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