned Joint Venture Lands Federal IT Work

By Roseanne Gerin
Special to The Washington PostMonday, December 5, 2005; Page D04

Energy Enterprise Solutions LLC won a $1 billion contract from the Energy Department to provide consolidated information technology services, one of the largest federal IT services contracts ever awarded to a small business.

The contract also appears to be the first ever billion-dollar award made to a joint venture of two minority-owned firms, said Rodney P. Hunt, president and chief executive of RS Information Systems Inc. of McLean, one of the contract partners. The other is 1 Source Consulting Inc. of Seabrook.

Click here to read more.

IRS SETS STANDARD MILEAGE RATES FOR 2006

The IRS this week lowered the optional standard mileage rate for 2006 to 44.5 cents per mile for business miles driven, down from the 48.5 cent rate set for the last third of 2005.

The standard mileage rate is used to calculate the deductible costs of operating a vehicle for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes. The 48.5 cent rate set for the last four months of 2005 was a one-time adjustment in response to the sharp increase in gas prices, which topped $3 a gallon. The standard mileage rate for the first two-thirds of 2005 was set at 40.5 cents per mile.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2006, the standard mileage rates for use of a car (including vans and pickup trucks) for medical or moving purposes will be 18 cents per mile. The rate for miles driven in service of charitable organizations, other than activities related to Katrina, will be 14 cents per mile. For 2006, the Katrina-related charitable rates will be 32 cents per mile for deduction purposes and 44.5 cents per mile for reimbursement purposes.

Small businesses struggle to win hurricane relief contracts

By Kimberly Palmer mailto:Palmerkpalmer@govexec.com

Shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Kevin Arvay, a satellite communications consultant based in Leesburg , Va. , started calling federal agencies charged with cleanup and reconstruction. He thought he could help build their communications systems.
Arvay is still waiting for a return call. "It's frustrating, because you're sitting here knowing you can do something," he said.

Like hundreds of other small contractors, Arvay wants to be part of the enormous relief effort, but he has had difficulty getting the right people on the phone. As in many emergency situations, contracts are being awarded quickly, outside the normal competitive process, meaning that relationships matter as much as skills. Small companies could have a tough time winning government business in this environment.

Full Article

Ramping up quickly to win a contract: A solution for small and medium-sized contractors

In the wake of disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, government contracting opportunities grow. But winning those contracts often depends on hiring and orienting new employees quickly. For a large company with a sizable human resources department, bringing on a new workforce is merely a challenge. For smaller organizations, it can seem like an insurmountable obstacle.

A growing number of contractors are finding a solution by hiring a Professional Employer Organization (PEO), which functions as an HR department for small and medium-sized companies.

The advantages of a PEO include:
§ Assistance with hiring and orientation: A full-service PEO such as Administaff can assist client companies in all facets of hiring, including placing ads, reviewing resumes, interviewing and conducting background checks, and employee orientation.
§ Accurate contract proposals : A PEO gives a company the capability to quantify the annual cost of each employee to make an accurate calculation of direct hourly costs.
§ Answers from specialists: A PEO can provide guidance and answers to many of the questions regarding personnel-related issues.
§ Regulatory compliance: PEOs stay updated on changes in employer-related laws and regulations and assist companies in staying compliant.
§ Access to reports for contract audits : Some PEOs provide 24/7 access online to information and reports for complying with contract audit requirements.
§ Attract new employees with big-company benefits : Some PEOs offer medical, dental, and vision insurance, life and disability insurance, retirement programs, tuition reimbursement, and adoption assistance – benefits typically found at large corporations.

Outsourcing their HR to a PEO allows small companies to function like big ones. It is just one of the reasons behind the growing trend. In fact, the Gartner Group predicts that more than 85 percent of U.S. employers will outsource at least one HR function in the future.

Whether it is landing a first-time contract or adding larger contracts to the roster, working with a PEO can give contracting companies a competitive edge in winning proposals.

Article provided by Rob Kimmel and Peter Pfeiffer, district managers in Administaff’s Washington , D.C. offices. Administaff (NYSE: ASF), the nation’s leading Professional Employer Organization, serves as a full-service human resources department for thousands of small and medium-sized businesses throughout the United States. For more information, call 1-800-465-3800 or visit www.administaff.com.

