citizens or lawful permanent residents of the US who are members of at least one of the following groups: Black, Hispanic, Asian American, American Indian, Female, Disabled or Disadvantaged.
According to the OFFICE FOR HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESSES PURCHASING (GOODS AND SERVICES) AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS REPORT for fiscal year end 09/10, Women Business Enterprises (WBE) had the highest percentage of participation (3.56% out of 6.54%). For construction projects, WBEs were granted the highest percentage of contracts (12.42% out of 18.49%, $96,481,757 out of $143,619,332).
How can we help Governor Perdue meet the 10% procurement goal she has set? We must get our small businesses HUB certified and register as vendors with the State of North Carolina. Bridget Wall-Lennon, State Director for the North Carolina HUB office, discussed the role of the HUB office and how it can help small businesses. As an experienced government contractor, I am a strong advocate for the programs, time and effort that Governor Perdue, Ms. Wall- Lennon and the HUB staff put forth in helping small businesses in our region. For more information on the required documentation for this particular certification and for procurement opportunities, please visit
http://www.doa.state.nc.us/hub/prog- certification.htm.
Did you know that the Small Business Administration (SBA) has a Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contract Program which became effective February 4, 2011? Lynn Douthett, North Carolina District Director, spoke about the final rule
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which authorizes contracting officers to set aside certain federal contracts for eligible Women-owned small businesses (WOSBs) or economically disadvantaged women- owned small businesses (EDWOSBs). There are over 300 6-digit North American Industry Classification Systems (NAICS) codes that are eligible for Federal contracting under the WOSB Program. (Please visit:
http://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/files/ gc_wosb_naics_grids.pdf for the specific NAICS Industry Codes). For more information on this program, please visit:
http://www.sba.gov/content/contracting- opportunities-women-owned-small- businesses.
Ms. Douthett introduced the winners of two very coveted awards:
the 2011 SBA
Women in Business Champions of the Year for the State of North Carolina and REGION IV which includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Sherrie Aycock and Tara Olson, Co-CEOs since 1996 of AllPoints Research, Inc., a marketing research firm which offers services in business strategy and communications. Ms. Aycock participated in the Women Entrepreneurs panel and shared with us tips on how AllPoints keeps their employees engaged, resulting in a productive and proactive environment. Congratulations to the AllPoints team on their significant achievements. (
http://www.allpoints.biz)
Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification and its benefits, which includes opening up opportunities and speeds up the sales process, was discussed by Robyn Lake Hamilton, President of the Carolinas Minority Supplier Development Council. Your business must be at least 51% ethnic minority owned by a U.S. Citizen in order to
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