Helping Businesses Grow & Succeed
For Karina Vaguez, owner of a full-scale meetings and events production company, the pandemic could have been a time to retrench. Obviously, a business like hers was going to be hit hard with convenings shut down. But instead of wallowing in worry, Vaguez used this traumatic time to prepare her […]
If you are new to government contracting, Florida SBDC at FIU can help you get started. As a first step, you need to look at whether it makes sense for your business. Does the government buy what you sell? What value are you bringing to them? You need to be […]
South Florida Anchor Alliance forms to help minority small businesses access government contracts Black and brown small business owners face challenges accessing government contracts to grow and sustain their businesses. The South Florida Anchor Alliance, a new collaboration between 19 local healthcare, educational and government organizations, seeks to change that. […]
It’s been nearly three years since Florida International University launched StartUP FIU Procurement to help minority-led small businesses grow and navigate the world of government and anchor institution contracting. Let’s check in with StartUP FIU Procurement Director Barbara Cotto and see how they are doing. The small business incubator was […]
Stephannie Cetoute took over the reins of the family business, Amer Plus Janitorial Maintenance, in 2018. While she had a background in economics and finance and from time to time helped out her father who started the business in 1998, going in “full throttle” to run a business for the […]
“Government contracting is a long game – you have to be approaching it with a strategy,” says George Ray III, a consultant for Florida SBDC at FIU. “If you don’t have a plan, you almost plan to fail. It’s highly competitive, I can’t stress that enough,” Fortunately, Ray has great […]
“You need to dream big. Do not box yourself in, do not think things are not possible, “ said Ed Haynes, of Haynes Security Services. “But you have to prepare yourself for success.” This successful Miami-Dade small business owner prepared for the world of government contracting with the help of […]
Ready to write your proposal for a government contracting opportunity? Florida SBDC at FIU assembled a group of experts to share some advice for small businesses – and war stories – about bidding for and winning government contracts, whether it is for local, state or federal work. Earlier this week, […]
It’s true that the government is still buying but does it need what you are selling? That is one of the first questions that small business owners who are interested in government contracting should ask themselves, says Orlando Espinosa, owner of Emineo Media, who recently hosted a webinar for Florida […]
This October, StartUP FIU Procurement graduated its first cohort, a group of 11 minority-led small businesses that service the construction industry. The small business incubator was born out of discussions about how information about FIU’s own contracting opportunities weren’t reaching minority-owned small businesses at the levels the university wanted. Turns […]