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Task Force, CEO Meetings, Procurement Process, & SOHO Loans
1. Mayor's Task Force Releases Report Mayor Anthony A. Williams’ 16-member task force on local, small, and disadvantaged business opportunity development released its report examining the manner, systems, means, strategies, processes, and approaches to develop, strengthen, advance and retain local, small, and disadvantaged businesses in the District. The team worked in four sub-groups that focused on advancing, procurement, compliance and enforcement, and technical support and business assistance. View the entire report at the Office of Local Business Development website.
2. CEO Meetings Make Opinions Count for District-Based Business Established District-based businesses are invited to discuss their perspectives and needs relating to the local business climate with a corporate relations specialist from the DC Marketing Center. DC Business Connections, a program of the Washington, DC Marketing Center, will send a corporate relations specialist upon request to open a dialogue with local CEOs during a 30 to 45 minute outreach meeting onsite at a business. The purpose of the specialist's visit is to ensure that the District government is serving the business well and to learn whether the business perceives the District as an environment in which businesses can grow. The initiative is endorsed by Mayor Anthony Williams as part of the District's commitment to understand and respond to business needs and opinions. DC Business Connections wants to open a dialogue with the following types of companies:
Businesses meeting these criteria that have not yet been visited by a corporate relations specialist can sign up for the program at the DC Business Connections website.
3. New Guide Explains DC Procurement Process The DC Office of Contracting and Procurement (OCP) has prepared a plain English guide about the District of Columbia government procurement process. The guide provides an overview of the process for businesses that want to sell to the District government. It also contains reference material for businesses that are currently selling goods or services to the District. The 16-page booklet, "How the Procurement Process Can Work for You," summarizes procurement rules and the procurement lifecycle. It includes information about the steps businesses should take to sell products or services to the District government. Visit the Office of Contracting and Procurement to download the guide. The guide is one of several recent OCP initiatives to increase the number and quality of businesses participating in the District government procurement process. It enhances OCP's efforts to actively promote economic development for local businesses. Other OCP programs include Online Vendor Registration, access to contract solicitations and awards through the OCP website, and expansion of the District of Columbia Supply Schedule (DCSS). Visit the OCP home page or call (202) 727-0252 for information about these programs.
4. SBA Targets SOHO Businesses for Loan Initiative The US Small Business Administration (SBA) recently launched a loan guarantee initiative for small office/home office (SOHO) businesses. The SBA's SOHO Loan Initiative combines financial and technical assistance so that small businesses can tap business loans instead of consumer loans. This new initiative facilitates loans of up to $5,000 under the SBA's existing CommunityExpress and SBAExpress programs. The loans feature a one-page application, five- to seven-day turnaround for full funding, a seven-year repayment term, and no prepayment penalty. Interested businesses can attend a free 90-minute training session on completing a loan application. The sessions are held every Thursday at 9:30 am and 1:30 pm at the SBA's Washington Metropolitan Area District Office, 1110 Vermont Avenue, NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC. Space is limited to 25 participants per session. To register, contact Larita Glenn at (202) 606-4000 ext. 220 or by email.
5. District Recognized for Government-to-Business Online Services The District's Business Resource Center received a national award for enabling businesses to easily find information and perform transactions online. At its October 2002 annual conference, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers recognized the BRC as an information clearinghouse for businesses and nonprofits. The award cited innovation in the area of Digital Government: Government to Business "for applications that foster innovation, timesaving, cost-effective transactions between government and businesses."
6. DC Business Tools Available
Submit Feedback to brc.alert@dc.gov
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