National Dialogue Entrepreneurship Update

Entrepreneurs Expect to Work Even Harder in 2008

If you want to be an entrepreneur, be prepared to work some late and long hours. That’s one primary finding from the second annual Staples National Small Business Survey, which shows that 98% of small business owners regularly work during their time off at vacation, on weekends, and at night. In addition, fifty-four percent expect to work even harder in 2008. More than 2/3 of those surveyed agree that they are “constantly challenged” by not having enough time to complete necessary tasks. While business owners are pressed for time, many are not taking advantages of effective time management strategies and technologies. Seventy percent of those surveyed did not have a written business plan, and more than 84 percent do not utilize new media technologies, such as blogs, podcasts, or virtual meeting tools.

Learn more about the results of the 2nd annual Staples National Small Business survey. The survey was based on an Internet poll that queried more than 300 small businesses with less than 20 employees each.

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State Tax Systems and Economic Competitiveness

Analysts of national and state competitiveness tend to focus most of their attention on factors such as education policy, access to capital, and innovation assets. But, the effectiveness of government finance systems also matters. A new study from the Pew Center on the States raises some red flags about how some US states are performing on this front. Effective tax systems provide stable revenue, support efficient tax collection, provide transparent information about incentives, and give localities some say in how their tax dollars are used. Unfortunately, many state tax systems fail on these measures. As a result, these lagging states lack the ability to support new economic engines while continuing to provide outdated and unnecessary incentives to other economic sectors. The research cites the following states as strong performers in terms of effective tax systems: Iowa , Maine , Minnesota , Mississippi , Nebraska , New Jersey , Texas , and Utah . Poor performing states include: Arkansas , Georgia , Louisiana , North Dakota , Oklahoma , and Vermont .

Download the January 2008 Pew Charitable Trust’s Center on the States’ report, Growth and Taxes: Why Outdated State Tax Systems Undercut Economic Vitality and What States can do About It, by Katherine Barrett and Richard Greene. The study also appears in the January 2008 issue of Governing.

Both stories: © 2008 The Public Forum Institute and the National Dialogue on Entrepreneurship www.publicforuminstitute.org/nde.

NASA LARSS Internship Program

NASA LARSS Internship Program – http://research.nianet.org/larss

Deadline Info: Summer – Feb. 1, 08; Fall – Mar. 6, 08; Spring 2009 – Oct. 24, 08

NASA's Langley Aerospace Research Summer Scholars (LARSS) Program, hosted at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton , Virginia , offers paid 10-week summer or 15-week fall and spring internship experiences for rising college juniors and above. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, have a 3.0/4.0 GPA, and be pursuing a major of interest to NASA including engineering, science, mathematics, or special project areas such as history, journalism, accounting, and photography.

There are also opportunities for outstanding rising High School Seniors, College Freshmen, and Sophomores who have a 3.5 GPA and previous NASA program experience.

See website for specific details. http://research.nianet.org/larss

Contact:
Debbie Murray
LARSS Program Coordinator
757-964-5215
Deborah.B.Murray@nasa.gov

GSA Chooses IT companies for $15 Billion Contract

GSA Chooses 62 IT companies for $15 Billion
Alliant Small Business Governmentwide Acquisition Contract

The Alliant Small Business Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (Alliant SB GWAC) is a competitive multiple award, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity set-aside small business contract. The contract is designed to provide worldwide information technology solutions to federal agencies while strengthening opportunities in federal contracting for small businesses.

Click here to read the announcement.

Gloria Berthold to speak at Reston Chamber of Commerce Gov Con

Reston Chamber of Commerce
Government Contracting Forum and Loan Fair

2/1/2008 9:00 AM-5:00 PM
Sheraton Reston Hotel

Are you looking to succeed as a government contractor? Then attend the Reston Chamber of Commerce Gov Con forum to listen to noted speakers, attend workshops and federal agency representative matchmaking sessions, and meet major prime contractor representatives.

Gloria Berthold will be discussing "New Trends and Tactics for Successful Government Contracting". Register today and hear her expertise advice on government procurement.

Click here for more information and to register.

Ft Belvoir Gov Con by Fairfax Chamber of Commerce

Ft Belvoir Gov Con by Fairfax Chamber of Commerce
February 6, 2008
Fort Belvoir, VA (directions)

Attend the February 6th Fort Belvoir Procurement Forum to gain the information, knowledge, and connections you need to successfully partner with agencies located on Fort Belvoir.

7:30 – 8:30am: Registration/Networking/Continental Breakfast in Exhibit Hall

8:30 – 9:00am: Welcoming Comments by Col. Brian W. Lauritzen, Garrison Commander

9:15 – 10:15am: Concurrent Sessions #1 (will repeat for Sessions #2)

Ø “Effective Marketing to Position your Company in the Federal Sector”
Speaker: Gloria Berthold, President, TargetGov

Ø “Federal Contracting Vehicles: Which Ones are Right for Your Company”
Speaker: Ryan Novak, Program Manager, GSA Speaker: TBD

Ø “Win Contracts by Preparing the Best Proposal”
Speaker: Phyllis Hoffmann, President, Strategic Solutions

10:30 – 11:30am: Concurrent Sessions #2 (same as above)

12:00 – 1:30pm: Luncheon Presentation Ø A BRAC Luncheon panel featuring experts in transportation, construction, new entrants and overall base requirements.

1:30 – 3:30pm: Private Interviews with Procurement Officers/Exhibits

3:30 – 4:30pm Exhibitor Breakdown

Click here to register.

Howard County offers BRAC OPPORTUNITIES WORKSHOP

HOWARD COUNTY’S CENTER FOR BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT OFFERS BRAC OPPORTUNITIES WORKSHOP

 Workshop to Help Businesses Identify, Pursue
and Win BRAC-related Government Contracts

NOTE: THIS WORKSHOP WAS SOLD OUT LAST TIME, REGISTER EARLY TO GUARANTEE YOUR SEAT! The Howard County Economic Development Authority’s Center for Business and Technology Development is launching a new workshop to help businesses identify, pursue and win government contracts relating to the upcoming BRAC moves.

The workshop entitled BRAC Business Opportunities: An Introduction to Federal Contracting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 29, 2008 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at The Center for Business and Technology Development, 9250 Bendix Road, North, Columbia, Maryland.

Click here to download the announcement (PDF file).

This workshop will introduce business owners to federal contracting and specifically how to find business opportunities related to the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process affecting Maryland bases and surrounding areas. All industries will be covered including: construction, information technology, services, commodities and supplies, architecture and engineering, and much more.

Experts from  TargetGov will conduct the fast-paced workshop and attendees will receive a full workbook detailing the needed registrations, contracting process, certifications, bidding, accounting, and successful business development steps.

The cost of the workshop is $149.00. For more information and to register, please visit www.hceda.org/CBTD/busEvents.aspx or contact Tasha Taylor, 410-313-6550, e-mail ttaylor@hceda.org.

The Center for Business and Technology Development is The Center for Business and Technology Development is part of the Howard County Economic Development Authority, a public-private partnership that promotes growth and stability by supporting existing businesses, targeting new businesses, and attracting corporate/regional headquarters. For more information about The Center for Business and Technology Development and the Howard County Economic Development Authority, please visit www.hceda.org.

WIPP Update: SBA Kills Contracting Opportunities

WIPP CRITICIZES SBA FOR KILLING FEDERAL CONTRACTING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), the nation’s largest bipartisan women’s business group, spoke out against a Small Business Administration proposed rule that reduces federal contracts protected status for women-owned businesses to only four of over 2,300 business categories.  WIPP Procurement Committee member Gloria Berthold, President, TargetGov of Baltimore, Maryland joined the organization in commenting on the proposed rule.

“The SBA has effectively killed billions in business opportunities in federal contracts for women business owners,” said Gloria Berthold.  “As a business leader and a government contractor, I believe this proposed rule demonstrates that women business owners are not important to this administration nor to the political process.  After seven long years waiting to enact the law, this is a drastic step backwards in chipping away at the little progress that women made to gain a mere five percent of federal contracts, while half of all privately held companies have a woman owner. I am embarrassed to be a republican when things like this happen.”

The rule, if enacted, would drastically limit the number of federal government contracts awarded to women entrepreneurs by requiring women-owned businesses to show under-representation in thousands of industries and direct discrimination by a government agency to qualify for protected status.  The new rule would only extend protected status to women-owned businesses in four categories listed by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS): kitchen cabinet manufacturing, engraving, other motor vehicles and intelligence.