FEMA, Small Business Administration Work Together To Award Hurricane Katrina Recovery Contracts To Small And Minority-Owned Businesses

The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced the opening of competition for 15 contracts with a value up to $100 million each. The five-year contracts will be awarded to local, small and small disadvantaged businesses for temporary housing maintenance and support for Gulf Coast hurricane recovery.

FEMA expects to award seven small business and eight Section 8(a) contracts by Feb. 1, 2006. All interested companies may go to Rebuilding the Gulf Coast at www.rebuildingthegulfcoast.gov to find the Request for Proposal (RFP), which will be available for downloading no later than Nov. 18, or FedBizOpps at www.fbo.gov. For those without Internet capabilities, written requests for an RFP can be made by faxing Nancy Costello at (202) 646-4373 or e-mailing nancy.costello@dhs.gov.

For more information about FEMA’s efforts, visit www.fema.gov. More information about SBA, visit www.sba.gov.

WIPP

CONFERENCE INCHES CLOSER TO LOWERING 7(a) LOAN FEES: The House of Representatives recently approved a measure by voice vote instructing the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations conference to report $79 million for the 7(a) loan program in its final bill. This funding would lower fees to small businesses obtaining Small Business Administration (SBA) loans. Additionally, Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Ranking Member John Kerry (D-MA) called for the conferees to keep the funding for 7(a) loan program at $79 million.

Please click here to read Senator Kerry’s press release concerning the newly-passed motion.

VELAZQUEZ RELEASES ANNUAL REPORT CARD: House Small Business Committee Ranking Member Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) released her annual report card that scores Federal Agencies on contracting. The report shows that women-owned businesses came in at 2.89% – just over half of its 5% goal. It is estimated that the cost to women-owned businesses is more than $6 billion in lost contracting opportunities.

Please click here to view the report and see how women and small businesses fared (on page 13).

These two stories provided by Women Impacting Public Policy, Inc. (WIPP) www.wipp.org

Washington Headquarters Services (WHS) Acquisition -- Enterprise IT, Domain IT, and IT Asset Management Support for WHS

The Washington Headquarters Services, Information Technology Management Directorate (WHS/ITMD), is developing its requirements for Enterprise IT, Domain IT, and IT Asset Management Support for WHS. The purpose of this Request for Information is to gather information to assist WHS ITMD in formulating its requirements and identify vendors who can demonstrate a capability to meet the requirements.

Responses to this RFI must be received by Wednesday, 16 November 2005, at 4:00 PM EST. Please provide responses in electronic format (CD-ROM) using Microsoft Office products or .pdf files. Five copies of each response must be hand delivered or sent via courier to Juan R. Lopez, WHS A&PO, Rosslyn Plaza North, Suite 12063, 1777 North Kent Street, Arlington VA 22209-2209, phone 703-696-3970.

The FebBizOpps listing for this RFI is at: http://www.fbo.gov/spg/ODA/OSD/PRPO/HQ0034%2D06%2DAPO%2DEDAM%2D1/listing.htm l. (The 17 down-loadable documents are also available at this site.)

NAWBO FORMS KATRINA TASK FORCE

Looking to find out how you can help women entrepreneurs affected by Hurricane Katrina? Or are you a woman entrepreneur who was affected and seeking resources?

Visit www.womenbizrelief.com to find out resources that other women entrepreneurs are offering, or to post resources that you can offer. Started by the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), many WIPP Coalition partners and sponsors have come together to support the efforts on the Hurricane Katrina Task Force.

A Critique of Minority Set-Aside Programs

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has taken a close look at Federal government contracting set-aside programs, and they don’t like what they see. The basic message from their report ( Federal Procurement after Adarand ) is pretty clear: all government contracting decisions should be race-neutral. In other words, all federal preferential contracting programs, like the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) program, should be eliminated. The Commission is recommending a major policy shift, as small and disadvantaged business programs now help fund $19.5 billion in prime contracts (about 7% of all contracting dollars). The Commission’s report recommends that all federal agencies establish new race-neutral procurement programs, and expand marketing efforts so that more small business owners are made aware of new federal contracting opportunities.

The September 2005 U.S. Commission on Civil Rights report, Federal Procurement after Adarand , is available at: http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/080505_fedprocadarand.pdf

This story provided by: www.publicforuminstitute.org/nde.

