– Small business owners are the backbone of Hudson Countyâ€s economy, with data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicating that these enterprises employ more than 307,000 people.

To provide small businesses with more opportunities to successfully participate in the Countyâ€s procurement processes, the Board of Chosen Freeholders and County Executive Thomas A. DeGise adopted an ordinance establishing a Qualified Minority-, Women-, Veteran-owned Business or Small Business Set-Aside Program, which sets aside 10% of the dollar value of all the Countyâ€s goods, services and construction contracts to be utilized for qualified small businesses. The ordinance – the first of its kind for Hudson County and the first of its kind in New Jersey – went into effect on January 1^st.

Hudson County Executive DeGise announced that a new Set-Aside Ordinance will make it easier for qualified businesses to contract with the County as it will provide access to procurement opportunities of $40,000 or less. An estimated $3.4 million worth of contracts will likely be available as part of the new program to eligible businesses.

“The Freeholders and my administration believe this ordinance will open doors for businesses that may not have the capacity to bid for large contracts, but who have the qualifications, expertise and means to provide County departments and agencies with much-needed goods, services and construction,” Mr. DeGise said. He noted that the Set-Aside Program will also expedite the delivery of goods and services to the County.

In order to be eligible to qualify for the Hudson County Set-Aside Program, businesses must have their principal places of business in New Jersey, and be independently owned and operated with at least 51% of ownership and operation controlled by a minority group member, a woman or veteran, or be a New Jersey-based, independently owned and operated small business. These businesses must hold a valid and current certification as a Minority (MBE), Woman (WBE), Veteran (VBE) or Small Business (SBE) Enterprise from the State of New Jersey Department of Treasury, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, NJ Transit, The United States Small Business Administration, or the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

Eligible businesses must also register on the Hudson County Purchasing Portal at www.hudsoncountynjprocure.org.

The Set-Aside Ordinance calls for the Hudson County Office of Minority & Women Business Enterprise (OMWBE) to assist small businesses for participation in the program.

The OMWBE staff will walk small businesses through the certification and procurement processes and offer information to them about what is required for taking advantage of the Hudson County Set-Aside and other programs. The OMWBE may be contacted via email at OMWBEinfo@hcnj.us or by phoning 201-395-6267.

“This is a win-win for the small businesses and for Hudson County,” Mr. DeGise said. We hope all of Hudsonâ€s minority-, woman- and veteran-owned and small businesses will investigate and register to be a part of this ground-breaking Set-Aside Program.”

The Hudson County Set-Aside Program ordinance may be viewed and downloaded by going to www.hudsoncountynj.org/about-omwbe.

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FedEx Teams with American Express to Drive Consumers to Shop Main Street During Busy Holiday Retail Season

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Sept. 27, 2011-FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) is injecting $1 million into the small business economy of the United States with its support of Small Business Saturday 2011.  The commitment, announced today, will send tens of thousands of additional consumers into Main Street merchants on November 26, helping to drive holiday sales for local businesses at a time when customer demand remains among their biggest challenges.   

As the premier sponsor in the , FedEx will give away for free 30,000 Shop-Small^SM American Express gift cards, each worth $25, to consumers through a Facebook promotion leading up to Small Business Saturday on November 26.  Ten thousand additional cards will be distributed directly to FedEx customers.  The contribution means more money in the cash registers of locally-owned independent businesses.

 “A vibrant small business community is critical to the health of the US economy and the cornerstone of the thousands of cities and towns FedEx serves every day,” said T. Michael Glenn, executive vice president of Market Development at FedEx.  “Through this commitment, FedEx is able to help raise awareness for Small Business Saturday as well as put money directly into the pockets of consumers while reminding them to support their local businesses during the holidays.”

In addition to the gift card giveaway, FedEx Office is serving as the official print sponsor of Small Business Saturday, helping independent retailers and other small businesses grab attention on Small Business Saturday and throughout the holiday season.  Beginning October 4, small business owners can visit www.facebook.com/shopsmall to access Small Business Saturday posters that can be printed via the FedEx Office Print Online application at a special 20 percent discount.  The offer can be utilized on all online print orders through November 26, giving small business owners even more savings as they prepare for the busy holiday season.

 

Consumers’ Love for Local, Independents Remains Up – Even in a Down Economy

According to the August 2011 American Express OPEN Small Business Saturday Consumer Pulse, the need for the initiative remains vital-46 percent of Americans surveyed expressed their view that the strength of the small business economy is “worse” than five years ago. 

“Nine in 10 Americans believe small business success is critical to the health of the U.S. economy, and Small Business Saturday translates this sentiment into dollars and cents for independent retailers,” said Maryann Fitzmaurice, senior vice-president of American Express OPEN.  “The FedEx commitment to this year’s Small Business Saturday adds an important voice for consumers to support the Main Street merchants they love and couldn’t live without.”      