Further raising the bar of entry for women entrepreneurs in the area of government procurement, the SBA has also proposed that in order for an agency to set aside a new contract under the proposed rule, the procuring agency would have to conduct an appropriate analysis of its own procurement history to show that there has been discrimination against women-owned small businesses in the past.  

“One of our members is the nation’s only woman-owned munitions designer, and according to this new rule, SBA believes the munitions industry is over-represented by women and faces no discrimination in procurement,” said WIPP President Barbara Kasoff. 

Passed by Congress in 2000, Public Law 106-554, was created to allow federal contracting officers to award up to five percent of all contracts to women-owned businesses.  However, according to the most recent government report, that goal continues to fall short, with women entrepreneurs receiving only 3.3 percent of contracts in 2005.  Many of these figures were supported by Rand Corporation study, released in April 2007.  The study, conducted at SBA’s request, confirmed that women-owned small businesses are under-represented in 87% of industries. WIPP Maryland state leader Berthold remarked that “Five percent of $400 billion is $20 billion. Even the SBA says women-owned businesses are only getting about $13 billion in contracts annually, well below the targeted five percent. This cheats us out of $7 billion in contracts every year.”

“Access to government contracts is imperative for the survival and growth of women-owned businesses.  As the figures demonstrate, at the heart of SBA’s proposed change is not the issue of preferred status for women entrepreneurs, it is the question of 10.4 million women-owned small businesses getting their fair share of federal business.” said Kasoff.  “Each year, access to government contracts is identified by our member survey as one of the top challenges facing women business owners, and continues to be a high priority for WIPP.”
# # #

About Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP):

WIPP is a national bi-partisan group comprising over half a million members.  The non-profit organization is the public policy voice for 45 national Women in Business groups and is The Voice for Women in Business in Our Nation’s Capital.  WIPP strengthens its members’ sphere of influence in the legislative process, creates economic opportunities for members and builds alliances with other small business organizations.  Visit www.wipp.org.

Call 1-866-579-1346 for more information or to hear what you can do about this.

GSA Chooses IT companies for $15 Billion Contract

GSA Chooses 62 IT companies for $15 Billion
Alliant Small Business Governmentwide Acquisition Contract

The Alliant Small Business Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (Alliant SB GWAC) is a competitive multiple award, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity set-aside small business contract. The contract is designed to provide worldwide information technology solutions to federal agencies while strengthening opportunities in federal contracting for small businesses.

Click here to read the announcement.

Health Care Costs

Health Care Costs Continue to Climb

A new survey from Mercer Consulting provides hard facts to back up what most of us already know. Health care costs are continuing to climb. According to Mercer’s survey of employer sponsored health plans, total US health care costs rose 6.1% last year, reaching about $ 7,983 per worker per year. The primary good news in this year’s survey is that the rate of cost increase has held steady for three years. In 2002, health care costs jumped a staggering fifteen percent. Employers project expect future cost increases of about 5.7% in 2008. How are firms responding to these cost pressures? Health management efforts, such as wellness programs, are the primary approach, now used by 80% of surveyed firms. Another strategy (used by 52% of those surveyed) expands the use of consumer-driven plans such as Health Savings Accounts. Both of these strategies do generate cost savings, but these savings are not keeping pace with overall inflation in health care costs.

View a summary of the 2007 Mercer National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans. The full survey is available for purchase.

Small Business and the Health Care Crunch

The Mercer Consulting survey cited above examines health care trends in large firms; a new National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) survey examines how small companies are faring. The short answer is “not very well.” The survey finds that, due to high costs, fifty-two percent of small employers do not offer health insurance or an insurance purchase subsidy. Forty-seven percent of small employers do offer such benefits, with 36% providing benefits to all or most full-time employees. In terms of costs, small employers tend to spend around 7.5% of payroll on employee benefits.

Download the 2007 National Federation of Independent Business National Small Business Poll (Volume 7, Number 3) on “Purchasing Health Insurance.”

Both stories: © 2007 The Public Forum Institute and the National Dialogue on Entrepreneurship with a link to www.publicforuminstitute.org/nde.

2008 New Year's Business Resolution

Are you doing everything you can to boost your business?

We all know the key for many businesses success is "location, location, location", but in order for a business to grow what you need to do is "research, research, research!"

We at TargetGov are here to help you with that research. We can help you find and respond to Sources Sought Notices, you can subscribe to our Government Buyers Guide which provides a listing of contacts in the federal, state, and local governments, and you can attend our information-packed Teleconferences and Toolkits.

Your 2008 New Year's Business Resolution should be to do all you can for your business and let TargetGov be the one to help you reach your goals. So contact us today!

SBA Report: Top 100 Small Business Contractors

The US Small Business Administration (SBA) has released a listing of the top 100 small business government contractors. The SBA release is part of a broader effort to respond to criticisms that the US government is failing to meet long-standing requirements to set aside more business for smaller firms. SBA has been making some progress on this front. It has scrubbed its database of contractors and found $4.6 billion worth of contracts that were erroneously listed as small business set-asides. It is now pressing government agencies to open up equivalent business opportunities for smaller firms. This year’s list of top contractors is topped by New Jersey-based Procurenet, an online procurement firm which was recently purchased by SAIC who were likely attracted by the firm’s $364 million worth of government contracts. Overall, the top 100 small business contractors received $12 billion in contracts in FY2006, accounting 5.5% of total Federal government contracts.

Download a press release from the US Small Business Administration that lists the “Top 100 Small Business Government Contractors.”

WIPP Update: Senate Passes Gov't Contracting Act

Senate Unanimously Passes Accountability
in Government Contracting Act of 2007 (S 680)

Last month, bipartisan legislation was unanimously passed by the Senate that aims to increase competition and accountability in federal contracting.

S 680, the Accountability in Government Contracting Act of 2007, was sponsored by Senators Lieberman (I-CT) and Collins (R-ME). The bill addresses federal acquisition practices by recognizing the need for experienced and qualified individuals within the acquisition workforce. The bill creates training and intern programs, requires chief acquisition officers to develop succession plans, requires agency heads to establish acquisition and contracting training programs, and creates a new Associate Administrator for Acquisition Workforce Programs in the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP). S 680 also creates a Contingency Contracting Corps of trained acquisition personnel to respond in emergencies, in an effort to reduce waste, fraud and abuse caused by poorly structured or managed emergency contracts.

The following are key changes to contracting:

• Requires Agencies to compete all task and delivery orders over $100,000.
  
• Requires more detailed statements of work and post-award debriefings for orders over $5 million.
  
• Limits the length of sole-source contracts awarded in cases of “urgent and compelling need” to 270 days.
  
• If agencies intend on making major changes related to the price, scope, or schedule of contracts, it must be done within 180 days or before 40% percent of the work is completed.
  
• Requires OFPP to collect and make publicly available data on the numbers, scope, users, and rationales for interagency contracts, and to approve all proposed multi-agency IDIQ contracts before they are awarded.
  
• Prohibits the award of an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for services valued over $100 million to a single vendor.
  
• Requires the GSA, OMB, and IRS to seek better analysis of purchase card use to identify fraud, identify potential savings, negotiate discounts, collect and disseminate best practices, and to address small business concerns in micro-purchases.
  
• Requires OFPP to provide guidance to agencies on the appropriate use of lead systems integrators.

The House passed their version of the bill, HR 1362, on March 15, 2007. The Senate and House now must agree on final provisions. We will keep you posted on any and all developments.

Berthold Quoted in Article on 3% Procurement Tax

Contractors will soon have to change the way they do business due to a 3 percent tax attached to government contracts.

The tax, passed by Congress in May 2006, will require federal, state and local governments to withhold 3 percent of payments to contractors beginning in 2012.

The requirement, which ensures the federal government receives income taxes, has business groups as well as local and state officials in the Baltimore-Washington Corridor fighting for a repeal.

“If businesses have to take 3 percent off the top, they’re not going to be able to do business or pay their bills,” said Gloria Berthold, president of TargetGov, an Elkridge-based business development firm specializing in federal, state and local government contracting opportunities. “My crystal ball says it’s going to put a lot of people out of business.”

Click here to read the full article on Corridor, Inc.

Look Out For the 2007 Economic Census Forms

In December, more than 4 million American businesses received 2007 economic census forms. If your firm was one, please take the time to fill these out. Every five years, the Census Bureau conducts a comprehensive measurement of business and industry. The census forms provide critical information on the nation’s economy, including small and medium business information. Economic census data provides figures that businesses need when they consider expanding to new markets.

in more than 1000 industries will be asked to report information on employment, payroll and the value of goods and services sold. Those companies receiving forms are required by federal law to respond and forms must be returned by February 12, 2008 to the US Census Bureau. For information and links to sample forms, please visit www.business.census.gov.