The Biggest Small Government Contractors

Washington Technology is out with its latest edition of the Fast 50, the fifty fastest growing small government contractors. The firms on Washington Technology’s list are all service contractors that do a minimum of $100,000 of government business every year. Not all the firms are located “inside the Beltway.” In fact, this year’s number one, Merlin Technical Solutions, is based in Greenwood Village Colorado . This information technology services provider posted a 362% compound annual growth rate between 2000 and 2004. Hot areas for contractors are IT services, consulting, and systems integration. The issue also lists the top 25 8(a) companies – firms that are minority-owned and specially designated by the Small Business Administration. As in past years, firms owned by Native Americans and Alaska natives dominate the list, with the number one spot held by last year’s winner, Chenega Corporation of Anchorage , Alaska .

The Fast 50 appears in Washington Technology’s annual small business issue (appearing in the September 26, 2005 issue), which is available on-line at www.washingtontechnology.com

This story was provided by: www.publicforuminstitute.org/nde.

Current Update on $69+ Billion in Contracting Opportunities for Disaster Reconstruction

Current Update on $69+ Billion in Contracting Opportunities for Disaster Reconstruction
A National Teleconference to update the contracting opportunities for the Disaster Relief and Reconstruction efforts will be held on Thursday, October 13, 2005 from 2:00 to 3:00 pm EST. This is the third is a series of teleconferences addressing the extraordinary contracting opportunities opening up to business throughout the US .

Speakers:
US Army Corps of Engineers; Chief, Small Business Office, Associate Director for Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Judith W. Blake
National Business Development Expert, Author and Instructor, Gloria Berthold

Contractors from all over the US have unprecedented opportunities to become involved in the reconstruction contracting process. This process will involve both short and long term contracting needs utilizing all types of services and products. Opportunities will continue to open up for many months to come, as long as you know how to open those doors. Upon registration, you will immediately receive the 95 page resource guide: Disaster Relief and Reconstruction Contracting Business Development Toolkit . This downloadable book details the federal and state agencies, prime contractors, related contact people, specific processes and methods to find contracting and subcontracting opportunities. Cost: $119.00 for both the Teleconference and Toolkit.

For full details, or to register go to: http://www.targetgov.com/, click on the “Teleconference” link http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2178 or call toll-free: 866-579-1346.

Options:
No time to attend the teleconference? Order the teleconference CD and 95-page Disaster Relief and Reconstruction Contracting Business Development Toolkit from the most recent teleconference. http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2181

Or, order just the 95 page Toolkit and get started on your business development process immediately!
http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2189

Judge denies Small Business Administration's Motion to Dismiss

The U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce's nearly year-old claim against the Small Business Administration received a strong message of support yesterday. The U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce claim against the SBA seeks the implementation of a five-year-old law that would expand opportunities in the federal marketplace for women business owners in industries that have historically been closed to them.

On Friday, September 30, 2005, U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton issued an order denying the Small Business Administration's Motion to Dismiss the USWCC Claim and ordered that the SBA provide the court a written statement of the progress made towards implementation of the law.

Read more here

Addressing emergency contracting needs

To help federal and state agencies better understand your capabilities to address emergency contracting service and products, we strongly recommend that you follow these GSA requests:

Update your website by highlighting items needed for the relief effort, discounts in effect for those items, after hours point of contact, and any new emergency delivery times

Provide temporary price reductions for relief products, making sure that you keep your GSA Advantage! listings current with any changes

Check eBuy at least once a day so you can quickly answer calls for quotes for relief efforts

Handle any orders from federal agencies assisting in the relief effort as expeditiously as possible

Request how your company may assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina by directly emailing katrinasupport@gsa.gov

2nd National Teleconference to Address Subcontracting Needs For Katrina Disaster Relief and Reconstruction

The 2nd National Teleconference to Address Subcontracting Needs For
Katrina Disaster Relief and Reconstruction will be held on Thursday, September 29, 2005 at 2:00 to 3:00 pm EST. The reconstruction efforts will affect virtually all states and contractors throughout the US have unprecedented opportunities to become involved in the reconstruction contracting process. The reconstruction process will involve both short and long term contracting needs, so opportunities will continue to open up for many months to come, as long as you know how to open those doors.

