Our clients are typically too busy, understaffed, or too “red-tape averse”, to manage this kind of project of completing application forms, and bundles of documentation required by the Department of Education. They may have started, only to find that their process has stalled, and they cannot meet the time constraints required to fill the application.

They therefore ask us to assist and to implement all stages of the process. Sometimes we do this until the license is granted. Sometimes our clients ask us to continue to support their project beyond registration, to the granting of licenses and finalization of funding.

If this is a problem that your organization is encountering, please call us as 813-598-9180, or email details to hilton[@]hiltonrossmunro.com

If you want to do business with private companies, you want to register with the organizations that certify your business status with private enterprise. You will therefore want to certify your company with an organization like the Florida Minority Supplier Development Council or the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council.

How do you, as a new business owner, make your way through a stream of spam, advertising all types of certifications and “sure thing routes to riches”… if you pay up!

1) Understand what you do, and your value proposition. Why would anyone want your product and/or service?

2) Understand clearly why you are different, better, easier or nicer to do business with. What differentiates you from your competition? Explain this in three sentences.

3) On this basis, who is your natural customer? You can’t sell “anything to anyone.”

4) Go to the websites of some of your natural customers and click on their supplier diversity links. You can also google their company name and supplier diversity if you can’t find the link. They usually specify what type of certifications they are looking for.

5) Understand what they want to get out of their supplier diversity program. No one invests in anything to be nice. There are good business reasons for every supplier diversity program. Does the company want statistics to prove that it is inclusive? (Can you help? You may be too small a fish!) Can you help the company save money? (Small, local suppliers are cheaper, and women-owned businesses have been shows to be efficient, hard-working and reliable.)

6) If a number of your natural clients use the same certification, this is a good sign that it is the right certification for you. Check carefully: you may have a contact at Coca Cola, but they only take two of the women-owned business certificates.

7) If you have a choice, you may be influence by factors such as cost. FMSDC certification is inexpensive ($100) while the private enterprise women-owned certifications are about $400+.

If you have any registrations that might not have this information, make a list and go back and adjust them. Sometimes it is a hassle to get back into your CCR or other registrations, but it has to be done. If you have forgotten your password, follow the on-line procedure until you get it, or call the 1-800 number for help. But do it!

2.Don’t be bullied into paying anything for a DUNS number. You need it, and you are legally entitled to it for free.

You live in a world where everyone will take your money if they can. A DUNS number is free. You are not at any disadvantage if you do not pay Dun and Bradstreet money. D&B  will try to hard-sell or persuade you that one of their packages is right for you… this is okay. It is the rightful job of sales people. You and your sales people want customers to spend money with your company too.

If you do not want their up-grades, or it would strain your budget, the simple answer is “No thank you, please just give me my DUNS number.” The next answer is “I understand, I get that you are offering me products and/or services, but I simply want my DUNS number, and I do not want these products/services at this time, I will let you know, if and when I do want them.” You can repeat this until they get the message. You can delete emails offering services. There is no disadvantage to your or your company. Just say no.

3. Don’t invest heavily in a GSA registration unless you can do $25,000 per year on GSA contracts…. every year. GSA accreditation is not easy, and some companies will charge you an arm-and-a-leg to help you register. It is quite common for them to ask $10 – $15K for this service.

You may be offered guarantees that you will get enough work to cover the cost. However, if you do not do $25,000 in GSA contracts in any single year, you will lose your GSA registration, and have to start again.

Registration does not ensure an on-going stream of signed contracts.  We will continue to explain exactly what does.

Please watch this space, as we will be adding new tips regularly.

Many of us have to sell our business products and services, and it sounds much easier to have the power to authorize purchases. However, purchasing people usually work within tight regulations and under management scrutiny. It is also much harder than it sounds find and develop suppliers to build a fair, transparent, competitive process.