Government Executive Magazine--sign up today

If you want to receive a first class magazine (in the mail or online) with well written, well-researched articles about the government contracting world, I highly recommend Government Executive Magazine.

Gloria Berthold

Subscribing is easier than ever now that GovExec offers an online application form. All you have to do to apply for a subscription is to click out the answers to a few quick questions.

You too can benefit from reading the only magazine edited specially for federal professionals.

You can sign up for a complimentary subscription (no cost to you) by clicking here: www.govexec.com/subscribe

NEW GPO Vendor Requirements

NEW GPO Vendor Requirements Deadline
Dec 31, 2007 or No Payments Made

From the Government Printing Office (GPO)
Federal law requires that GPO collect certain information from all of its contractors so that GPO can, in turn, provide contractors with IRS Form 1099 for work performed during each year. To accomplish this, we will require you to provide three specific pieces of information:

1. Your firm’s Employer Identification Number/Tax Identification Number (EIN/TIN)
   
2. Whether or not your firm is subject to backup withholding requirements for IRS
   
3. Whether your firm has a current FORM W-9 on file at GPO

To comply with this mandate, GPO is utilizing its on-line contractor registration system, Contractor Connection. Contractor Connection has recently been updated to make the “EIN/TIN”, “Subject to Backup Withholding”, and “Current W-9 on File at GPO” mandatory fields. We ask that you use Contractor Connection to provide this data as soon as possible.

Please go to http://contractorconnect.gpo.gov/ and click on the “Login” link on the left of the screen. Enter the email address which was initially used during the registration process and password and then click on the “Login” button. On the next screen click on the “Company Information” box on the left of the screen and add or verify your EIN/TIN number, and answer the “Subject to Backup Withholding” and “Current W-9 on File at GPO” questions. We also suggest that you take a moment to verify your address and other pertinent information.

Please note that effective January 1, 2008, contractors that have not provided these three items requested by IRS via Contractor Connection will not meet the eligibility requirements for payment by the Government. Therefore, GPO will not pay contractors for completed work until this information is provided.

To avoid delay in payment for completed work, we urge you to immediately use Contractor Connection to update or verify that GPO has this information on file for your firm. If you need assistance, please contact Frances A. Pritchett, Supervisory Printing Services Specialist at 202-512-0526, or by e-mail at fpritchett@gpo.gov.

Corridor Inc. Lists Major Contract Wins

Attention contractors: Use the information available at the Corridor Inc web site as a tool to help you capture new subcontracting business and build partnering opportunities.

AAI Corp. of Hunt Valley won two contracts worth over $100 million from the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command. Work will be performed in Hunt Valley and is expected to be completed by March 2010.  http://www.aaicorp.com/supplierlinks.html

Rockville’s BAE Systems Inc. won an $18 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop more surveillance technology for the Department of Defense.  http://www.baesystems.com/ContactUs/

Coakley & Williams Construction Inc. in Gaithersburg was awarded an $11 million contract for renovations, upgrades, repair and construction to Preble Hall at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command in Washington, D.C. is the contracting office. Expected completion date is December 2008.   http://www.coakleywilliams.com/contact_us.php

DRS C3 Systems LLC in Gaithersburg won a maximum $62 million contract from the Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. for the phase II development, qualification, production and support of the common enterprise display system display consoles.  
http://www.drs.com/contactus/sbl.aspx

Gaithersburg’s EG&G Technical Services Inc. won an $8 million contract for material distribution services to include receipt, storage, issue; preservation, packaging, packing and marking; and care of supplies & storage from the Defense Logistics Agency and the Defense Distribution Center in Pennsylvania.    http://www.urscorp.com/EGG_Division/sdbu/index.php

Facchina Construction Co. Inc. in La Plata, Md. was awarded a $26 million contract from the Naval Facilities Engineering Command in Washington, D.C for construction of aircraft taxiways and parking aprons for the Green Side and White Side Aircraft Complex at Marine Corps Air Facility in Quantico. Expected completion date is August 2009.   http://www.facchina.com/contact.asp

Integral Systems Inc. of Lanham won a  $7 million contract modification from the United States Air Force Headquarters Space and Missile Systems Center for the integration of the fixed geolocation system in the rapid attack identification, detection, and reporting System.   http://www.integ.com/Locations.html

Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority in Baltimore was awarded a $5 million contract from the U.S. Army Contracting Agency at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) for steam from the Harford Waste-to-Energy facility. Work will be performed at APG and is expected to be completed by March 2016.  http://www.nmwda.org/contact/procurement.asp

Whiting Turner Contracting Co. in Baltimore won a $7 million contract from the Naval Facilities Engineering Command in Washington, D.C. for the repairs at the Anacostia Naval Annex in Washington, D.C.
 http://www.whiting-turner.com/Contact/Contact.html
 
Computer Sciences Corp. of Falls Church, Va. won a $10 million contract for technical support to the operating forces from the Marine Corps Systems Command, Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity. http://www.csc.com/contactus/

General Dynamics Corp. of Fairfax has won two contracts worth over $200 million.  The subsidiary company General Dynamics Information Technology’s contract will help the Air Force simulate the most recent version of the war game called "Unified Engagement." General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems was awarded a contract for the Phase II development, qualification, production and support of the common enterprise display system display consoles.
http://www.gdc4s.com/suppliers/

General Dynamics Land Systems in Woodbridge, Va. was awarded a $10 million contract from the Marine Corps Systems Command in Quantico to develop an alternative drivetrain subsystem preliminary design for the development and demonstration phase of the expeditionary fighting vehicle program. 
http://procurement.gdls.com/

Hensel Phelps Construction Co. in Chantilly, Va. won a $6 million contract for construction of general instruction classrooms, general purpose administration and operations buildings, laboratories, exterior coverage storage and division-level instruction preparation room at Fort Lee, Va. and is expected to be completed by September 2010.  http://www.henselphelps.com/district_capitol.htm

International Development and Resources Inc. of Fairfax, Va. won a $150 million contract for technical, engineering, logistics and program management services from the  U.S. Special Operations Command.   http://www.idrnet.com/contact_us.htm

See the full list at www.corridorinc.com

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ACTiVATE Program Recruiting New Members

ACTiVATE is very excited to be recruiting for the Class of 2008.

We will have three (3) ACTiVATE Information Sessions coming up. Two (2) are in December and one (1) is in January!

Please share the view the PDF featuring our Information Sessions for ACTiVATE 2008 with everyone you can!

Information Sessions Dates:

Thursday, December 6, 2007 (tomorrow!)
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Main Seminar Room
techcenter@UMBC
1450 South Rolling Road
Baltimore, MD 21227

Monday, December 10, 2007
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Rockville Economic Development Office (REDI)
95 Monroe Street
Rockville, MD 20850

Tuesday, January 8, 2008
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Courtyard Room
techcenter@UMBC
1450 South Rolling Road
Baltimore, MD 21227

Please RSVP to me as soon as possible at nan@umbc.edu.
Thank you!

Nan Sherman
ACTiVATE General Assistant
(443) 543-5594
(410) 455-8750 (fax)

Washington's $50 Billion Tech Plan Derailed By Law

According to InformationWeek, a group of technology service providers are claiming that the U.S. government broke its own laws when it selected contractors to participate in a sweeping technology initiative on which Washington plans to spend up to $50 billion. Plans for moving ahead with the Alliant program are now on hold, according to the General Services Administration. In the lawsuit against the government, one of the service providers, Serco, Inc., claims the federal selection process for the program was "arbitrary and capricious," and did not properly account for vendors' past performance, references, and technical capabilities -- as required by law. Serco, a U.S. subsidiary of a U.K.-based contractor, is asking the U.S. Court of Federal Claims to re-open the selection process. It's been joined in its lawsuit by vendors Nortel, Stanley Associates, CGI Federal, Centech Group and several other companies that were shut out of the Alliant project.

Source: http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=203101648

Holiday Wish List: Books for the Entrepreneur

From our friends at the National Dialogue on Entrepreneurship

As you start to get in the holiday spirit and begin your holiday shopping, NDE-news is here to help with their annual Holiday Books edition for followers of the innovation economy. All recommended volumes have been published within the last year and should be available from major book retailers.

A Culture of Improvement: Technology and the Western Millennium
Robert Friedel (MIT Press, 2007)

What explains the development of technology over time? Friedel chalks it up to a “culture of improvement,” i.e., people’s belief that things can be done in a better way. Friedel takes this commonplace definition and uses it to explain the winners and losers in the history of Western technology. He contends that the culture of improvement is a major driver of the development of Western civilization, too. He offers chapters that trace the development of technologies, products, and processes as varied as cheesemaking, the transistor, the internal combustion engine, and the development of eyeglasses.