Attend this teleconference and learn how to step up to the plate, what processes need to be followed, who is involved, how decisions are made and what you need to do to be considered for the contracting opportunities. You attend over your telephone so there is no travel time or expenses. For full details and registration information, click here. (http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2178)

The First National Subcontracting Opportunities for Katrina Disaster Relief and Reconstruction Teleconference

Date of first teleconference: September 15, 2005
Time: 2:00 to 3:00 pm EST (or check your local time zone)
Location: Attend directly over your telephone. No wasted travel time or expenses.
Cost: $119.00 includes teleconference and Contracting Toolkit as detailed below

National Expert Speakers:
Confirmed:
Department of Homeland Security: Chief of Staff and Director, Industry and Acquisition Relations, Office of the Chief Procurement Officer, Mui Erkun
National Marketing Expert Author and Instructor, Gloria Berthold
Invited (due to the nature of the emergency, speaker availability may change, but the information for each contractor will be provided):
US Army Corps of Engineers
Contractors: Phillips & Jordan, Ashbritt Environmental, IAP, Shaw Group, Carothers Construction


Attend this TargetGov Teleconference and learn how to:
-Find out how to participate in the Katrina Disaster Relief and Reconstruction Efforts
-Uncover subcontracting opportunities with the Prime Contractors
-Develop your best resource for building relationships with Prime Contractors
-Uncover opportunities at the Federal, state and local level
-Understand and use the compelling factors that decision-makers employ to determine the contracting and subcontracting relationships
-Plan an effective strategy to focus your efforts and be most effective
Register at www.targetgov.com

By the end of this Teleconference you will:
Know the processes needed to find the contracting opportunities in the Katrina Disaster Relief and Reconstruction efforts. This teleconference is geared to contractors already familiar with the government contracting process. But if you are new to government contracting, we will send you the connections to the resources you need to get started.

For those contractors already familiar with government contracting, you will learn how to fine-tune your efforts so that you get more opportunities for larger contracts with the federal agencies and prime contractors involved in disaster relief and reconstruction efforts.

The Katrina Disaster Relief and Reconstruction Toolkit handout includes the following information:
-Specific contacts and details relating to the disaster relief and reconstruction efforts for both short term and long term contracting opportunities.
-Listing of Federal Agencies and contact information
The Department of Homeland Security
FEMA
US Army Corps of Engineers
And others....
-Listing of State contact information for Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida
-Listing of Prime Contractors and contact information
-Subcontracting Guidelines
-Guidelines Regarding the Changes in the Acquisition Process Due to the Katrina Disaster
-Doing Business with DHS -- The Rules of the Game
-List of DHS Prime Contractors
And much more…..

Who Should Attend
If you want to find out about the rules, regulations and processes involved in participating in the Katrina Disaster Relief and Reconstruction efforts, building your business revenues through subcontracting, or you are involved in government business development this is a Do Not Miss opportunity to speak directly with the people who can help you open the door to the government procurement opportunities. Presidents, CEOs, CFO's, Business Development Managers, Government Business Specialists and Sales Representatives will find this the most effective hour ever spent in developing government business opportunities relating to disaster contracting.

Industries needed by the Katrina Disaster Relief and Reconstruction Effort:
This is an unprecedented disaster that involves every aspect of life in the Gulf States: citizen services such as food, shelter, clothing, health, mental-wellbeing, communications, debris removal and reduction, and transportation and other support issues such as police and fire responders are in great demand. It also affects business life at every level: communications, trucking, transportation, data recovery, employee training and hiring, etc. Local governments need to reconstruct their operations as well.

If you are involved in emergency services, debris removal and reduction, power supply, information technology, architecture and engineering, commodities, supplies, travel, personnel, construction, services, maintenance, energy, communications, training, accounting, legal, transportation, shipping, security, research and equipment, there are opportunities for you in either the short term or long term.

Why the TargetGov Teleconferences?
Through one-on-one interviews and instruction, your host, Ms. Gloria Berthold, gives you unprecedented access to the inner circles of government contracting. This exclusive opportunity to interact with people who know how to get business done in government agencies will help your business development processes become much more effective.

The Teleconference format allows you to attend from any telephone, anywhere. From your desk or your cell phone, you can fit this hour into your schedule - no wasted travel time to worry about.

Do you offer a Guarantee? Yes!
Every Teleconference we offer carries a money back guarantee.
That's correct, register for any Teleconference and we are so confident that you will take away valuable access and information that will be well worth the registration fee that we are giving you a money-back guarantee. If you decide that you did not receive the information as promised simply call us at 410-579-1346 within 24 hours of the Teleconference with your confirmation number and reason so that we can process your refund.

