The Small Business Administration was established to assist small businesses in succeeding to promote a better economy and provide jobs for everyone. The agency has assistance programs which help small businesses secure working capital from banks, and train company executives to run a competitive business.

One program which has been highly successful for women minority owned businesses competing for federal government projects is the MBE/WBE 8(a) program. By becoming certified through the SBA as an 8(a), businesses can compete for the thousands of federal contracts listed on the FedBizOpps.gov Website.

Certification as an 8(a) begins with a visit to the Small Business Administration office in your metropolitan area where you can get the necessary forms and receive coaching in preparing the application package and business strategy. Companies entering this program must have been in business for two years, and the certification process can take about a year. Once the forms are filled out and submitted, the application passes through a local approval process, then a regional approval process in San Francisco, and finally a federal approval process in Washington DC. When granted, 8(a) certification is a nine-year program with oversight from the SBA which gives the company certain advantages in the competitive bidding process.

However, businesses with 8(a) status do not typically win contracts alone. 8(a) companies usually begin working with a “mentor” or a company which has done contract business with the government agency before. The new 8(a) company may compete as the prime contractor or as a subcontractor, but the mentor company should have at least five past performance projects in their portfolio to include in the proposal, and the potential for winning the contract will be based on the mentor’s past completed work which is relevant to the contract being pursued.

The 8(a) will have to contact likely mentor companies which have outstanding track records completing government projects. By forming a joint-venture with a new 8(a) business, the mentor will become more competitive in getting contract work, and the 8(a) will begin to create a work history of past performance projects. The competitive advantage lasts a maximum of nine years, at which point the 8(a) will lose its status, but should have enough past performance work to compete effectively without the advantage, or may choose to become a mentor to another 8(a) firm. 8(a) firms can choose to work with different mentor companies in pursuing different government contracts.

Government agencies usually know what services are available and what they cost before they put the contract to bid, and may have an idea of what company will win the bid. Requests for Proposal (RFPs) are sent out to keep vendors competitive, and find out what new companies have to offer. As a business submitting a proposal to the federal government, regardless of whether you have 8(a) status or not, you are entitled to contact the federal agency, introduce your company, and discuss how the contract will be awarded. And if you don’t win the contract, you are also entitled to know where your proposal was weak compared to the company which won it.

When pursuing federal government contracts, it is a good idea to become familiar with the contracting agencies and your contract competitors, and maybe doing a joint-venture project with one or more which have done this work for the client before would be a way to start.

When we speak of “corporate communications” usually think about big companies. I don’t think it has anything to do with the size of a company. I think corporate communications (as differentiated from marketing and sales) is more about relationship building, building a reputation, and building a lasting legacy.

A little story about Corky McMillin, the founder of McMillin Communities. He started out in 1960 as a small contractor building homes in his hometown of Chula Vista, CA with just a couple helpers and his wife doing the books. He pooled his employees with his mechanic and dentist to get a health insurance plan.

One of his sons took to the construction side of the business, and another to the real estate sales side, and his daughter created an interior design business to serve the needs of the business. The business grew until they had created whole neighborhoods in Chula Vista. They built relationships with the residents of Chula Vista by building good homes, through their community volunteerism, their love of offroad racing, and the resale of homes they had built through McMillin Realty.

As the company grew larger, my newsletters served to keep his employees and subcontractors informed of what was happening.  The newsletters celebrated employee anniversaries, introduced new people to the staff, covered the planning and openings of new projects and new phases in developments, and maintained relationships with staff and subs.

Corporate communications is very much about building a brand, and staying in alignment with everything that brand represents. In the case of McMillin, they never produced anything but consistently high quality homes which will serve their occupants for years to come. The company has built nearly 30,000 homes in master-planned communities, as well as community parks, thousands of miles of roads, schools, shopping centers, commercial office and industrial parks, college dormitories and 2,000 military residences on seven military bases. It is now building homes throughout California and parts of Texas. Its prominent redevelopment of San Diego’s Naval Training Center into Liberty Station on San Diego Bay was voted Base Redevelopment Community of the Year by the Association of Defense Communities.

Corky McMillin’s reputation for quality construction and personal service — as well as his induction into the offroad motorsports hall of fame, and being honored for his financial support to the real estate program at San Diego State University — have established a living legacy to the man who started it all in Chula Vista, CA. Corky McMillin even has an elementary school named after him. Even though the man passed away several years ago, the relationship between the company he built and the communities it serves is still strong.

