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FYI Archives

01 March 2010
Hiring to Expand Veterans' Services

Be Wary of Advance Fee Loan Scams

State Rolls Out Quarterly Bid List

White House: Stimulus Funds Targeted Upgrades At Saginaw VA Hospital.

25 January 2010
Worst yet to come in Michigan? Small Business bankruptcies soar in 2009

Detroit Companies Graduate From SBA’s ‘Mini-MBA’ Program

Taking the Myths Out of Four Funding Fantasies

GAO Report Details Fraud in Procurement

23 November 2009
GAO Report Cites Fraud in SDVOB Contracting

Detroit Companies Graduate From SBA’s ‘Mini-MBA’ Program

Goldman Sachs Small Biz Program Sparks Interest

Healthy Business Credit Is Demystified

09 November 2009
SBA Lending Down Sharply in Michigan

Funding Cuts at Vets Homes Sparks Rebuke

Building Your Biz Credit

Sagging Economy Prompts Entrepreneurial Spirit

Getting That Elusive Biz Loan

09 October 2009
Six Ways to Land Venture Funding

24 August 2009
SBA ASSISTING SMALL BUSINESSES

DEPUTY SECRETARY CITES PARTNERSHIP WITH PRIVATE SECTOR

VETERAN BUSINESS NEWS GAZETTE

05 August 2009
DINGELL CONCERNED ABOUT PARKING SITUATION AT VA HOSPITAL IN DETROIT

PANEL AGREES ON NEED TO REFORM VETERANS’ DISABILITY SYSTEM

PHAMPHLETS AND FACT SHEETS

GI BILL INFORMATION

BENEFIT PHAMPHLETS

20 July 2009
Getting Small Business Contracts to Small Businesses

Volunteers Attend To Landscaping At Arlington Cemetary

Operation Comfort Warriors: Our Pride and Purpose

22 June 2009
A Different Kind of Boot Camp

GAO ruling assailed; Vets Urged to Act Quickly to Overturn

ARC money will go fast, from the Tampa Bay Business Journal... Small Business Administration Bridge Loans Likely to go Quickly

05 June 2009
House Bill calls for placing SDVOB program under 8a

Senators prepare for battle over Alaska native contracting

Lending up; much left to accomplish, says SBA Chief

25 May 2009
SBA Launches New 100% Guarantee ARC Loan Program on June 15

Lutz VAMC Will Not Allow Medical Marijuana In Hospital.

VA Hires 530 New Claims Processors To Handle GI Bill Applications

Michigan's Disabled American Veterans' Offices Set For Closure Given Four-Week Reprieve.

USAVETBIZ to Urge Congress for Government-Wide Preference Contracting and Set-Aside Programs for all Veteran-Owned Small Businesses

Heroes in Helmets Family Fun Walk

27 April 2009
VA Announces Recovery Spending Includes $250 Payment to Eligible Veterans

VA Officials Barred From Testifying Before Subcommittee

New VA Clinic To Be Dedicated In Early May

23 March 2009
American Legion Commander Praises Obama’s Change in Plan

Open Letter from VA Secretary

Congress to Agencies: Don’t Shortchange Vets on Contracting

16 March 2009
Is Stimulus harmful To SDVOSB’s?

Vets object to billing private insurance for service injuries

Agencies to direct stimulus funds to veteran-owned small businesses

09 March 2009
Lessons Learned on the Farm Still Apply to Small Businesses

Senator Lieberman Addresses Rumored Tricare Cuts

02 March 2009
Powerball is Stimulus Ticket?

Bid4Michigan—The New Name to Remember!

How Small Business Will Benefit From Obama's Stimulus

Point, Counterpoint On Stimulus Impact On Small Businesses

23 February 2009
Camp Lejeune Water Study Underway

Some Non-profits Shortchange Troops,
Watchdog Group Says

16 February 2009
Military Veterans Land More than
$250 Million in SBA Loans

SBA’s Bill Elmore on Patriot Express Reaching $250 Million

Landrieu and Snowe Highlight Key Small Business Provisions of
Economic Recovery Package
Renew call for elevating SBA Administrator to Cabinet-level status

09 February 2009
Ever Dream of Starting a Business?

Veterans Inaugural Ball Scam Investigated

02 Februrry 2009
Stimulus Bill Aims to Boost SBA Lending

D.C. Restaurant Apologizes to Marines

Week of 02 March 2009

Powerball is stimulus ticket?

By Tim Devaney and
Tom Stein

The Small Business Administration is trumpeting its role in President Obama’s new rescue plan. SBA administrator Darryl Hairston said recently that "the Recovery Act will truly help small business owners." Oh really? Let’s do the math. Out of a total $787 billion, the act provides $730 million to the SBA. We were never all that good with numbers (which is why we’re writing a blog and not clearing out an office on Wall Street) but we think that comes to $1 out of each $1,000 dedicated to small businesses (which happen to produce 97 percent of all new jobs). The largest SBA share of the stimulus, $375 million, will go to temporarily waive or reduce fees on SBA loans. $375 million. That’s about the amount of the Powerball jackpot won by ConAgra employees in Nebraska a few years ago. Maybe you could call and ask them for some stimulus.

Bid4Michigan—The New Name to Remember!

State of Michigan contract solicitations move to new location; Email bid match notification option also now available

Some important changes affecting vendors who wish to bid on State of Michigan contracts for goods and services have been put in place. Bids and proposals valued at $25,000 or higher have now moved to HERE. Soon, construction solicitations, and contracts valued at less than $25,000 will also move to this new location.

All other contract-related information will continue to be located at HERE.

