In Baltimore, business owner Gloria Berthold hasn't allowed her five employees to store customer data on laptops since she founded TargetGov in 1997 to help companies win government contracts.
At first, she worried she was being too restrictive. But lately she's been reading stories about workers losing laptops to thieves or accidents while on the road. "I just don't want to lose sleep worrying about who has access to laptops," she says.
As TargetGov's offerings grow more sophisticated, so do its information-security needs and costs.
Berthold's most valuable asset is a database of federal, state and local government employees who take bids on contracts for computers, office furniture and other goods. She sells subscriptions to the database, which customers access online through TargetGov's website.
Two years ago, Berthold spent $50,000 rebuilding the site so it would be more secure. The information is encrypted, or scrambled, so unauthorized users can't read it in the unlikely event they hack into the site.
The database is now stored at a remote computer server instead of at her office. And all customer records are now stored on a separate computer server, also away from her office...."
Click here for the full story
Monday, July 24, 2006
Federal Fiscal Year End = Use It or Lose It
We have now entered the fourth quarter of the federal fiscal year. Are you taking advantage of this timing to bring in summertime business and sow the seeds for next year's (which starts October 1) business?
The federal government spends over 50 percent of the year’s budget between July 1 and September 30 because of “use it or lose it” requirements. This means that government spending is at its yearly high right now and vendors can take advantage of this spending by knowing who is placing the orders.
It is your job as an informed vendor to research the budgets and know what the agencies are planning to spend. In addition, it is important to market your company to the appropriate people within each individual agency so that they know what you offer.
When is the fiscal year end for federal government agencies?
For Full Story Click Here: http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2325
The federal government spends over 50 percent of the year’s budget between July 1 and September 30 because of “use it or lose it” requirements. This means that government spending is at its yearly high right now and vendors can take advantage of this spending by knowing who is placing the orders.
It is your job as an informed vendor to research the budgets and know what the agencies are planning to spend. In addition, it is important to market your company to the appropriate people within each individual agency so that they know what you offer.
When is the fiscal year end for federal government agencies?
For Full Story Click Here: http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2325
BRAC Teams Forming NOW
Let us know if you would like to be considered for the teams we are putting together to address the local and nationwide Base Re-Alignment and Closure (BRAC) related contracting opportunities.
These are wide-ranging, long-term opportunities related to the specific needs regarding the mandated base closures such as construction, information technology, staffing, moving processes and more.
There is no fee or long-term commitment for this first step to let us know that you are interested.
Click here to send us an email and please mention BRAC Teams in the Comments field. We look forward to working with you!
These are wide-ranging, long-term opportunities related to the specific needs regarding the mandated base closures such as construction, information technology, staffing, moving processes and more.
There is no fee or long-term commitment for this first step to let us know that you are interested.
Click here to send us an email and please mention BRAC Teams in the Comments field. We look forward to working with you!
New SBA Administrator
The US Small Business Administration (SBA) has a new Administrator.
Steve Preston, was confirmed by the Senate in late June, and was formally sworn in last week. Preston is the 22nd Administrator since SBA was first created in 1953. Previously, Preston served as Executive Vice President at The ServiceMaster Company, a major franchising operation. Preston has not offered a lot of details about his vision for SBA, but we hope that he will continue the agency’s strong support for America’s entrepreneurs.
To view a Small Business Administration press release about Preston’s swearing-in, click here.
Steve Preston, was confirmed by the Senate in late June, and was formally sworn in last week. Preston is the 22nd Administrator since SBA was first created in 1953. Previously, Preston served as Executive Vice President at The ServiceMaster Company, a major franchising operation. Preston has not offered a lot of details about his vision for SBA, but we hope that he will continue the agency’s strong support for America’s entrepreneurs.
To view a Small Business Administration press release about Preston’s swearing-in, click here.
SBA News: RFQ For Small Business
SBA News: RFQ Seeking Small Business Researchers
The Office of Advocacy seeks small business researchers, or researchers who want to become small businesses, to perform economic research via a request for quotations RFQ). The topics are chosen because they are researchable, show the status or role of small businesses, can be a springboard for further research, and can affect public policy.
