“Speed Dating” for businesses is theme for Albany event
February 16, 2011 by cs
How would you like to have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with a buyer in charge of purchasing for the State of Georgia?
How about the chance to meet with someone in charge of contracting from the University System of Georgia?
In addition, would you like to have the chance to describe your business capabilities to contracting representatives representing the City of Albany, the Southwest Georgia Regional Airport, the Georgia Dept. of Corrections, the City of Albany, the Marine Corps Command, the IRS, the General Services Administration, and the federal departments of Commerce, Interior, and Juvenile Justice?
Well, you can have a chance to meet with all of these people by attending the “Albany Small Business Program Speed Partnering” event on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011, from 8:00 am until 3:00 pm at the Albany Civic Center.
The event is free, but pre-registration is strongly encouraged. Simply click here to register and then hit the “Sign Up” button.
Along with 15-minute one-on-one meetings with buyers and contracting officials, attendees will have a chance to attend briefings on each of these topics:
- Business Communications, Elevator Pitches and Capability Statements
- Reading and Responding to Bid Solicitations
- The Do’s and Don’ts of Government Contracting
- Government Market Research
- SBA’s New Women Owned Small Business (WOSB) Certification Program
The featured luncheon speaker for this very special day is Ms. Pat Hanes, Regional Director of the Atlanta National Enterprise Center with the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce. She will be talking about what it takes to successfully sell within both the government and commercial sectors.
Feb. 22 event at Albany Civic Center is not to be missed!
February 15, 2011 by cs
Ever heard of “speed dating” where couples are matched for short periods of time to see if the chemistry is right?
Well, through a unique event on February 22, the same principle is being applied – except it involves matches between local businesses, government agncies, and prime contractors.
If you want the opportunity to meet with buyers from local, state and federal agencies, you can’t afford to miss this event!
On Tuesday, February 22nd, the Albany Civic Center is the place to put your best marketing techniques to work. You’ll get a chance to meet with — and present your capabilities to — decision-makers and buyers from representatives of local, state, and federal government agencies, including the City of Albany, the Southwest Georgia Regional Airport, the University System of Georgia, the state’s Dept. of Administrative Services, the Georgia Dept. of Corrections, the Albany Marine Corps Logistics Command, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, the General Services Administration, and the Dept. of Juvenile Justice — and more!
Lunch will be provided, and featured speakers also will present on topics including Business Communications, Bid Preparations, Conducting Market Research, and the Do’s and Don’ts of Government Contracting.
This event also will provide special instruction for Albany-area small businesses interested in doing business with the City of Albany.
Coffee and informal networking begins at 8:00 am. The day’s program begins at 9:00 am and runs until 3:00 pm.
This event is completely free, so register now! Simply click here to register and then hit the “Sign Up” button.
Oct. 18th small business program kick-off successful; more events planned
October 23, 2010 by cs
The City of Albany unveiled its new small business program in a public orientation program on Monday, Oct. 18, 2010. Over 50 businesses were represented at the event, along with numerous representatives of community organizations and government buying units.
You can view Fox 31′s report of the event by clicking right here.
The kick-off event came as a result of the recent adoption of a small business program by the City Commissioners of Albany. The program is designed to increase the number of City contract awards, and other procurements, to local small businesses, and thereby build business capacity, create jobs, and strengthen the local economy.
To be eligible to participate in the City’s program, a business must be located in the city limits of Albany or in Dougherty County.
There are many benefits that Albany-area businesses will realize by participating in the new Small Business Procurement Program, including:
• Customized training on how to do business with the City of Albany, including instruction on how to prepare bids and proposals.
• Instruction and counseling on all aspects of government contracting, including how to effectively market your business in the government arena.
• Detailed information about upcoming contract opportunities with the City, other local governments in the area, the State of Georgia, and federal agencies – as often as daily.
• An on-line vendor directory for use by the City, other local governments, prime contractors and local small businesses to identify business sources and develop relationships.
• Exclusive access to bid on City contracts valued at less than $50,000, through the City’s sheltered market program.
• A purchasing preference on City contracts involving requests for proposals and other solicitations involving proposal evaluation factors.
• Invitations to attend matchmaking and networking events, exclusively designed to help Albany-area businesses build business relationships and partnerships.
