Where to Begin in Federal Contracting

Michele Ruiz has recently written a blog post detailing where to begin in federal contracting. She answers this tough question with a series of five excellent tips and ideas to help get your company started in the federal marketplace.

Her five points are:

1. Read and Research

2. Find a mentor or an advisor

3. Look for Federal Agency Procurement Forecasts

4. Loo up the OSDBU (Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization) for government agencies

5. Plan strategically to be at events and conferences

Read the entire post here, also look out for a special mention of Gloria Larkin’s book, The Basic Guide to Government Contracting.

The Society for Marketing Professional Services’ (SMPS) Federal Procurement Panel Features TargetGov President Gloria Larkin as Moderator

Spending in the Federal Government Contracting world is changing. Will your company be prepared to adapt to the new way of doing business? The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) is hosting a Federal Procurement Panel designed to provide insight for businesses hoping to be successful in the federal marketplace. The event is specifically focused on architecture, construction and maintenance.

Heading the discussion as moderator is TargetGov President, Gloria Larkin.

Panelists Include:
Colonel J. Richard Jordan, III, Commander
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District

Gregory Wright, Manager, Baltimore Field Office,
General Services Administration, Public Buildings Service

Christine Foushee, Director of External Affairs
Department of State, Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations

Randy Westfall, Deputy Chief of Facilities
National Security Agency

Find out if your business is ready to respond to the needs of the Government. Be better prepared to offer the right kinds of solutions to the problems the Government is facing.

Who should attend?
-    Managers
-    Business Development
-    Proposal Writers
-    New federal contractors
-    Experienced federal contractors

Date: Thursday, February 14, 2013
Time: 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM
Location: Rolling Road Golf Club
                 814 Hilltop Road
                 Catonsville, MD 21228
Cost: $65 Members / $85 Non-Members

To register for this event or for more information, click here.

A Letter from TargetGov President Gloria Larkin

Greetings!

Does it feel as if you are well into 2013 already (instead of just two weeks), trying to keep up with ...everything?! The challenges we face offer a wide range of solutions, some that energize us and others that drain us. Serious situations may cause us to agonize over the resolutions - especially if we dwell on the "what ifs" too long.

But once that tough decision is made, don't you find that your focus is better, your energy renewed and the path towards moving ahead towards your goals much clearer? If you are in the middle of this kind of challenge, just let me offer this: keep on putting one foot in front of the other-even if those steps are small, they are still moving forward and you can give yourself some valuable energy-rebuilding time.

Yes, I have been through this walk myself, and coming out on the other side of the challenge is incredibly rewarding and energizing. Thanks to a great team, (and a growing team!) a wonderful understanding husband and caring colleagues.

Speaking of growing-we are looking for the next TargetGov teammates-an administrative assistant and a research analyst. If you or someone you know may be interested, please send them our way.

The Government Contracting Institute is moving forward in full swing-with classes in January, February, March and all the way through July. Now is the time to refresh your focus, update your strategies and tactics, set the plan into action-count on us to help with these classes. Each class is a full day, advanced level, with expert instructors. Powerful information, for those who are committed to succeed in 2013.

Let me know how you are doing-and of course, if we can help you plan for success in 2013-reach out, email or call 866-579-1346. We are here to help!

Here's to your success!

Introducing the Instructors for the First Government Contracting Institute Course

The three instructors for the first Government Contracting Institute course, “Federal Contracting Gap Analysis” have been announced. The session is geared to existing and new businesses who want to sell products or services to federal government agencies. The course is a practical, concise gap analysis of the business relating to federal contracting requirements.

Participants in the course will compare their business related to the require registrations, the basics of contracting law, rules, and key players involved in contracting. They will also learn the types of contracts, their uses and how the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) control how contracts are written, advertised, completed and awarded.

The three instructors for the course are Jon W. van Horne, Matthew R. Roberson, and Gloria Larkin.

Jon W. van Horne is an adjunct Assistant Professor at the Graduate School of Management & Technology, University of Maryland University College. Jon is experienced in government and corporate law. He has dealt with all aspects of the U.S. Government procurement process and with related policy matters, contract issues involving U.S. state and local governments, U.S. Government regulation of international business and international contracts, as well as wide range of transactional and litigation matters.

