SBDC Offers Procurement Workshop

A half-day seminar, titled "Procurement: How to Sell to New York State and the Federal Government," will be held on Thursday, Nov. 8, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce, located at 7061 Route 9 in Plattsburgh. The presentation will teach small business owners how to take advantage of contracting opportunities.

This seminar targets small businesses with 100 or fewer employees and will present an overview of the state and federal bidding processes, the Minority and Women's Business Development Certification process, and Empire Zones.

The seminar features representatives from Empire State Development (ESD) who will provide information on their Procurement Assistance Program and the New York State Contract Reporter procurement newsletter. Additionally, the Division of Minority & Women's Business Development representative will explain how to become state-certified as a minority or women-owned business.

The New York State Office of General Services representative will present an overview of the state bidding process. During the panel discussion, participants will have the opportunity to meet state and local facility representatives, find out what they purchase and how to be placed on bidders' lists.

The seminar is free. However, registration by Nov. 6 is requested. To register, call the Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce at 518-563-1000, or register online at www.northcountrychamber.com.

This seminar is sponsored by the North Country Small Business Development Center (SBDC), part of the School of Business and Economics at the State University of New York College at Plattsburgh, in conjunction with the New York State Department of Economic Development and the Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce, and the KeyBank National Association.

The North Country SBDC works one-on-one in a confidential setting with emerging, existing and expanding entrepreneurs, providing these services at no cost to clients in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Warren and Northern Washington counties for over 20 years. The North Country SBDC is part of a statewide program funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration and the State University of New York. Visit the North Country SBDC online at www.plattsburgh.edu/offices/support/sbdc .

KeyBank, is a Cleveland-based corporation. KeyCorp is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $85 billion. Key companies provide investment management, retail and commercial banking, retirement, consumer finance, and investment banking products and services to individuals and companies throughout the United States and, for certain businesses, internationally (http://www.keybank.com).

New York State Department of Economic Development is an agency that provides assistance and service to businesses in order to encourage economic investment and prosperity in the state. Empire State Development is New York's chief economic development agency, encompassing business, workforce and community development. ESD also oversees the marketing of "I LOVE NY," the State's iconic tourism brand.

The Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce is the largest business organization in the North Country, providing services to business of all sizes from sole proprietors to multi-national corporations. The Chamber serves businesses in Clinton, Essex, Franklin and Northern Warren Counties, offering direct services such as health insurance. It also works on business issues in Albany and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit the Chamber's website at www.northcountrychamber.org.