Useful Resource for Small Businesses

Small Business Exchange connects small businesses with contracting opportunities.

For over 29 years, Small Business Exchange Inc. has been connecting small, minority-, woman-, disadvantaged- and disabled veteran-owned, businesses with buyers of their goods and services. The Small Business Exchange recently ran an article in their newsletter that we published in last month's Contract Central on how to write a capabilities statement. Their web site and newsletters offers this type of helpful information for small businesses looking for contracting opportunities. It is also a resource for agencies and prime contractors that are looking for small businesses as sub-contractors. If you haven't visited their web site, take a minute to explore: http://www.sbeinc.com/index.cfm.

How Could the Passage of CA's AB 53 Impact Your Business?

Insurance companies first report is due by July 1, 2013.

Passed in the fall of 2012, AB 53, authored by former Assembly Member Jose Solorio of Orange County, requires CA insurance companies to report on their efforts to purchase goods and services from minority-owned, women-owned, and service disabled veteran-owned business enterprises. The bill mandates that every insurance company collecting over $100 million in premiums in California must report on its outreach efforts to diverse businesses and also designate a person as the point of contact for diverse suppliers that are interested in becoming a supplier to that insurance company. There are just over 200 insurance firms doing business in CA that are required to comply. As also mandated by the bill, the state insurance commissioner is required to establish and maintain a link on the Department of Insurance (DOI) website that provides public access to the contents of each insurer's report on their diversity procurement efforts. The first report from the insurance companies is due July 1, 2013 and the data will be posted on July 31, 2013 at http://www.insurance.ca.gov/. Although insurance companies purchase a myriad of products and services, it is expected that a large portion of the potential spend will be in the area of repairs (both auto and home), advertising and marketing, and computer services.