Victory in Procurement
I have participated in three of the programs offered by OPEN: the Small Business Network of American Express and I strongly recommend all three. Two were day-long events held in mid-town Manhattan (they are held in cities across the country) for the Victory in Procurement, or VIP series, which aims to equip small businesses to compete and win federal government contracts.
In addition to live events, small businesses may take part in the annual VIP mentorship program, which consists of 12 hours of free one-on-one communications and guidance with a government contracting expert. Participants will be educated on a host of topics, including the GSA schedule, business certifications, teaming arrangements and the importance of networking. Since 2009, OPEN has mentored twelve small business owners looking to grow their business through government contracting. Click here for more information.
I participated in the VIP mentoring program and my group of three small business owners and one government contracting expert had weekly hour-long sessions, often with a guest speaker, to address specific elements of government contracting. We had homework to prepare for and make the most of our weekly sessions, such as developing a capability statement. I cannot say enough good things about this initiative and thanks to American Express for making it available to us.