Women entrepreneurs -- don’t miss this boat!

DAVID BELANGER,SHIRLEY MA — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 21:56:34 GMT

PLEASE, MY WIFE HAS BEEN TRYING TO GET A GRANT FOR HER RE-OPENING OF HER FATHER BUINESS THAT HE HAS HAD FOR OVER 65 YEARS, BUT THE BUILDING IS IN NEED OF MANY MANY UP DATES.

WE HAVE NO ONE THATS WANTS TO HELP US WITH THIS MATTER. ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTION THEY ASK IS SHE AMERICAN. WE SAY YES AND SHE WORKED FOR THE GOVERMENT FOR OVER 18 YEARS, AND MYSELF I AM A VETERAN, THEY SAY TO BAD, MOST OF THE MONEY IS GOING TO FOREINORS FIRST, THAN WE COULD LOOK AT IT..

AND YOU SAY WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB. RIGHT.

IF YOU ARE A AMERICAN AND HAVE BEEN PAYING YOUR TAXES FOR ALL YOUR LIFE I CAN SAY DONT EXPECT HELP FROM UNCAL SAM ..IF YOU ARE FROM CHINA OR INDIA OR MEXICO, ANY OTHER COUNTRY PUT YOUR HANDS OUT AND WE WILL FILL IT WITH MILLIONS. AS GRANTS..

Women entrepreneurs -- don’t miss this boat!

Rebecca Mays, Baltimore MD — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 21:05:20 GMT

are service oriented businesses eligible to apply?

Women entrepreneurs -- don’t miss this boat!

Gisele Chouinard/ Barre , Vermont — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 23:17:11 GMT

I am a professional muralist and specialize in faux finishing as well as decorative painting on many surfaces. How do i get a piece of the government pie? any suggestions? Gisele Chouinard/Portable Palette

Women entrepreneurs -- don’t miss this boat!

Kim Harp, & Gretchen Reid, Golden, CO — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:07:03 GMT

motherhoodtransitions.com is a group
that forms entreprenure workshops (among other
workshops) with moms to help them form new businesses. They share ideas and access local resources to learn to overcome these kinds of obstacles.

Women entrepreneurs -- don’t miss this boat!

Alyce Williford, Piney Flats, TN — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 15:57:51 GMT

My business is "woman only" owned but is a different type of business for a "womam." It is an anodizing and metal finishing shop. (AAA ANODIZING & METAL FINISHING, INC. 423-538-3406)) We are located in N.E. TN. (PINEY FLATS, TN) We have some of the largest anodizing tanks in the eastern U.S. (40 FEET LONG!)

I have been trying for several years to get gov., etc. contracts. I do not understand the system. I tcertainly is not fair to women!!!

Women entrepreneurs -- don’t miss this boat!

Karen Castille — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:33:57 GMT

Five Questions for Your "News Coverage"

(1) What does American Express OPEN have to do with offering contracts to women business owners?

(2) Will you be "covering" how little American Express OPEN actually spends with women-owned firms? How few of its own contracts it extends to women?

(3) Have you figured this out -- this is a marketing scheme employed by American Express OPEN to funnel money and exposure through a "non-profit" so that they can get you to call it "news," harvest business information about women-owned firms to market their credit cards -- and for this WIPP group to get American Express OPEN to do marketing for them -- so that the whole parasitical relationship can be complete.

(4) This WIPP group actually OPPOSED the legal claim filed by the national women's chamber of commerce to push the Small Business Administration to get the federal women's contracting program going. Did you even research this before publishing this story?

(5) Have you researched this group at all? Have you found their connection to marketing dollars from large corporations? Why not ask them where the bulk of their budget comes -- memberships or corporate donors?

Women entrepreneurs -- don’t miss this boat!

Karen Castille — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:57:46 GMT

I notice that American Express OPEN is also advertising all over this page. Have you positioned this "news" article in association with your advertising sales?

Women entrepreneurs -- don’t miss this boat!

Jennifer Schaus, Washington DC — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 21:53:46 GMT

Women can certainly capture more business in the government arena than they currently have been. There are set-asides for small businesses, women-owned businesses & other ways to capture federal (as well as state/local gov't) dollars.

We work with interested commercial clients (both product & service providers) to capture this business directly by completing the GSA Schedule process. www.gsa.gov The GSA Schedule is a contract between a commercial company & the government establishing prices for your solutions.

There are many ways to win this business, directly & through partnering - sometimes it is a matter of both education & also who you know.