Register at www.targetgov.com or call toll-free 1-866-579-1346 for details

Hurricane Katrina Emergency Contracting Information

http://www.fedbizopps.gov/katrina.html

Due to the immediacy of emergency opportunities, it is unlikely that opportunities dealing with the hurricanes will be advertised through the FedBizOpps system.
Vendors looking to provide products or services in Alabama , Louisiana , Mississippi or Florida should contact the following resources that are coordinating the disaster relief efforts:

Please note:

In general, proposals must include the following information:
Company name
Business address
Contact information
Type of service or product offered
Type of equipment
Number of workers being provided
Cost for service or product
Whether the company is volunteering services

FEMA
For information concerning disaster contracting, please call FEMA's acquisition voice message system at:
Phone: 202.646.4006
and visit the FEMA website at: http://www.fema.gov/

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
To register with the National Emergency Resource Registery please visit the following website: http://www.swern.gov/
SWERN is the Central Repository for all Hurricane relief.

US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
Contractors interested in assisting should fill out the subcontractor forms on the following two websites, please go to:

For Alabama and Florida:
Phillips & Jordan, Inc. ( for cleanup in Alabama and Florida ) Phone (Toll Free): 1-800-763-4718 Website: http://disaster.pandj.com/primaries/subcon.html

For Louisiana and Mississippi:
ASHBRITT (for cleanup in Louisiana and Mississippi) Phone (Toll Free): 1-800-244-5094 Phone: 954-545-3535 Website: http://www.ashbritt.com/sub_conract.shtmlemail: mailto:info@ashbritt.com

For other disaster response work in Louisiana , call the Memphis Corps of Engineers Office at (901) 544-3117 or (901) 544-3116.
For other disaster response work in Mississippi , call the Vicksburg Corps of Engineers office at (601) 631-5814 or (601) 631-7262 or submit an email to: cemvk-ct@usace.army.mil

DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
Alabama
Phone: 205-280-2200 (Press 0 to speak with the operator) http://ema.alabama.gov/
If you are interested in contracting opportunities with the State of Alabama , on your Company Letterhead, list your capabilities and contact information. Fax this information to: 334-409-4663 Attention: FEMA Contract

Louisiana
Phone: 225-925-7500 http://ohsep.louisiana.gov/Note: You may experience problems calling Louisiana at this time.

Mississippi
Phone (Toll Free): 1-800-222-6362Phone: 601-352-9100Website:http://www.mississippi.gov/ Website: http://www.msema.org/Note: You may experience problems calling Mississippi at this time.

Florida
Florida County Emergency Management Contacts: Phone: 850-413-9969 Website: http://www.floridadisaster.org/County_EM/county_list.htm
Florida Disaster Contractors Network: Website: http://www.dcnonline.org/Email: mailto:dcn@dcnonline.org
Florida Home Builders Assistance at:Phone: 850-385-1414 Website: http://www.fhba.com/

TargetGov SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Small Business Special Option
TargetGov has a new shopping cart! The first selection is an option specifically designed to help small businesses with an affordable access to the exclusive Government Buyers Guide. This live, online database will help you find the people who buy what you sell in federal, state and local government agencies. Why wait for bids and RFQs to be announced when you can go directly to the people who are making the purchasing decisions? We guarantee the accuracy of the information and the price is only $79 per month! As one of our subscribers said: “The TargetGov guide was absolutely phenomenal in tracking down the people I needed. The small investment paid for itself many times over!”
Click here for more information. http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2152

UPCOMING TRAINING SESSIONS
Exclusive Sessions, No Cost for TargetGov Subscribers
Topics: An Introduction to Using the TargetGov Government Buyers Directory to Find Government Customers, How to find Federal Agency Buyers Using the TargetGov Government Buyers Directory, and How to find State and Local Government Agency Buyers Using the TargetGov Government Buyers Directory
Click here to find out more

UPCOMING SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
National government marketing expert, speaker, author and educator, Gloria Berthold will be speaking at these upcoming events.

