SBA’s 2010 Michigan Small Business Award Winners Are Announced!

DETROIT – The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced the winner of its 2010 Michigan Small Business Person of the Year and its other awards. They will be presented on April 29, 2010 during the sixth annual Michigan Celebrates Small Business awards event at The Lansing Center in Lansing. Governor Jennifer Granholm will be the keynote speaker to recognize the critical importance of small business to the future of Michigan’s economy. For more information and to register to attend this event, which drew 800 people last year, go to http://www.michigancelebrates.biz/.

““Michigan’s entrepreneurs and small businesses are becoming increasingly important contributors to our economy,” said Richard Temkin, SBA Michigan District Director. “I am very proud that one of our Michigan award winners has won SBA’s Midwest regional award.”

Charles Reid, Michigan’s Small Business Person of the Year, is in contention for the national award, which will be announced during National Small Business Week, May 22-25.” The award winners for Michigan are:

Michigan Small Business Person of the Year
Charles Reid, President
Charter House Innovations, Holland

Michigan and Midwest Region Young Entrepreneur of the Year
Stewart W. Beal, President
Beal, Inc., Ann Arbor

Michigan Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Business of the Year
Michael DeWitt, President
Peter James DeWitt, Vice President
Timothy DeWitt, Secretary and Treasurer
Peter Jason DeWitt, Plant Manager
DeWitt Barrels, Inc., Marne

Michigan Financial Services Champion
Derek Edwards, Vice President
Huntington National Bank, Mt. Clemens

Michigan Minority Small Business Champion
William R. Ross, President
Booker T. Washington Business Association, Detroit

Women in Business Champions
Carrie Hensel, Co-Founder and Co-President
Debra Power, Co-Founder and Co-President
Women’s Exchange of Washtenaw, Ann Arbor

Michigan Veteran Small Business Champion
Daniel P. Whisnant, Government Sales Specialist
Stryker Medical, Portage

Michigan Small Business Counselor
James D. Beauchamp, Senior Business Consultant
Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center, Escanaba

Small Business Journalist of the Year
Lucy Ann Lance, Co-Owner
Lance & Erskine Communications, LLC, Ann Arbor

For more information on the award winners, please contact the SBA Michigan District Office at (313) 226-6075, x225 or e-mail annette.hall@sba.gov. For more information on this event, please go to http://www.michigancelebrates.biz/. Media note: Most photos of winners are available from SBA upon request.

SBA Proposes Women-Owned Small Business Rule to Expand Access to Federal Contracting Opportunities

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration today released a proposed rule aimed at expanding federal contracting opportunities for women-owned small businesses (WOSB). The proposed rule is available for public comment for 60 days.

The proposed rule is part of the Obama Administration’s overall commitment to expanding opportunities for small businesses to compete for federal contracts, in particular those owned by women, minorities and veterans. This proposed rule identifies 83 industries in which WOSBs are under-represented or substantially under-represented in the federal contract marketplace. This rule is aimed at providing greater opportunities for WOSBs to compete for federal contracts, while achieving the existing statutory goal that 5 percent of federal contracting dollars go to women-owned small businesses.

“Women-owned small businesses are one of the fastest growing segments of our economy, yet they continue to be under-represented when it comes to federal contracting,” said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. “Across the country, women are leading strong, innovative companies, and we know that securing federal contracts can be the opportunity that helps them take their businesses to the next level, expand their volume and create good-paying jobs. This proposed rule is a step forward in helping ensure greater access for women-owned small businesses in the federal marketplace.”

The creation of a rule to increase federal contracting opportunities for WOSBs was authorized by Congress in 2000. Since that time, SBA took a number of steps to study and analyze the market, including looking at participation by women-owned small businesses across all industries. Various draft rules were made available for public comment in prior years, but the Obama Administration chose last year to draft a new, comprehensive rule, based on the analysis of the prior studies and on all the questions and comments previously received.

Some of the components of the proposed Women-Owned Small Business rule include:

• To be eligible, a firm must be 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more women, and primarily managed by one or more women. The women must be U.S. citizens. The firm must be “small” in its primary industry in accordance with SBA’s size standards for that industry. In order for a WOSB to be deemed “economically disadvantaged,” its owners must demonstrate economic disadvantage in accordance with the requirements set forth in the proposed rule.


• Based upon the analysis in a study commissioned by the SBA from the Kauffman-RAND Foundation, the proposed rule identifies 83 industries (identified by “NAICS” codes) in which women-owned small businesses are under-represented or substantially under-represented. o The SBA has identified eligible industries based upon the combination of both the “share of contracting dollars” analysis, as well as the “share of number of contracts awarded” analysis used in the RAND study. This differs from an earlier proposed version of the rule which identified only four industries in which women-owned small businesses were under-represented. This earlier version proposed to identify eligible industries based solely on the “share of contracting dollars” analysis used in the RAND study.

