Bergen County Cares small business grant program open for second time thru Friday, August 21
Start-ups need a long runway to succeed
According to Florence Lowe, Founder & CEO of SQBlueSky, the commonality all start-ups need to succeed is a long enough runway – the resources needed to ramp up to full flight when they’re getting started. The resources won’t be the same for every company. Some teams will need a lot of money to burn through while in the start-up phase, others (like Florence) count heavily on personal experience and a fabulous team, others benefit simply from applying themselves 100% to the task of getting their business fully operational. And, Florence says,
Young entrepreneurs have the runway of youth and ambition, and a lack of bills and responsibility. Additionally they don’t know what they don’t know, so that makes them fearless and indomitable. That is all the runway they need to figure it out and make it happen.
What method would (or did) you choose for getting your company airborne?
Army Small Business Conference Aug. 2-3
The U.S. Department of the Army Office of Small Business Programs invites small business owners to the 2012 Army Small Business Conference on August 2-3, 2012 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC.
This affordably priced national conference is designed to provide attendees with “Access to Success.” Attendees will learn about options for certifying in the various designated small business categories, how doing business with the government works and will meet directly with federal government representatives and prime contractors looking to expand their base of available small business vendors. In FY 2011, The Department of the Army awarded $23.7 billion in small business contract awards:
$9.5 billion to 8(a) Small Disadvantaged Businesses
$4.6 billion to Veteran-Owned Small Businesses
$3.2 billion to Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses
$4.1 billion to Women-Owned Small Businesses
$4.6 billion to HUBZone Small Businesses
Small business contracting liaisons from the Army, Navy and Air Force will provide information at their tables and in one-on-one matchmaking sessions on how you can do business with their agencies. Workshops and panel speakers will spell out the steps to qualify for designated small business status categories, explain how to identify bids best suited to your company’s capabilities and how you can build relationships with agencies and prime contractors. At networking events within the conference and an evening reception you can chat with DoD, prime contractor and small business leaders about the range of opportunities available for your business to become a Department of Defense contractor.
The deadline for registration is next Friday, July 27, 2012. Attendance is limited to 500 people. Register and learn more at ArmySBConference.com
Small Business Resources
Government and Affiliated Resources
SBA
Small Business Administration Website
A federal resource for small business information on financing and technical assistance, a guarantor of loans for small businesses and an agency which certifies certain special small business designations which assist companies holding them with government contract procurement.
From here you can jump off to other resources like SCORE and the SBDC Centers
SCORE
This is an SBA-affiliated national organization which provides free technical assistance and some training to small businesses just starting up, in growth mode or struggling with financial and other difficulties.
SCORE counsellors at one time were all retired businesspeople but now may be successful business owners and major corporation managers or executives who are currently working. Service is completely confidential and counsellors do not compete against the entrepreneurs they mentor. Most counsellors have fabulous experience in business and all are knowledgeable and share generously.
These Small Business Develop Centers are partnerships provided for by federal government and community college funding, typically located at community college campuses and satellite offices throughout the country.