Procurement departments usually have specific targets for buying from small business, women-owned business and minority-owned business suppliers. Purchasing professionals spend a lot of time and money searching for such vendors, and working to build relationships with them.

Vendors or suppliers often feel as if there is a huge field of competitors, yet purchasing specialists may receive very few bids on contracts, or find that they get these from the same companies, over and over again.

Buyers need vendors for other reasons. A company’s purchasing people are a very important information source about what is “out there” for their companies. They stay current on trends, options, standards, levels of demand, economic climate, shortages, and competition. This often comes from having good relationships with a strong field of vendors.

As a director of the International Business Summit, and a member of FMSDC, I meet many people who are in purchasing for large organizations. They often struggle to find local and minority-owned small businesses, because such companies often do not go though the process of registering their company size or ownership.

This is a free process for those with the time to do the course and complete the paperwork, or an inexpensive and simple process for those who work with consultants like me.

IBS 2010′s longest list of acceptances to date is from purchasing and supply chain people, especially from supplier diversity and small business supplier professionals. Some of the chambers of commerce and trade associations involved in IBS include:

1. British-American: 180 people and businesses. www.babctampabay.org
2. Caribbean-American: 2018 people and businesses. www.cacctb.com
3. Chinese-American: 280 people and businesses. www.ccctb.com
4. French-American: 380 people and businesses. www.framco.org
5. Indo-American: 2875 people and businesses. www.indo-us.org
6. Hispanic Chamber: www.tampahispanicchamber.com
7. Philippine-American: 3,875 people and businesses. www.paccoftampabay.com
8. Scandinavian Baltic: 242 people and businesses. www.scandbalt.org
9. Swedish-American: www.sacc-greaterorlando-tampabay.org

The Plenary Address will focus on how Small Businesses can work with larger companies. Dr Rengen Li of Coca Cola is writing a book on this subject. In one of the break-out workshops, SBDC USF will present the bottom line business case for how local, small and minority business participation in supply chains add up to major money.

1) Differentness is an economic resource, once people learn how to leverage it.

Our local economy can benefit from the many valuable opportunities that lie in our diverse community. IBS provides an on-going networking and a face-to-face forum for strengthening understanding between different demographics. This can fast-track entrepreneurship, build collaboration, facilitate innovation and consolidate trust. It is a way in which smaller businesses meet each other, and connect with larger companies.  IBS offers a route by which larger companies can to build strong, local and diverse vendor bases, and discover many previously-hidden economic resources, talented people, customers and business partners in their community.

2) Bi-national communities are an economic resource in a global world.

Business people with international needs or business initiatives can benefit from IBS’ connections to new business ideas and prospects. The nine bi-national Chambers and Trade Associations find business support and mentorship for local partners, and are deeply connected to sources of cultural, training and economic resources.

The route to the “flat world” of the 21st Century begins with our own neighbors, who have the knowledge and ability to guide, support or promote our region, as we become employers, employees, suppliers, customers, outsource resources or other types of partners in the worldwide business community.

IBS members and scope

The International Business Summit is an umbrella body of nine Bi-national Chambers of Commerce and Trade Association in the Tampa Bay/Suncoast/Lakeland areas. We reach about 10,000 businesses and business people.

1. British-American: 180 people and businesses. www.babctampabay.org
2. Caribbean-American: 2018 people and businesses. http://www.cacctb.com
3. Chinese-American: 280 people and businesses. http://www.ccctb.com
4. French-American: 380 people and businesses. http://www.framco.org
5. Indo-American: 2875 people and businesses. http://www.indo-us.org
6. Hispanic Chamber: http://www.tampahispanicchamber.com
7. Philippine-American: 3,875 people and businesses. http://www.paccoftampabay.com
8. Scandinavian Baltic: 242 people and businesses. http://www.scandbalt.org
9. Swedish-American: http://www.sacc-greaterorlando-tampabay.org

Vision: IBS draws together members of the Suncoast business area, to leverage our extensive networks, reaching both our diverse regional community and our worldwide contacts. As such, it supports local collaboration, innovative thinking and economic growth. It also creates practical opportunities and contacts for the many trade and business opportunities that our region can build through our local bi-national communities, and their associations throughout the region, nation, and the world.