This is an example of how corporate communications (and the company which employees it) is about growing relationships, not making transactions. There is a saying that people don’t remember so much about how much you know or do, but do remember how much you care. Corporate communications communicates that to the world.

Retail businesses can get a whole lot more from a computer system than a spreadsheet. San Diego-based Rapid POS provides computer systems which provide control and cost savings to most aspects of the retail business including: cash register functions, inventory control, purchasing and receiving, price labeling, accounting, and e-commerce Web sites, all which can be dynamically updated with the flow of sales, inventory and price changes.

Retail businesses lose a lot of profitable sales due to mis-labeling, lack of inventory, improper staffing throughout the day, not keeping available product listed or promoted on their e-commerce Web site, or insufficient data on what is selling different days of the week. Rapid POS helps business owners manage all of those factors, and the difference can make the business far more profitable, especially for businesses with thin profit margins.

Rapid POS can provide innovative technology to business functions you may not have thought about. I recently designed graphics for a touch-screen customer sign-in system for a hair and skin salon in Las Vegas for Rapid POS. The touch-screen monitor stationed near the front door allows patrons to sign in, select a hair or skin “artist,” and register as a “member” with phone and email information. This technology is pretty “cool.”

Give me a call at 619-203-0522 if you would like to be introduced to Bart, Kyle and Matt
at Rapid POS.

One of my clients, a government contractor, has been awarded $750 million in government contracts this year with the proposals and presentations I designed. A typical proposal requires two or more binders of information covering every aspect of the proposed work including a thorough description of the scope of work, a plan for implementation, specific design approach to solving problems inherent in the work, description of the team of individuals responsible for each part of the work, description of previous experience which qualifies the team to undertake this project, and tables for all costs involved.

Well-designed proposals which feature a comprehensive assessment of the proposed project with graphics which visually support the company’s credibility are required in getting a large contract award. How well the proposal information is presented is viewed as an indication of how well the company can follow through with the actual work, even if that work may be about moving dirt or building a runway. Several copies of this set of information are delivered to the contracting agency in advance of the due date so that various decision makers each get their own copy. For one proposal project, I produced a total of 108 binders of information (54 were delivered in cartons to the agency, and a duplicate set of 54 were available to express ship in case the first set is lost in transit).

After the proposals are reviewed, my client has hopefully been selected to present an oral presentation in person to the agency. For that, I produce PowerPoint presentations, or printed marketing collateral which can be left with the interviewers to help sell the company after the interview. So far 2009 has been a successful year for my client, with the potential of adding to the list of contracts they have won.

Some companies have their own staff of engineers, designers and editors to prepare their proposals, presentations and marketing materials. I am available on a freelance basis to contractors who need to outsource their proposal design services. Call Jim Hance at 619-203-0522 to discuss your proposal project and needs.

I have belonged to a business networking group for about three years which meets in La Mesa, CA. The benefit to small companies of belonging to a business network is the opportunity to get business referrals from other companies as though they are your sales force. This works best when you are not in competition with a similar company in the network, and your network includes companies which naturally receive a volume of business which they can refer to you. Within our network I have a team which includes a printer and an IT specialist. There are other companies in the network, but most of our business network referrals come from one another. The three of us constitute a “marketing power team.”

We would very much like to add the following companies to our marketing power team: a sign company, an advertising specialties company, an SEO specialist, a Web developer, a product photographer, and an event planner. These are the types of companies and business people with whom we can immediately share business. Other members of our chapter have other power groups, and would welcome a chiropractor, a florist, a handyman, a painter, a plumber and a trust attorney. Anyone interested in visiting our Wealth Builders business network can call me at 619-203-0522, or visit our Website at www.bniwealthbuilders.com.

I have belonged to a business networking group which meets in La Mesa for about three years. The benefit to small companies of belonging to a business network is the opportunity to get business referrals from other companies as though they are your sales force. This works best when you are not in competition with a similar company in the network, and your network includes companies which naturally receive a volume of business which they can refer to you. I belong to a team which includes a printer and an IT specialist. There are other companies in the network, but most of our business network referrals come from one another. The three of us constitute a “marketing power team.”

