Want to Expand Your Sales?

INTERESTED IN BECOMING A SUPPLIER TO THE NUCLEAR ENERGY INDUSTRY? WINTHROP REGIONAL SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER IS HOSTING A NUCLEAR INDUSTRY SUPPLIER PROCUREMENT SEMINAR (anyone interested in doing business with the government however, is welcome to come and learn):

Tuesday, May 17, 2011, Winthrop University's Carroll Hall, Room 200
9:00 am- 12:00 noon
This three-hour workshop will include:
 Government Contracting (and the nuclear industry)
 Getting Registered (the “paperwork”)
 Getting Certified (set-aside programs you may be eligible for)
 Is this for you? (are you “responsible”)
 Topics include bonding, insurance, marketing and accounting
 Getting started (finding work opportunities and networking)
 Topic includes a discussion of subcontracting
 Competition, how the process works

Presenter:
Scott Bellows, PTAC Manager for the SC SBDC

REGISTRATION:
Limited Seating

To register, contact Alice at:
alice.becker@moore.sc.edu
WORKSHOP LOCATION
Winthrop University
Carroll Hall – Room 200
701 Oakland Avenue
Rock Hill, SC 29733

Enter the campus through the main gate on Oakland Avenue, and bear right onto Memorial Circle. Go to the stop sign after the 3rd building on your right. Turn right and Carroll Hall will be the building on the right side. Parking is available in the parking lot directly across from Carroll Hall on your left.

“The South Carolina SBDC is partially funded under Cooperative Agreement No. 1-603001-Z-0043-21 by the U.S. Small Business Administration.”
The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) operates in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration. The support given by the U.S. Small Business Administration through such funding does not constitute an expressed or implied endorsement of the co-sponsor(s) or participants’ opinions, products or services.” All SBDC programs are non-discriminatory and available to individuals with disabilities.

The Right Way to Ask for an SBA Loan

SBA money IS available for a variety of business loans, but what potential borrowers don't always realize is that the SBA funds are not given directly from the SBA ..... those funds are administered by banks, and as such are approved by those banks according to their own company's rules for lending.

But our SBA sources tell us that potential borrowers need to do a little research before heading to just any bank to apply for an SBA loan. Call ahead before going to any bank and inquire as to whether or not that particular bank offers SBA loans; and if so, WHO is their SBA Loan Officer. Not every loan officer handles or understands SBA loans. Once they get the name of the right person to speak with, they need to go ahead and request an appointment with the SBA Loan Officer. This will be a process, as is any loan negotiation, and you'll want to insure that they set aside enough time to really talk to you and understand your concept -- you don't want to stop by unannounced, catch them at a bad time, and have them only half listen to your proposal because they're watching the clock to get to their next meeting. Get that appointment with the right person at their convenience, and you'll up your chances of a successful relationship with your loan officer.

Access to Capital -- A Lender's Perspective

NFIB/South Carolina, the South Carolina Banker’s Association, and the South Carolina Department of Commerce are teaming up to present "Access to Capital - A Lenders Perspective". In this session local lenders will offer tips to business owners on how to make successful loan presentations. They will discuss common problems with small business applications and recommend resources to help companies improve their overall loan presentation.

Webinar topics and presenters will include:
• Introduction
J.J. Darby, NFIB/South Carolina State Director

• A Lender’s Perspective
Justin Strickland, CEO – Southern First Bank

• Overview of Funding Sources
Keith Black, President and CEO - Provident Financial Services

Participants can also ask questions of the panel.

Space is limited. RSVP today!
South Carolina Small Business Webinar Series
Access to Capital: A Lenders Perspective
May 12, 2011 11 a.m. to noon

To register, please e-mail ashleigh.amburn@nfib.org or call the NFIB/South Carolina office at 803-254-1476. After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail with information about joining the webinar.

Nuclear Industry Supplier Information Seminar

South Carolina -- The Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce, The Carolinas’ Nuclear Cluster and the Small Business Development Center will host a FREE Nuclear Industry Supplier Information Seminar on Thursday, June 2nd from 9 am – 12 noon at First Federal, 238 S. Coit Street – 3rd Floor.

The nuclear energy industry is ready to provide the reliable, carbonless electricity our world needs, and the Carolinas' Nuclear Cluster plans to be a part of that growth. Small and medium-sized firms can be part of the planning, construction and operation of these power facilities. The nuclear industry has detailed specifications for its suppliers, and knowing those specs are critical to success.

Firms that could be possible suppliers can benefit from this short seminar:

-- MANUFACTURERS: Pipes, valves, fittings, electrical systems, HVAC,

construction materials, stainless steel.

-- SERVICES: Machine shops, electrical/mechanical/HVAC maintenance, waste,

clean-up, office maintenance, hazmat, painters, radiological protection, quality control, lab services.

What you will learn:

-- The status of the nuclear industry in the Carolinas

-- Basic requirements of nuclear suppliers

-- How procurement officers in the industry operate

-- Availability of advanced business processes that can aid entering the nuclear market

Registration is limited to the first 35 participants. The Nuclear Cluster is providing this session under its "Innovative Economies" project. This session is for South Carolina-based firms.

To register for this event, go online at http://www.flochamber.com/ This event is organized by the Carolinas Nuclear Cluster, a part of New Carolina (http://www.newcarolina.org/). The Carolinas Nuclear Cluster supports the economic development of the Carolinas through nuclear energy.