This year, FedEx will be encouraging consumers to demonstrate their support for small business by using the Shop Small gift cards on Small Business Saturday.  Shoppers will be able to obtain their free $25 gift cards from the FedEx Facebook brand page beginning November 1. For a limited time, shoppers can register and share the offer with friends with a few simple clicks.  By providing a mailing address, the cards will be shipped to the first qualifying 30,000 consumers in time for them to get out and shop on November 26, Small Business Saturday.  Only one Shop Small Gift Card will be sent to each Facebook ID that registers.  There are no consumer fees of any kind associated with the Shop Small Gift Card.

For additional information on the FedEx gift card give-away, visit www.facebook.com/FedEx in the coming weeks. For more on Small Business Saturday events, visit www.facebook.com/shopsmall. 

 

About Small Business Saturday

November 26th marks the second annual Small Business Saturday, a day to support the local businesses that create jobs, boost the economy and preserve neighborhoods around the country.  Small Business Saturday (SBS) was created in 2010 by American Express in response to small business owners’ most pressing need: creating more demand for their products and services.  A total of 1.5 million Facebook users, 130 public and private organizations, and 41 elected officials declared their support for SBS last year. More than 100,000 small businesses downloaded SBS marketing materials, 10,000 businesses signed up for free Facebook advertising that ran on SBS, and 200,000 consumers registered their American Express cards to receive $25 statement credits when they shopped at a small business on SBS.  Small retailers who accept the American Express Card saw a 28% increase in sales on SBS when compared to the Saturday after Thanksgiving in 2009.

About FedEx Corp.

FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services.  With annual revenues of $40 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 290,000 team members to remain “absolutely, positively” focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. For more information, visit news.fedex.com.

The post FedEx Pumps $1M into Small Business Economy in Support of Second Annual Small Business SaturdaySM first appeared on River View Observer.

 

Small businesses are considered the backbone of the American economy and with national Leaders saying the economic revival begins with small firms, a well-executed business strategy has never been more important, says Richard B. Sanford, an entrepreneur and business coach who has launched 11 successful smaller companies himself.
In past recessions, independent smaller businesses helped fuel economic recoveries. But tightened credit, government regulatory impediments and a lack of Federal support for community banks – the principal source of capital and financial support for small business – has many modern day entrepreneurs fearful of what the future may hold! Proper planning and a well-executed business strategy, though, can clear the way for a smaller enterprise to expand and take reasonable risks that will lead to an improved bottom line, and which usually requires an increase in its work force, Sanford says.

Most people are not aware that the American Small Business success rate of 20 percent is, and has been, unchanged, decade after decade, according to the U. S. Small Business Administration. The challenge facing American entrepreneurs is to increase this success rate. Sanford, also author of a strategy guide for smaller businesses called Success By Design (www.ssbp.biz), believes that the heart and soul of any small business is its strategic plan, and a formal strategic plan increases an entrepreneur’s odds for success!

“The plan is the framework and foundation that outlines how to think, how to plan and how to take action to succeed,” he added. “The American Small Business sector creates more than 70 percent of all new jobs annually. Small business is the job creating engine that expands employment and creates the majority of all new jobs in our country.” Sanford believes that every small business failure is a direct result of insufficient planning, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Sanford’s strategy tips for small businesses and entrepreneurs include:

 You must have a strategy. An entrepreneur’s dreams for a successful business venture require strategic planning to turn them into reality. If you don’t have a strategic plan, create one before you make another mission-critical decision.

•  You become what you think about all day long. If you can visualize success, chances are you’ll achieve it. If all you do is fret about failure, it can become the self-fulfilling prophecy. Think success and encourage your team to do the same.
•  There may be situations out of the control of the owner, but customer service isn’t one of them. Every business controls how they serve their customers. The ones who can’t get a handle on that simple fact will fail, plain and simple.
•  “The irony of small business is that, as a business sector, it should be considered ‘too big to fail,'” Sanford added. “The problem is, small business does not have the luxury of a government bailout. It needs to heal itself from the inside, using only available resources and the wits in their leaders’ heads. With all things being equal in the marketplace, no matter the economic conditions, strategic planning makes the difference between success and failure every time.”

 An entrepreneur from the age of 14 who served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War, Richard B. Sanford has built distinguished careers in adult education, investment management and the insurance industry while leading the cause of small business in his home state of Michigan. Recognizing that small businesses were the grass roots of our nation’s free enterprise system and needed nurturing to grow, Sanford organized the founding of the Small Business Association of Michigan which has grown over 42 years into Michigan’s largest membership trade association. Sanford continues to serve as its founder and Honorary Chairman. Sanford has also served small business nationally as a former National Advisory Board member and Vice Chair, of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The post Business Views:As Nation’s Economic Recovery Hinges on Small Business, Expert Says Success Comes “By Design” first appeared on River View Observer.

Who is responsible for this billboard?

See for yourself  Miss Me Yet? Source AOL News Mara Gay

The post “Miss Me Yet” Billboard Creating Mystery on Interstate Highway 35 near Wyoming, Minn first appeared on River View Observer.