FYI
Into the Breach
Every year, we write at least one post about networking for the SDMWVLGBTBE (Small Disadvantaged or Disabled, Minority, Women, Veteran, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgendered Business Enterprise) business owner. And, it would seem to be that time of year, as we gear up for the 20th annual national conference for WBENC, the Women’s Business Enterprise National…
Read MoreFor the Veterans Among Us
Not just thank you for your service, although we certainly do! Fourteen states do more than say thank you. They have specifically included VOSBs (Veteran Owned Small Business) and SDVOSBs (Service Disabled Veteran Small Business) in their procurement opportunities and SDMWVLGBTBE (Small Disadvantaged or Disabled, Minority, Women, Veteran, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgendered Business Enterprise)…
Read MoreWhat Your Lawyer Doesn’t Realize Could Hurt Your Business
Lawyers are busy, harried folks who often rely on state sanctioned boilerplates when it comes to the agreements used by many of us SDMWVLGBTBEs (Small Disadvantaged or Disabled, Minority, Women, Veteran, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgendered Business Enterprises) owners. Not all lawyers specialize in business law, and even those that do may not be familiar with…
Read MoreSmall Business Supplier Diversity
Certified small DMWVLGBTBEs (Disadvantaged or Disabled, Minority, Women, Veteran, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgendered Business Enterprises) reap the benefits of the diversity spend goals set by government agencies and large corporations. These organizations understand the compelling business case for diversity and inclusion. A couple years ago, we wrote several posts based on the book The Inclusion Dividend:…
Read MoreYou Should Get Certified!
If you’re a DMWVLGBTBE (Disadvantaged or Disabled, Minority, Women, Veteran, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgendered Business Enterprise), particularly if you’re a small business, you’ve probably heard that advice. We’ve talked about having a strategy when it comes to selecting the certifications that are right for your business, but just jumping right into filling out a…
Read MoreThe Need for Supplier Diversity?
Back in 2010 we wrote a brief history of Supplier Diversity, the highlights of which included a brief synopsis of the following Executive Orders: 10925 11246, 11458, 11625, and 12432. At the federal level these orders formed the basis for the process of identifying and vetting businesses claiming diverse status. Again, diverse is an easy…
Read MoreCAGE Code Changes
If you’re a SDMWVLGBTBE (Small, Disadvantaged, Disabled, Minority, Women, Veteran, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgendered Business Enterprise) owner that has been chasing Federal contracts you have a CAGE code. We’ve had one since the late 1990s. This CAGE (Commercial and Government Entity) Code is a unique identifier (ID) assigned to Federal suppliers. And this code is assigned to any business, no…
Read MoreGetting Out and About
We overheard a comment the other day, that “so and so spends a lot of time going to meetings and networking events”. The speaker seemed critical of the person attending events, even though this person’s job involved establishing business relationships on behalf of an organization. It occurred to us that networking events is one of the most…
Read MorePost Conference Blues
We’re back from Orlando, and what a great WBENC conference it was! Sort of lost count on the number we’ve attended, but they get better and larger every year. We believe national conferences and business fairs are a fantastic way for SDMWVLGBTBE (Small, Disadvantaged, Disabled, Minority, Women, Veteran, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgendered Business Enterprise)…
Read MorePassion for Your Business
In the car with my best friend on a sunny afternoon, she talked about a really cool, simple idea that could be the basis of the next woman owned billion dollar business. Yes, we said Billion. No, we’re NOT going to tell you the cool, simple idea because we want to see her build it!…
Read More