Small Business Summit/Expo set for Sept. 27–28

Entrepreneurs and small firms create the jobs and develop the ideas that the economy needs to regain its footing. However, this innovation is not easy. The business world is complex and constantly presents new challenges. To facilitate the growth and development of local small businesses, Congressman Cedric Richmond, D-La., is hosting a Small Business Summit and Expo in conjunction with Delgado Community College on September 27-28, 2011. Events will be held both days in the Delgado Community College, City Park Campus Student Life Center, Building #23.

At the Summit on Tuesday, September 27, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., a panel of federal agencies and officials from the Small Business Administration will be on hand to talk about how small businesses can best participate in the federal procurement marketplace. This is an opportunity for business owners to ask frank questions and get answers to their business concerns. Panelists will include Yolanda Olivarez, a Regional Admini­strator with the Small Business Administration, and Donald Cravins, Staff Director and Chief Counsel for the Senate Small Business Com­mittee.

The Expo will take place on Wednesday, September 28, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Presen­tations will be made on topics including financing your business, marketing your business to a federal agency, and small business assistance programs in your area. Additionally, bisomess owners will have a chance for one-on-one meetings with purchasing departments of major government agencies and top companies from the area.

The list of exhibitors includes the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Air Force, Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Depart­ment of Labor, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, General Services Administration, NASA, and the Small Business Administration. Other participants will include the City of New Orleans Office of Procurement, City of New Orleans Office of Supplier Diversity, Good Works Network, Louisiana Eco­nomic Development, Loui­siana Small Business Development Center Recovery School District and Tulane University. Partici­pants from the private sector will include Capital One, Chevron, Entergy, Gulf Coast Bank and JP Morgan Chase.

This article was originally published in the September 19, 2011 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper