Small Biz Bulletin - September 2023
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Never Stop Learning
It is back to school season and my grandson, Landon, is excited to jump back into the classroom activities and student experiences of middle school. I have very fond memories of my school days in Baltimore County. Learning how to learn is an important foundation that carries us throughout our life. Remember when you learned how to conduct a science experiment, write a paper, and balance a check book? We didn't understand how any of those skills would be important as adults...until we became entrepreneurs. While we may be experts in many areas of running a business, most of us had lots to learn about developing financial plans, making cash flow projections, and calculating ROI. Financial literacy is a skill often learned over time. If you are ready to build a more sound financial future for your business, I invite you to join our T.I.P.S. virtual classroom of small, minority, women, and veteran business owners for the "Business Financial Literacy" webinar we are offering on September 28th. You'll learn many valuable skills and walk away with the knowledge to increase your personal net worth and the value of your business. No school bus required, just use the link below to register in advance.
Y. Maria Martinez
Special Secretary
Business Financial Literacy
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FOR YOUR INFORMATION
Maryland Business Opportunities & Entrepreneurial Training Summit
Registration is now open for the annual Maryland Business Opportunities & Entrepreneurial Training Summit. This valuable resource event connects Maryland's business community to $6.5 billion in contracting opportunities with key state agencies as well as private sector companies. Participants can talk with project managers and procurement officers and attend a variety of training workshops throughout the day. The event is being held on Tuesday, September 26 at Turf Valley Country Club in Ellicott City. The Registration fee is $75. This event sells out, so register today. The following state agencies will be participating:
State Highway Administration
Maryland Transit Administration
Maryland Aviation Administration
Maryland Transportation Authority
Motor Vehicle Administration
Department of General Services
University System of Maryland
Maryland Business Opportunities & Entrepreneurial Training Summit
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State of Maryland's Procurement Forecast
The State of Maryland's FY2024 Procurement Forecast is now available online. Small business owners are always looking for trusted information that can help them make informed business decisions and feed their new customer pipeline. Maryland's Procurement Forecast is that kind of a tool. The database is posted on the Governor's Office of Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs website and predicts a 15% increase in the number of procurements for the 2024 fiscal year. It is populated with projected solicitations of $100,000 or greater that are expected to be advertised or awarded through June 30, 2024 and comprises both new and recurring items, including task orders issued under master contracts. Users can choose from six different options to focus their search. By downloading search results to Excel, expanded information is provided, such as the buyer’s name and contact information. Small businesses are often looking for contracting opportunities below $100,000. As a result, many state agencies also include information on projected contracts between $15,000 and $99,999. Access to this vital information reinforces the open and transparent nature of Maryland's public contracting arena. You can even watch a video and download a slide deck to help you mine this powerful tool.
FY2024 Procurement Forecast Portal
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TRAINING & OUTREACH
T.I.P.S. Webinar Series
Prepare to compete with confidence by attending our T.I.P.S. (Training and Insights for Procurement Success) Webinar Series. Two free classes are offered every month and feature topics that are carefully curated to help you improve core competencies and gain an insightful understanding of the state's procurement processes. If you want to do business with the State of Maryland, our T.I.P.S. webinar series is a must. There is no cost to participate, just register in advance to receive the participation link.
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24/7 Access to Video Training Library
In case you missed any of the previous 2023 sessions of our T.I.P.S. Webinar Series, you can watch the recorded sessions at a time that is convenient to you. Our T.I.P.S. Webinar Series Playlist on YouTube gives you 24/7 acces"s to great material such as "State Procurement 101," Pricing Strategies to Win More Contracts," "The 7 Cs of Good Proposal Writing," "Crafting a Compelling Capability Statement," and much more. Every session is two hours or less and packed with useful information to help you build critical business skills and navigate procurement processes. Check it out today.
T.I.P.S. Webinar Series Playlist
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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.
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