ja_mageia

Prescriptions for successfully growing your business

Become a Certified Women Business Enterprise
By Marina Wright

What if you could add a new revenue stream to grow your business?

You can by becoming a certified Women Business Enterprise. The federal, state and city governments mandate that their agencies hire minority and women firms, to ensure that money is going out on the street to the small minority and women-owned businesses. By obtaining the certification at a local government level, state level and/or federal level you are increasing your chances of winning contracts with government.

Not sure if your product or service would be of interest to government agencies? Here is a partial list of categories published in the free Contract Reporter, published by NYS, that might surprise and inspire you:
(Read more…)

Where the Bids Are: A Resource Guide for WBEs
By Marina Wright

When it comes to winning government contracts, you know the benefits of certification. But are you marketing yourself as a WBE? I took a random check of clients with WBE certification and only 3 out of 10 even mentioned it on their website and of the three, only 2 included this notation on their home page. Your certification is a credential so highlight it on your home page, in customer and prospect communications, blogs and ads.

Bookmark these sites that list current opportunities:

NYS Contract Report: www.nyscr.org

Opportunities at the State Agency, CUNY, SUNY Quarterly & Semi-Annual Report Listings (on the Contract Reporter site)
http://www.nyscr.org/Public/AgencyReports.aspx

NYS Office of General Services: http://www.ogs.ny.gov/

Office of General Services Bid Calendar: http://www.ogs.ny.gov/Purchase/BidCalendarLV.asp
This page also carries the OGS Bid Opening Results and the OGS Bidder Notification Service

NYC: The City Record: Vendor list: http://a856-internet.nyc.gov/nycvendoronline/home.asp

Dormitory Authority State of New York: http://dasny.org/construc/bidops/construc.php

Metropolitan Transportation Authority Procurement opportunities: http://mta.info/mta/procurement/current.htm

Jersey State opportunites: http://www.nj.gov/njbusiness/contracting

Federal Business Opportunties: https://www.fbo.gov/

Take advantage of another lucrative revenue stream

Doing Business with Corporations

By Jessie McNair

Many corporations require the national level WBE certification to engage in subcontract opportunities. But just as many again, will consider the federal, state and local certification as entry to bidding on contracts. So once you are
certified, map out your strategy to take advantage of this new revenue stream.

Large corporations have supplier diversity programs to bring on women-owned businesses (and minority-owned businesses) to fulfill a wide diversity of products and services. With their huge budgets, this is definitely a revenue stream you want to build on. .

Here’s how to reach these huge corporations. (Read more...)

What If I Don’t Have a Unique Selling Position?
Then You Need to Find One!

By Jessie McNair

A Unique Selling Position (USP) sets an enterprise apart from the competition by defining its brand, its style of doing business, and the qualities of its products or service. While the USP is key to business success, many entrepreneurs struggle with creating it and consequently never realize their revenue-generating potential. Without it, you may never be able to move your business to the next level.

If you find it impossible to identify your USP or if your USP is weak and is not reeling in customers (read: you don’t have a strong revenue stream), then here are some ways to develop the hook for your business. (Read more…)