UPCOMING EVENTS
Do not miss the 2005 MED WEEK Conference and Expo
September 11-14, 2005
Click here to find out more

'Bunny' at center of Iraq, Halliburton controversy

Bunnatine ''Bunny'' Greenhouse is the Principal Assistant Responsible for Contracting (''PARC'' in the alphabet soup of military acronyms) in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Lest the title fool, she is responsible for awarding billions upon billions in taxpayers' money to private companies hired to resurrect war-torn Iraq and to feed, clothe, shelter and do the laundry of American troops stationed there.
She has rained a mighty storm upon herself for standing up, before members of Congress and live on C-SPAN to proclaim things are just not right. She has asked many questions: Why is Halliburton - a giant Texas firm that holds more than 50 percent of all rebuilding efforts in Iraq - getting billions in contracts without competitive bidding? Do the durations of those contracts make sense? Have there been violations of federal laws regulating how the government can spend its money?

To read the full article click here

Navy Awards Largest Public-Private Venture Housing Initiative to Date

Washington D.C. - The Department of the Navy (DoN) and Lincoln Family Communities, LLC entered into the Navy's newest public-private venture (PPV) housing project. With the goal of providing quality and affordable housing for military families, this project is the largest Private Venture awarded by the Navy to date. The project encompasses 5,694 Navy homes across three states and spanning seven Naval Installations and 36 communities in Navy Region Mid-Atlantic and four Naval Installations and 25 communities in the Naval District Washington Region.
To read the full story click here

Flip-flops in the White House: A Parable

A photo of Northwestern University's national championship women's lacrosse team, taken during the athletes' recent visit to the White House, shows most of the nine women in the front row wearing flip-flop sandals along with their dresses and skirts. This created a flip-flop flap.*

What can flip-flops (the shoes, not the political posturing) possibly have to do with your government procurement contracting practices? And how do they relate to failure at procurement contracting?

Everyday, businesses large and small, well-established and brand new, try to open the door to doing business with the government, but they are in reality "wearing flip-flops." The successful contractors have understood what is appropriate and what is not. When government procurement personnel and end-users see how the company presents itself, they make a snap decision to open or shut the door, literally and figuratively.

Read the full story

N. Va. to continue pacing regional economy

By Dominic Bonaiuto
07/06/2005

The success of Northern Virginia's economy, which is driving the rest of the metropolitan economy, will continue through the end of the decade even as growth begins to slow slightly and levels off, according to the region's premier economist.

The Washington region led the nation in job growth for the past five years, but half of those positions were filled here in Northern Virginia, which would have ranked fourth nationally by itself.

Read the entire article

Article by Sharon Pinder

Before getting ‘married,’ businesses need to court each other
By Sharon R. Pinder
July 8, 2005
Special to The Daily Record

“If your business is not growing, then it is dying. It may be a slow, quiet death, but it is still dying.”
This powerful statement is a quote from entrepreneur Dr. Robert L. Wallace’s latest book, “Strategic Partnerships.” The book’s message is crystal clear. Survival of today’s businesses is dependent upon the ability to leverage strategic partnerships.
The concept of partnering is not new. Our nation’s largest and most successful businesses have always built strategic alliances, entered into joint ventures, and acquired or merged as normal business practices.
They recognize that these strategic partnerships are a key element in maintaining competitive advantage.
Why are partnerships so important in today’s marketplace?
Click Here to view the entire story

Procurement hits home

Federal spending grows 18 percent in region
By Dee Ann Divis And Dustin Weaver
Examiner Staff
Published: Thursday, June 30, 2005 10:28 PM EDT

The amount of money spent by the federal government on goods and services in the Washington area, a total of $50 billion in fiscal year 2004, grew 18 percent over the previous year - a rate of growth nearly twice that seen by rest of the country.

The expansion continues a trend that now places 16 cents of every federal procurement dollar into the hands of area companies.

Read the full story here.

Congressional Action To Stop Junk Faxes Helps Small Business

From the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration

WASHINGTON, D.C. - With the passage of the Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2005 (S. 714) Congress has acted to stop junk faxes while ensuring that small businesses can communicate with their customers. The legislation will ensure that business can send faxes to customers with whom they already have an established business relationship without having to obtain written prior approval. The bill has been sent to President Bush for his signature.

"The passage of the Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2005 by both the U.S. House and Senate is good for small businesses and their customers," said Chief Counsel for Advocacy Thomas M. Sullivan. "Junk faxes remain illegal, but real estate agents can still fax listings based on a telephone request, jobbers can fax updated price lists to stores, and caterers can fax menus to brides-to-be. It's bipartisan win-win legislation that's good for all concerned," he said.

To read the full press release click here.
For more information, visit www.sba.gov/advo , or call (202) 205-6533

USDA Contacts part 2

There are now over 100 new USDA contacts in the Government Buyers Guide!