Matt Roberson has more than a dozen years of professional experience in M&A transaction, financial, and strategic advisory services. He joined with SC&H Capital in 2007 and has been involved in numerous M&A transactions and strategic advisory assignments involving high-growth, middle-market technology companies across a number of industries including defense, healthcare, managed services, and mobility. Matt has specific expertise working with companies serving the Defense and Intelligence Community of the Federal Government.

Gloria Larkin is President of TargetGov and a national known speaker, author, training and federal contracting business development expert. Her expertise has developed through creating TargetGov and helping large and small businesses nationwide win billions of dollars in federal contracts.

If you would like to learn more about the instructors for the course, click here.

To learn more about the Government Contracting Institute or to register for “Federal Contracting Gap Analysis,” click here.

The Government Contracting Institute is sponsored by bwtech@UMBC and TargetGov.

How Can a Business Set Itself Apart?

Differentiators are often the most difficult aspects of a company to talk about. What is it that sets one company apart from another? By attending the GovWin webinar “Differentiators that Matter for 2013” companies can learn to more clearly define their business in the eyes of decision makers within the federal government marketplace.

Hosted by Gloria Larkin, TargetGov President and Founder, the webinar and will go over changes in the marketplace and detail aspects that will help your business stand out.

Webinar Highlights:

•    Top differentiators in FY 2013
•    Identifying organizational differentiators
•    Focused lead approach
•    Relating differentiators to targeted opportunities
•    Leveraging resources used by primes
•    Best practices in completing business profiles.

Who should attend?

•    New and Experienced Contractors
•    Proposal Writers
•    Business Developers
•    Administrators
•    Capture Managers

This webinar will help businesses clearly define themselves for the federal government, increasing that company’s chances at getting real face time with a decision maker. Quality differentiators can mean the difference between success and struggle.

Click here for more information and to register.

Now What? Success in 2013 Demands Attitude Change

By Gloria Larkin

This year’s crystal ball still holds a few surprises, however, for the most part the theme in federal contracting is a solid “do more with less”. The challenges not only involve the obvious budget trimming “do more with less money” but the even more critical theme, “do more with fewer people”.
Deltek, a federal data research and services firm, predicts that over 23% of federal contracting and acquisition-related government employees will retire in the next 18-24 months, and a full 50% in the next five years. This critically affects businesses doing work for the federal government (including military bases and intelligence agencies) because these are the decision-makers for purchasing and procurement.

Conflicting Trend Snapshot
Visualize this: in the year 2000, the federal government had spent $230 billion with contractors. At that point in time, there were over 100,000 contracting and acquisition employees handing that $230 billion in contracts. Eleven years later, in 2011, spending had ballooned to $550 billion. The shocker is that the contracting and acquisition staff had not expanded during that incredible spending increase, but rather significantly shrank during those eleven years, to just about 80,000 people. 
Now, the baby boomers in federal contracting and acquisition will continue to retire in accelerating numbers, further decimating the existing knowledge and relationship base.

First the Bad News
Those companies who had a lock on contracts should find this evolution troubling, because the good old boy network is disappearing. Additional bad news is that those people who are leaving had 20 to 30 years of experience with the rules, regulations and legal issues.  The few new hires have a very steep learning curve to assimilate the 2,000 pages of the Federal Acquisition Regulations along with the thousands of ever-changing rules and regulations affecting purchasing and procurement.

Good News
For those companies with truly efficient and cost-effective processes or products, or proven experience in the commercial markets this is a very good time to aggressively enter the federal marketplace. With the aforementioned retirements in progress, new connections and relationships can be initiated and strengthened. Yes, competition will be extraordinarily tough; therefore investing the time and effort in learning the unique factors and processes in the federal marketplace can pay off handsomely. Businesses entering the federal market will find a unique window of opportunity during this time only if they research and embrace the federal purchasing and procurement process while bringing in fresh ideas.

 Experienced Contractors
The firms large and small who have seen success in the federal space in the past ten years will only hold onto market share if they shake off the stale business development and capture practices and instead embrace new communication, differentiation and marketing strategies that appeal to the remaining federal decision-makers.

A Message from TargetGov President Gloria Larkin

Dear friends, colleagues, clients and family,

Just like you, I am buried in...everything. It is all good and I love what we do to help the world be a better place. As we rocket into December towards the end of 2012, one cannot help but look back and take stock of goals, accomplishments, challenges and triumphs.

