Thursday, May 17, 2012
Enhancing economic and commercial ties between Nepal and Uttarakhand stressed
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Sharing the wealth: Procurement fair seeks to match small businesses with big opportunities - Memphis Commercial Appeal
Photo by Mike Brown U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen sponsored a procurement fair Monday at the FedEx Institute of Technology at the University of Memphis.Small business can mean big dollars, at least for savvy entrepreneurs who bid on and win lucrative government contracts.
To help local small-business owners capitalize on the process, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen on Monday sponsored a procurement fair at the FedEx Institute of Technology to explain the process. More than 150 area entrepreneurs were on hand for the public forum.
Photo by Mike Brown Leslie Shankman-Cohn (left) and Jill Hertz, with Jill Hertz Interior Design, were among more than 150 entrepreneurs at the fair.In addition, representatives from nine federal agencies discussed offerings and options available to small-business owners who are interested in becoming government vendors.
"The federal footprint and its potential impact on small businesses is significant," said Eric Terrell, customer service director at the U.S. General Services Administration. "The government spends more than $600 billion every year on goods and services. How can you not tap into that?"
Saundra Jackson, state deputy director for the U.S. Small Business Administration, agreed.
"The government buys everything from paper clips to armored tanks, so there's a good chance that whatever goods or services you're selling, the government buys it," Jackson said. "Nearly 25 percent of the government's purchasing is targeted to small firms, so we encourage owners to learn the system and become involved in it."
The problem many small-business owners face is not knowing what's out there, Cohen said.
For example, fewer than 50 vendors in Memphis have secured government contracts to provide IT services, but thousands of those contracts are awarded every year. Other needs include food vending services, office furnishings and floor coverings, facilities maintenance and management, and advertising and integrated marketing solutions.
Monday's event followed the recent announcement that Memphis will be home to the state's first Minority Development Business Agency center -- funded by a $1 million federal grant to be paid out over four years -- that is set to open in about six weeks. It will be housed Downtown at the Mid-South Minority Business Council Continuum's small-business incubator at 158 Madison.
Minority and female business owners are encouraged to contact MMBCC leaders at (901) 525-6512 to learn more about accessing government contracts, said Luke Yancy III, president and CEO of the MMBCC. And all small-business owners should contact the local SBA office at (901) 526-9300, Jackson added, to find out about its free programs and how to work with federal agencies.
"Small businesses are the heart of our economy and of our middle class," Cohen said. "It's important to move forward and help those businesses grow and this is one way we're trying to do that."
-- James Dowd: (901) 529-2737
Learn more about small businesses and entrepreneurship in Memphis at The CA's startupmemphis.com
Federal Agency contacts for small business owners
Dept. of Energy: energy.gov
Dept. of Homeland Security: www.dhs.gov
Dept. of Transportation: www.dot.gov
General Services Administration: gsa.gov
Minority Business Development Agency: www.mbda.gov
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency: www.nga.mil
Small Business Administration: sba.gov
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: usace.army.mil
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Associate Statistical Analyst (Commercial) - Scientific American
The successful candidate will have a good degree in Maths or related subject with a focus on statistics and will be competent in using SPSS (or equivalent product) and MS Excel. You will also have a least 3 years experience using statistics in the workplace and this will include experience of working on projects and managing stakeholders' expectations and communications. Strong verbal and written communications skills are crucial. You will have a good grasp of the theory of applied statistics and data mining, and will also be capable of applying these to practical problems of major commercial significance.
The Business Intelligence and Opportunities team is committed to generating evidence from logical, quality analysis, and we look for opportunities to encourage and foster ideas with others in the business. As a team being open, respectful and friendly is integral to our way of working; developing and sharing knowledge are both key to success in all of our work.
Abcam is a rapidly growing business, specialising in the production and sale of antibodies and related products. We are a web-based business, with offices in Cambridge and Bristol, UK; Cambridge, MA; Eugene, OR; Tokyo, Japan and Hong Kong, China.
Our culture is one that empowers individuals, with responsibility given at an early stage. We place great emphasis on knowledge and experience. The working environment is fun but intense, with everybody working together as a team to deliver great service and the best products to our customers. In addition to competitive salaries we can offer an attractive flexible benefits package which includes a profit-share scheme and share options.