Government Vs Corporate Contracting

In this economy, businesses need not put all of their eggs in one basket. They should seek public government contracts and private deals. There are set asides in government contracts for small businesses, woman owned businesses, veteran owned businesses, and minority owned socially and economically disadvantaged businesses. In order to be eligible, these businesses have to get registered and certified. Businesses that do not meet these categories can team with businesses that do in order to take advantage of set asides.

I worked in government for more than 25 years and began the business development journey in 2005. I have met thousands of business owners. One topic that seems to confuse some business owners is whether their government business registrations and certifications can be used in corporate contracting. Well, no. Corporations have supplier diversity programs and look for Women Business Enterprise (WBE) and Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certifications which differ from those in federal, state, county and city programs.

Government Contracting
Federal Contracting - No cost to get started!

Step 1) If 51% woman owned, begin to use Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB) and Small Business (SB) designations for marketing purposes. Put on your website, business cards, brochures, etc now!
- These merely require self-certification.
- A goal of setting aside 5% of government contracts to WOSB is underway.
- There are bid opportunities currently being set aside for SB's.
- Check your small business status with the Small Business Administration using your North American Industry Classification System (NAICs) codes, annual receipts, and number of employees. Visit the SBA website.
- Determine your NAICs codes.
- Military agencies use Federal Supplier Codes (FSC) and Product Service Codes (PSCs). Determine your FSCs and PSCs.

Step 2) Complete the Central Contractor's Registration (CCR).

Step 3) Be sure to complete the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Dynamic Small Business Registration
- You will be prompted to enter this registration process at the conclusion of completing the CCR registration.

Step 4) Consider the SBA 8a certification program.
- But, bare in mind that few WOSB owned by Caucasians get certified.
- You must prove both a social and an economical disadvantage.
- Certain races are presumed to be socially disadvantaged (Black American, Native American, Hispanic American, Asian Pacific American, Subcontinent Asian American).
- Must be in business for 2 years
- The net worth of the individual claiming disadvantage must be less than $250,000.

Step 5) Consider getting prequalified with the General Service Administration (GSA) by submitting a GSA schedule contract proposal to the GSA for the products and services that you sell.

Step 6) Check if your business is located in a Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) zone.
- Visit the SBA's website to find out if you are in a hub zone.
- If so, apply for HUB Zone certification and be eligible for Hubzone set-asides

Step 7) If your business is 51% owned by a veteran or service disabled veteran, you may be eligible for Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB) or Service Disable Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) certification.
o Visit the Veteran Administration's website.
o Self Certify or get Verified (preferred)

State Contracting
Note: There are no set asides in Georgia other than the US Department of Transportation federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program with the Georgia Department of Transportation and MARTA

Step 1) States use the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) product and service codes. Determine your NIGP codes.

Step 2) Complete vendor registration applications for any city and county that you want to do business in. In Georgia, it is the Team Georgia Marketplace registration online.

Local Government Contracting (Counties, Cities)
Step 1) Complete vendor registration applications for any city and county that you want to do business in.
Step 2) Complete small business certification applications for any city and county that you want to do business in. The designations are Small Business Enterprise (SBE), Female Business Enterprise (FBE), Woman Business Enterprise (WBE), or Minority Business Enterprise (MBE). In Georgia, there are programs at:
- City of Atlanta
- Atlanta Public Schools
- City of Roswell
- City of Savannah
- City of Augusta
- Fulton County
- DeKalb County
- Cobb County

Corporate Contracting
Corporate Certifications - Fee based
Step 1) If 51% woman owned, submit a Woman Business Enterprise (WBE) application with the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)
- Visit http://www.wbenc.org
- The application fee is $350
- They will conduct a site visit
- It typically takes 30-90 days

Step 2) If 51% minority owned, submit a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) application with the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) at a state chapter of your choice.
- The application fee is $500 in Georgia (GMSDC)
- They will conduct a site visit
- It typically takes 30-90 days

I urge businesses to get a Strategic Marketing Plan to determine which agencies buy what they sell; which certifications and registrations to pursue; and to find teaming partners.

By Clovia Hamilton, President, Lemongrass Consulting, Inc., http://www.lemongrassplanning.com
Clovia founded Lemongrass Consulting in 2005 with 25 years of government work experience and serves as a procurement counselor in the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC).
Lemongrass Consulting provides strategic planning solutions including government contracting strategic marketing plans.

