The University of Georgia Small Business Development Center at Valdosta State University will present Federal Government: GSA Scheduling and Federal Government: 8(A) Certification from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 12, in Thaxton Hall Room 102. Registration for both workshops is $79 through Sept. 30 with code “ebd” and $99 thereafter.
 
Federal Government: GSA Scheduling will introduce business owners and operators, as well as aspiring entrepreneurs, to the General Services Administration Schedules Program. This includes tips on how to obtain GSA Schedules contracts, how to determine if the GSA contract is the right move to make, and how to market the GSA Schedules to contract federal buys.
 
Federal Government: 8(a) Certification will teach business owners and operators, as well as aspiring entrepreneurs, how to secure a lucrative government contact. It is designed to help socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs gain access to mainstream American opportunities. Attendees will learn about sole source contracts, competitive bidding, joint ventures, eligibility requirements, and more.
 
The United States government is the largest single purchaser of goods and services in the world, awarding approximately $500 billion in contracts every year, according to the Small Business Development Center. For some small businesses, this can be a good strategy for immediate and continued success.
 
The Small Business Administration’s Office of Government Contracting and Business Development works with federal agencies to award at least 23 percent of all prime government contract dollars to small businesses and to help federal agencies meet specific statutory goals for small disadvantaged businesses, women-owned small businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, and small businesses that are located in historically underutilized business zones. The Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development Program assists eligible socially and economically disadvantaged individuals in developing and growing their businesses through one-on-one counseling, training, workshops, matchmaking opportunities with federal buyers, and other management and technical guidance.   
 
Headquartered in Athens, the Small Business Development Center is a partnership between the University of Georgia, Valdosta State University, the University of West Georgia, Georgia State University, Georgia Southern University, Clayton State University, and Kennesaw State University. It is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the United States Small Business Administration, boasts 17 offices across the state, and strives to enhance the economic well-being of Georgians by providing a wide range of educational services for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs, including no-cost, confidential consulting services.
 
The UGA Small Business Development Center at VSU serves the citizens of Atkinson, Berrien, Brooks, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Lanier, Lowndes, and Thomas counties by providing small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs with the tools and resources needed to develop business strategy and improve performance. It is considered an essential resource for small businesses in South Georgia.
 
Please contact Cindy Corgan, program coordinator with the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center at VSU, at [email protected] or (229) 245-3738 to reserve a seat or learn more. Class size is limited.