We all share many challenges: financial, leadership, family, community and business. Some of our own making and others foist upon us by others.

Our measure is how we reacted; did we look forward for solutions, demand accountability, step up with suggestions and plan to shoulder the burden with other like-minded people? Yes these are very serious times, but have we also nurtured our sense of humor, and given away a few hugs when they were least expected?

At the core of these thoughts for me this year is a man who was easy to like and whom I grew to respect through the years. When I heard the news that Michael Bowlds, president of Mountaintop Marketing, passed away after a brief battle with lung cancer, I was floored and saddened. Years ago Michael reached out to me, we shared ideas, participated in events and even though we could be considered competitors, he was always open, gracious and professional. My life is much better for having known him, and my sincere condolences go to his wife, baby and son, and of course, his business colleagues as well.

My personal summary of this year is that I have much for which to be grateful. And my prayer is that I always recognize the riches not just in my mind's eye but also where it really matters, in my heart.

Thank you for making me who I am today, and I hope that tomorrow makes me someone of which you can be proud.

Here's to your success and all the riches your heart can hold!

Gloria Larkin,
President of TargetGov

A Webinar Focusing on the Fiscal Cliff from Women Impacting Public Policy

Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) has released a new webinar detailing the fiscal cliff, the consequences of that fiscal cliff, and ways we can avoid it. Ann Sullivan, WIPP Government Relations, hosted the webinar when it aired originally on Tuesday, November 27th.  The webinar is now available to listen and see online. Click on the links below to hear the podcast of the webinar and see the slides used in the presentation.

To listen to the audio for the presentation, click here.

To view the slides for the presentation, click here.

The webinar provides participants with an overview of the fiscal cliff, including tax provisions that are going to expire as well as automatic spending cuts and how they will work. It will also provide an update on what Congress and the Executive Branch are doing to avoid the fiscal cliff.

So what will happen if we go over the fiscal cliff? According to the webinar, tax cuts will expire on individual gains, capital gains, dividends, and estate tax rates. These cuts affect approximately 80% of Americans. The payroll tax holiday expires with no renewal planned. Small business tax provisions expire.

Another consequence of the fiscal cliff is known as sequestration. These are automatic spending cuts that will go into effect on January 2, 2013. This will consist of a 9.4% cut to most federal spending with exceptions for Medicaid, benefits for veterans, and pay for military personnel. Sequestration will save $1.2 trillion over ten years, or about $110 billion per year - $55 billion from defense spending and $55 billion from non-defense spending.

How will federal contractors be affected by the fiscal cliff? Current contracts will be unchanged. However, approximately $30 billion in defense cuts could be felt in 2013. It is expected that agencies will bundle more contracts due to the restricted budget. And there is likely going to be a reduction in overall contract awards from here on out.

There have been many proposals to avoid the fiscal cliff. The goal that must be reached in order to avoid this is any combination of spending cuts and increased revenue that reaches $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction over ten years. If this goal cannot be met, the fiscal cliff will be reached and the automatic tax increases and spending cuts will go into place.

To learn more about the fiscal cliff and solutions that have been proposed for it, listen to the presentation.

A Message From TargetGov President Gloria Larkin

Greetings!

Oh how thankful I am! For wonderful clients, friends and colleagues, dedicated staff and a supportive, loving husband.

Thank you all, I am nothing without you.

I have a favor to ask you, dear reader: Will you consider planning to shop at a local small business on the Saturday after Thanksgiving? Pick any business close to your home that is locally owned and operated. It could be a gift, flower, jewelry, clothing or shoe shop. Maybe a hair salon (or barber), dry cleaner, bakery or auto repair shop. If you want to shop big box stores for Black Friday-please do! But if you can think to shop small on Saturday, November 24, 2012, the effort of spending your hard earned money with locally-owned businesses who employ friends and neighbors means that your local economy will benefit greatly. Your dollars stay local, and boost your own neighborhood! A great win-win.

And I want to give you a gift to support your business. If you sign up for the webinar noted here and enter the code SHOPSMALL as the coupon code you can attend as our guest-at NO COST!! Save $105 and learn the success strategies for 2013. BUT you have to sign up between now and Small Business Saturday. After midnight Saturday, the code is no longer active-so take advantage today.

BTW-- The Center Club Government Contracting Group is holding our breakfast meeting on Dec 5, details below. I hope to see you there.

