Speed-dating connects Corps and small businesses

By Mr. Todd Plain (USACE)May 2, 2011

Speed-dating connects Corps and small businesses
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – SPARKS, Nev. -- Sacramento District's Michelle Stratton (center) and Colette Nalley (right) discussed opportunities for women-owned small businesses with Haven Fry during a speed-dating round at a three-day U.S. Army Corps of Engineers small business... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Speed-dating connects Corps and small businesses
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – SPARKS, Nev. -- Sacramento District's Denise Garcia (center) welcomed attendee Mark Steiner at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Pacific Division's booth during the three-day Corps small business conference here April 14, 2011. Garcia said the c... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

SPARKS, Nev. -- Exchanging grinning glances, they slide into seats across the table from one another. Their ensuing conversation is pleasant, yet becomes somewhat probing. Knowing this encounter will be cut short, they quickly exchange numbers in hopes of getting to know each other a little better.

Ding! There goes the bell, signaling it's time to get up and move on to the next table.

Traditionally, speed-dating sets potential suitors at rows of tables, where paired participants have just a few minutes to exchange pleasantries before being forced to switch tables and repeat the process all over again.

Several hundred small business owners encountered a strikingly similar version of traditional speed-dating, called the source connection, during the 10th Annual Veterans and Small Business Training and Outreach Conference here April 12-14, 2011. The event is hosted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Pacific Division and the California Disabled Veterans Business Alliance.

Prior to speed-dating, small business owners attend one of 24 breakout sessions and panel discussions led by conference speakers, or visit some of the 50 construction-related vendor booths. But the real connections for small business owners occur during the source connection on the last day of the conference.

The source connection is a speed-dating opportunity for small business owners to market their products and services to federal agencies, federal prime contractors or other large businesses. They are asked to come prepared with a one-page capabilities statement and business cards, ready to discuss upcoming contracting opportunities with participating federal agencies, contractors and large businesses.

What the small businesses are hoping for is a second date, a chance to exchange some digits and hopefully take care of business later on. If all goes well, they end up exchanging not only phone numbers, but North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes.

"The first thing I typically ask someone is 'what is your NAICS code''," said Sacramento District deputy for small business Michelle Stratton. "That way we know right away if their business is compatible with what we typically have to offer."

The NAICS codes numerically categorize a company's scope of work or area of expertise. For example, if a company's capabilities include dam or dock construction, the NAICS code they use is "237990 - Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction." All the various construction codes are listed in a thick, blue, hard-bound book, used by small and large business alike throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Stratton said source connections are a fantastic way to place businesses and government contacts together-with matching NAICS codes-that may otherwise have a difficult time doing so, saving everyone time and money for travel, advertising and marketing.

Helping Stratton with all the attention is Denise Garcia, assistant to the deputy and the only other member of the district's small business office. Garcia mirrors her boss's affinity of the speed-dating rounds.

"My favorite thing about the conference is meeting all the contractors from the large and small businesses; I listen to their concerns and provide my expertise to help them obtain contracts," Garcia said.

Stratton and Garcia prefer concluding the conferences with the source connections, and have even come to embrace its speed-dating nickname ever since Stratton started the conference 10 years ago.

"(Using the speed-dating model) is a great way to end the conference after three days of wonderful speakers, educational panels and visiting the various vendors' booths," said Garcia. "They gain more one-on-one time with all the right people under one roof instead of having to travel around to meet all of them separately."

To help with any possible awkward silences, Sacramento District contracting branch chief Colette Nalley helped facilitate the speed-dating sessions with Stratton while Garcia staffed the division's informational booth in the adjacent large banquet hall.

"Having the vendor booths and speakers reinforces the source connection, creating an excellent market research and networking forum; it's all very well organized with fantastic attendance," said Nalley. "I love meeting representatives from so many small businesses. It's very interesting to see the number and diversity of small businesses operating in the region."

The overall objective for the hundreds of small businesses attending is to get a call-back from one or several of the large businesses or government agencies that may consider contracting with them in the future.

The South Pacific Division small business program awards $860 million annually to small business in the west, through its four districts in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Albuquerque, N.M., and Sacramento, Calif.

Stratton and Garcia are already looking forward to and planning for the 11th annual conference next year.

"These conferences have proven to be very productive in so many ways. Not only for the contractors, but also for everyone who attends or is involved in the contracting process," Garcia said. "Everyone comes back learning so much more than when they arrived. I am thrilled to be a part of the small business community!"

The 2012 conference is scheduled for April 10-12 at John Ascuaga's Nugget here.

Related Links:

USACE News

USACE South Pacific Division

USACE Sacramento District

HQ U.S. Army Corps of Engineers