To participate, a company first must be certified as an Albany Small Business Enterprise (ASBE). Help is available to assist Albany businesses with this application process. There will be a one-time $25 fee to cover the City’s cost of program administration.
The City of Albany recently partnered with Georgia Tech to provide management and administrative support to the Small Business Procurement Program. Experienced government contracting experts from Georgia Tech will providing the training, instruction, and counseling to the Albany-area small businesses participating in the program.
If you missed the Oct. 18th kick-off event, it’s not too late to enroll in the program. You can do so by one of two ways:
- You can attend the next orientation session. They are scheduled on Nov. 17, 2011, and Jan. 5, Feb. 9, and Mar. 16, 2011. To register to attend any of these free orientations, simply click here.
- You can apply to participate in the City of Albany’s Small Business Procurement Program by downloading an application form here.
For more information or assistance, contact Clovia Hamilton at moc.liamgnull@hcetag.notlimahc.
City of Albany kicks-off new small business program on Oct. 18
October 4, 2010 by cs
The City of Albany, Georgia is planning to unveil its new small business program in a public orientation program on Monday, Oct. 18, 2010. By attending this free event, Albany-area small businesses will learn how they may benefit from Albany’s Small Business Procurement Program.
An announcement of the City’s kick-off event can be seen here: Flyer – Albany SBPP Kick-Off page one – FINAL, and the day’s agenda can be seen here: Albany SBP Kickoff Orientation_Final Agenda.
Just a few months ago, the City Commissioners of Albany adopted the small business program to increase the number of City contract awards, and other procurements, to local small businesses, and thereby build business capacity, create jobs, and strengthen the local economy.
To be eligible to participate in the City’s program, a business must be located in the city limits of Albany or in Dougherty County.
There are many benefits that Albany-area businesses will realize by participating in the new Small Business Procurement Program, including:
• Customized training on how to do business with the City of Albany, including instruction on how to prepare bids and proposals.
• Instruction and counseling on all aspects of government contracting, including how to effectively market your business in the government arena.
• Detailed information about upcoming contract opportunities with the City, other local governments in the area, the State of Georgia, and federal agencies – as often as daily.
• An on-line vendor directory for use by the City, other local governments, prime contractors and local small businesses to identify business sources and develop relationships.
• Exclusive access to bid on City contracts valued at less than $50,000, through the City’s sheltered market program.
• A purchasing preference on City contracts involving requests for proposals and other solicitations involving proposal evaluation factors.
• Invitations to attend matchmaking and networking events, exclusively designed to help Albany-area businesses build business relationships and partnerships.
To participate, a company first must be certified as an Albany Small Business Enterprise (ASBE). Help is available to assist Albany businesses with this application process. There will be a one-time $25 fee to cover the City’s cost of program administration.
The City of Albany recently partnered with Georgia Tech to provide management and administrative support to the Small Business Procurement Program. Experienced government contracting experts from Georgia Tech will providing the training, instruction, and counseling to the Albany-area small businesses participating in the program.
For more information, contact Clovia Hamilton at ude.hcetagnull@aivolc.
8(a) certification assistance available
September 2, 2010 by cs
Government contracting opportunities can become more accessible through 8(a) certification.
The “8(a) Business Development Program” is a program of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to ensure equal business access for socially and economically disadvantaged business people, including American citizens who are Black, Hispanic, Native American, Asian Pacific or Subcontinent Asian, and in some cases women.
Companies which qualify for 8(a) status must go through a formal application and certification process administered by the SBA. This process is detailed and multi-faceted. Fortunately, the SBA and its Small Business Development Centers, offer training and assistance with the 8(a) process.
Prior to applying for 8(a) status, businesses are urged to take an on-line training and self-evaluation course, which is accessible via the following link: 8(a) Business Development Suitability Tool.
Following the on-line self-evaluation, company representratives should consider attening “8(a) BD Certification Step by Step,” a training class offered by Georgia State University’s Small Business Development Center. The next time this class is offered is on Sept. 23, 2010 in Atlanta. Pre-registration is required and may be accomplished at: http://web.sba.gov/calendar/public/index.cfm?rc=0405.
To view the complete calendar of upcoming SBA events, visit http://www.sba.gov/localresources/district/ga/eventscalender/index.html.