For 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 MoreHandling Documentation Gaps
So, you want to get certified as a SDMWVLGBTBE (Small Disadvantaged or Disabled, Minority, Women, Veteran, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgendered Business Enterprise) but the list of documents is overwhelming. And, in some instances, the business might not even have everything the certifying agency requires. We know many people who have decided not to pursue…
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 MoreThankful Thoughts
Around Thanksgiving, we began thinking what a strange fall this has been. Between 70 degree weather this close to December and the crazy election cycle we just experienced, 2016 should certainly be a year marked by multiple paragraphs in future history books. Though many SDMWVLGBTBE (Small, Disadvantaged, Disabled, Minority, Women, Veteran, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgendered…
Read MoreWorking ON Your Business
Work ON your business, not in it. As SDMWVLGBTBE (Small, Disadvantaged, Disabled, Minority, Women, Veteran, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgendered Business Enterprises) entrepreneurs, we frequently hear that phrase. Sometimes, many of us aren’t even sure what it means because the phrase can encompass many activities … training or education, networking, volunteerism, public speaking, memberships, conferences or mentoring just to list a few. …
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…
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