And I do hope that you spend your Thanksgiving doing whatever makes you happy-spending time with family, friends, serving others, or even in the quiet contemplation of solitude.

Thank YOU for being you, and of course, here's to your success!

Gloria Larkin
President of TargetGov

A Message from TargetGov President Gloria Larkin

VOTE, VOTE, VOTE.

Please. It matters. We owe it to ourselves, our troops and our kids.

Back to work:
If you want a little reality check, read The Most Annoying Sayings-I have a sneaking suspicion that you may use some of them. I know I do! I will try to jettison some of them from my vocabulary after reading that article.

Speaking of articles, the Washington Post gave me some space to write about politics in the workplace. Let them know what you think on this important election day.

I'll be at the APTAC Conference after voting today, and updating everyone on Positioning to Win in 2013 by Refreshing Your Capability Statement at the Aronson webinar on Wednesday-dial in to make the changes that will matter. See below for details.

Since the election has such a dramatic impact on the federal spending in the coming year I made the decision to hold the Planning for FY 2013 Success webinar until after the election-we will hit the ground running next Thursday with the Top Three Mandates for Contracting Success in 2013. Details are below.

We made it thought Sandy, lost a few days of productivity, but we are back, running hard and sending our thoughts, prayers and support to those in NJ and NY who are still without power and even worse. Our emergency plans are solidified for next time (we know there will be a next time) and we hope yours are as well.

Vote, get this election done, and let's move ahead. We are ready to rock, are you?

Here's to your success!

Gloria Larkin
President of TargetGov

November Webinar will help Businesses Position to Win in 2013 by Refreshing their Capability Statements

TargetGov President Gloria Larkin is featured as a guest speaker in a November 7th Webinar hosted by Aronson LLC. The webinar, titled “Positioning to Win in 2013: Refresh Your Capability Statement,” will help businesses tailor their all-important Capability Statement for the new fiscal year.

 A new fiscal year brings a lot of new changes for the federal government. New decision makers, budgets stuck in limbo, realignment of priorities and tougher competition all stand in the way of being successful in this market. Despite these obstacles, companies will still see a substantial amount of money from this market, around $400+ Billion, and with the right tools and resources they will better position themselves to win valuable contracts.

Capability Statements have started to take on an important role in the federal contracting world, both as a way to gain visibility with the key decision makers and an introduction of a company to specific targeted agencies and prime contractors.

With a well written Capability Statement a company is able to gain real ground with the people who, in a sense, control their destinies.

Gloria Larkin will discuss the following topics:

•    The three key elements you must now include in your Capability Statement
•    How to prioritize the content to match 2013 requirements
•    What information should NOT be included

There is no cost associated with the November 7th webinar. It will start at 11:00am ET and last for about an hour.

In addition to the materiel presented, every attendee will be offered a complimentary grade on their existing Capability Statement. The grade is designed to help you understand how federal decision makers view your statement and which areas you can improve in order to achieve a high level of success.

Click here to register and get more information about the webinar!

"What Went Wrong? What Went Right?" A Business Monthly Article by Gloria Larkin

We have just finished the final quarter of the federal fiscal year, during which more than 40% of the federal budget (or $200 billion) was spent with contractors, according to a recent Deltek report. In order to win these contracts, a contractor generally answers a Request for Proposal (RFP) or other contract announcement. Competition is stiff, and the RFP response process is time-consuming and costly.

After investing the time, money and energy in responding to a bid and losing, if a businessperson could sit down face-to-face with decision-makers to find out what went wrong and why his RFP response did not make the cut, would that not be a valuable meeting? If one could meet the decision-makers face to face and have open discussion and learn how to improve the next bid, would that be a worthwhile use of time?

The federal market offers this meeting process; it is called a debriefing.

The Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR 15.505) stipulate that a contractor may request a debriefing either before or after the contract award. There are specific requirements and deadlines one must follow, and the government representatives have specific limits as to what they can and cannot discuss.

Read the whole article by TargetGov President Gloria Larkin here.

Introducing the Government Contracting Institute from TargetGov and bwtech@UMBC!

Accompanying our new office located in the Cyber Incubator at bwtech@UMBC’s Research and Technology Park TargetGov is teaming up with bwtech@UMBC to bring you the Government Contracting Institute, a series of in person government contracting courses. These courses are geared towards existing and new businesses who want to learn more about the federal marketplace and best practices for being successful in that marketplace.

