About 40 small-business owners attended a free workshop sponsored by U.S. Rep. James Langevin, “Doing Business with the Federal Government,” late last month at the newly renovated Alger Hall at Rhode Island College.
The event brought together representatives from the General Services Administration, R.I. Procurement Technical Assistance Center and the U.S. Small Business Administration to provide a tutorial about business opportunities with the federal government.
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Langevin said he hopes to make the event an annual affair because the Ocean State is more dependent on small businesses than other states.
“Small businesses have so much to offer but they may not know how to get information on government contracts,” he said.
Dennis Smith, New England regional administrator for the GSA, said the agency provides everything from materials, vehicles and technology for the federal government. The GSA acts as a purchasing agent for the government to help agencies get what they need, he said.
Deborah Tarleton of the GSA Small Business Utilization Center in Boston, told participants the agency advocates business opportunities for small, minority, veteran and women business owners. Small-business owners can apply to be on a GSA schedule that best mirrors the work of the companies.
It is about a six-month process that will require an in-depth application process that will ultimately give businesses a GSA number and “the license to hunt” contract opportunities with the federal government, said Tarleton.
There are GSA schedules for everything from hospitality, cleaning and chemicals; laboratory, scientific and medical; and law enforcement, fire and security services.
The government spent nearly $33 billion on GSA schedules in 2004, up from less than $6 billion in 1997.
Since 1982, the R.I. Procurement Technical Assistance Center has been assisting Rhode Island businesses in selling their products at the federal, state and local level. The center helps businesses develop a profile and offers a computer bid matching service to help small businesses secure the 23 percent of contracts that are pegged for small businesses, said Gina Johnson, a senior government contract counselor at the center.
The center also offers assistance with the bidding and proposal process, understanding the basic language of contracts and interpretation of federal regulations.
The center will help a business understand “what you are trying to sell and what you need to be successful,” said Johnson.
The event also presented an opportunity to speak about the small-business environment in the state, assess what makes a small-business advantage and provide small businesses with information to help spur growth.
Mark Hayward, director of the Rhode Island SBA, said that in fiscal year 2004, the SBA granted nearly 1,200 loans totaling more than $106 million.
“It is amazing the number of small businesses we do have,” he said.
Business owners need to “have a personal stake and be engaged in this process long-term,” he said. This involvement includes a detailed business plan that will allow a business to make contacts and access necessary resources.
“Anytime we can get businesses information that they didn’t have before, it will help,” said Hayward.
Louis Soares, small-business manager at the R.I. Economic Development Corporation and recently designated small-business advocate, said Rhode Island ranks between 20 and 25 nationally for the number of company growths.
He said a company that is looking to grow must be able to integrate technology to serve customer needs.
“Not everyone is cut out to be in the government contracting business,” he said. However, the goal is to “make government services work for everyone.”