Botox Training and Certification

The best thing about a botox cosmetic injection procedure may seem to be the fact that it takes a short time to administer, approximately 10 minutes. But the fleeting duration in imparting of the Botox procedure should not be taken as to mean that the treatment is to be taken lightheartedly. It is imperative that precautions are taken at every stage of the Botox procedure and only trained medical practitioners be allowed to administer it.

The medical practitioners have to be thoroughly versed in all aspects that go into normal Botox training. They should be aware of the health risks that may accrue from incorrect dosage or an incorrect mode of application. There is always the risk of an accidental low dose and over dose. For best results the Botox injection has to be applied in just the right dose and at the right part of the face. Therefore a comprehensive Botox training is a sine qua non.

Untrained people dispensing Botox in salons, gyms, hotel rooms, home-based offices, and other retail venues may turn out to be cheaper for patients but ultimately it poses a serious health risk. Improper techniques, inappropriate dosages, and unsanitary conditions could result from lack of adequate Botox training. In fact the FDA has made it clear that botox is an instruction drug that should be administer by a trained physician in an appropriate medical setting. Thus, botox training is very important.

Botox treatments should always begin with a consultation during which the doctor will study the patient's frown and smile lines and decide on an effective treatment. The patient will be asked to fill out a questionnaire that asks everything from the perceived skin type to how much time they spent in the sun to a full medical history. The area of the skin to be treated with Botox is cleaned and local anesthetic administered before the treatment can start. Only a Botox-trained doctor can insure that all the necessary precautions are taken at each stage of the treatment.

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Suze Orman Shares Investing Common Sense With Women & Money

Women & Money ~ Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny

Money is a topic you either embrace or avoid. Orman's book delivers straight talk on investing for women and building individual wealth.

Personally I've always known just enough about investing to put some money away each month and I rely on financial advisers to steer me in the right direction.

Suze shares a candid look at her life and how she got to where she is now. Plus she offers a no nonsense approach to making sure women begin to really think about taking care of their own business.

With an uplifting vein of optimism about what is possible throughout the book, Orman successfully illustrates traits and tactics to help women thoughtfully approach investing.

Orman's 8 qualities of wealthy women have been shared on national talk shows and cannot be stressed enough.

Qualities 1 and 2 are harmony and balance. These are said to be the most important qualities because they are the foundation for all other qualities.

Quality 3 is courage. Orman writes that "Courage gives harmony expression. When your thoughts and feelings are one, courage helps you manifest them in the form of words and actions."

Quality 4 is generosity. Orman points out that women tap into this almost too quickly. We tend to be overly generous with our time, support, love and money. The true measure of generosity, according to Orman, is being able to allow money to come into your hands and out through your heart.

This was a concept I can relate to. Orman challenges women to look at why and what they give and how it makes them feel. She also offers six rules for giving (but, you'll have to grab a copy of the book to find out what these are).

Quality number 5 is happiness. According to Orman when you find the courage to live your life in harmony and balance, you understand and practice generosity, happiness will spontaneously appear.

And perhaps the most important point she shares about happiness is this; "Happiness is not a luxury. It is a necessity for true wealth."

Quality number 6 comes in the form of wisdom. Who doesn't want to be wiser?

According to Orman, wisdom is more than intellectual and not directly related to education. Wisdom is an express result of tapping into your core beliefs to make the right decisions for yourself.

The 7th quality is cleanliness and is all about the importance of order and organization. A laundry list of situations that subtract from your wealth status include;

- Not knowing where your money is
- Not having a systematized filing system for important documents
- Pulling crumpled bills and receipts out of your purse
- Maintaining a vehicle that looks like a garbage can
- Having closets that are filled with junk and clutter.

I am sure most of us can relate to at least one area we need to work on. I have to admit, as organized as I am, I could relate to a couple of those scenarios. Orman's philosophy really makes sense and I've corrected my personal problem areas. My first order of business was donating clothing I had not used or worn in the past year to charity.

The final quality is beauty. Orman ties all the qualities together by noting beauty is what you achieve when all the qualities are combined.

To some it may seem strange that the qualities of wealthy women are included in a book on investing. However, if you personally don't possess the qualities it will not be as easy for you to achieve your wealth potential.

In addition to the foundational building blocks Orman shares solid advice on choosing the right investor, the importance of having one personal savings account in your name only and discusses investment options in layman's terms so anyone can get started right way.

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