Proposals on the following topics are due July 26, 2006:
• Owner demographics,
• Human capital and business ownership by demographic,
• The impact of HUBZone–qualified areas on small business development and job creation,
• Research using the Survey of Small Business Finances,
•Small business research using large databases,
• Graduate student research.
For More Information Click Here: http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2327
The Office of Advocacy seeks small business researchers, or researchers who want to become small businesses, to perform economic research via a request for quotations RFQ). The topics are chosen because they are researchable, show the status or role of small businesses, can be a springboard for further research, and can affect public policy.
Proposals on the following topics are due July 26, 2006:
• Owner demographics,
• Human capital and business ownership by demographic,
• The impact of HUBZone–qualified areas on small business development and job creation,
• Research using the Survey of Small Business Finances,
•Small business research using large databases,
• Graduate student research.
For More Information Click Here: http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2327
Guidance for Entrepreneurs on Selling a Business
For most entrepreneurs, deciding whether and when to sell their business is one of the toughest calls. To help them evaluate their options, Kauffman eVenturing features a new collection of articles on successful selling strategies.
This new collection, written by financial experts and several entrepreneurs who have successfully sold companies, offers business owners practical guidance on timing and other difficult issues, such as deciding who to sell your company to, whether to seek a buyer yourself or use an investment banker, how to get the best price once you do decide to sell and how to tell your employees.
Click here to read this month's collection on Kauffman eVenturing. This story is © 2006 The Public Forum Institute. Content from this newsletter may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes with proper attribution to the National Dialogue on Entrepreneurship
If you would like a personal contact to guide you through the buying or selling process, call TargetGov at 1-866-579-1346 and we will help you get started.
This new collection, written by financial experts and several entrepreneurs who have successfully sold companies, offers business owners practical guidance on timing and other difficult issues, such as deciding who to sell your company to, whether to seek a buyer yourself or use an investment banker, how to get the best price once you do decide to sell and how to tell your employees.
Click here to read this month's collection on Kauffman eVenturing. This story is © 2006 The Public Forum Institute. Content from this newsletter may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes with proper attribution to the National Dialogue on Entrepreneurship
If you would like a personal contact to guide you through the buying or selling process, call TargetGov at 1-866-579-1346 and we will help you get started.
Bundling and Consolidation Course now LIVE on SBLC
The US Air Force Small Business Learning Center's newest module, Bundling and Consolidation, has launched!!
"...This module provides valuable training for acquisition professionals as well as small business owners to become familiar with the definitions, rules and procedures from market research stage up through contract file documentation, when consolidation and/or bundling may be involved.
We are very excited about the presentation style of this module as the training is provided in an informative, yet entertaining format. We invite you to enjoy this course, and please share with your field specialists and other customers. Acquisition teams should be encouraged to take the course when first discussing requirements. As always, your feedback on this and all of the SBLC courses is greatly appreciated..."
To view the course, click here and select Bundling and Consolidation from the Master List, click on the Tutorial Launch button and enjoy
"...This module provides valuable training for acquisition professionals as well as small business owners to become familiar with the definitions, rules and procedures from market research stage up through contract file documentation, when consolidation and/or bundling may be involved.
We are very excited about the presentation style of this module as the training is provided in an informative, yet entertaining format. We invite you to enjoy this course, and please share with your field specialists and other customers. Acquisition teams should be encouraged to take the course when first discussing requirements. As always, your feedback on this and all of the SBLC courses is greatly appreciated..."
To view the course, click here and select Bundling and Consolidation from the Master List, click on the Tutorial Launch button and enjoy
Navigating the World of Teaming Agreements
Teaming agreements, while not new, have emerged again as a useful way for companies to pool resources (and share costs) when bidding on increasingly complex contracts, particularly federal government contracts.
Teaming agreements can take many forms, the most common of which is the prime/subcontractor relationship. One party acts as the prime contractor, maintaining the contractual relationship with, for example, a Government customer and assuming all of the associated contractual liability. The other party acts as a subcontractor, maintaining a contractual relationship only with the prime. Typically teaming agreements represent a general framework in which the parties agree to pursue certain contracts, leaving most specific details to be negotiated upon an actual contract award to the party acting as the prime contractor.