Redefining Global Strategy: Crossing Borders in a World Where Differences Still Matter
Pankaj Ghemawat (Harvard Business School Press, 2007)

If someone tells you the world is flat, don’t believe them. That’s one message from Ghemawat’s Redefining Global Strategy. He argues that many businesses have taken global convergence too far. At this point, it’s more accurate to speak of “semi-globalization,” a situation where significant cross-border cultural differences still affect how to do business. Ghemawat recommends that corporations design strategies with these differences in mind. Instead of a one-size-fits all approach, effective global strategies recognize unique home markets. He points to Toyota as an example of a firm that has succeeded in altering its core business strategies to account for these cultural differences.

Innovation Nation: How America is Losing its Innovation Edge, Why it Matters and What We Can Do to Get it Back
John Kao (Free Press, 2007)

Kao’s book is a call to arms about America’s eroding innovation capacity. As new global centers of innovation (such as India and China) have arisen, the US has failed to keep up and make needed investments in education, research, and other key innovation assets. Kao puts some meat on the bones of this basic story with interesting data, anecdotes, and examples. He recommends that the US embrace a new culture of innovation that is collaborative, open to global partnerships, is focused on the long-term, and that seeks to develop global solutions to global challenges such as climate change, energy depletion, and fighting disease and poverty.

The Elephant and the Dragon: The Rise of India and China, and What It Means for All of Us
Robyn Meredith (W.W. Norton, 2007)
 
There are many new volumes on the rise of India and China as major economic players. This book from Robyn Meredith, a Forbes foreign correspondent, is one of the better offerings. Meredith details the revolutionary changes occurring in both nations, but also notes that Americans have been the real beneficiaries of these changes. As she notes, “Made in China” really means “Made by America in China.” In her conclusions, she echoes some of the points raised in John Kao’s Innovation Nation. America’s most effective response to the rise of China and India is to re-invest at home and strengthen its competitive position in the world.
 

The Cleantech Revolution: The Next Big Growth and Investment Opportunity
Ron Pernick and Clint Wilder (Collins, 2007)
 
Alternative energy is widely touted to be “the next big thing” with investors and entrepreneurs from around the world jumping on the bandwagon. If you want to know what the fuss is all about, this is a good place to start. One way to describe this book would be “Cleantech 101.” While there are many magazine and journal articles on the industry, this is one of the few book-length treatments that offers a good basic introduction to the world of cleantech.

No Man's Land: What to Do When Your Company Is Too Big to Be Small, and Too Small to Be Big
Doug Tatum (Portfolio Hardcover, 2007)

What is No Man’s Land? According to Doug Tatum, founder of Tatum CFO, it refers to a company’s period of adolescence. The firm has grown (it could have up to twenty employees), and can no longer rely solely on the charismatic leadership of its entrepreneurial founder(s). Many companies falter as they shift from an entrepreneurial leadership model to a more efficient and scalable management system. Tatum’s book is an excellent guide for surviving business adolescence. It contains a number of interesting “real-life” stories as well as some clear tips on how entrepreneurs can transform themselves and their companies.

The Inside Advantage: The Strategy That Unlocks the Hidden Growth in Your Business
Robert H. Bloom with Dave Conti (McGraw Hill, 2007)

The first three words of this book's introduction set the tone: "Grow or die!" Bob Bloom shares practical lessons from his years as CEO of global advertising firm Publicis Worldwide. Bloom lays out the basics of his Growth Discovery Process and shares the growth strategies of a few of his better-known clients such as Southwest Airlines, T-Mobile and BMW.

These book recommendations are (c) 2007 The Public Forum Institute and the National Dialogue on Entrepreneurship

IT Tax Passes In MD -- NEW 6% Sales Tax

We Did Not Speak LOUD Enough—Computer Services Are Now to be Taxed at 6%

The Tech Council of Maryland (TCM) strongly opposes the 6% sales tax on computer services that passed during the 2007 special session of the Maryland General Assembly and has made the repeal of this tax a top priority.

In a statement, the organization said that it was “extremely disappointed” that the new tax was passed behind closed doors “with virtually no opportunity for public comment usually afforded to policy changes of this magnitude.”

“Taxing computer services stifles the growth of Maryland’s knowledge-led economy, inhibits new tech business growth and encourages the flight of tech businesses to neighboring states,” said TCM CEO Julie Coons.

The statement went on to point out that no other state, except for Connecticut, institutes a tax on computer services. Connecticut’s tax on computer services is 1%, while Maryland’s tax, effective July 1, 2008, will be 6%.

The tax, which extends to services like computer facilities management, custom computer programming, computer system planning, software and communication technologies, computer disaster recovery, hardware or software installation and computer maintenance and repair, will join 12 other services that are currently taxed in Maryland.  For an excellent summary and more information click here.

 

3% Government Withholding Tax Update

The 3% Withholding Tax mandates that federal, state, and local governments withhold 3 percent from payments for goods and services. This unprecedented withholding mandate will affect all government contracts as well as other payments, such as Medicare and grants, starting in 2011. Section 511 of the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-222) enacted this requirement into law.

Senator Coleman and Senator Collins introduced a revised bill which repeals the 3% withholding requirement. However, it also includes language with the purpose of preventing companies from receiving contracts that have an outstanding tax liability.

Click here to read the revised bill.

Please send your comments/thoughts on the bill to:
Chris Braddock
Director, Procurement Policy
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Direct: 202-463-5891
Cell: 202-255-5220
Fax: 202-463-3174
cbraddock@uschamber.com

Federal Webinars

http://www.federalwebinars.com/

Attend complimentary "How to do business with CMS/DHHS" Webinar on Dec 05, 2007. Listen to Gloria Berthold, national business development expert and Kathy Minchew, a Federal Healthcare Specialist on how to engage (and win bids!) with CMS officials by understanding their mission priorities.

Attend complimentary "How to do business with Navy" Webinar on Jan 9 2008. Listen to Gloria Berthold, national business development expert and Alan Heisig, an experienced business leader and Navy veteran on how to do business with the US Navy.

Update Your NAICS Codes in all records

NAICS 2007 Implementation Completed

FedBizOpps implemented NAICS 2007 on 5 October 2007 in compliance with the OMB 2007 revision to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). To avoid NAICS code mismatches, please take the necessary steps to ensure that your FBO feeder system complies with NAICS 2007 codes.

You can find a listing of the new codes on the US Census web site at http://www.census.gov/epcd/naics07/index.html and the related Federal Register notification (May 2006) at http://www.census.gov/epcd/naics07/naics07fr3.htm.

Federal Buyers with active solicitations for which the NAICS code has changed will be contacted via e-mail to coordinate updating their solicitations to reflect the changes.

Vendor Notification subscriptions will automatically be updated to the new NAICS codes.

Source: http://www.fedbizopps.gov/what_is_new.html

WIPP Update -- bill on small business contracting

The Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee passed S. 2300, The Small Business Contracting Revitalization Act of 2007.

The bipartisan bill was drafted by Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee, and cosponsored by Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD). The bill seeks to eliminate barriers for small business contracting, improves the oversight of unbundling contracts for small firms, increases enforcement of protections for subcontractors, and expands opportunities for minority, women and service-disabled entrepreneurs. According to Senator Kerry, the Majority Leader has agreed to consider this legislation on the floor before the end of the Congressional session this year.

The bill was passed with seven modifications to the original bill. Those included: An SBA study of the effectiveness of the Mentor-Protégé program, a SBA study of the number of dollars spent by agencies contracted to small businesses, an SBA study of the barriers facing women, 8(a), SDB and Hubzone contractors, an expansion of the BusinessLINC program, a GAO study of the effectiveness of Procurement Center Representatives (PCR) and an amendment to the surety bond program. Please find attached the amendments to the bill.

Senator Snowe expressed her frustration at the SBA’s lack of implementation of the women-owned contracting program and pointed out that the failure to implement this program greatly affected the ability of agencies to meet their woman-owned goal. Senator Levin, Chair of the Armed Services Committee, is seeking to amend the bill with regard to some DOD contracting issues. Although he was not specific, Chairman Kerry said he would work with him to resolve differences. Senator Bond is pursing an amendment similar to the Enzi/Bond amendment to last year’s SBA Reauthorization bill to address SBA regulations with regard to venture capital. It is his belief that SBA regulations discourage investment from venture capitilists’ investment in small businesses, especially the biotech industry.

Read the Bill.