• In accordance with the statute, the proposed rule authorizes a set-aside of federal contracts for WOSBs where the anticipated contract price does not exceed $5 million in the case of manufacturing contracts and $3 million in the case of other contracts. Contracts with values in excess of these limits are not subject to set-aside under this program.

• The proposed rule removes the requirement, set forth in a prior proposed version, that each federal agency certify that it had engaged in discrimination against women-owned small businesses in order for the program to apply to contracting by that agency.

• The proposed rule allows women-owned small businesses to self-certify as “WOSBs” or to be certified by third-party certifiers, including government entities and private certification groups.


• The proposed rule requires WOSBs which self-certify to submit a robust certification at the federal ORCA Web site and also to submit a core set of eligibility-related documents to an online “document repository” to be maintained by the SBA. Each agency’s contracting officers will have full access to this repository.


• The SBA intends to engage in a significant number of program examinations to confirm eligibility of individual WOSBs.


• In the event of a contract protest or program review, the SBA will be entitled to request substantial additional documentation from the WOSB to establish eligibility.


• SBA intends vigorously to pursue ineligible firms which seek to take advantage of this program and in so doing to deny its benefits to the intended legitimate WOSBs.
  

The public may submit comments to this proposed rule up until close of business on May 3, 2010, to www.regulations.gov, where they will be posted after 4 p.m. EST today, or by mailing them to Dean Koppel, Assistant Director, Office of Policy and Research, Office of Government Contracting, U.S. Small Business Administration, 409 3rd St. SW, Washington, DC 20416. Please reference RIN 3245-AG06 when submitting comments.

FREE Borrow A Business Expert at the Chelsea Library

As a business owner you have questions and may not know where to turn for the answers. Legal, financial, marketing and other day to day issues can seem daunting when you as the entrepreneur wear all of these hats.

To assist in answering your small business questions the Chelsea District Library will be creating a "living library" of people with unique knowledge on various business topics including: finance, human resources, law, marketing along with experienced business counselors. Each will introduce themselves and their areas of expertise while attendees will have the opportunity to "check-out" these experts for a short one-on-one consultation. This is an opportunity to have your questions answered by skilled professionals in any area.

Date: March 15, 2010 6:30-8:30pm

Location: Chelsea District Library, 221 S. Main Street, Chelsea, MI

Speakers include: Ron Stevens, Cathie Abad, and Shannon Beeman of the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center, Jim Worhtington of Chelsea State Bank, Marke Eby of SCORE, and Janice Ortbring of Edgar Norman Creative among others.

Please contact Sara Wedell of the Chelsea District Library to preregister for this event as space is limited, 734.475.8732.

Fast Trac® Orientation

The Fast Trac® Orientation is required to register for the Fast Trac® Courses in Washtenaw, Lenawee, Hillsdale, and Jackson Counties. This half day session will orient you to the Fast Trac® program and what commitment will be required of you as the entrepreneur. At this session you will spend time with an advisor who will help you select, and enroll in the Fast Trac® entrepreneurial program best suited for you and your business.

There's no substitute for experience. Nothing proves better than Fast Trac® a program facilitated by entrepreneurs who are not only knowledgeable but have a proven ability to connect with people. They create an environment that encourages you to interact with other entrepreneurs - gaining insight from their experiences and establishing relationships.

Speaker(s): MI-SBTDC Business & Tech Counselors

Co-Sponsor(s): Washtenaw Community College, Tech Town, NEI

There is no smoking allowed on the campus of Washtenaw Community College, please do not smoke while attending the orientation. Thank you for your understanding.

Fee: Free

Location: 4800 E Huron River Dr.

Morris Lawrence Building, Washtenaw Community CollegeAnn Arbor

Experience and Expertise to Help You Grow

There's no substitute for experience. Nothing proves better than Fast Trac® a program facilitated by entrepreneurs who are not only knowledgeable but have a proven ability to connect with people. They create an environment that encourages you to interact with other entrepreneurs - gaining insight from their experiences and establishing relationships.

The American Dream

Owning your own business is the American dream. Building it to withstand the test of time requires a unique set of tools. That's where Fast Trac® makes a difference by providing the opportunity to:

• Objectively evaluate your concept and plans for moving forward


• Develop a working knowledge of business fundamentals


• Begin building an infrastructure for your business operations and processes


• Explore risk and success factors in the marketplace


• Understand how to access human, financial and business resources


• Network with entrepreneurs and professionals


• Learn how to respond to changes that can impact your business Build an actionable business plan you can execute

What You Will Walk Away With

When you walk out the door, you will have a well-formulated plan for moving forward that is custom-made by you and one you believe in and can execute.

The goals of the Fast Trac® program are for you to:

Fully analyze your business concept by examining in depth:

• Your role as an entrepreneur


• How your product or service meets market needs


• The financial feasibility of your venture
  

Producing a full and actionable Business Plan that includes:

• Cash Flow


• Effective Structure of your management team


• Realistic marketing and sales plan


• Planning your product or service fulfillment Seeking and getting investment in your business.

For more information on Fast Trac® training or any MI-SBTDC workshop please visit our Calendar of Training on our main website or email our office, sbtdc@wccnet.edu.

