Small Business Information

Getting City Contracts; Local Government Contracting


All cities have a purchasing office and/or a procurement officer. They handle all city contracts that are sent out to bid. Usually, to become a small business vendor of the city you must satisfy either some or all of the requirements listed below:

Minority Or Woman Owned Business

Small Business (Under $500,000/Year Gross)

Worker's Compensation Insurance (If Employees Work On Contract)

Liability Insurance Of $500,000-1,000,000 Aggregate With The City As Additional

Insured (For Autos And Completed Operations) (finish products liability)

City Business License

Local Business In Town

Hire Local Employees

Not all contracts are sent out to bid however. Some of the gravy contracts are ad-ons, additions or "Oh, by the way," contracts. The latter of which are by far the best. These contracts come up often. Here's how its works. Now for this example lets use a cleaning service:

The city manager comes up with an idea. He's seen you out at the corporation yard cleaning cars with your high-pressure machine. He needs you to clean the bird droppings off a flagpole in front of city hall, frontage of the library and awnings around the civic center. You work out a price at $100/hour once a week. Since this is out of their budget, they settle on every other week. You adjust the price to $120/hour. Then as you do the job, you figure out a way to do it in one-half the time ($240/hour).

You then donate $30-50 in coupons to his kid's school, rotary club and whatever church he and the current mayor attend. First you have to get a city contract. Bid low. It's worth it. This is how it really works, no matter what the rest of the world says. Government is no different or anymore ethical than rat living at the dump. If you are wondering why all the same companies get all the city's business, it is because they understand how it all works. It would be nice to have a more honest government at all levels, but since you can provide great services to the city and you deserve the business, you may as well get out there and go get it. It is not good or bad, it just is; it is much different than they teach you in school. Maybe some day it will be; one can only hope. Think about it.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs


MORE RESOURCES:

Boston Globe

Barack Obama spars with GOP over small business bill as stats show weak ...
New York Daily News
Barack Obama blasted the GOP for blocking a bill to aid small business owners, while Sen. Mike Johanns hit back. President Barack Obama hammered Republicans ...
Obama blames GOP on small business lending billThe Associated Press
Obama Pushes Small Business Bill in Radio AddressWall Street Journal
Small Business Lending and Loan News; Senate Republicans Vote on Bill to Aid ...Learning and Finance (blog)
Small Business News from Gaebler.com -UPI.com -True/Slant
all 810 news articles »


Small business resources
Houston Chronicle
IRS Small Business Tax Workshop: 1:30-4 pm, Katherine Tyra Library, 16719 Clay Road. Speaker: Greg Vernon. Topics: Choice of business entity, payroll, ...



NBC13.com

Attempted Repeal Of Small Business Tax Reporting Requirements Fails In House
Wall Street Journal
Business groups, Republicans and a watchdog agency within the IRS have charged that it would burden small business with mounds of extra paperwork. ...
House Republicans nix Democrats effort to repeal 1099 requirementThe Hill (blog)
US Democrats Under Fire Over Health Law Reporting MandateNASDAQ
Democrats Fail to Annul Health OverhaulTopNews United Kingdom (blog)
Outside the Beltway -Arizona Daily Star
all 338 news articles »


Xinhua

Obama charges GOP with blocking small business plan
Xinhua
"That's what we're trying to do with the Small Business Jobs Act - a bill that has been praised as being good for small businesses by groups like the ...
President Obama: Senate Republicans Stop Holding Small Businesses HostageWorldNewsVine (blog)
TPMDC Saturday RoundupTPMDC (blog)
Obama: US Can't "Demagogue" ImmigrationCBS News
Pioneer Press
all 146 news articles »


Small business owners serving the Meadowlands express apprehenion about the ...
NorthJersey.com
Governor Christie's recent commission report on the future of The Meadowlands Racetrack and the Izod Center is making small businesses and ...

and more »


Telegraph.co.uk

Republicans Block Bill to Aid Small Business
New York Times (blog)
The vote on the small-business bill followed several emotional exchanges on the floor. “That is the tradition in the United States Senate: majority rules, ...
Republicans continue Senate filibuster of small-business bill, stymie DemocratsWashington Post
GOP blocks small-business lendingBoston Globe
Senate fails to move forward on small-business legislationThe Hill (blog)
The Associated Press -International Business Times -Press Herald
all 4,209 news articles »


Los Angeles Times

Desperate for capital, small businesses turn to private lenders
Los Angeles Times
On the table in the Senate is a bill to restore funding to a key Small Business Administration loan-guarantee program and set up a $30-billion fund to ...
Bank of America Announces Program to Help up to $100 Million in Small Business ...LoanSafe
Small Businesses Get Help With $10 Million Pledge From BoASmall Business News from Gaebler.com
BofA Launches $10 Million Small Biz Grant ProgramCredit Union Times

all 12 news articles »


Small Business SBA 504 Loan Program Changes; Loans and Refinancing at Low ...
Learning and Finance (blog)
The Senate recently voted down a stimulus bill that would have increased small business lending in an attempt to support economic recovery. ...
SBA loan program proves effective for Portsmouth restaurantSeacoastonline.com
Fannie & Freddie ReduxAmerican Thinker (blog)

all 3 news articles »


The small business professor: Getting prepared for health care reform
Knoxville News Sentinel
Answer: No one knows at this time what the ultimate outcome of all the many effects of the health reform bill will have on small business. ...

and more »


Washington Post

Small Business Jobs Bill Stalls in Senate
New York Times (blog)
Democrats attempting to wrap up work on a small business jobs bill were stymied Thursday morning when they were unable to break a ...
Senate To Hold Second Small Business VoteTalk Radio News Service
Reid looks to add Cobell settlement to small-business billThe Hill (blog)
Huh? Dem Senate candidate won't endorse Reid as majority leaderWashington Post (blog)
MarketWatch -Politico (blog) -Firedoglake (blog)
all 397 news articles »

Google News

home | site map | Web directory | Pham Thanh Long | Luat su| Lawyer| Links
© 2006