Bill to aid small business government contractors

Senate close to approving bill that would aid small contractors

LOUIS LLOVIO
Daily Record Business Writer

November 8, 2007 6:54 PM

A U.S. Senate committee has approved a bill that senators say would improve the process in which small businesses in Maryland are awarded federal government contracts.

The bill, S 2300, was unanimously approved by the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Wednesday and will now go to the floor of the Senate for a vote, which is expected before Thanksgiving.

Gloria Berthold, president of TargetGov at Marketing Outsource Associates Inc., a Baltimore government procurement consultant, said that while she said she applauded the Senate’s efforts, the bill lacked teeth.

She said government agencies are too short-handed and underfunded to do the oversight required by the new law or the existing ones.

The shortage in procurement officers also makes it easier for short-handed agencies to “bundle” contracts and let the big companies handle subcontracting.

Bundling is where small contracts are included in larger ones that are picked up my prime contractors, like Northrop Grumman Co.

In theory, the smaller contracts would trickle down to small business that would do the work as subcontractors.

But that doesn’t happen, she said.

Click here to read the full article.

Free National Teleconference for Veterans: Start and Build a Successful Business in a Multi-Billion Dollar Market

Press Release
Phone: 1-866-579-1346
Contact: Gloria Berthold
Email: info@targetgov.com
Web site: www.targetgov.com

Veterans: Learn How to Start a Business and Sell to the Federal Government

Free National Teleconference for Veterans: Start and Build a Successful Business in a Multi-Billion Dollar Market

Washington, DC. In honor of Veterans Day, the national teleconference, “Veterans Business Opportunities with the Federal Government” will be held Thursday, November 15, 2007 from 1:00 to 2:00pm EST (noon CST, 11:00 am MST and 10:00 am PST). There is no cost to attend the teleseminar for any veteran or anyone who works for a veteran-owned company anywhere in the United States. No wasted travel time or expenses, you attend directly from your own phone, at your office or on your cell phone. Phone lines are limited to the first 300 people who sign up.

The US Federal Government spends over $400 billion dollars every year purchasing products and services of virtually every type from businesses large and small throughout the United States. Federal law has stated that 3%, or $12 billion dollars should go to companies who are owned by veterans or service-disabled veterans. Veterans can take advantage of this built-in market, and serve the world’s Fortune One customer – the U.S. Federal Government -- if you know how to successfully start a business and also navigate the government contracting maze.

Speakers from the Veterans Administration and other experts will discuss how start a business, how to best open doors to the lucrative government contracting market with the Veterans Administration, as well as other federal agencies, prime contractors and teaming partners.

Who Should Attend: If you are a veteran or employed by a veteran-owned company of any type or size, you should attend. You attend over your phone, either from your desk or cell phone. There is no cost to attend this teleconference, but space is limited to the first 300 registrants. Go to www.targetgov.com and click on the “Teleconference” button in the upper right corner of the home page. Select the Veterans Business Development teleconference. Or call toll free 1-866-579-1346 to register.

Tamika Gray joined the Veteran's Administration Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) in March 2006 from the Office of Acquisition & Materiel Management, where she served as a contract specialist and a contracting officer. Her assignments have included: U.S. Coast Guard, National Institutes of Health, VA, and Health and Human Services before accepting a permanent position in 2001 with the VA’s Office of Acquisition & Materiel Management.

Gaurav "GP" Pal is FedXccel’s Chief Executive Officer and Founder. "GP" has nearly 15 years of experience providing technology solutions to customers both in the private and public sectors. He has worked with organizations like the US Navy, AT&T, and Deloitte Consulting to sell and deliver complex solutions in a variety of industries including Market Research, Telecom, Healthcare and Financial Services. He successfully helped build the systems integration practice of a $70 million Federal IT Company through effective sales & marketing to public sector agencies at the Federal, State and County level. GP will cover how to give yourself the competitive edge by working on contract opportunities 6-12 months before the RFP hits the street. He will discuss how to estimate demand for your product or service, find teaming partners, identify federal government buyers and get early intelligence on future procurements.

Gloria Berthold is the host of the teleconference and is President of TargetGov at Marketing Outsource Associates, Inc. which focuses on government procurement and related business development services. She is author of many articles and “The Veterans Business Guide” (book); an international speaker and she has created a series of Government Business Guides highlighting specific federal agencies and business opportunities. She has been interviewed on television and radio shows and has been quoted in national publications such as USA Today, Government Executive and Entrepreneur magazine.

Click here for more information or to register.

Expand your business! Gain lucrative government contracts.

Attend a TargetGov Teleconference to learn how to win bids and get your own government contract.

November 15, 2007 Thursday, 1:00 to 2:00 pm EST
Veterans Business Development

Speakers from the Veterans Administration and other federal agencies will discuss how to best open doors to the lucrative government contracting market with the Veterans Administration and other federal agencies.

This teleconference is FREE! Sign up today.

Click here for details or to register.

December 4, 2007 Tuesday, 1:00 to 2:00 pm EST
Procurement Technical Assistance Centers

New to government contracting and want to learn how to win bids?

Seasoned business professional looking to expand your business in government contracting and increase profits?

Both new and seasoned business owners will learn about the world of government contracting. Attend this Teleconference and hear from experts who know how to cut through the red tape and seize those contracting bids!

Click here for details or to register.

December 13, 2007 Thursday, 1:00 to 2:00 pm EST
Opening the Door to Security Clearances & Intelligence Agency Contracting

This introduction to the 15 federal intelligence agencies covers their processes, what procurement vehicles are most often used and other details for building profitable relationships at these more secretive agencies.

Learn how to determine if you need security clearances, how to get them, the teaming alternative, where to find specific decision makers and how to build an effective business development strategy.



Click here for details about the Security Clearances & Intelligence Agency Contracting Teleconference or to register.
Click here for details or to register.

Self-Nominations Sought - Prime Contractors Award

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is now accepting self-nominations for the Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence.

This is one of SBA’s most prestigious awards. This award recognizes large prime contractors that have excelled in their utilization of small businesses as suppliers and subcontractors. One award may be made in each of the following five categories: manufacturing; service; research and development; construction; and utilities.

If you believe that you have an outstanding small business program, you may nominate yourself for this award. The winners will be selected in March 2008, and the award will be presented in the Spring in Washington, D.C., during Small Business Week. Companies that have received the Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence during the past three (3) years are not eligible. The deadline for nominations is December 28, 2007. No nominations will be accepted after the due date.

View the Information Sheet with additional information. If you have any questions, please contact Terry Budge at 215-580-2805 or e-mail at terry.budge@sba.gov

Your self-nomination for the Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence must be received in the Philadelphia Office at the address below by December 28, 2007.

U. S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Office of Government Contracting – Area 2
Robert N.C. Nix Federal Building
900 Market Street – 5th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107

WIPP Teleconference Series

WIPP launches Presidential Power Teams Kick-Off Teleconference Series!

2008 is going to be a pivotal year for American politics and WIPP members are already engaging in opportunities to influence the election and outcome for women-business owners and the issues that matter most to them.

Our Presidential Power Teams offer the ability for WIPP members to become educated on the small business positions of the candidates, gain an understanding of the electoral process, and learn about opportunities to become engaged in a campaign of their choice.

The Presidential Power Team teleconference series is open to WIPP dues-paying members at no charge. If you are not a dues-paying member but would like to participate in this series, as well as WIPP events throughout the year, please contact Lisa Fineberg at lfineberg@wipp.org to learn more about WIPP membership.

If you would like to register for one or all of the teleconference calls, please click on the dates below. There is no limit to the number of calls you can sign-up for. There is no charge to participate in the series.

Presidential Power Teams Kick-Off Teleconference Series

November 7, 2007, 2:00 pm EST - Pre-Primary Analysis: What, when and how? All you need to know about the primary schedule, early primary states and convention delegate selection process. Susan Turnbull, Vice Chair, DNC; Alice Germond, Secretary of the DNC and DNC Rules Committee.

November 12, 2007, 4:00 pm EST - The Approaching Presidential Election: Choosing state Convention delegates. Jo Ann Davidson, Vice Chair, RNC.

December 10, 2007, 4:00 pm EST - How you can make a difference in the 2008 Election. Get involved in the campaign of your choice. Jo Ann Davidson, Vice Chair, RNC.

December 13, 2007, 2:00 pm EST - One Year Out- What are the issues? How can we impact them? Susan Turnbull, Vice Chair, DNC.

January 17, 2008, 2:00 pm EST - A Super Tuesday preview. We’ve seen the results of some early primaries and South Carolina is just around the corner. Where are we now? What can we expect? Susan Turnbull, Vice Chair, DNC.

January 22, 2008, 4:00 pm EST - Report of early primaries and a review of US Senate races. Jo Ann Davidson, Vice Chair, RNC.

