WVPA Sharing

Small Business Administration conference Thursday in Fairmont

Free event offers SBA training and special Regulatory Fairness Roundtable

FAIRMONT, W.Va. – The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Sixth Annual Dynamic Networking for Small Business (DYNET) Conference is Thursday, April 2, at the Robert H. Mollohan Research Center in Fairmont.
The free day-long event begins at 8:30 a.m. and a special Regulatory Fairness Roundtable with Brian Castro, the National Ombudsman for Small Business concludes the event from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.

SBA Regional Administrator Natalia Olson-Urtecho joins the West Virginia and Pittsburgh district offices for the networking and training event. Attendees are invited to stop by SBA’s information tables or attend workshops to help businesses start, grow, and succeed in the federal government contracting arena. The DYNET Conference is hosted by the I-79 Development Council.  In addition to the SBA, participating organizations include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District.

SBA training sessions include:

—        Federal Solicitations – Untangled: 10:00 a.m. What separates the successful contractor from the unsuccessful?  Get the details whether this is your first time or you’re an old hand. This workshop provides a practical exercise in reviewing a solicitation to help you understand what’s important and what’s not.  Presented by: Dave Berkey, Regional Contracting Assistance Agency (RCAC) and Melissa Loder, SBA

—         Show me the Money: Financing Your Business Options: 1:30 p.m. Understand the various ways to finance your business. Tim James, First Microloan of WV Loan Officer presents criteria lenders use to determine credit worthiness. Rick Haney, SBA Lender Relations Specialist, discusses the SBA loan guarantee program to include borrower’s qualifications, funding sources, small business guaranteed loan programs, the lender’s point of view, and how to handle setbacks. Presented by: Tim James, First Microloan of WV & Rick Haney, SBA

—        Your Strategic Toolbox Update:  Teaming, Joint Ventures, Subcontracting & Mentor-Protégé Agreements in Today’s Changing Procurement Environment: 1:30 p.m. A fast-moving discussion of the risks of affiliation, time and other critical areas in crafting your agreements to include real-world examples addressed in recent SBA Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) and Court cases.  The workshop also discusses recent regulatory developments, including SBA’s ongoing size standards changes, limitations on subcontracting, SBA’s new “Safe Harbor” rule, the new authorization of WOSB sole source set-asides, the new universal mentor-protégé program, and important changes to the current joint venture and affiliation rules. Presented by: Hopewell Darnielle, III, Jackson Kelly PLLC and Melissa Loder, SBA.

—         A Conversation with America’s Small Business Ombudsman: 3:00 p.m. Join small business owners for a unique opportunity to share concerns directly with the National Ombudsman for Small Business, Brian Castro. Learn how the Office of the National Ombudsman can help your small businesses save time and money in resolving difficult regulatory compliance and enforcement issues. Join other small business owners to voice your ideas on federal regulatory challenges facing your business.

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The mission of the SBA is to aid, counsel, assist and promote the interests of small businesses by providing financial, procurement and business development assistance and advocating on their behalf within the government.  All SBA programs are extended to the public on a non-discriminatory basis.  Reasonable arrangements for persons with disabilities will be made, if requested at least 2 weeks in advance.

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