IRS Tax Workshop Tomorrow -- Don't Forget!

Just a last minute reminder about this all-important tax workshop ..... we only hold these twice a year, and they're so important to business owners. The FREE IRS Tax workshops are taught by a CPA and representatives of the SC Employment Security Commission and Department of Revenue. Come make sure that you are in compliance with all the new rules and regulations for the coming tax year!

IRS Tax Workshop -- Tuesday, April 26, 9 am to 3 pm in Room 415 of the College of Business (Thurmond Building) on the campus of Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC. From the I-77 ramp on Cherry Road, head toward Rock Hill until you come to the main campus at the corner of Cherry Road and Oakland Avenue. Take the very next left on to Park Avenue. You will see the Thurmond Bldg. ahead at the stop sign. Parking spots are available in the small lot to your left of our building on the other side of Park Ave. You can also use any green striped parking spots (Visitor's spots) throughout campus.

Call 803 323-2283 if you'd like to pre-register by phone

'Express Your Pledge' Challenge to Entrepreneurs For Chance at Ticket to 'Big Omaha'

... Competition invites entrepreneurs to express what being a founder means to them.

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is inviting entrepreneurs to read its "Entrepreneur's Pledge," and express what it means to them for a chance to win a ticket to Big Omaha, a sold-out event billed as "the nation's most ambitious conference on innovation and entrepreneurship," to be held May 11-13, 2011 in Omaha, Neb.

The Foundation created the "Pledge" for entrepreneurs to not only publicly express their enthusiasm for being a business owner, but also to show their support for entrepreneurship as a cause. Big Omaha's "Express Your Pledge" competition asks entrepreneurs to review the Pledge and explain in 300 words or less what it means to them and at least two ways they could do a better job fulfilling it.

"Like the Pledge itself, Big Omaha's competition gives founders a chance to voice what it means to contribute to our communities and the economy every day, and to have an opportunity to win a seat at Big Omaha," said Nick Seguin, manager of entrepreneurship at the Kauffman Foundation.

More than 500 innovators and entrepreneurs are expected to attend Big Omaha, which will feature speakers such as Shervin Pishevar, founder and CEO of Social Gaming Network, and Sarah Lacy, senior editor at TechCrunch.

Competition entrants each must complete an application at http://www.entrepreneurship.org/en/Entrepreneurs-Movement/Contest.aspx. Entries are due by April 29, 2011, and the winner will be announced the week of May 2. The winning entrant will be responsible for all travel expenses.


The Entrepreneur's Pledge:

I am an Entrepreneur.

-- I am following a dream, pursuing an opportunity, taking charge of my own destiny.
-- I am bringing something of value to society, making a job for myself and for others, and creating wealth that benefits my family, my community, my country, my world.
-- I am one of a movement of millions of entrepreneurs and innovators who made America great, and who will continue to keep our economy going...and growing.
-- I am what I am because many people have helped me along on this journey.
Therefore:
-- I will tell my story, sharing my successes and failures, so that others taking the entrepreneurial path can learn.
-- I will strive to mentor an aspiring entrepreneur.
-- I will make my voice heard by those who make policy decisions that affect me and my business.
-- I will appreciate and celebrate my accomplishments, and the accomplishments of all my fellow entrepreneurs.
-- I will give back to the society that helped me to be successful.
-- I will Build a Stronger America.

SBA Honors Nation’s Best Small Business Contractors

National Prime Contractor & Subcontractor of the Year to be Named During National Small Business Week


WASHINGTON – More than twenty small business contractors, federal acquisition executives and business and industry leaders from around the country will come to Washington, D.C., in mid May 2011 to accept awards for excellence in the federal contracting arena.

Two small businesses from among regional prime contractors and subcontractors of the year will receive the National Prime and Subcontractor of the Year awards honoring small businesses that have provided outstanding goods and services as contractors.

They are among the nation’s top entrepreneurs who will be honored at the U.S. Small Business Administration’s National Small Business Week events May 18-20 in Washington, D.C. Under the theme, “Empowering Entrepreneurs,” a series of events and educational forums will mark the 58th anniversary of the agency and the 48th annual National Small Business Week.

The procurement award small business winners provide a broad range of products and services to the federal government and private industry including environmental remediation services, the construction of transmission lines, aviation management and staffing services, and they hail from 18 states from Massachusetts to Alaska.

The three-day event in Washington, D.C., will take place at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Events can be viewed virtually through SBA’s free, live webcasting, which will be accessible at http://www.nationalsmallbusinessweek.com/. Business owners, business organizations, other individuals and the news media can register online at www.nationalsmallbusinessweek.com where additional information is available.

Other procurement awards that will be given out during the 2011 National Small Business Week award events include:
• The Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence, recognizing large prime contractors who have excelled in their utilization of small businesses as suppliers and subcontractors.
• The Gold Star Award, recognizing exemplary performance of federal staff who manage the aggressive goals and strategic initiatives that help ensure a role for small business in the federal marketplace.
• The Frances Perkins Vanguard Award, honoring government and industry for excellence in the use of women-owned small businesses as prime contractors and subcontractors.

A complete list of all award winners will be available on the National Small Business Week Web site at http://www.nationalsmallbusinessweek.com