One Voice! We Decide!

WIPP, Women Impacting Public Policy, Inc. is a national bipartisan public policy organization that advocates for and on behalf of women and minorities in business, strengthening their sphere of influence in the legislative process of our nation, creating economic opportunities and building bridges and alliances to other small business organizations. Through WIPP, our collective voice makes a powerful impact on Capitol Hill and with the Administration. Click here to read WIPP’s Bipartisan Policy Statement. 888.488.WIPP ~ www.WIPP.org

Contracting Opportunity! Submit your bid.

The Turner/Gilbane Joint Venture has been awarded the $650MM Hospital Complex from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Norfolk District.

If you have not completed the prequalification form you must do so in order to be entered into our database for bidding opportunities.

The prequalification form is available on our website www.turnergilbane.com

Tentative Bidding/Award Schedule:

Fall 2007
Initial Construction Package, General Conditions Items (Dumpsters, Trailers, Site Set-up Items), Parking Garage Structure, Foundations

Spring 2008
Building Envelope, Long Lead MEP & Equipment, Elevator & Escalators

Summer – Fall 2008
General Trades, Equipment, Finishes, & Specialties

Turner/Gilbane Joint Venture looks forward to working together with companies to identify potential subcontracting opportunities on this very important project!

Small Business Contracting Revitalization Act

Click the link below for the Small Business Contracting Revitalization Act of 2007 as introduced by Senator Kerry (D-MA) reinstating the implementation of the Women's Small Business Program and updating contracting issues for Veterans, Minority-owned firms, Small Disadvantaged Businesses and other important small business issues.

Small Business Contracting Revitalization Act

Government Contracting Opportunities Update

Contracting Vehicle Use Expected to Change Within DoD

What contracting vehicles will give you the best exposure? GovExec Magazine says: “…Of the roughly $300 billion Defense spends on contracts annually, 2 percent is directed to interagency-assisted acquisitions while another 5 percent is spent on GSA's Multiple Awards Schedule and NASA's Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement... OMB also is weighing whether to develop a governance structure for creating and renewing interagency contracts. If adopted, such a governing body could determine whether "it's in government's best interests too keep all of its interagency vehicles," according to Robert Burton, deputy administrator of OMB's Office of Federal Procurement Policy. According to recent data, there are 54 multiple award contracts and 13 governmentwide acquisition contracts. ..”

Click here for more information
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1007/101907rb1.htm

Will Women and Veterans Have More
Government Contract Opportunities?

“The House Small Business Committee approved a bill on Thursday designed to increase opportunities for veterans to have a larger role in procurement of federal contracts... To implement the executive order, the bill requires the Small Business Administration to provide service-disabled veterans the proper education, information and training for participating in the federal contracting process.

The bill also sought to provide more procurement opportunities for women by fully implementing the SBA's Women's Procurement Program. The program allows for the waiver of competition requirements in contracting if two or more offers come from female majority-owned businesses that are economically disadvantaged and are in an industry where female businesses are underrepresented…”

Click here for more information
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1007/101907markup1.htm

3% Contractor Tax Affects Both Side of the Table

Government Executive magazine’s recent article states:
Contractor tax provision forces agencies to change financial systems

A provision in a tax law passed last year would require agencies to revamp financial management systems unless federal contractors are successful in convincing Congress to repeal the provision. Section 511 of the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 (TIPRA) requires federal, state and local government agencies to begin in 2011 withholding a tax of 3 percent of all payments of $100 million or more to government contractors. The 3 percent withholding would raise an estimated $7 billion between 2011 and 2015. Congress added the provision to the law to make it more difficult for contractors to avoid paying income taxes, said Chris Braddock, director of procurement policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's economic policy division.

Click here to read the full GovExec article

ABC/NAMC Chapters Promote Diversity Initiatives

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Chesapeake, Baltimore and NAMC/DC chapters will host a diversity mixer for women construction owners, suppliers, engineers, architects and other service related industries.

Women in Construction: Growing Together will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2007 at BWI Marriott, 1743 W. Nursery Road, Baltimore, 6 – 8pm. The purpose of this event is threefold:

• to provide WBEs an opportunity to meet prime contractors;
  
• to help WBEs access new resources and business opportunities;
  
• to enhance coordination and cooperation between ABC and NAMC to promote both organizations’ national objectives

“We have received overwhelming support from our Chapter’s leadership. Diversity is a necessary element of construction here in Maryland and we are striving to be a part this effort,” says Chairwoman Kathy Wilmot, Board of Directors/ABC Baltimore. Echoing these sentiments, Pamela Volm of ABC Chesapeake says “This is something our chapter is quite interested in …we want more women and minority businesses to become members of ABC.”

Roseline Steppenwolf of the National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC) has been working diligently to solicit sponsors from the Washington, DC area. Exhibitors include: Gilford Corp., Hensel Phelps Construction, Blue Lake Crane Construction, The Barbour Group, OFX Construction Cleaning, Foulgar-Pratt, American Infrastructure, Atlantic Builders Group, PEPCO Holding Companies, Harkins Builders, J. Vinton Schafer & Sons, Reliable Contracting, Anne Arundel Health Systems/Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., Gilbane Building Co., Anne Arundel County Office of Central Services and Konover Construction.

Cost is $15 for members and $20 for non-members.

For further information, contact:
J. Jackson, M/SBE Coordinator
AACo Office Central Svcs.
410/222-7620
phjack20@aacounty.org

www.abc-chesapeake.org
www.abcbaltimore.org
www.namcdc.org

Gender Similarities & Differences in Entrepreneurs

While a popular book once proclaimed that “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus,” that’s not really true when we’re talking about entrepreneurs. A new Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy-sponsored report finds that men and women entrepreneurs share more similarities than differences. The study’s main conclusion is that, when other factors are controlled, gender does not affect a new venture’s performance. Women and men often decide to become entrepreneurs for different reasons, but these differences don’t appear to have a huge effect on the bottom line. What are some key differences? Men are more likely to start a technology business and to start a business with a primary objective of making money. Women, in turn, are more likely to operate in low risk/return business sectors. Women were more likely to operate a business with positive revenue, while men are more likely to own a firm with employees. In the past, these many interesting trends led some researchers to suspect major differences in male and female entrepreneurs. This new research contends that most of the differences in firm performance are due to past industry or start-up experience as opposed to gender differences.

Download the September 2007 Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy-sponsored report, “Are Male and Female Entrepreneurs Really That Different?” by Erin Kepler and Scott Shane.

© 2007 The Public Forum Institute and the National Dialogue on Entrepreneurship at www.publicforuminstitute.org/nde.

Revised SBA Small Business FAQ Debuts

The SBA Office of Advocacy has just released the 2007 version of the Small Business Frequently Asked Questions or FAQ.

The Small Business FAQ contains the latest federal data on small business (those with fewer than 500 employees), including an updated estimate of the number of small businesses, which now has reached 26.8 million. This total includes both employer firms (more than 6 million) and non-employer firms (more than 20 million). The FAQ also contains statistics on small business contributions to the economy, as well as data on small business survival, owner demographics, health care questions, regulatory costs, and federal procurement.

Click here for your copy of the FAQ.

SBA Issues Agency Procurement Scorecard

In August, the Small Business Administration released its first ever Small Business Procurement Scorecard. The scorecard rates 24 federal agencies’ performance in meeting small business procurement goals: whether they have reached their annual small business contracting goals and their progress in making contracting opportunities available to small businesses. The grading system uses colors—green, yellow, and red—to indicate the agency’s degree of success in meeting stated goals and standards.

The scorecard will help agencies measure their achievements and progress in making contracting opportunities available to small businesses, improve the accuracy of contracting data regarding small businesses, and provide the public the opportunity to assess agencies’ performance in meeting these goals. For fiscal year 2006, the scorecard rated seven agencies green, five yellow, and 12 red in meeting their small business procurement goals.

In the category of progress toward making contracting opportunities available, 12 agencies were rated green, eight yellow, and four red. Each federal agency has a different small business contracting goal, determined annually in consultation with SBA. SBA ensures that the sum total of all of the goals exceeds the 23 percent target established by law.

For fiscal year 2006, $77.7 billion in federal contracts were awarded to small businesses, up $2.7 billion from the previous year. This amount is 22.8 percent of federal procurement subject to small business goals, just short of the overall goal established by law at 23 percent.

SBA’s scorecard builds on a series of initiatives by the Bush Administration to improve small business access to federal contracts. At the request of the White House’s Office of Federal Procurement Policy and SBA, federal agencies spent months reviewing 11 million contract actions from the past two years to cleanse the federal contracts database of miscoded contracts. On June 30, federal regulations were changed so that contracts awarded to small companies that were subsequently acquired by large corporations will no longer count towards federal agency small business goals—even if the acquisition took place before the rule change.