TargetGov is very excited to be hosting this new series in conjunction with bwtech@UMBC and we are looking forward to helping businesses here get a leg up in the often-confounding federal government marketplace.

“Government contracting is a multi-billion dollar market and the fact that bwtech@UMBC Research & Technology Park is partnering with TargetGov on the Government Contracting Institute is testimony to their vision of supporting business incubation, acceleration and growth,” says subject matter expert Gloria Larkin.

Classes offered include:

•    Federal Contracting Gap Analysis
•    Market Identification Strategies and Tactics
•    Illuminating the Federal Sales Process
•    Marketing to Win Government Contracts
•    Navigating the GSA Schedule System
•    Proposal Writing Tools for Success
•    Fundamental Contract & Project Management
•    Essential Accounting Components
•    Clarifying Legal Requirements
•    Demystifying Security Clearances
•    Merits and Qualifications of Socioeconomic Certifications
•    And more!

“One of the important parts of this program,” says Ellen Hemmerly, president and executive director of bwtech@UMBC, “is that it will help early-stage companies learn how to expand their customer base into the government sector.”

Space is limited to ensure an optimal learning environment. The classes are slotted to last approximately three and a half hours and they will take place in bwtech@UMBC’s Research and Technology Park.

The courses will begin in November. Keep your eyes open for updates from TargetGov for more information about the individual courses and how to register. Click here for more information about the individual classes.

TargetGov has Moved to the Cyber Incubator at bwtech@UMBC!

The CyberTini and TargetGov ice luge was a success! As a previous post revealed, TargetGov was planning on having a major announcement at that event. We’re happy to make that announcement officially in our company blog!

TargetGov has moved to the Cyber Incubator at bwtech@UMBC. This move represents significant growth for our company and indicates a strong desire to continue growing and moving in a forward, positive direction.

The bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park started from humble beginnings in 1989 and has grown to two locations and eight separate buildings. One of the locations, bwtech North, is directly adjacent to the University of Maryland Baltimore County’s (UMBC) campus and contains the Cyber Incubator TargetGov has moved in to.

The move comes with the announcement that Gloria Larkin, President of TargetGov, will be heading classes at the incubator to help people become familiar with and learn about the federal government marketplace. The titles of some of those classes are Introduction to Federal Government Contracting, Federal Contracting Sales Process, Proposal Writing to Win Contracts and Contract & Project Management. 

Our new address is:

TargetGov at Marketing Outsource Associates, Inc.
5520 Research Park Drive
Suite 100
Baltimore, MD  21228

Along with the new move comes a new phone number: (443) 543-5067

Please note the new information for your records!

Gloria Larkin Reviews Dr. Robert Frey's book, "Successful Proposal Strategies for Small Businesses"

TargetGov President, Gloria Larkin, has reviewed recent webinar host Dr. Robert Frey's  book, " Successful Proposal Strategies for Small Businesses: Using Knowledge Management to Win Government, Private-Sector, and International Contracts, Sixth Edition." You can see the review here on Amazon

The Review:
"Frey's book serves as a One-Stop-Shop for Winning New Business.
The deep value of this book is found in its practicality--it functions immediately as an essential guide to winning new business. The book assisted us in avoiding many of the pitfalls associated with pursuing Government, private-sector, and international business, and in the process, saved valuable bid-and-proposal money.
The 700+ page volume provides detailed materials for business development, capture management, and proposal development requirements that are easily understood and immediately applicable. I liked the field-proven, direct experience-based examples, checklists, templates, and schedules throughout the book. The DVD with all of the soft copies was a time saver-- a real find!
This book helps proposal professionals:
-Build a fully compliant Cost/Price Volume
-Develop customer-focused technical, management, transition, and past performance solutions
-Provide evidence of Significant Strengths, the precise elements that the Federal Government will look for and assess during the formal evaluation of your proposal
-Construct compelling "Understanding" and "Approach" sections of your proposal to achieve a maximum score
-Generate key conceptual graphics early in the proposal development lifecycle to help guide your thinking and writing
-Write proposal sections effectively and efficiently--with clear focus on tangible and intangible benefits to the customer's mission and evolving business requirements
This updated volume is a roadmap to winning proposals and worth the investment."

