Is Health Insurance for Small Businesses and the Self-Employed Prohibitive?

Many small business no longer offer health insurance, and self-employed individuals are have dropped coverage because they cannot afford it. This article in the NY Times has very good information about your options.

“…. an expert on health insurance issues, shared a valuable tool, healthinsuranceinfo.net. The site, maintained by the Georgetown Health Policy Institute, shows a map of the country and after clicking on a state, a document is downloaded that covers everything from what kinds of programs are available to small-business owners to whether there is a high-risk pool available for those who have been rejected by insurance providers. These primers are comprehensive and frequently updated, and they are a great place to start, especially if you have been wondering about the meaning of jargon that peppers insurance providers’ descriptions of their offerings...”

An excerpt from the NY Times article: Finding Health Insurance if You Are Self-Employed

Click here for more info.

ORDP-SSA Internship Opportunities

The Office of Retirement and Disability Policy of the Social Security Administration (SSA) is currently accepting applications for summer internships. Projects involve current and future issues for retirement and disability, such as the analysis of economic/social well-being, labor force participation, financial literacy, benefit applicants, work incentives, international policies, non-citizen issues, authentication, and evidentiary standards. Other opportunities include statistical reporting of beneficiary population characteristics (such as demographic characteristics, immigrant status, or patterns of employment history), computer programming, and developing business process applications.

Deadline: Several internship positions are available, and applications will be accepted on a flow basis. The first review will occur on Monday, March 24, 2008. Individual start dates will occur in May or June.

Click here for more information.

TargetGov Heads Up Alert:

Beware of all offers of grants to start or run your business. There are NO legitimate US government grants to start or run your business. No federal goverment entity, not even the SBA, gives any grants to business people to start or run your business. Anyone who markets or advertises as such is offering misleading in not fraudulent imformation. Essentially, they are trying to run a con game on you. Don't fall for it!

Small Business Development Conference

The Office of Congresswoman Thelma Drake has begun accepting registrations for the Small Business Development Conference on

DATE: Friday, March 28th, 2008
TIME: 8:00am to 12:00pm
LOCATION: Virginia Beach Central Library, Auditorium, Folio, & Libris Rooms
4100 Virginia Beach Boulevard Virginia Beach, Virginia

The Conference will offer separate tract sessions providing a comprehensive, informational opportunity to address your business' changing needs.

Federal, State and local resources will be on hand to present on topics and resources for small business owners, with tract sessions to include:
* Start-Up Business Development
* Advanced Business Development
* Procurement Opportunities

Please contact Ms. Claire Winiarek, Grants and Projects Coordinator, Congresswoman Thelma D. Drake (VA-2), directly to RSVP via 757.497.6859 or email: claire.winiarek@mail.house.gov. Ref: "TLI" as your point of entry.

Workforce Solutions Summit

Baltimore Washington Regional

Breakout Sessions    Exhibitor Tables     Resource Guide

In collaboration with local, state, and federal governments, the educational community, and private employers, the Baltimore Washington Corridor Chamber is developing a half-day summit focused on workforce issues such as:

• BRAC: The largest impact on Maryland’s economy since World War II…
• Fifty percent of my workforce will reach retirement age in the next five years…
• I can’t get enough people with security clearances.
• How can I expand my business if I can’t get the workforce I need?
• How do I find employees from diverse workforce resources?

Download the registration form for more information.

Acuity Sports Insights for Business and Golf

Golf—The Sport of Business: From the trade show floor to the putting green, many organizations are leveraging the power of golf. Golf provides the perfect social and professional environment to facilitate relationships. A day on the links provides an unmatched opportunity for uninterrupted conversation with customers, prospects, and employees. Many people do it, but are not necessarily comfortable with what they should or should not be doing and saying. This workshop is ideal for those new to business golf, Women and Minorities who want to learn how to use golf to enhance business and open doors, and sales professionals who want to learn how to make golf work for them in business.

Acuity Sports Marketing is a professionally managed golf event planning and management firm. They specialize in designing world-class events for first class clients. Whether you are looking for a classic golf tournament for your favorite charity, a special golf-themed event to impress your clients at conventions or large meetings, a team-building session to enhance the effectiveness of your team or simply, a way to say thank you to your employees for a job well done, Acuity Sports Marketing can design, delight and deliver a spectacular event for you. Their professional staff has managed over fifty high-quality events and are eager to customize an event for you.

Acuity Sports Marketing, www.acuitysports.com/

Tip to Recession-Proof Your Business

You can make your business more recession-proof by having the U.S. federal government as a customer. Every year, over 200 agencies throughout the entire U.S. buy over $400 Billion in products and services of every type from businesses of every type and size. Advantages of selling to the federal government include large contracts, repeat business, guaranteed payment and a built-in referral base. Businesses of all sizes, from very small, one person operations to small/medium companies up to 500 people to large corporations, have all become successful government vendors. Selling your products and services to the federal government is different from selling to consumers or other businesses, but if you invest in learning how to it, follow the rules, and are persistent, you can build a recession-proof business!

We Did It -- So Far

SBA Rule Comments Period Extended!
Let them know what YOU Think

Women-Owned Businesses: The SBA is extending the comment period for its proposed rule on women-owned small business federal contract assistance procedures. Comments must now be received by March 31, 2008. The extension is a result of the significant level of interest in the proposed rule.

Go online to www.wipp.org to take action!

It is Time to Spring Forward

Soon the days will be longer and we can enjoy a little more sunshine. This coming Sunday, March 9, 2008 it's time to spring your clocks forward to Daylight Saving Time.

Most of the United States begins Daylight Saving Time (DST) at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday in March and reverts to standard time on the first Sunday in November.

During DST, clocks are turned forward an hour, effectively moving an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening.

Click here for more information on Daylight Saving Time.