We would very much like to add the following companies to our marketing power team: a sign company, an advertising specialties company, an SEO specialist, a Web developer, a product photographer, and an event planner. Other categories of professions we would welcome include chiropractor, florist, handyman, painter, plumber and trust attorney. Anyone interested in more information on our Wealth Builders business network can call me at 619-203-0522, or visit our Website at www.bniwealthbuilders.com

Do you find yourself becoming distracted, wasting time, losing money and being less successful than you want? Do you have nothing to aspire to except the daily grind of work? Are you constantly reactive to life’s daily changes? Want to be more involved with things you are passionate about? Want to direct your life more?

Perhaps it is time to write or re-write your business vision statement.

A business vision statement is an inspirational, energizing idea that you can use to excite yourself, and others, about what you want to do into the future. And simple vision statements are the most effective. They are easy to remember and easy to communicate to others. If your vision statement becomes something you believe and truly want with passion, creating it can propel you to success. It is your statement of intent about the difference you and your business will make in the world. Wow!

Here are some suggestions for creating a vision statement:

Think about what excites you about the future. Think about where you want to take your business. Think about what you want to get out of your life’s work. Write as many ideas down as you can think about the positive outcome you want to see. Then, put all those ideas into one bold statement you can remember each day.

Simplicity, clarity, authenticity and inspiration are the cornerstones for a good vision statement. Enjoy the process.

Professional networking sites function as online meeting places for business and industry professionals, and serves as a business-to-business marketplace. The traditional way to interact is face-to-face. Social networking Websites make it possible for people to network with their peers from anywhere, at anytime in an online environment.

With hundreds of professional networking sites on the Web, which Websites and which features are going to be beneficial to promoting a small business (or a large one)? I asked Rick Itzkowich, co-founder of Productive Learning & Leisure, and blogger on social networking for newbies, what sites he thought are best for business relationship development, and what features are particularly valuable.

LinkedIn claims to have more than 20 million registered users from 150 different industries. This is a good way to connect to professionals in a specific field. Rick recommends the LinkedIn Q&A section as a great way to get exposure, and you can get a lot of credibility by having people recommend you. But Rick says LinkedIn is not a particularly good marketing site for the small business owner or independent professional.

Facebook, perhaps the best known social networking site in North America, seems like a good way to stay in contact with family and friends throughout the day, and does allow me to feed my blog to my “wall.” Rick says he finds their interface too complicated. There are many features to Facebook which are not readily accessible through the navigation.  

Biznik.com bills itself as “business networking that doesn’t suck.” Biznik offers free accounts, with many features turned off or limited without upgrading to a $10-$24 per month subscription. Biznik promotes articles written by members to be posted and rated by readers. This system gives members excellent feedback on whether people are reading your articles, and what they think about them with “comments.” My profile page shows photos of people in my network, my recent activity in the network, and three articles I posted with a readers’ rating of each. For monthly subscription you can feed your latest blog stories, have a video profile, find out who visited your profile page, and make contact with them. According to Rick, who is subscribed at the $10 a month level, Biznik is “a great way to gain visibility through articles. I also find the folks there to be cooperative. It is a great site, especially in Seattle where they have about 8,000 members, and they get a lot of live events.”

Plaxo.com calls itself a “different kind of address book, one that leverages the power of the network effect to stay up-to-date.”  According to Rick, “I only use Plaxo as a way to keep track of people’s birthdays. Their system makes it incredibly easy (and economical) to send people an e-card for their birthday. There are other uses for it, but I only use it for this.” Call me paranoid, but I don’t put my correct birthdate on any of these sites. 

Ecademy.com is really big in Europe, and will instantly get your email inbox filled with people wanting to add you to their network unless this feature is turned off. Advertise your business, find businesses, post and respond to blogs, run your own business networking events, automatic search engine submission on Google. According to Rick, “If you’re interested in networking internationally, it’s the best site.”

And Rick says Naymz.com is “a great site to build your credibility and reputation. It is great for SEO. They also have a feature that if you reach a certain reputation level, they pay for a sponsored link in Google. You can type my name, Rick Itzkowich, into Google and you will see the sponsored link on the right. This is free for me.”

