One clear, proven way to expand your business reach is to participate in networks. Networks may prove especially useful to smaller companies, which may find the focus of Chambers of Commerce or business roundtables to be overly broad.
Currently, there are a large number of Hispanic-owned small businesses that are involved in doing entrepreneur/2008/11/18/guide_to_getting_government_contracts_part.htm">government contract work. Many of these companies are looking for ways to expand their reach and garner more government contract projects. They know that collaboration, partnerships and developing relationships can help them expand their capabilities to seek and obtain more government contract work together. The Hispanic GovCon Network aims to help.
The Hispanic GovCon Network (HGN) (http://www.hispanicgovcon.net) comprises Hispanic-owned businesses doing government contracting, large prime contractors, and federal government managers. They all share the goal of increasing the presence and success of Hispanics in government contracting. The network allows business leaders to share their experiences and knowledge and expand their capability by developing partnerships with one another to go after government jobs that each could not get on their own.
Started in the first quarter of 2008, HGN was developed by three Hispanic business leaders:
Raul "Danny" Vargas, president of marketing and public relations firm VARCom Solutions and a prominent voice in the Washington, D.C., region's Hispanic business community; Waldemar Rodriguez, who has experience of working at various large prime contractors; and Carlos Guzman of the Minority Business Development Agency of the Department of Commerce.
The Concept
"What we noticed over time was that there were Hispanic businesses out there that were doing well, but we thought that they could be doing better," explained Vargas. "We thought that there should be a way for them to work together to enhance their capabilities, go after larger deals and become even more successful. There was a gut feeling that these folks should be collaborating, finding ways to interact with one another, learn from each other, and make deals together. But there were no mechanisms to do that. A Chamber of Commerce is very broad and catches all types of businesses. And the same is true about a business roundtable. It's great, but it is still too broad."
Thus the idea for a network was born, and grew with the group's plan to find points of affinity to base it on.
"One point, or the first leg of a three-legged stool, could be Hispanic owned-firms that are involved in federal contracting and are already successful," continued Vargas. "We would want a well-established company looking to supplement their capabilities or find new contracting vehicles or enhance relationships with potential customers."
"The second leg of the stool can be folks who work with large prime contractors," he said. "That would allow the small business members to do business with large businesses as a subcontractor, or as the prime contractor with the larger company being the subcontractor."
"Finally," he concluded, "the third leg of the stool can be federal managers who can provide guidance and advice and who can get to know some of these companies in a more intimate setting. That is HGN."
Success Based On Points Of Affinity
The success of the network is based on the synergies of the membership, explained Vargas.
"This goes beyond just ethnicity; it involves professionalism, level of accomplishment, patriotism, business acumen, and a desire to see Hispanics succeed in the federal contracting space. Members of the network can build relationships, leverage each others' strengths, and share their experiences."
The group organizes networking events, seminars, training and other programs. It offers consulting services, business development support, marketing assistance, job boards, and other services. It also coordinates benefits offered by partners and supporters, including banks, insurance companies, staffing firms, nonprofit groups and more.
Certain criteria need to be satisfied for a business to become a member, and it varies based on business size. Individuals can also join the group. "Typically, they are folks who are well-connected politically or well-connected in the business community, or are retired individuals who bring a lot of knowledge to the table," said Vargas.
"The network is narrow but deep," added Vargas. "It focuses only on federal government contracting so our programs are specific. Members with special knowledge can attend seminars on their topic of expertise; or take advantage of our training or consulting services based on their individual needs. We will focus on providing news and information that is limited to federal government contracting as an industry.
"In spite of the tough economic times we are facing, good quality government contractors are still doing well and our job is to help them be more successful," he concluded.
For more information visit: http://www.hispanicgovcon.net.
