NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS

SBA, Dell Launch New Educational Video Series To Help Small Businesses Grow, Create Jobs

December 22, 2009 – Highlighting the experiences of successful entrepreneurs, the U.S. Small Business Administration and Dell has launched an online video series offering tools and strategies to help small business owners rebound from the economic recession and put themselves in a position to expand and create jobs.

Strategies for Growth: Advice for Expanding Your Business includes real-world insight, solutions and advice from small business owners who’ve succeeded, in good and bad economic times.  Additionally, the series draws on the expertise of counselors, policy makers and others for accessing resources and tools available to small business owners.

“Some of the best advice a small business owner can get is from other small business owners who’ve been in their shoes,” SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills said.  “They’ve dealt with the day-to-day challenges and found ways that worked for them to meet those challenges, pursue their life’s dream and grow their business.  This video series brings those real-life experiences together, along with information on other valuable resources and opportunities, in a way that will help other small business owners chart their own path to success.”

The Strategies for Growth video series highlights key topics that engage small business owners in issues critical to small business growth.  These areas include Planning for Growth, Government Contracting, Team Building, Marketing, Technology, Exporting Opportunities, and Disaster Recovery.  Also featured is a Profiles of Success segment that spotlights two successful entrepreneurs.  The video series also features a range of growing small businesses from across the country, including a design firm, a vegetarian restaurant and bakery, and a green construction company.

The SBA provides free small business counseling and training through a variety of programs, services and resource partners, located throughout country.  Each of the business owners featured in Strategies for Growth benefited from a variety of training and resource tools offered by the SBA.

Strategies for Growth is available on the SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov/StrategiesForSuccess and at the SBA’s YouTube channel at www.YouTube.com/sba.  Each topic is indexed by subject and includes additional resources for entrepreneurs.

NNSA Launches Small Business Week on its Website

December 21, 2009 – The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announced that it distributed more than $418 million in small business obligations for federal prime contracts in fiscal year 2009. In addition, NNSA surpassed its departmental small business goal by over 15 percent in fiscal year 2009.

To highlight the success of its small business program, NNSA has launched a new “NNSA Small Business Week” feature on its website.  In addition to releasing a new NNSA fact sheet on our investment in small businesses across the nuclear security enterprise, each day this week the NNSA website will feature a different “Small Business of the Day.”

NNSA uses small businesses to fulfill the majority of its technical and administrative support services at its headquarters in Washington, D.C.. These blanket purchase agreements (BPA) represent 11 teams of more than 80 small businesses and are open for use by any DOE departmental element. NNSA has access to a large number of firms with diverse skills and capabilities to try out and, of course, receive small business credit.
 
The NNSA Management & Operating (M&O) contractor’s small business programs obligated almost 50 percent of all subcontracted work to small businesses.

For more information, click here.

Business Opportunity Session (BOS) Webcast

December 17, 2009 – The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization will host its Business Opportunity Session (BOS) today at the Department of Energy's (DOE's) headquarters in Washington, D.C. 

Department of Energy program office representatives, as well as representatives from local state small business offices and the US Small Business Administration, will present at the event to discuss subcontracting and contracting opportunities as well as financial assistance available to small businesses interested in working with DOE.  

The entire event broadcast through a LIVE WEBCAST via the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization's website:  http://smallbusiness.doe.gov/. 

For additional information about this event, please contact BOS Coordinator Kent.Hibben@hq.doe.gov.

To download information from the September 2009 BOS:

$6 Billion of Funding Opportunities at DOE
September 2009 - Business Opportunity Session
(Watch Video)
(Download Presentations)

American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Webinar for Federal and Federally-Assisted Construction Contractors

November 13, 2009 - Join the U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) - as it presents information on the equal employment opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action (AA) provisions of Federal contracts involving ARRA funds. Sessions available on Nov. 19 and Dec. 9.   Read more >>

Register for FREE SBIR/STTR Introductory Webinar on November 11

October 28, 2009 - The Small Business Technology Development Center (SBTDC) in North Carolina is offering an introductory webinar on the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program.  The Department of Energy just released its annual solicitation with millions of dollars available for small business working in energy-related fields. 

Register for this free webinar to learn about these programs and how to apply, click here.

More News...

Energy Research Projects Win $151 Million in Funding:  ARPA-E selects 37 projects that could fundamentally change the way we use and produce energy

Phase I Funding Opportunities for SBIR/STTR Programs

Business Opportunity Session (BOS) Webcast

DOE to Fund up to $454 Million for Retrofit Ramp-Ups in Energy Efficiency:  Projects Seek to Make Efficiency Accessible to Every Business and Homeowner

DOE Announces $37 Million for Small Business Research and Technology

DOE Hosts Small Business Conference in California for Recovery and Contracting Opportunities

National Black Chamber of Commerce's 17th Annual Convention

National Veteran Small Business Conference