USDA Contacts

We are currently adding many new contacts from the USDA to the Government Buyers Guide. Over 20 of the contacts can currently be found within the database and the rest should be added within the next few days.

DHS Contacts Updated

The Government Buyer's Guide has recently been updated to include hundreds of new Department of Homeland Security Contacts! FYI: There have been some shifts made within the DHS; the number of purchasing departments has been reduced from 22 departments to only 8. The TargetGovBlog will be used to keep subscribers up to date on this sort of information, so that you can have it available as soon as possible.

Prime Contacts Updated

Over 600 new prime contractor purchasing contacts have been added to the TargetGov Government Buyer's Guide. Remember to look for the red TargetGov symbol to find which contacts have either been recently added or updated.

The Business Monthly

Tangling With an Octopus: Working at the Department of Homeland Security
By Ambika Behal

Purchasing officers at the 2-year old octopus that is the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a consolidation of 22 different governmental agencies with 35 new offices, are ready to do business in the Baltimore-Washington corridor. But actually getting work out of that tangle of tentacles is challenging, say those who have tried.

"More people give up, rather than keep going," said Gloria Berthold, CEO of TargetGov.tv in Elkridge, a firm that helps other businesses connect with the government. "Over 300,000 companies are registered to do business with the federal government - but not all of them are doing business with it because the government has its own language, which can be confusing."

Read the Article

Attention Construction Contractors

Hensel Phelps Construction Co. is in the process of soliciting subcontractor and supplier quotations, for Wedge 3 of the Pentagon Renovation. Hensel Phelps is an EOE firm and is actively soliciting the participation of small business concerns; including minority owned, disadvantaged owned, women owned, veteran owned, service disabled veteran owned and HUBZone owned firms to perform work. Subcontracting opportunities are available in the following trades: Millwork, Solid Surfaces, Bullet Resistant Doors, Frames, Doors & Hardware, Overhead Doors, Plaster Restoration, Ceramic & Quarry Tile, Terrazzo, Resilient Flooring & Carpet, Access Flooring, Painting & Resinous Flooring, Entrance Mats, Toilet Partitions, Window Blinds, Fire Extinguishers & Cabinets, Toilet Accessories, Final Cleaning and Toilet Rooms - Complete Turnkey Interior Fit-Out.

To obtain a bid package, please contact Ron Erbes or Justice Henecke at (703) 828-3200. Bid Documents will be available to potential bidders for a refundable deposit of $500.00 per set, which will be held until the return of the bid documents to Hensel Phelps Construction Co. A notice to Hensel Phelps of five (5) Business Days is required to obtain bid documents. Bid Proposals are due at 12:00 PM on June 10, 2005, and may be mailed, faxed or delivered to: Hensel Phelps Construction Co., Wedge 3, Bid Package No. 1, 4437 Brookfield Corporate Drive, Suite 207 Chantilly, VA 20151, Attn: Ron Erbes (Senior Estimator).

The Veterans Business Newsletter

What is TargetGov?

TargetGov is the first comprehensive resource that gives your company the tools and the guidance to locate and contact the correct government buyers for your category of product or service. The Government Buyers Guide combines federal, state, county and municipal agencies in one easy-to-search Guide.

In 30 seconds you can locate thousands of specific people and agencies - those people who buy what you sell. Why spend hundreds of hours researching the Internet for old, outdated information? Spend your valuable time actually contacting the people who buy what you sell, not looking for them.

We are here to help you develop an effective marketing process to increase your sales to all levels of government agencies. You can use this invaluable information to operate just like the most successful contractors do: both inside and outside of the formal bidding and RFP process. Not sure what this is about? Sign up for our e-newsletter for tips and techniques to market effectively to the government.

At the heart of TargetGov is the world's first Government Buyers Guide, an exclusive directory of the people in government responsible for purchasing specific categories of products and services. These government buyers, purchasing agents and procurement personnel are at the federal, state, county, and even municipal levels.

Subscribing to TargetGov gives you access to the names, titles, phone and fax numbers and addresses-even email addresses-of thousands of individuals responsible for purchasing every conceivable product or service for thousands of government agencies!

And the Government Buyers Guide is updated constantly, to ensure that the list of qualified buyers is exhaustive, and as accurate as possible.

But TargetGov is more than a unique directory. We also give you a full suite of tools for contact and follow-up, as well as plenty of guidance about how to do it effectively.