Major Announcement Coming at bwtech@UMBC’s CyberTini!

TargetGov will have a major announcement at the CyberTini Networking happy Hour this Thursday September 27th, 2012. The event, sponsored by TargetGov, bwtech@UMBC and Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore, will bring together the hottest Cyber Security Startups and over 100 leaders in Cyber Security for cocktails and networking.

The major announcement will deal with the future of TargetGov and the advancement and growth of the company as a whole. We are extremely proud of our progress so far and we are eagerly awaiting the future of the company where we can continue to grow and help companies who wish to tackle the federal marketplace.

The CyberTini event was started last August to promote a new networking event and a beverage actually named the “CyberTini” was introduced to support people in the Maryland Cyber Industry.

Click here to attend the CyberTini, just change the name from Gloria Larkin to yours and register!

Give Me 5 Webinar from WIPP, “Planning for FY 2013 DOD Business Opportunities”

On Wednesday, October 10th, 2012 from 3-4pm ET, 12-1pm PT Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) will host a Give Me 5 webinar titled, “Planning for FY 2013 Department Of Defense Business Opportunities.” The Course Instructor for this webinar is TargetGov President and WIPP Educational Foundation Board Member Gloria Larkin, a nationally-known expert in the federal marketplace.

This webinar focuses on the spending changes affecting the Department of Defense (DOD) in all industries and market segments.  “Despite the budget reductions making waves in the news, the DOD will continue to spend hundreds of billions of dollars for products and services” says subject matter expert, Gloria Larkin. “It is imperative that vendors plan for a change in strategy and tactics to stay ahead of the spending curve.”

Topics covered in the webinar include:

•    Spending changes affecting the DOD
•    Resources for accurate budgets and forecasts
•    How small business will be impacted
•    The DOD mentor-protégé program
•    Tips tailoring your business profile to the revised needs of the DOD

Click here for more information and to register for the webinar.

Gloria Larkin, National Marketing and Business Expert, is President of Marketing Outsource Associates, Inc. (MOA) and its division, TargetGov. The TargetGov division focuses on government procurement and related business development and marketing services including minority certification services, contract development, proposal management, contract administration and expert federal contracting services. Gloria Larkin has been interviewed on MSNBC, quoted in the Wall Street Journal and TheStreet.com and is the author of two books: “The Basic Guide To the U.S. Federal Government” (book & Kindle) and “The Veterans Business Guide: How to Build a Successful Government Contracting Business” now in the fourth printing (book & Kindle).

WIPP’s mission is to be a voice for women in business as a national public policy organization that advocates for and teaches women and minorities in business about the legislative processes of our nation. It creates opportunities, forges alliances between businesses, and makes a powerful impact on Capitol Hill and with the Administration.

WIPP represents nearly one million members of all political affiliations. The organization strives to be nonpartisan and welcoming to all women in business. This nonpartisan approach to an organization allows WIPP to create a concise, clear message to try and have the greatest possible impact for women-owned business.

The Give Me 5 program was created by WIPP and American Express OPEN to provide education and access for women to the Federal Contracting marketplace. It offers training and resources that help women business owners take advantage of the federal contracts that are set aside specifically for women owned businesses.

To learn more about WIPP, click here. To learn more about Give Me 5, click here.

Maryland Cyber Companies Invited to a CyberTini at the Cyber Incubator at bwtech@UMBC!

A CyberTini is being held on September 27, 2012 at the Cyber Incubator at bwtech@UMBC. The event, sponsored by bwtech@UMBC, TagretGov, and Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore, is intended to be a networking event with the hottest Cyber Security Startups and over 100 leaders in Cyber Security.

Click here to see a 1 minute video highlight of previous CyberTini Happy Hours.

The CyberTini event was started in August of 2011 when a beverage known as the “CyberTini” was introduced along with a networking event to support the cyber industry movers and shakers.

In order to taste a CyberTini you must attend a CyberTini!

To attend the CyberTini happy hour event, click here and be sure to sign in as a guest.

bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park was started in 1989 and has grown from two trailers on the Campus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) into an award-winning Incubator and Accelerator.

The incubator and accelerator provides growing companies with office or laboratory space at an affordable rate. It is currently home to approximately 80 technology and bioscience companies. There are three incubator programs at the location, the Life-science and Technology Incubator, the Cyber Incubator, and the Clean Energy Incubator. Each of these provides space and benefits to the companies working in the fields they promote.

