Megazines And Book Education

Recently I attended a government contracting event and was the lucky winner of a copy of “Win Government Contracts For Your Small Business, authored by John DiGiacomo and James Kleckner. I have found this book to be an excellent guide to helping me stay focused on locating federal contracting opportunities.

Here is a sample of excellent insights into government contracting to get you motivated to “take the plunge”.

1. Who are the Top 10 Federal Agencies (in number of contracts and total dollar amounts)? Department of Defense. Department of Veteran Affairs. Department of Justice. Department of Health & Human Services. Social Security Administration. General Services Administration. Department of Agriculture. Department of State. Department of Interior. Department of Treasury.
2. Did you know that 70% of all government purchases are for micro-purchases ( sums under $2,500) and are completed with a credit card? The biggest credit card users are in the Department of Defense and the Veteran’s Affairs, who account for almost $9.9 Billion. Why is this information important to you as a small business owner? You need to be able to accept credit card purchases from your website.
3. Is there real opportunity for small business owners? Yes, many one-owner companies have gone from modest sales to multi-million dollar sales in niche areas. The SBA 8a program is just one way to get into federal contracting as a small business owner.
4. Is your company ready to do business as a federal contractor? The book offers a checklist that includes topics such as: Business Size, Financial Capability, Quality Assurance Program, Office Efficiency, EDI and Ecommerce Capability, Internet including a Company Website.
5. What is the FAR? The FAR or Federal Acquisition Regulation is considered to be the ultimate reference book for all rules governing contracting processes. You should have a basic knowledge of the FAR before attempting to do business with the federal government.

This book contains an extensive glossary, form templates and a comprehensive list of contacts and websites to get you up to speed on federal contracting.

V. Karen Miller is The 8a Mentor, a website devoted to helping small business owners successfully apply for SBA 8a certification. Karen’s company, Design2Train has been SBA 8a certified since 2005. Check out the free resources at http://www.The8aMentor.com

Please feel free to copy and share this article with other people. Part 2 of 2.

Change according to Kaufman, comes with time and leads to structural alterations and the assembly of new alliances. Statistical probability must be recognized as a contributor to success or failure in organizations.

The ability to withstand change is reduced by the over committal of resources to produce specific outcomes. Resources and diversification are linked. When diversification is used to counter environmental threats costs are incurred in resources and unity. Over time, the ability to generally apply resources throughout an organization increases the chance for survival. Changes are also initiated in the overlapping jurisdiction of organizations.

Organizations use various devices to develop member loyalty. Time, adjustments to roles, and maintaining the status quo lock people into established modes of behavior. The resulting instilled behavior patterns exacerbate problems. Conversely, these same attributes, under opposite circumstances would increase the chance of success. In organizations with strong centralization, the diversity of sub organizations diminishes to create more stable internal environments. However, in these organizations failure anywhere in the web of relationships causes problems everywhere.

Kaufman’s analogy of organisms and organizations recognizes that evolutionary differences are appropriate for different environments. Organizational traits such as sexual reproduction, reasoning and multiple memberships are appropriate for environments characterized by gene variations.

The traits of asexual reproduction, strong biological bonding and self contained physical components are advantageous in stable environmental niches.

For both groups evolutionary adaptation becomes increasingly complex with time. When organizations die they release attributes into the environment that merge with other attributes. Member turnover facilitates the transfer of skills and specializations and development takes different courses.

The synergism of different skill levels suggests trends in organizational development. However, these trends are best recognized only after they emerge. The more we understand the relation of different environments and organizations the greater the chance to proactively manage change. Chance interaction within organizations challenges speculation. Chance, according to Kaufman, is a major factor in organizational success because no other specific factors have yet to be isolated.

The conclusions presented here are reminiscent of the phrase that statistics don’t lie, statisticians do. In the postscript Kaufman states that he believes his hypothesis, if not refuted will stand up well when tested against specific competitors. Within the reality imposed by the covers of this book, his writing does have a relevance to the social applications of organizational behavior.

I strongly feel that Kaufman’s omission of historical references and or case studies has minimized the practical applicability of this book for public managers. Since public sector management encompasses daily planning and goals in conjunction with long term planning and goals, documenting the daily changes for a year end synthesizing of facts may reveal trends and or situations that can be compared to or remedied by the information in this book.

Future publications may refute or strengthen Kaufman’s book. Each idea of Kaufman must be considered as an augmentation to the tools used by public managers to manage in dynamic environments. We make decisions based on the best information available at the time. Conditions change, are unpredictable, and our responses sometimes end up causing more problems than they solve. Though not a very optimistic observation, still a valid one.

Ronald Roberts is a former Army Officer and MPA graduate. His many interests include public administration and academia. His favorite quote: Never despise a humble beginning. His blog is http://www.americaneaglesilverdollar.info.

It’s often said that you can’t judge a book by its cover. Well, it turns out you can’t always judge a book by its title, either.

At first, I dismissed James Humes’ Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln, assuming it would be full of historical platitudes and anecdotal stories rather than actionable advice. Instead, I discovered a terrific reference tool for novice and seasoned presenters alike – including me.

Each of the 21 chapters in this surprisingly quick read offers solid advice for enhancing your presentation skills, using examples from some of history’s most powerfully memorable speakers. Author Humes knows his stuff – this author, professor and speechwriter for five American presidents is a noted authority on the speaking habits of Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, Ronald Reagan, and others.

Focusing on what the author calls “21 Power Secrets”, Humes provides the tools to electrify discussions and persuade and capture any audience’s attention. Three of his secrets – Power Pause, Power Point, and Power Reading – are techniques that I’ve found over the course of my 25-year coaching career to be consistently challenging for even the most experienced presenter, yet critical to every high-stakes presentation.

Here are some of the author’s tips to integrate into your own preparation:

Power Pause
Most speakers begin by offering thanks and appreciation for the opportunity to speak. Don’t! Before saying a word, take the time to look directly into the eyes of your listeners. Greet them with a warm smile, then slowly deliver your opening sentence – knowing that every moment you wait strengthens the impact of your opening words. This power pause draws the undivided attention of your audience and leaves them better prepared to listen to your message.

Power Point
No, we’re not talking about slides! Hume’s power point is the bottom line key message you want to leave with your audience. If you want to be heard, understood and achieve results, you must first “stop, think and plan” your power point. As Humes suggests, determine what you want your audience to do and craft your presentation accordingly.

Power Reading
It’s one of the cardinal rules of effective speaking…never let words come out of your mouth while your eyes are looking down. Looking down disconnects you from the audience and means you are speaking at them, not to them. Mastering the skill of power reading means looking down to see the text, looking up – all the way up – and pausing, then conversationalizing the phrase you’ve just recorded in your mind. Although this technique may feel awkward at first, with practice it will become second nature.

Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln supported many of the proven tools in my coaching arsenal, and gave me some new tips for reinforcing them in the minds of my clients. Try some of James Humes’ 21 secrets and forge more powerful connections with your next audience!

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present your best self… engage your audience… strengthen your credibility… elevate the impact of your message… motivate your listeners. Interested in learning more? Contact us! We welcome the opportunity to talk with you, provide references and design an experience that will get the results you are looking for.

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