Travel Contracts for Small Businesses

Travel effort has generated small business opportunities
From National Journal's Technology Daily


An ongoing effort by the General Services Administration to save money and improve government employee travel services has given small travel agencies ample opportunities to do business with the federal government, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office released Friday.

Small businesses can take part in GSA's e-government travel service -- under which three vendors agreed to offer an array of travel-management services to agencies -- and through a comprehensive contracting vehicle for offices to obtain related services like professional travel agents, GAO said.

GSA promotes the use of small subcontractors by setting goals and offering incentives for using small businesses, as well as monetary penalties for not meeting those goals, the report said.
Click here for the full story

Not the Brightest Bulb in the Pack...

This guy took outsoucing contracting a bit too loosely:
A 46-year-old Los Angeles man was nabbed on Thursday for impersonating a US Department of Homeland Security official while trying to get a job with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's security providers and become a part of their security entourage. Click here for the full story about the dim bulb....

Federal Marketplace Series

The Tech Council of Maryland's Federal Marketplace series is a full schedule of educational and networking events designed to teach members how to do business with the Federal Government.

The Federal Marketplace Series will focus on the three following educational deliverables:

What you need to know about doing business with the Federal Government
An insider's view of federal agencies and their visions for future needs
Information exchange with fellow prime and subcontractors

Partnerships

Tech Council of Maryland and TEDCO are partners on selected Federal Marketplace Series events.

Staff Contacts
Mark Glazer, Director Tech Alliance
Telephone: 240-453-6212 E-mail: mglazer@techcouncilmd.com

Click here for details

Sept-Oct TargetGov Teleconference Schedule

Click the date for more details


September 7, 2006 -- How to Break Into the Intelligence Agency Market: There are 15 Intel Agencies controlling billions in contracting dollars. Attend this teleconference to open the door to this secretive market.

September 21, 2006 -- Non-Profits, Grants and Government Contracting Learn how your not-for-profit organization can take advantage of grants and business opportunities available through the federal government.

October 5, 2006—Two Tracks! 8(a) Certification -- Will It Help You Win More Contracts? 2 Tracks: Choose the one that is best for you or attend both for full information. Attend both and save $40!
Over $15 Billion in federal contracts are set aside for those companies meeting Minority, Disadvantaged, HUB Zone or other certifications. Do you qualify for certification? If so, how do you get certified and then use that certification to open the door to business opportunities? Attend one or both TargetGov Teleconferences for answers!

October 19, 2006 -- Two Track GSA Teleconferences -- Track 1: What a GSA Schedule Is and How to Obtain One from and Track 2: Now That You Have a GSA Schedule, Learn How to Use It to Get Contracts. Getting a GSA Schedule can be one of your most effective business development tools for the federal governemnt market. Attend these two teleconferences to learn how to get a GSA Schedule and how to use it effectively!

Sept 11-13 WIPP 5th Anniversary Summit

Sept 11-13 WIPP Leadership and Legacy: 5th Anniversary Summit
A Vision and Voice for the Future
2006 Fall Leadership Conference
September 11-13, 2006
Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill
Washington, DC

Announcing:
Steven Preston, Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration
Keynote Speaker, WIPP Gala

Steven Preston, confirmed as Administrator of the US Small Business Administration came from The ServiceMaster Company, where he served as their Executive Vice President. In that capacity, Mr. Preston led the Strategic Services team, including IT, Six Sigma, Strategic Sourcing, Strategy and Acquisitions. He served previously as the Chief Financial Officer of ServiceMaster, the Senior Vice President and Treasurer of First Data Corporation, and as an investment banker at Lehman Brothers.

WIPP is proud to welcome Administrator Preston and looks forward to working with him.

WIPP is the vision and voice for the future. If you run a business, you must attend.

Click here to register for WIPP's 5th Anniversary Leadership Conference!

7 Stories: Your News Update

1. October 18th meeting, 11:30-1:30 p.m., Women Doing Business with the Government. Special Secretary Sharon Pinder is the keynote speaker and Gloria Berthold willtalk about the "how" to do business with federal, state and local government agencies. Sponsored by the Business Women's Network of Howard County



The Business Monthly


2. A Golden Opportunity for Women Business Owners in a $15 Billion Market -- The federal, state and local government agencies located in and around Howard County are looking to do business with women-owned firms in unprecedented numbers. One of the key reasons is that women-owned firms in the U.S. are growing like never before. Click here for the full story

3. Turning Small Talk into Big Ideas
To be a successful entrepreneur, the people you know are as important as your ideas. At least accoding to Toby Stuart, a professor at the Harvard Business School and the winner of the 2007 Ewing Marion Kauffman Prize Medal for Distinguished Research in Entrepreneurship. Stuart received the Medal for his pioneering research into social networks and their effects on entrepreneurship. His work points to the dynamics of networking and proves that successful entrepreneurs need more than good ideas and intelligence. Click here to learn more about the Ewing Marion Kauffman Prize Medal.

Click here to read the rest