The Brighthouse IBS Diversity Awards highlight the way the IBS values build our community. IBS does not seek, nor accept, sponsorship from companies who do not support the IBS values.

Implementation: At present, IBS is focused on an annual event, or summit. It is supported by a strong Board, close contact between the chambers, and by cross-chamber involvement in chamber events.

IBS provides three tracks for networking and education (the Collaboration, Diversity and Prosperity tracks) and is highly relevant to both local and international businesses. These are shown in separate (sunglasses-required bright) colors on www.ibsummit.org and at http://c-psolutions.com/2009/11/international-business-summit-schedule/.

The next International Business Summit is Thursday, March 11, 2010, located at Higgins Hall, 5225 N Himes Ave, Tampa. Cross street – Hillsborough Ave.

IBS Sponsorship:

IBS works with organizations in the region to help them gain visibility and be an integral part of the mission of diversity, prosperity and collaboration. IBS Board members meet with prospective sponsors to understand their needs and objectives, and to discuss ways in which IBS and the bi-national chambers can help to achieve the sponsor’s goals. We work with sponsors year-round to deliver on this, even for very small donations.

Further IBS Information:

IBS is a full-day event, held in beautiful, graceful surroundings. Higgins Hall has ample parking, and is very well maintained. 2010 will be the fourth annual IBS event with an expected turnout of 400 – 600 people.

The event will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 7.30ish after the Cultural Reception and Awards Event. We work closely with the universities to involve many business students in the event, and have had excellent feedback from this initiative. http://c-psolutions.com/2009/03/international-business-summit-2009-feedback/

There are many photos of IBS 2009 on-line at www.ibsummit.org, and pictures of Higgins Hall on the Hall website. www.stlawrence.org/higginshall/gallery/

Potential sponsors and media personnel can contact Hilton Ross-Munro at hilton[@]hiltonrossmunro.com.  Hilton’s cell phone is 813-598-9180.

HART’s process for working with small business is good.

Projected work for the upcoming period includes:

• Employee Assistance Program
• Background Checks
• Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations Services (create and produce)
• General Construction Services for Transit Infrastructure and Park and Ride
• DOT Physical – drug screening
• Ybor bay 5 door modification

• NETT APP FAS2050 NAS Server
• Campaign and Graphics Development Program
• Construct ASA landing pads for existing stops with Omni-light installations
• Overhead Audis and cost analysis of successful offeror on alternative analysis work
• Scrap metal removal service for 21st ave facility
• Replacement of mechanical roll-up door operators
• Concessionaire for MTC facility
• 42 foot Reach Hydraulic articulating over-center Aerial device
• Fare cards
• Route schedules
• Bus stop signs
• Bus Rapid Transit North/South Final design
• Bus Rapid Transit signal priority demonstration project
• Ybor Parking lot construction
• Net Park Mill and resurface
• IT Disaster Recover program
• Economic benefits of Transit (consulting)
• Preliminary and final design for Tampa International airport Transfer Center
  

This organization registers minority owned businesses, and also works with large corporations to establish supplier diversity programs that save them significant costs all along their value chain.

Hilton Ross-Munro helps businesses to register with FMSDC if they do not have the time or skilled (wo)manpower to do the paperwork.

FMSDC members are introduced to supplier diversity advocates, and attend regular meetings with large corporations from their home areas, to discover how they can work with both these corporations and other suppliers to the corporations.

FMSDC monitors and recognizes all members for their success in working with minority-owned suppliers. The major awards ceremony is held during the annual congress in Orlando.

We encourage all minority businesses to take the time to work with FMSDC, and all corporations to review the many benefits of a supplier diversity program, in cost saving, service and innovation.