White Mountains Community College Helps Businesses Prepare to Work with US Government
Katharine Eneguess, President of White Mountains Community CollegeNow is the time to find out if your business can sell to the US Government
One of the largest purchasers of goods and services in the United States is the government of the United States. We tend to think that the only goods that the federal government buys are high-end parts that will fit in complex military machinery and that unless you are a big company with a staff of rocket scientists your chances of selling to the government are pretty slim.
This is not true, particularly for businesses here or seeking to locate in the North Country where we have a federal correctional institution in Berlin that will open before too long, and where the construction of a new land port of entry in Pittsburg will be starting soon. The federal prison in Berlin will house approximately 1,200 inmates when it is up and running. That's a lot of people to feed. Who is going to supply them with bread for their morning toast or eggs? Who is going to supply them with laundry soap to wash their uniforms?
The new port of entry in Pittsburg, when up and running, will no doubt need to be cleaned on a regular basis. It's going to have to hire someone to mop its floors and empty the waste paper baskets. Maybe it will have a vending machine for employee snacks and beverages. Who's going to own the machine and resupply the soft drinks and candy bars? It could be you. As David Pease, program manager of the Procurement Technical Assistance Program (NH-PTAP) says, he has yet to find something the government doesn't buy somewhere.
So how to you get started doing business with the federal government? There's a workshop planned for all interested. On Saturday, Feb. 20, NH-PTAP staff is coming to the Colebrook House in Colebrook, along with representatives of Micro-Credit-NH, the New Hampshire Small Business Development Center, and White Mountains Community College. A day-long workshop will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In the morning, economic development professionals will meet with participants to let them know the resources and help available. During the afternoon the NH-PTAP staff's presentation will include what kinds of goods and services the government needs to buy, and how to sign up in order to submit a bid to sell your goods and services to the government. PTAP staff will actually help participants through some of the qualification process, thanks to the great modern computer and communications technology.
There is a lot of red tape (paperwork) involved in doing business with the federal government, but the advantages of having the government for a customer far outweigh the nuisance of filling out the paperwork. Businesses in Coös County have an advantage in the bidding process, as extra points are given because the county is an economically disadvantaged region.
This is the first of six events in the North Country. Keep your eye out for more events coming up, as we here at White Mountains Community College collaborate with state officials, local staff at New Hampshire Works in Berlin, and other economic development professionals.
The day is open to those who are in business now, and those who are thinking of starting up a business. Registration is required. To register call Diana Rancourt or Brian Bresnahan at 237-5859.
Back to News List© White Mountains Community College. 2020 Riverside Drive, Berlin, NH 03570. Tel: (800)445-4525 or (603)752-1113.