Click for Full Story: http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2319
Teaming agreements can take many forms, the most common of which is the prime/subcontractor relationship. One party acts as the prime contractor, maintaining the contractual relationship with, for example, a Government customer and assuming all of the associated contractual liability. The other party acts as a subcontractor, maintaining a contractual relationship only with the prime. Typically teaming agreements represent a general framework in which the parties agree to pursue certain contracts, leaving most specific details to be negotiated upon an actual contract award to the party acting as the prime contractor.
Click for Full Story: http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2319
Small Businesses Win $79.6 Billion In Federal $'s
Small Businesses Garner $79.6 Billion In Federal Contracts in FY 2005
For the first time in history, small businesses received a record-breaking $79.6 billion in federal prime contracts, $10 billion more than the year before.The contracts represented 25.4 percent of federal prime contracting dollars in FY 2005, surpassing the overall government statutory goal of 23 percent for the third consecutive year.
The small business contracting data was reported by the government’s Federal Procurement Data –Next Generation (FPDS-NG) system, the only official data reporting system for federal procurement data. The data show that the federal government purchased $314 billion worth of goods and services from businesses large and small.
“This is excellent news for small businesses doing business with the federal government,” said previous SBA Administrator Hector Barreto. “For the third year in a row, the federal government has met or exceeded its small business contracting goal.
The Department of Defense, the leading purchaser of goods and services, awarded $53.8 billion of its contracts, or about 24.6 percent, to small businesses.
For the full report, visit http://www.sba.gov/GC/goals/SmallBusinessGoalingReport_2005.pdf.
For supplemental information on the data, visit http://www.sba.gov/GC/goals/DisclaimerstotheFY2005SmallBusinessGoalingReport.pdf.
For the first time in history, small businesses received a record-breaking $79.6 billion in federal prime contracts, $10 billion more than the year before.The contracts represented 25.4 percent of federal prime contracting dollars in FY 2005, surpassing the overall government statutory goal of 23 percent for the third consecutive year.
The small business contracting data was reported by the government’s Federal Procurement Data –Next Generation (FPDS-NG) system, the only official data reporting system for federal procurement data. The data show that the federal government purchased $314 billion worth of goods and services from businesses large and small.
“This is excellent news for small businesses doing business with the federal government,” said previous SBA Administrator Hector Barreto. “For the third year in a row, the federal government has met or exceeded its small business contracting goal.
The Department of Defense, the leading purchaser of goods and services, awarded $53.8 billion of its contracts, or about 24.6 percent, to small businesses.
For the full report, visit http://www.sba.gov/GC/goals/SmallBusinessGoalingReport_2005.pdf.
For supplemental information on the data, visit http://www.sba.gov/GC/goals/DisclaimerstotheFY2005SmallBusinessGoalingReport.pdf.
Procurement Spending up $175 Billion Since 2000
Procurement spending grew 86 percent from 2000 to 2005, but management problems have resulted in significant levels of waste and abuse, according to a report released by Democratic lawmakers last week.
The report, titled "Dollars, Not Sense," was prepared by Democrats on the House Government Reform Committee, and was based on more than 500 reports by the Government Accountability Office, agency inspectors general and the Defense Contract Audit Agency, as well as interviews and data from a government procurement database.
Investigators found that procurement spending has increased significantly under the Bush administration, growing by 86 percent from $203 billion in fiscal 2000 to $377.5 billion in fiscal 2005. The present spending level represents a record 40 cents on every dollar of federal discretionary spending, according to the report.
Click here for the full story.
The report, titled "Dollars, Not Sense," was prepared by Democrats on the House Government Reform Committee, and was based on more than 500 reports by the Government Accountability Office, agency inspectors general and the Defense Contract Audit Agency, as well as interviews and data from a government procurement database.
Investigators found that procurement spending has increased significantly under the Bush administration, growing by 86 percent from $203 billion in fiscal 2000 to $377.5 billion in fiscal 2005. The present spending level represents a record 40 cents on every dollar of federal discretionary spending, according to the report.
Click here for the full story.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)