Edited by author 05-11-2004 11:27 PM
Thank you for your interest in our initiative to help women business owners gain access to government markets. Please use this "quicktopic" to voice your views on the "Women's Procurement Program." Just click on "Post a new message."

Margot Dorfman, CEO
U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce

I am currently meeting with my SBA counselors trying to get additional capital to expand my business. Any advice from anyone who has been succesful would be appreciated. Barb

Thank you for being willing to try to get more opportunities with less limitations for women. As a Puerto Rican, assertive, middle age, professional Holistic practioner, massage therapist, sole proprietress, gay, I feel that, since 1991, I have been misunderstood & discriminated against. I haven't been able to afford to pay for health/dental insurances either. Maybe, things might get better by creating conciousness.

Unfortunately also, in the State of TX, the profession of Massage Therapy has become legalized prostitution due to lack of legal enforcement by the agencies responsible, & lack of information/action on behalf of ethical society members.

As the Program Manager for the Northeast Ohio Procurement Technical Assistance Center I have counseled many small businesses owned by both genders. I do not believe that requiring WOSBs to be certified will be an advantage to them. It will just add to the regulatory burden that already bogs down small businesses. Presently WOSBs can self-certify according to the SBA, and it works well for the WOSBs I think. Maybe the other parts of the proposed new law will be favorable for WOSBs, but this part will not be.

Edited by author 05-13-2004 10:55 AM
As an attorney advising women- and minority-owned businesses and Federal contractors, I applaud the proposed establishment of set-asides for certified women-owned businesses in industry/market areas that have proved difficult to penetrate. Just as the 8(a)BD and service-
disabled programs do for certified 8(a)BD participants and service-disabled veteran owned companies, the Women’s Procurement Program will give women-owned businesses more opportunity to prove themselves and to acquire the experience needed to strengthen their role in the U.S. economy. Certification for Federal procurements will not add unduly to their burden, since many, if not most, of these companies already obtain certification as woman-owned or DBE/woman-owned companies for procurements at the State, local or private corporate level.

Carol L. O'Riordan 202-822-1720
The O'Riordan Bethel Law Firm, LLP
Washington, DC
www.oriordan-law.com.

Edited by author 05-18-2004 12:35 AM
As an African-American, Woman, Veteran, the Federal Procurement process was in effect created to protect the large white defense corporations that acquire billions in contract dollars each year. Ironically, these corporations also have a track record for overbilling and under delivering the products to the government. To change this "System" of good ole boy procurement, women must demand that they have senior positions within these corporations as Procurement Managers etc and then set policies for the corporation in procuring out to women owned business. Women will continue to be left out of the federal procurement process if we don't start elected women to top procurement positions within an organization where we can make a difference and where our voice will be heard.

As a (Male) minority stockholder in Small Woman Owned Business that does government contracting I am opposed to the new WBE set aside. In fact the nation would be best served by eliminating almost all set asides except for generic small business programs, SBA loan programs and Service connected disability programs.

The service disabled veterans gave up a part, sometines a substantial part, of their lives and their enjoyment of life, to protect the restr of us and our ability to use our talents in business. They should be compensated for this.

Other set asides have become "pork barrel" games played by various groups to secure contracts without competition. Incidentally, the owner of my employer could easily become certified as a minority owned business but refuses to do so. If she did so, the taxpayers would not suddenly receive better products, or more brillant engineering studies, or anything else, but the company would be eligible for and probably would receive additional government contracts. This is ridiculous.

Terri Williams, presented clearly the statistics and facts!

Furthermore, it cannot be forgotten the effect of 8 years of democratic rule, designed to destroy the small firms, with various methods; none the less regulations and administrative functions detracting from productive use of time for the business owner.

I was told by a Federal representative:" If my intervention in causing you aggravation and loss of productive time results in your going out of business, we do not care! Somebody else will pick up the slack!"

Thank you Terri Williams - you said it all!!!

Edited by author 05-18-2004 12:24 PM
I am in the 11th year of public works construction contracting with my electrical contracting company. My observation is that the SBA is at best not very helpful and it is only a small stretch to say that they create barriers to sucess for aspiring women entrepreneurs. If I had heeded their advice I never would have founded the company, expanded nor entered new areas of opportunity. Several women associates are encountering the same thing in respect to their business plans. Most recently SBA has strongly discouraged me both from establishing my Native American tribal affiliation and pursuing the 8A program.
My only conclusion is that their priority is on areas other than women owned business. I do not believe we can expect any help from SBA in regards to "Women's Procurement Program".

Edited by author 05-19-2004 03:22 PM
In response to Mike Roger's Post. I am actually in agreement with Mike that set-asides should not be necessary. And, I believe that rule upon rule upon rule has been imposed trying to assure their are opportunities for all.

Unfortunately - our federal procurement system barely has a clue what true "competitive markets" are all about. And, now that the marketplace is full of set-asides, it is difficult for women-owned businesses to make any headway.

The federal government's own 2001 study of the issue relative to women-owned businesses concluded that the very existence of all the set-asides makes it difficult for women-owned small businesses to compete and that a WOSB set-aside was the recommended solution to assist procurement officers to more effectively help the share of procurements going to women to increase.

Are set-asides going away? NO. Has the legislation been authorized? Yes. Women-owned businesses represent over 30% of the marketplace and receive less than 5% of government procurements --- even though small business as a whole get 23%. Do the math. Does this really sound like a competitive market? No. It is a market of preferences, set-asides, etc. Unfortunately - the truth is the truth. Without some sort of assistance, WOSB's are FURTHER discriminated against.

One big problem is that the SBA's funds are being cut and it makes it hard to function. If they have the resources for this, they should not drag their feet! We need to let the Congress and Senate know that cutting these funds will slow the economy. Small businesses is the key to economic growth and if they don't give the SBA what they need to see that we grow, there will not be additional revenue in the future! The SBA programs were created to do just that, boost the economy from the bottom up.

To Bob Fenn-

Getting certified was easy, I went to the County I have my business in.

Mary Steele
Office Support Services
Yorktown, Virginia
757-887-6629
866-887-6629

MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN WHERE IT HAS BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO GET ANY TYPE OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE SBA OR WOMEN'S PROCURMENT PROGRAM. The requirements are impossible to meet if you are a start up company. This program is not user friendly. I thought these programs were intended to help low income people who wants to get out of proverty and make something of them self. But, every program wants money to become a member and I am not talking but say $50.00. I talking about hundreds of dollars. These programs are not in the business to help people, they are in the business to make money. That is just my opinon.

I have to put my two cents worth of comments about the SBA...I have been in my own business since 2000, I have dealt with members of various SBA organizations trying to pursue small business opportunities since 1994 and since 2000 for a woman-owned business...only to say...the SBA is a useless and uneventful organization when it comes to assisting in the pursuit of business. Their assistance is one sided when it comes to your ethnic origin. I have been to SBA sponsored procurement functions...I can honestly say that our Tax Dollars are being wasted! If our government thinks the SBA is really helping women and men to pursue the american dream of business ownership...they need to wake up...and live in our world!