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September 23. 2009
SBA Shows How to Win Federal Contracts
Launches online training course
The U.S. Small Business
Administration has launched
a new online training course
to help strengthen access to
contracting opportunities for
small businesses, including
those owned by women, mi­
norities, disadvantaged indi­
viduals and veterans.
The training course, “Re­
covery Act O pportunities:
How to Win Federal C on­
tracts,” is part of a federal
government-wide initiative
an n o u n c e d by P re sid e n t
Obama and being led by SB A
and the Department of Com ­
merce.
“G overnm ent contracts
can play a key role in helping
small businesses turn the cor­
ner in terms of expansion and
job creation,” SB A Adminis­
trator Karen G M ills said.
“But make no mistake, the
benefits the government re­
ceives are equally as impres­
sive - working with small
businesses allows the federal
governm ent to w ork with
some of the most innovative
companies in America, often
with direct con­
Administration's
ta c t w ith the
commitment to
C E O .”
providing “our
“T he SB A
N ation’s small
o n lin e train in g
businesses with
course can help
maximum prac­
b u s in e s s e s a c ­
ticable opportu­
cess the federal
nity to partici­
purchasing sys­
pate in federal
g o v ern m e n t
tem and position
th e m s e lv e s to Karen G. Mills
contracting."
compete for the commercial
As part of the initiative,
opportunities offered by gov­ federal agency procurement
ernment contracting,” Mills officers are participating in
more than 200 events to help
continued.
In announcing the govern­ connect small businesses with
ment-wide initiative, Presi­ contracting opportunities.
dent O bam a reiterated his Additionally, SB A and Com­
merce are expanding their
outreach to contracting offi­
cials across the federal gov­
ernment to ensure they have
the tools to meet their annual
co n tractin g goals and in­
crease opportunities to small
businesses, including those
owned by veterans, women
and m inorities, as well as
th o se
in
d e sig n a te d
HUBZones.
As part of the outreach to
small businesses, the com ­
prehensive online course uses
both audio and script to pro­
vide information about the
federal marketplace, contract
rules and, most importantly,
how to sell to the government
and where to find contract
and Recovery Act opportu­
nities. The new training por­
tal is a free online training
course designed to assist en­
trepreneurs during this period
of economic recovery. This
self-paced, instructional guide
provides an overview o f the
federal procurement process.
T he R ecovery A ct O p ­
portunities course is avail­
able on SBA’s Web site at
w w w .sba.gov or is found
s b a .g o v /
d ire c tly
at
fedcontractingtraining.
Child Care Business also a Ministry
continued ^ ^ fr o m A13
re c to r o f a c e rtifie d
child care center; she is a
Childcarê Network C oordi­
nator; and regularly contin­
ues her education to meet
and e x c e e d th e S ta te o f
O r e g o n ’s C h ild C are
D ivision’s requirements.
C urrently, Torrence can
only house 12 kids, but hopes
to one day have a larger op­
e ra tio n in a c o m m ercial
building with qualified teach­
ers and m ore students. She
currently has openings for
enrollment.
Torrence believes early
childhood education is the
foundation, and provided
they are im m ersed in the
photo by A manda G rear /T iie
P ortland O bserver
A toddler and preschool classroom area at King’s
Kids Child Care Ministry gives kids a safe learn­
ing environment.
-Mohandas Gandhi
f---------------------
Neil Kelly
Since 1947
X
continued ^ ^ fr o m A9
1
tion or for em ploym ent op­
p o rtu n itie s ,
c o n ta c t
Sherrena Torrence at 503-
2 8 4 -9 0 6 4
or
em ail
sytroyalty@ yahoo.com .
"Be the change that you
want to see in the world.”
Minority Contracts
Grade, take off after doing
crative contracts.
T he D B E program also work for TriMet through their
been instrumental in helping provides technical support to DBE program.
H er b u s in e s s w as v ery
his trucking business grow. firms with m arketing, m an­
small,
but has grown rapidly
agement,
safety
training
and
T riM et C om m unications
D irector M ary Fetsch said other aspects o f doing busi­ and helped her get work else­
w here. She also attributes
th a t th e D B E p ro g ra m ness.
“W e’re arm and arm the TriM et’s technical assistance
em erged from concerns in
to her success.
the com m unity that smaller entire tim e,” said Fetsch.
"One phone call changed
T rina H art has seen her
and m inority-ow ned firm s
were being locked out o f lu­ conveyor truck company, EZ my entire business," she said.
proper environment, all chil­
dren can thrive and succeed.
“I enjoy what I do,” she
said.
For enrollm ent inform a­
DESIGN / BUILD REMODELING CUSTOM HOMES
HOME PERFORMANCE HANDYMAN HOME REPAIRTEAM
503.288.7461 www.neilkelly.com
OR CCB#I663:WA Regff¡8702
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