Small Business Development Centers are visiting Michigan to learn how to become a technology designated state

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — In the current economic climate, Michigan has had a particularly difficult time. But it's not all bleak news — representatives from six states will be visiting the state to learn about the small business training and assistance offered by the Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC).

A group of 13 representatives from six states will attend a comprehensive three-day demonstration of Michigan's development of its commercialization assistance program from January 20 - 22. They will learn the key elements for development of a strong commercialization program, with strategies for launch and ongoing growth.

"The Michigan SBTDC received numerous inquiries from other Small Business Development Centers nationwide about our technology work," said Carol Lopucki, SBTDC State Director. "They expressed interest in visiting Michigan to learn about our program. Instead of working with each SBDC individually, we decided to invite all of them to Michigan and demonstrate how Michigan's technology team has been so successful."

There are 63 SBDCs across the nation and only 7 are accredited with a technology designation. In 2003, The Michigan SBTDC was the first state to be accredited with that designation by the American's Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC). North Carolina SBDC offered guidance to Michigan because of their strong technology work within their state.

California, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, and Minnesota are among the states that have requested guidance from the Michigan SBTDC on how to become "T" designated and to learn technology-related best practices.

The agenda during the "T" tour will consist of participants learning how to integrate technology into the SBDC program, analyzing the tools used to assist technology businesses and developing strategic partners. The tour will also visit a few of the technology team's strategic partners which includes SPARK, Automation Alley and TechTown.

"Our strategic partners here in Michigan, as well as our technology business consultants, are what makes the Michigan Technology Team so successful," said Phil Tepley, SBTDC Technology Team Coordinator. "The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) leads Michigan's economic diversification strategy and has played a key role in the success of this program."

COVERAGE OP: The "T" Tour will be at Tech Town in Detroit on Thursday, January 21. The media is invited to attend the Tech Town tour that is scheduled from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. "T" Tour participants will be available to answer questions from the media following the tour. Tech Town is located at 440 Burroughs Street, Suite 100 in Detroit.

About Michigan SBTDC Technology Team

The MI-SBTDC Technology Team's mission is to help Michigan transition to an innovation based economy by providing direct assistance to Michigan's emerging technology companies. The Technology Team was created as a collaboration between the Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).

The Team, comprised of 9 technology consultants, provides no cost specialized counseling in the following areas: financing assistance (equity and R&D grants); business, strategic, and commercialization planning; and access to resources.

About Michigan SBTDC

The Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center provides counseling, training and market research for Michigan's new business ventures, existing small businesses, expanding new businesses, new technology companies, and innovators. The MI-SBTDC is located at the Grand Valley State University, Seidman College of Business in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As host of the MI-SBTDC™ State Headquarters, the Seidman College of Business oversees the twelve-region MI-SBTDC™ network. Entrepreneurs and small business owners may access the services of their nearest MI-SBTDC by calling 616.331.7480 or visiting http://www.misbtdc.org/

MI-SBTDC OFFICE CLOSED DUE TO POWER OUTAGE

The MI-SBTDC Region 12 office in Ypsilanti is closed due to a power outage. Monday, January 18th the office will remain closed in observance of Martin Luther King day. The office will reopen for normal business hours Tuesday, January 19th.

Please feel free to leave a message on our voicemail, 734.547.9170 or email the office sbtdc@wccnet.edu and we will get back with you Tuesday. Thank you for your patience during this time.

www.misbtdc.org

Washtenaw County Leaders Celebrate Ann Arbor Ypsilanti Merger

Over 300 Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Chamber Members and elected officials crowded into the meeting space at Washtenaw Community College’s Morris Lawrence Building for the First Tuesday Breakfast of 2010. This was the first open event where joint Chamber President Diane Keller addressed the merger of the chambers.

In attendance of the event was Washtenaw Community College President Larry Whitworth, Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center Directors Charles Penner & Richard King, Ann Arbor SPARK CEO Mike Finney, and Chair of Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce Karl Couyoumjian, among other noted community members.

As many are concerned with the cost and support of the new organization Keller stated, “We will be run as if we were entrepreneurs and it’s our own money. We will make sure we spend your dollars toward economic development in this community." Although the new due schedule is yet to be determined Keller advised members to pay as currently scheduled and the new chamber will retain their anniversary date.

Currently members of both chambers also have the opportunity to attend all scheduled Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Chamber events. “You can now go back and forth to both chambers for same member price,” said Keller.

Currently the new Ann Arbor Ypsilanti Regional Chamber is split between two offices in the downtown area of both cities. The chamber is turning to members as well as the community to determine a locale. Possibilities include one main office with smaller satellite offices, or two smaller offices in each area. Members are able to voice their opinions and concerns through email to a2y@ypsichamber.org.

This merger is the first step in taking down the "invisible wall" at the intersection of Washtenaw Avenue and US-23. The community is striving to join together all resources and support for two of the largest cities in Washtenaw County. “We hope to be a model of prosperity in our community,” Keller said