To continue to view the State’s bids and proposals, visit HERE and complete the registration process at this site. This new system allows you to take advantage of several offerings which have not previously been available.

It allows for online completion of vendor certifications and representations, so that you only have to do this once, rather than doing so each time you submit a bid response.

It allows for the opportunity to submit bid responses online in certain cases, rather than always being required to submit a paper response in person or other means of physical delivery.

And it gives you the option to subscribe to a fee-based email notification system that will alert you whenever the state is seeking bids for goods or services you are capable of supplying. The cost is $49.99 for one year and $79.99 for two years. Participating in these options is entirely up to you.

But the key point to remember is that you will need to register HERE in order to continue to view the contract proposals when the State puts a project out for bid.

And if your business is 51% or more owned by one or more service-disabled veterans, be sure to mark the appropriate box to indicate this during the registration. It helps ensure that the State knows how well it is doing in meeting the goal in law of awarding 5% of annual contract value to service-disabled veteran owned businesses.

This registration is only to allow you to view the bids and proposals (or take advantage of the options outlined above). It does not replace the information in the State's vendor registry which allows you to get paid if you are awarded a contract.

If you have any difficulty completing the registration, you can contact a support team toll-free at 1-800-677-1997, Ext. 214.

You can also contact Doug Spade or Mike Clement with the State of Michigan’s Supplier Diversity Program if you have additional questions related to these changes.

Doug Spade
Supplier Diversity Liaisonv 517-335-7819
E:Mail Mr. Spade

Mike Clement
Supplier Diversity Analyst
517-335-6219
E-Mail Mr. Clement

~ ~ ~

How Small Business Will Benefit From Obama's Stimulus

(NECN) - President Obama says his stimulus program will save or create 3.5 million jobs. Small businesses around the country are eager for some of the federal assistance that's being used to prime the economic pump.

Bob Nelson is acting New England Regional Administrator of the Small Business Administration. Bob discusses the importance of small business as an economic engine, and the creator of jobs.

Nelson is very pleased that the SBA is "going to have some new tools" as result of the stimulus package, because there are many small businesses out there that are facing significant challenges.

View video HERE:

~ ~ ~

Point, Counterpoint
On Stimulus impact on
Small Businesses

Not enough for small businesses in stimulus, from Forbes...

Where's The Stimulus For Small Business?
Melanie Lindner and Maureen Farrell

There are a few rays of light in the new bill--but you have to look really hard.

You could hear plenty of groans as President Obama signed the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law--not a few coming from entrepreneurs and their small-business advocates.

"The stimulus is not awful, but I don't know why there isn't more money for small businesses," says Scott Hauge, president of CAL Insurance & Associates, and founder of Small Business California, a nonprofit organization. "We'll probably be the ones to take out these problems. That's traditionally been the case."

While Congress pushed through spending increases for federal agencies, critics say there are relatively few juicy set-asides for small businesses. As for the Small Business Administration, the law allocates an additional, one-time $730 million infusion for the agency (which encourages bank lending by subsidizing small-business loans); on top of its $570 million operating budget last year. Critics argue that the additional funds are a far cry from what is needed to give many small businesses a legitimate boost in this economy.

Dig into the 1,000 page law, though, and there are some bright spots for small fry--including grant programs, tax cuts and public works projects. Here are a few:

Green for Green

Of the estimated $80 billion aimed at "greening" the economy, a big chunk will boost demand for solar-powered homes. Under the law, all Americans can now qualify for a tax credit equal to 30% of solar-based renovations. Prior to the law, homeowners who had received green credits from states or municipalities wouldn't be eligible for additional federal help--now they can double dip. (Of course, there are fewer home improvement dollars to go around these days.)

The government also will offer grants of up to 30% of the cost of major commercial renewable energy projects, including windmills and solar-panel-covered rooftops and windmills. Federal buildings will get a green makeover, too. Those projects ought to keep a few small contractors busy for awhile--assuming, of course, they can nab the work.

Tiny businesses (those with less than $15 million in gross receipts) can now claim tax refunds by applying operating losses suffered in 2008 and 2009 to shield taxable income from the previous five years, up from just two before the law.

Greater Research Grants

Federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation and the Departments of Energy and Defense, will enjoy some of the largess--and that means increased funding for start-ups via affiliated research efforts, such as Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, which together now account for $2.2 billion in grants. The research being funded must be in line with an agency's mission, but it can certainly have commercial potential. For instance, $100,000 Phase 1 grants are for early-stage research; later-stage study can garner grants worth up to $750,000. (One exception: There will be no additional funding for National Institute of Health's SBIR program, despite a $10 billion increase in that agency's annual budget.)

Healing Health Care

About $140 billion of the $787 billion will go to spruce up the health care industry, including $19 billion to install systems required to store and transfer medical records online. That should give a boost to small technology contractors.

Busy Broadband Bees

Small broadband providers are poised to grab a chunk of the $7.2 billion allocated to the expansion of broadband access throughout the U.S., says Shawn Osborne, chairman of the Telecommunications Industry Association, a group of 1,500 equipment manufacturers and service providers. Much of that money will come through grants doled out by the National Telecommunication and Information Administration and will be aimed at improving broadband access to rural areas. Small providers will be eligible to bid on the same grants as their larger counterparts, says Osborne.

Charging Up

Some $2 billion will go toward battery research and development, where many small players--many funded by venture capital--are duking it out. Once American automakers start cranking out more hybrid and electric cars, the battery market will break wide open says Scott Chou, partner at Gabriel Venture Partners in Silicon Valley. The grants could be the final push for small outfits on the verge of a breakthrough.

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