Interested in Increasing the Speed and Effectiveness of Your Responses to Task Orders?

Join TargetGov President Gloria Larkin and guest speaker Robert Frey as they host TargetGov’s September Webinar, “Best Practices for Rapid Response to Task Order Requests for Proposal (TORFPs)." This webinar will focus on writing successful proposals in response to requests as well as streamlining the process itself. For the exclusive TargetGov Toolkit© created specifically for this webinar Dr. Frey has provided handouts and articles that will supplement the information provided, including how to manage time during proposal writing, validating metrics and how to use them, the structure of proposals, and what is important to the Government.

Attendees to the webinar will benefit by learning how to respond Task Order Requests for Proposals. Robert Frey and Gloria Larkin are experts in the field of government contracting and have many tips and recommendations for crafting successful contracting campaigns.

Topics covered in the webinar include:
•    Key elements for a successful proposal
•    Data that should be collected prior to writing
•    A bid/no bid decision matrix
•    Common mistakes to avoid making
•    Good practices for effective proposals
•    Tips for increasing proposals visibility

Responding effectively to TORFPs can greatly increase your chances of winning a government contract. With this webinar attendees will be given the tools they need to respond rapidly and in a way that will improve their chances of winning federal government contracts.

About our guest speaker:
Dr. Robert S. Frey is Principal, Co-Owner, and highly productive proposal professional in the consultancy, Successful Proposal Strategies, LLC, in Northern Virginia. Since its launch 5½ years ago, Dr. Frey has been instrumental in supporting customers attain $3.554 Billion in funded, multi‐year contract awards within defense, civilian, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies. The author of six editions of Successful Proposal Strategies for Small Businesses (Boston: Artech House, 2012; 722 pages + DVD), he has taught more than 3,000 small business leaders and staff professionals in proposal development. In addition, he taught proposal and grant proposal development at UCLA, George Washington University, and the University of Texas, Pan American. Dr. Frey is a 2006 Fellow of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP).

The webinar will take place on September 20th, 2012 and starts at 1:00 pm ET. The cost of this invaluable webinar is $105 per individual. Click here to learn more and register.

The Military Women Exchange Teamed up with The American Legion to Provide Educational Programs during the 94th Annual American Legion Convention

At the 94th Annual American Legion Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana there was a series of workshops, book signings, mentoring, and speed coaching from the Military Women Exchange: Operation Next Step. The convention was held August 25-28. The events being put together by the Military Women Exchange took place on the 27th and 28th.

Andrea March and Sue Malone recognized the need for women veterans to have special programs that can focus on their military training and use it for the job market or for launching their own business. To fulfill this need they launched the Military Women Exchange: Operation Next Step.

To help women in and involved with the military get the training they need to avoid unemployment, the American Legion launched this never before done event at the 94th annual convention. The biggest convention the American Legion hosts.

This allowed military involved women to receive key insights into business and employment. They had the chance to hear from experts including TargetGov’s own President, Gloria Larkin. Her presentations, “Exploring the $500 Billion Hidden Market: Selling to the Federal Government and Military” and “How to Guarantee Decision Maker Meetings” were crucial for anyone looking to work within the federal government contracting market.

Women in the military have put their lives on the line, “It is our turn to help them put their lives back into the workplace,” said Andrea March, co-founder of Military Women Exchange: Operation Next Step and Women’s Leadership Exchange.   “We are taking what we have done so well for 10 years in promoting, networking and offering women in the business world a place to get even better, now it is time to help the women who have given us a free country.”

Other workshop topics associated with the Military Women Exchange included:

•    5 Keys to Email Marketing
•    Take Control of Your Destiny – Setting SMART Goals That Get You Where You Want
•    P.L.A.Y. Money: How to Have All the Money you Need as Long as you Live Without Working.
•    Big Bright Careers! What Your Future Holds for You!
•    Establish Your Brand as an Asset that Fuels Growth
•    What’s the Cost Your Company and You Personally Endure If You Don’t Consistently Communicate Your Unique Value and Brand?
•    Yes, There is Still Money Available to Start or Expand your Business – Come and Learn How
•    How Social Media Can Help Your Business Succeed!

With two days of workshops, speed coaching, book signings, and mentoring women involved with the military were sure to walk away with the tools they need for success.