|
|
Small Biz Bulletin - November 2022
|
|
Message from Special Secretary Rhee
November is a busy month as we celebrate National Veterans Small Business Week (October 31 - November 4) and Veterans Day (November 11). Most of us civilians lack a full understanding of what it means to serve in the military. The commitment, dedication, and fraternity between service members changes these men and women forever. This year, Maryland is joining a national initiative to show our support in a new way. It's called OPERATION GREEN LIGHT. In partnership with the National Association of Counties, the National Association of County Veteran Service Officers, the Maryland Association of Counties and the Maryland Department of Veteran Affairs, government buildings across the country and here in Maryland (including the Governor's Mansion), will be glowing in green lights. The intention is simple: to let our veterans know that they are seen, appreciated, and supported. I invite and encourage our small business community to join in this wonderful project by changing out an external or internal white light bulb to green from November 7 through Veterans Day on November 11. It will be a powerful and uplifting way to demonstrate our respect for these heroes.
Jimmy Rhee
Special Secretary
|
For Your Information
Veteran Entrepreneur Luncheon Celebration
The Governor's Office of Small, Minority &Women Business Affairs is pleased to host the inaugural Veteran-Owned Small Business Enterprise (VSBE) Appreciation Luncheon on Wednesday, November 9 at 11 am. Our keynote speaker is Linda Singh, PhD., the first African American and first woman adjutant general of the Maryland National Guard. Governor Larry Hogan recently renamed and dedicated a readiness center at the Maryland National Guard Armory in Eldersburg in honor of Retired General Singh. Dr. Singh has over 30 years of leadership experience in the public and private sectors. She became an entrepreneur in 2016, and today is providing leadership and management consulting services as the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Kaleidoscope Affect, LLC. Maryland Live! Casino & Hotel has generously donated the event space and catering to make this celebration possible. We cordially invite our certified VSBE vendors to attend. Seating is limited and advance registration is required.
VSBE Appreciation Luncheon
|
Maryland Women's Small Business
Celebration 2022
We joined First Lady Yumi Hogan for the Maryland Women's Small Business Celebration 2022 at Morgan State University several weeks ago. Together, with the Baltimore Metropolitan Women's Business Center, the event drew 100 guests and highlighted the achievements of seven local women entrepreneurs, all of whom received governor's citations. Special thanks to Morgan State University for hosting the event and congratulations to these outstanding women entrepreneurs:
- Glenna Cush - Cush Creative
- Danielle Frisby - UnBoxingChange
- Tiffany Hoang - Cong Cha
- Velindia Pardo - Equal Access Language Services, LLC
- Michelle Petties - I Am Brand New Now
- Aria Sutton - Baily Inspections
- Nik Sweeney - Amani Nicol Wellness
Maryland Women's Small Business Celebration 2022
|
Surviving and Thriving!
Melissa Gesslin is the owner of Goosehead Insurance in Salisbury. She opened her business in 2022, just as the world was shutting down due to the pandemic. Instead of giving up, she quickly changed her business model and reached out to Maryland Capital Enterprises for some help. As a result she did not lose a single client. In fact, her company is growing! Melissa's story begins on page 26 of the 2022 Expanding Opportunities magazine. This annual publication features tips from guest columnists, insights on navigating the state procurement arena, and information about programs specifically designed for small, minority, women, and veteran business owners. It also features inspirational stories from Maryland small business owners. Many thanks to The Daily Record for publishing this valuable small business resource tool for the past 14 years. Flip through the digital edition, and be sure to read Melissa's full story.
2022 Expanding Opportunities Magazine
|
Calling Maryland's Small Business Superstars
Every year the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) recognizes outstanding small business owners around the country. We know that Maryland's small, minority, women, and veteran entrepreneurs are superstars. If you or someone you know has an inspiring small business success story to tell, submit a nomination for the SBA's 2023 National Small Business Week Awards. The award categories include: Small Business Person, Minority-Owned Small Business, Woman-Owned Small Business, Veteran-Owned Small Business, Family-Owned Small business, and Home-based Small Business. Self-nominations are highly encouraged. Nobody knows your story better! Awards will be presented during the National Small Business Week celebration April 30 through May 6, 2023. Nomination are due by December 8, 2022.
SBA Announces Call for Nominations - 2023 Small Business Awards
|
Small Business Training Webinars
We have two great topics for our Technical Training Classroom in October. We offer two great sessions each month on a variety of topics specifically curated for small, minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses that want to perform in the state contracting arena. The classes are free, you just need to register in advance to receive the participation link.
If you missed last month's classes, you can download the accompanying slide decks by visiting the Technical Training Classroom page of our website, or check out our YouTube Playlist to view any of the recorded sessions over the past year.
Technical Training Classroom
Technical Training Classroom YouTube Playlist
|
We Want You!
We continually share information curated specifically for small, minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses on our social media platforms. We'll inspire you with our #MotivationMonday series and connect you to a broad range of small business resource organizations. We also share information about loan programs and funding opportunities as well as small business events and training programs. Please join our social media community and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Facebook
Twitter
|
|
|
|
|