The scorecard is located at http://www.sba.gov/idc/groups/public/documents
/sba_homepage/sbgr_fy_2006_small_businesspr.html.

The Small Business Advocate

Advocacy: the voice of small business in government

The Small Business Administration Advocacy is turning its attention to the existing regulatory burden facing small business. By one estimate, the total cost to comply with current regulations is $1.1 trillion, and small business pays a disproportionate share of that cost. Advocacy wants to reduce regulatory burden by identifying and reforming existing rules that are outdated, ineffective, or unworkable. You can help them identify burdensome rules and regulations that affect YOUR business. Advocacy’s new Regulatory Review and Reform— or r3—initiative (www.sba.gov/advo/r3 ) is designed to give small business a voice in the review and reform of existing rules. Just as the RFA training effort has been successful in helping agencies consider small business when making new rules, the r3 initiative will work to help agencies consider small business when evaluating their existing rules.

SBA’s r3 Website Features Nomination How-To’s
The Small Business Administration Advocacy’s r3 website contains new information and updates.
Advocacy recently added complete nomination criteria guidelines to assist small businesses in nominating regulations that should be reviewed. Visit www.sba.gov/advo/r3/r3_nomination.pdf to consult the guidelines. Submit nominations to advocacy@sba.gov or contact Assistant Chief Counsel Keith Holman at (202) 205-6936.

A complete series of questions and answers regarding the r3 initiative is now available at www.sba.gov/advo/r3/r3_questions.pdf.
All r3 initiative information can be found at www.sba.gov/advo/r3.

Minority Procurement Seminar -- U.S. House of Representatives

In an effort to increase the level of participation by minority vendors in contracting opportunities with the U.S. House of Representatives, the Committee on House Administration is sponsoring a Minority Procurement Seminar on September 27, 2007 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C. This seminar will provide step-by-step instructions for bidding on contracts within the agencies listed below. More than 50 contractors from all over the country have already registered for this event.

This session will focus on the contracts available in the offices of the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), the General Services Administration, and the Small Business Administration. The seminar will provide information on how to qualify for the small and minority business contract lists that some agencies maintain. It will also provide information on how to navigate the Federal contracting and bidding processes. In recent years, the AOC has provided more than $675 million dollars in contracts to private vendors, and the CAO has let approximately $300 million in contracts.

Participants are accepted on a first come, first served basis. Once the seats are filled, waiting lists are established and those aspiring attendees will be notified if a slot becomes available. The Committee on House Administration must have registration fees by close of business on September 10, 2007.

View the PDF file for more information and a registration form. Or contact: Sterling Spriggs or Janice Crump at (202) 225-2061.

A Federal Procurement Bonanza—Are You Getting Your Share?

U.S. federal procurement costs have soared during the Iraqi war, breaking the $400 billion mark for the first time in fiscal 2006 with a nearly 10% year-to-year increase to $425 billion, and much of that money goes to a handful of defense-industry contractors, Government Executive reports. Lockheed Martin's came to $33 billion, up 27% from the previous year and a total that eclipses the procurement budgets of all civilian federal agencies. Northrop Grumman, Boeing, General Dynamics and Raytheon had smaller but nonetheless substantial increases, while the war helped private-security firm Blackwater join the list of top 200 players for the nearly $600 million it received for work in Iraq. Let us know if you want to become more successful in your contracting efforts.

Make Mine a Million $ Business® Award

Get a powerful package of money, mentoring, marketing and technology opportunities to set you on your way to owning a Million $ business.

Targetgov's own Gloria Berthold is among the mentors in this program and urges you to apply.

The Make Mine a Million $ Business program encourages applications from any business that is at least 50% woman-owned, at least two years old, and demonstrate high growth potential.

Make Mine a Million $ Business, founded by Count Me In for Women's Economic Independence with founding partner, OPEN from American Express®, is designed to help women entrepreneurs surpass the Million $ revenue mark.

Award Recipients Receive

• One year of mentoring from a “dream” team of coaches and business experts from Count Me In.
  
  
• Up to $50,000 in financing from OPEN from American Express® and Count Me In.
  
  
• Services and consulting from AIG® to help with work/life balance, small business insurance needs and financial planning.
  
  
• Smart Business Communication network from Cisco Systems valued at up to $20,000 for select awardees.
  For more info:  www.cisco.com/go/smb
  
  
• Discounts from FedEx select shipping and office and print services.
  
  
• Easy-to-use business and financial management software from Intuit as well as expert consultation, education, training and resources.
  
  
• A marketing consultation from QVC.
  

Click here to apply.

WIPP INVITATION to the September Powerful Policy and Politics Conference

POWERful Policy and Politics ~ September 17-19, 2007 ~ Renaissance Mayflower Hotel ~ Washington, DC ~

POWERful Policy and Politics is almost here. If you haven’t registered yet, or made your hotel registration, it is not too late. There are plenty of good reasons to attend but here are some of the top benefits:

1. You will meet incredible women from across the country – women just like you who are smart and successful – and want to make a difference!
   
2. You will learn a lot about the legislative issues that make a difference to small businesses from the best political strategists in Washington!
   
3. You will learn how to be an effective advocate and lobbyist for the issues that make a difference to you!
   
4. You will meet your elective representatives and staff on the Hill, in their offices!
   
5. You will meet the federal procurement representatives you need to know to gain entry into the federal contracting arena!
   
6. You will meet, sit with, talk to and get to know top corporate leaders!
   
7. You will hear THE top 2008 Election outlook from the best in the field!
   
8. You will learn strategies to build a multi-cultural organization and meet the top corporate, entrepreneur and agency leaders in the country – and learn how strong diverse leadership strengthens our economy!
   
9. You will meet 5 young entrepreneurs, competing for the Elizabeth Dole Young Entrepreneur Scholarship Award!
   
10. We’ll have special receptions and a Gala – not to be missed! Click here for the agenda and registration.

DoD to Change Vendor Payment System--Will it Speed Payments?

The Defense Department plans to stop using commercial electronic data interchange (EDI) systems to process payments and instead will require contactors to use the Department’s Web-based Wide Area Workflow - Receipt and Acceptance system. The department said it anticipates that the use of Wide Area Workflow will fully automate its payment process, significantly improve the timeliness of payments and reduce interest charges on late payments.

In 2004, Defense had $206 billion in contract payments subject to the Prompt Payment Act, according to a May 2006 Government Accountability Office report. Out of a pool of some $24 billion in payments the GAO studied, Defense was late in paying an average of 10 percent or $2.4 billion, of the payments to large vendors, while late payments to small vendors ran about 14.5 percent or over $3.4 billion, according to the report.

Defense wrote in an Aug. 14 Federal Register notice that neither the American National Standards Institute X12 EDI nor the Web Invoicing System cannot process all Defense contract payment requests and cannot be made available to all government offices and organizations.

According to the Federal Register notice, the change in Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations requiring use of Wide Area Workflow will require about 1,000 small businesses to switch to the system – a relatively low number compared with the 20,000 small companies already using it. (Contracting officers can allow the use of other payment systems if they choose.)

Wide Area Work Flow is the only system that can process all payment types. According to a fact sheet from the Defense Business Transformation Agency, it uses a virtual folder that contains the three documents required to pay a contractor: the contract, the invoice and the receiving report. The Wide Are Workflow helps eliminate lots of paper documents, which also can be misplaced, and compresses the contract payment process from weeks to days or minutes, according to the fact sheet.

Defense said it will take comments on the proposed rule change until Oct. 15.

Since it takes only one hour to learn how to use Wide Area Workflow, according to the Federal Register notice, it seems the new change in rules can be a boon to small vendors, even though I have yet to encounter any computer program that can be mastered in an hour. (Original story by Bob Brewin)

Note: See WAWF training course available at http://wawftraining.com Source: Original story by Bob Brewin through the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers at http://www.aptac-us.org/new/Contracting_News/index.php?articleID=83

Response from the Hill to SBA Announcement

Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.), chairwoman of the House Small Business Committee, responded to SBA's announcement Aug. 16 by criticizing the Bush administration's failure to meet the small business contracting goals. "Year after year, the federal government has failed to reach their small business contracting goals and this year is no exception," Velazquez said. "Once again, the government has neglected to take advantage of the innovations and quality products offered by small firms, resulting in billions of dollars that instead went to large government contractors."

