Network Assistance
COnnecting your world everydayTHIS CAN BE ACHIEVED VIA SEVERAL MEDIUMS.
1. You have to enhance visibility for business prospects. I need to become familiar with how all the opportunities are posted (CC website, SCAGPO, etc.) Then I will need to communicate this information to the Business community via flyer from our once through email.
2. Next, we have to enhance and encourage the opportunity for teaming agreements and joint ventures. This will probably need to convert to an actual seminar where business owners are made aware of the benefits of teaming and creating alliances in order to go after work normally they would not be able to with a team.
4. We also need to make some sort of marketing brochure to explain the Procurement Outreach Program when we are in the field and exhibiting at expos and events.
This is the most important part of the process. We need to make sure that the businesses we are working with are ready for business day one. There are several criteria that we begin with in order to get a quick read on any business to see if they are prepared. The checklist is below for small businesses:
1. INSURANCE – are they insured at the proper levels, making sure they don’t have ghost policies
2. ACCOUNTING – do they have a real accountant handling their finances or do they have an accounting system in place to handle this function.
3. LEGAL – Do they have a lawyer on call to review contract documents or do they have a contracts administrator on staff for this function.
4. WEBSITE – Do they have a functioning website online.
5. BUSINESS CARDS – Do they have up to date business cards so they can be reached properly on notice.
This is the quick checklist to get a read on the company. I also visit the operation to put eyes on the business to see how they function day to day. The face to face visit is important because it allows us to see rather than be told they are ready to work The checklist is below for large businesses:
1. Do you have a diversity program?
2. Are you capturing your numbers according to categories (Minority, Woman-owned, Veteran-owned, etc.)?
3. Are you meeting your SBE and DBE goals on your contracts with the County?
4. If you are not meeting your goals, what corrective action is in place to change this state?
DAAG OUTREACH
Many businesses consider the idea of selling their products or services to the county government much too complicated and overwhelming. In today’s marketplace, the county government could become your best customer. The Procurement Outreach Program (POP) will help to simplify the process and cut through the red tape, connecting all businesses with lucrative opportunities through:
• EDUCATION of the contracting business through seminars and workshops (sponsored or co-sponsored) and one-on-one discussions of a specific or general nature.
• MARKETING your firm, whether you’re a manufacturer, distributor, service provider or construction
contractor; brainstorming for specific targets and mechanics of how the purchases are executed; providing bid information and pro-actively marketing our clients with Charleston County and key prime contractors currently working for Charleston County.
• TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE to include working with clients on understanding the differences between quotes, bids, proposals, pre-award/post-award situations
• SUPPORT DOCUMENTATION to include forms, mil specs/mil standards, inspection and quality control,
procurement history, clauses, reports, regulations, etc.
• NETWORKING ASSISTANCE to enhance visibility for business prospects, encourage opportunity teaming
arrangements, identify other resources and create alliances to pursue
• VETTING to include vetting small businesses on several different criteria (Insurance, accountant,
contracts/legal, funding capacity, etc.) to determine their ability to handle the business if they win the work. Most businesses just don’t know how to do business with the Government, and the other half is not prepared to do business with the Government. Through utilizing those few areas DAAG can become the long arm of outreach. Contracts administration can provide information to the businesses about the essentials of how to respond to an RFP properly. The vetting will require local travel to get out to the businesses and put eyes on the operations so that we can secure the DBE list for use.
The Parameters by which it can be measured (capturing metrics) is through the following :
EDUCATION – participation of businesses in the seminars and one on one discussion
MARKETING – business testimony through our marketing efforts how it has helped their business to grow smartly and better compete in this market
NETWORKING ASSISTANCE – showing the number of businesses that have created joint ventures, Mentor Protégé relationships, and teaming agreements to go after work
VETTING – the complete vetted list that will have been purged of businesses that did not pass the vetting
process and rating of businesses that did pass the vetting process. (Small and Large)
Get In Touch
Ladson SC, 29456
843•697•2055
info@diversityaagroup.org