This country was founded by entrepreneurs - people willing to face the uncertainty and risks others found daunting. We are the strongest nation on earth because this spirit of entrepreneurship has been a driving force throughout our history, leading us to discoveries which have added efficiency, comfort, and productivity to our lives. Entrepreneurs are found in every setting. Our district is no different, but knowing where to start can be daunting. Please use the resources below or contact my office for more information.
Resources
· Federal Business Opportunities
· Consumer Protection
· Grants and Federal Domestic Assistance
· Small Business Administration
· Small Business Information
· U.S. Government Export Portal
Federal Business Opportunities
Information gateway, prepared by the Congressional Research Service for Members of Congress, provides guidance and online procurement procedures for doing business with the federal government.
Information and Training
Learning how to sell successfully to the U.S. government, the world’s largest buyer of goods and services, can be daunting. Here are the suggested approaches:
· Update your company’s business plan, highlighting special products, skills, and expertise that might be of interest to government agencies.
· Review your company’s marketing strategy and goals.
· Learn federal procurement processes and terms.
· Contact offices in your state or region to speak with a procurement specialist, ask questions, and attend procurement programs.
o Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) advise and train businesses in financial matters. They are an excellent first stop for any business in dealing with federal procurement.
o Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) centers provide resources for minority-owned firms.
o Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC) cover marketing to all government agencies through counseling, training, and procurement programs.
o The Small Business Administration (SBA) provides a step-by-step guide for selling to the government with tips on bidding, marketing, and competing for government contracts.
o The General Services Administration (GSA) spends billions of dollars annually on products and services offered to all federal agencies.
o The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSBU) promotes increased access to GSA’s nationwide procurement opportunities for small, minority, veteran, HUBZone, and women business owners.
Registration Requirements
Registration is required to compete for federal government procurement and contracts. Register with the System for Awards Management and obtain a Unique Entity ID.
Review Small Business Administration guidelines. If your business is classified as small or disadvantaged, this certification may lead to more federal procurement opportunities.
Additional statistical codes required for many government forms can be found at:
Federal Business Opportunities
For new business, use FedBizOpps (FBO), which lists announcements of federal contract opportunities over $25,000.
For continuing business, apply to be a GSA Schedule contractor. Under this program, GSA establishes long-term governmentwide contracts that allow customers to acquire a vast array of supplies and services directly from commercial suppliers. This gives businesses, large and small, further opportunities for multiple awards. Application and approval process to get on the schedule can take considerable time but may be worth it for future business with government agencies.
Subcontracting Opportunities
A federal contract may be so large that a single company might have difficulty providing the products or services required to meet the terms of the contract. A prime contractor may need to use subcontractors to complete contractual obligations.
· Identify subcontract opportunities on SUB-Net by reviewing postings of prime contractors.
· Identify prime contractors though listings with addresses and phone numbers through SBA’s Subcontracting Opportunities.
· GSA contractors with subcontracting plans and goals are found on the Subcontracting Directory. Companies are listed within each of the eleven GSA regions with products and services offered.
Selling to the Military and Department of Defense
Many DOD Contract announcements and registration requirements for businesses have been incorporated into FedBizOpps with registration at System for Awards Management. However, there are often special requirements for selling to the military. Most DOD contracts are awarded by DOD field organizations, or specific mission-oriented agencies within an organization.
· The DOD provides information, publications, and programs to assist small, disadvantaged, or minority businesses to compete for DOD contracts. View defense pricing, contracting, and acquisition policy here.
· The Defense Logistics Agency provides links to government websites with information for small businesses wanting to sell to the military.
Consumer Protection
Business Opportunities
Want to “be your own boss,” “work from home,” or just “make extra money”? Then you may be tempted by an ad for a business opportunity. Before you open your checkbook, check out the offer. Fraudulent business opportunity promoters use the classifieds and the Internet to tout all kinds of offers, from pay phone and vending machine routes to work-at-home businesses like medical billing and envelope stuffing. Too often, these ads make promises - about earnings, locations, merchandise, or marketability — that sound great, but aren't truthful. The result: consumers are getting ripped off, losing money instead of making it. Learn more about considering a business opportunity.
Cross-Border Fraud
Cross-border fraud is a serious problem — and it appears to be growing. For example, consumers in the U.S. and other countries lose billions of dollars each year to telemarketers operating from "boiler rooms" across the border who pitch bogus products, services and investments. They also lose money to Internet scam artists who operate anonymously from places outside the U.S. The most common cross-border frauds pushed by telemarketers, spam emailers or misleading advertisements involve phony prize promotions, foreign lottery schemes, advance-fee loan rip-offs, travel offer scams, and unnecessary credit card loss "protection." Learn more about cross-border fraud.
Office Supply Scams
Has your business ever been targeted by an office supply scam? Could it? Office supply fraud costs its victims — large and small businesses, as well as schools, government agencies, and nonprofit institutions — an estimated $200 million per year. These scams generally involve the deceptive sale of products that businesses purchase on a regular basis — like printer paper, copy toner, light bulbs or cleaning materials. Learn more about office supply scams.
Weight Loss Scams
Misleading weight loss advertising is everywhere, preying on consumers desperate for an easy solution. But claims for diet products that promise weight loss without sacrifice or effort are bogus and, in some cases, dangerous. Learn more about misleading weight loss advertising.