Velazquez also said the latest data show "the clear need" for the Small Business Fairness in Contracting Act (H.R. 1873), approved by the House this year, which "will ensure that small businesses are able to compete for billions of dollars in contracts that will help them expand and proper within their communities."

WIPP Update Notice

Call for Public Participation in Examining Small Business Regulations

A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report documents the need for more public participation and transparency in federal agencies’ review of their existing regulations. Reexamining Regulations: Opportunities Exist to Improve Effectiveness and Transparency of Retrospective Reviews also finds that agencies are not getting it done when it comes to measuring the impacts of regulations on small businesses – mandated by section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA). The report points to a lack of clear standards, insufficient public participation and comment, and inadequate communication of the results to stakeholders. A new program by the SBA Office of Advocacy, Regulatory Review and Reform (R3), promises to address these issues by offering agencies guidance and training on how to implement section 610 of the RFA; soliciting recommendations from the small business community on rules that should be reviewed; and, providing public updates on the status and results of agency retrospective reviews.

Download the GAO report, Reexamining Regulations or learn more about the SBA Office of Advocacy's R3 initiative.

© 2007 The Public Forum Institute and the National Dialogue on Entrepreneurship www.publicforuminstitute.org/nde.

SBA Scores Small Business Procurement Efforts

Seven of 24 Federal Agencies Meet Small Business Contracting Goals

In an effort to increase the transparency and accountability in small business contracting, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) today released its first-ever Small Business Procurement Scorecard. The Scorecard will help agencies measure their achievements and progress in making contracting opportunities available to small businesses, improve the accuracy of contracting data regarding small businesses, and provide the public the opportunity to assess agencies' performance in meeting these goals.

Seven federal agencies; the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, and SBA itself, met their small business contracting goals.

"SBA's and the agencies' commitment to small business contracting results is unprecedented," said Clay Johnson, Deputy Director for Management at the Office of Management and Budget. "With clear, outcome-oriented goals, clear, realistically aggressive plans to achieve them, clearly defined accountability, and frequent tracking of performance, SBA and the agencies are saying they want to be held most publicly accountable for contracting with small business at desired levels."

SBA's Scorecard builds on a series of administration initiatives to improve small business access to federal contracts. At the request of the White House's Office of Federal Procurement Policy and SBA, federal agencies spent months reviewing 11 million contract actions from the last two years to cleanse the database of miscoded contracts. On June 30, federal regulations were changed. Contracts awarded to small companies acquired by large corporations will no longer count towards federal agency small business goals -- even if the acquisition took place before the rule change.

"These changes -- increased accuracy, transparency and accountability -- provide a real window of opportunity for America's small businesses," said SBA Administrator Steve Preston. "Almost $5 billion in misreported contracts have been cleaned out of the small business database. To meet their goals in 2007 and beyond, federal agencies know they will have to place more new contracts with small businesses. SBA is also increasing its staff and technical assistance to help our federal partners meet their contracting needs."

Small Business Goaling Report

After working with federal agencies to identify miscoding and anomalies in the contracting database, SBA released the annual Small Business Goaling Report for FY 2006, and revised the FY 2005 report. The Goaling Report shows that $77.7 billion in federal contracts were awarded to small businesses in FY 2006, up $2.7 billion from the previous year. The revisions reduce the share of contracts awarded to small businesses in 2005 $4.6 billion from the previously-reported 25.4 percent to 23.4 percent. For 2006 the figure is 22.8 percent, just short of the small business procurement goal established by law at 23 percent.

Administrator Preston cited the progress federal agencies have made towards meeting the five targeted sub-categories for small businesses procurement, as an example of what can be accomplished when agencies track progress towards small business goals.

"While only the target for small disadvantaged business has been met so far," Preston said, "SBA is encouraged by the real gains made in every category in 2006." Contracts to companies owned by service-disabled veterans increased by 50 percent, from $2 billion to $3 billion; contracts to women-owned businesses increased by a billion dollars; contracts to 8(a) companies rose by $700 million, contracts to HUBZone companies were up $1 billion. "We still have more to do to reach our targets," Preston said, "but these are accomplishments that our federal partners can be proud of."

About the Scorecard

SBA rates 24 agencies green, yellow or red, both on whether they reached their annual small business contracting goals and on their progress on efforts to make contracting opportunities available to small businesses. To achieve a green rating a federal agency has to meet its overall small business contracting goal, as well as the goals for at least three of four subcategories. For their current status, seven agencies were rated green, five yellow, and 12 were red. In the second category, under "progress," 12 agencies were rated green, eight were yellow, and four were red.

Each federal agency has a different small business contracting goal, determined annually in consultation with SBA. SBA ensures that the sum total of all of the goals exceeds the 23 percent target established by law. The Scorecard will be updated every six months and is publicly available on the SBA website at http://www.sba.gov.

"Small businesses play an important part in growing our nation's economy, and this Scorecard will help the agencies achieve contracting results that will keep our small businesses strong," said Administrator Paul Denett of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP). "This new tool, along with better data in the goaling reports, will enable us to identify where we are strong and where we need to improve."

With more than 5.5 million contracting actions each year, miscodings and errors will not be completely eliminated from the contracting database. By publicizing the reports, and providing new tools to facilitate public review of the database, SBA and OFPP will enlist affected businesses and other stakeholders in the effort to continuously improve the accuracy and integrity of the procurement data.

The goaling reports released today by SBA are available at http://www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/goals/index.html.

SOURCE: U.S. Small Business Administration
Tiffani Clements of the U.S. Small Business Administration, +1-202-401-0035

Dept. of Energy’s Business Opportunity Sessions

The Dept. of Energy’s (DOE) Business Opportunity Sessions Scheduled for Aug 28 and Sept 26

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Director of the Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Theresa Speake, announced an upcoming monthly Business Opportunity Sessions (BOS) to encourage small business contracting and further the Department’s mission.

The Business Opportunity Sessions begin with an overview on “How to Work with DOE,” followed by presentations from program experts seeking to develop small business participation through current or pending contract opportunities. The next Business Opportunity Sessions will be he held at DOE’s Forrestal Building, and are scheduled for Tuesday, August 28, and Wednesday, September 26, 2007. Space is limited, registration is required. To register, contact the DOE OSDBU office: Lee Avila, Lee.Avila@hq.doe.gov or call (202) 586-7377. To reserve your seat, please email your name, company, country of citizenship, a contact phone number and an email address. Also include a brief description of what services or products your company provides. Some of this information is required for our office files and some for the DOE security logs. Space is limited. Only two individuals per company, please.

The sessions provide a forum for federal acquisition officials to meet, in-person, with small businesses that may not be familiar with DOE’s contracting opportunities, and that DOE might not necessarily identify through traditional market research. BOS aims to further President Bush’s Small Business Agenda by increasing small business participation in the Department’s contracting opportunities.

“The Department of Energy strongly supports contracting with small businesses to help drive economic growth, and to advance our mission,” Director Speake said. “Small businesses have played and will continue to play a key role in DOE’s many successes. Encouraging DOE’s program officials to meet with small business representatives, in-person, allows the Department to continue to bring cutting-edge technology and improved business practices to our entire complex.”

Last month, Secretary Bodman issued a policy statement on DOE’s small business priorities, reiterating the Department’s commitment to pursue contracting opportunities with small businesses.

In Fiscal Year 2006, DOE awarded approximately $1.2 billion in prime contracts to small businesses. Additionally, through its Management and Operating contractors, $3.5 billion in subcontracts were awarded to small business. DOE strives to maximize its commitment to small businesses in 2007 and in subsequent years. Read more information on contracting with DOE.

Delay Implementation of 3% Contract Withholding

Committee Passes Legislation to Delay Implementation of 3% Contract Withholding Requirement For One Year

Last week the House Ways and Means Committee passed H.R. 3056, Tax Collection Responsibility Act of 2007 which includes language to delay by one year a 3-percent withholding requirement on government payments to its contractors that is set to take effect in 2011. If enacted, the 3% withholding will not go into effect until the start of 2012. The bill now moves to the House floor for consideration. WIPP strongly supports permanent repeal of the withholding provision because of its adverse effect on small business contractors. The 3% withholding requirement applies not only to federal contractors, but also state and local contractors. WIPP will continue to press for repeal of Section 511 of the tax code.

To view the letter signed by WIPP and other business associations to the House Ways and Means Committee on H.R. 3056, please click here.

WIPP asks that you write to your Members of Congress to urge them to support legislation that will repeal the provision. Two bills introduced will fully repeal the 3% withholding requirement. In the House, HR 1023 has been introduced by Reps. Meek (D-FL) and Herger (R-CA). The Senate bill (S 777) was introduced by Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID). Please click here to visit the WIPP Instant Impact site to take action.