Those are six business networking sites, and I have a profile on each of them. Here are some entertaining and informative resources for getting into business networking on the Web:

Laura Bergells 
“Birds and the Bees: 4 Truths about Social Media Networking”

Common Craft
Social Media in Plain English

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpIOClX1jPE

Rick Itzkowich
Social Networking for Newbies (Blog)

http://www.snfornewbies.com

Debra Simpson (North San Diego Business)
Magic in Words / Magic in Blogging (Blogtalkradio, Tutorials and Consulting)

http://www.magicinwords.com/

Paul Chaney (Realtor)
Social Media: What You Need to Know for Today’s Market

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DDbRnzMg-g

Josh Bernoff
How To Be a Social Media Change Agent

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB9Npo3qtH0

Poetic Prophet Chuck of Mo Serious TV
Social Media Addition Rap

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwAjur3_08Y

Or Delivering Your Marketing Message Clearly and Distinctly

When it comes to marketing, there is a lot of talk about the importance of branding. The terms “marketing” and “branding” have come to mean almost the same thing. Branding is about identifying and differentiating your company, product or thing in the marketplace, and building trust with your customers. It involves images, descriptions, attributes and symbols which convey the essence of your company, product or service, development of a “personality” in the marketplace using appropriate logo, fonts, color schemes, symbols and sounds representing the company values, and building trust with customers through the way products and services are presented and delivered. Branding can cover a whole lot of things.

Jim Hance Graphic Communications helps small businesses develop effective marketing tools such as brochures, publications, presentations, trade show exhibits, email newsletters and Websites. Call Jim Hance at 619-203-0522 for an free evaluation of your project.

Corporate communications is about managing perceptions about an organization: its corporate culture, its corporate identity, its corporate philosophy, its corporate citizenship, and its place in the marketplace. 

Corporate communications can include employee recruitment. These 80" banners are used at job fairs to extend the company branding and reputation among potential employees.

Websites are an important corporate communications tool.

 Corporate Communications is between an organization and its publics and its own staff. It relies heavily on public relations, and may involve an employee or company newsletter, crisis management with the news media, special events planning, employee recruitment, building the corporate brand, and communicating with stockholders, clients or donors.

Advertising and email blasts can appeal to investors and other publics.

I have worked on corporate communications with several types of organizations. One was a nonprofit membership organization with the purpose of developing business opportunities, where the emphasis was usually on providing information services to member companies. Projects included member publications, newsletters, special event announcements, trade show exhibits, presentations, flyers about special programs and business opportunities, advertising which promoted the members as well as the organization, special acknowledgments to members, press kits, advertising specialties, Websites, email blasts…the list goes on. Another type of organization I provide corporate communications for is a nature preserve conservancy, where I produce their quarterly newsletter which goes out to members in the community, volunteers, and political stakeholders. When the organization hosts special events on their property, I design descriptive wayfinding signage and maps.Another type of organization I provide corporate communications for is an investment firm, where I have redesigned more than 50 publications which the firm is required by law to provide to investors regarding their investment product performance. In addition to publications, the company also requires PowerPoint presentations for seminars to brokers on how to sell their products, press releases and press kits talking about the company, and a Website which includes all of the information investors and brokers need to make informed decisions.

Corporate communications can encompasss a hundred different types of projects which influence the organization’s employees, customers, potential customers, stockholders, local and national policy makers, partners and often the general public. It is often directed by a public affairs officer, but also these projects can come directly from the CEO, a department head, the sales or marketing director, and individuals who work on specific projects and programs. Corporate communications usually differs from other sales and marketing activities as it promotes the company, not specific products or services of that company.

It is often intended to influence more than one group at a time. For example, special event may be a showcase for the offerings of member companies, but at the same time the event promotes membership in the organization, gives responsible individuals an opportunity to talk to the membership about the direction and successes of the organization, and may be hosted by “partner” groups or companies which have a common interest. Ways to promote such an event include direct mail flyers, email blasts, newspaper advertising, press releases, and banner advertising. Items which might be required to support the event might include admission tickets, signage, programs, flyers, presentations, trade show exhibits, business cards, flags, and many other items.     

Jim Hance Graphic Communications supports organizations by producing Websites, annual reports, newsletters, branding of publications and company brochures, press kits, special events promotion, presentations and tradeshow materials, and many other tools organizations use to communicate with their publics. Give Jim Hance a call at 619-203-0522.