* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. HELLO, [00:00:01] AND WELCOME TO TODAY'S EPISODE, [SCORE Houston (#06): “Small Business Contracting”] SMALL BUSINESS CONTRACTING. I'M YOUR HOST, JADA HARRIS, SCORE MENTOR AND PRESIDENT OF SCORES HOUSTON CHAPTER CONTRACTING IS A FUNDAMENTAL NEXT LEVEL OPPORTUNITY FOR ANY SMALL BUSINESS, ESPECIALLY FOR BUSINESSES IN THE HOUSTON ECOSYSTEM. CONTRACTS ARE AN ESSENTIAL WAY OF CONDUCTING BUSINESS BETWEEN AN INDIVIDUAL OR AN ENTITY TO ENSURE EQUITABLE DELIVERABLES. THERE ARE VARIOUS COMPONENTS INVOLVED IN CONTRACTING THAT REQUIRE ATTENTION TO DETAIL. TODAY WE WILL DISCUSS THE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT EXIST AS IT RELATES TO SMALL BUSINESS CONTRACTING, INCLUDING VENDOR REGISTRATION THROUGH MANAGING CONTRACTS AND THE RESOURCES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY ON A MONTHLY BASIS FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS SCORE. HOUSTON, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, AND HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE, PROVIDES AN IN-PERSON PANEL DISCUSSION PROVIDING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS TO ASK CONTRACT RELATED QUESTIONS TO REPRESENTATIVES OF EACH ORGANIZATION LEADING WITH A DIRECTED BUSINESS TOPIC. WE WANT TO BRING THIS OPPORTUNITY TO YOU TODAY. DURING THIS EPISODE. OUR GUESTS TODAY INCLUDE DR. PORSCHE JACKSON, THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER OF THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY CITY OF HOUSTON, AND DR. RAVI BRAVA, THE DIRECTOR OF STUDENT INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP AT HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE. WELCOME BACK TO TODAY'S EPISODE ENTITLED SMALL BUSINESS CONTRACTING. WE'LL FIRST BEGIN WITH EXPLORING INFORMATION AS A SMALL BUSINESS AS IT RELATES TO CONTRACTING AND DOING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. WHAT WE WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING CAN HELP YOU ADD REVENUE TO YOUR REVENUE MIX. IT'LL INCREASE YOUR VISIBILITY WITHIN OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, OTHER BUSINESSES THAT YOU COULD DO BUSINESS WITH, ESPECIALLY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, NOT JUST HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT STATEWIDE, AS WELL AS AT ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL. WHEN YOU DO BUSINESS ON THE GOVERNMENT LEVEL, YOU'RE ABLE TO INCREASE YOUR SALES AND VISIBILITY. YOU CAN ALSO EXPAND TO NEW MARKETS WITHIN OTHER STATES, OTHER COUNTRIES, JUST BY DOING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. WHEN YOU DO DECIDE TO DO BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, ALL AGENCIES REQUIRE YOU TO REGISTER AS A VENDOR, AND THAT IS SIMPLY PROVIDING YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION IN ORDER FOR YOU TO BE VISIBLE TO THEM AS A VENDOR. NOW, THERE IS ANOTHER LEVEL OF INTERACTION WITH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, AND THAT'S GETTING A CERTIFICATION. IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE A MINORITY OR A WOMAN OWNED BUSINESS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE CERTIFICATIONS THAT YOU CAN OBTAIN, UH, THROUGH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. ON THE STATE LEVEL THERE, THERE'S WHAT IS KNOWN AS HUB CERTIFICATION HERE IN TEXAS, WHICH STANDS FOR HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESSES. WHEN YOU APPLY FOR MINORITY CERTIFICATIONS SUCH AS THE MBE OR THE WBE WITH AGENCY, THE CITY OF HOUSTON GOVERNMENT AGENCY, YOU'RE ABLE TO APPLY FOR THE HUB CER CERTIFICATION SIMULTANEOUSLY THROUGH THAT APPLICATION PROCESS. YOU CAN FIND THAT APPLICATION AND CERTIFICATION INFORMATION ON THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES WEBSITE. NOW, WHEN WE MOSTLY TALKED ABOUT CERTIFICATION AND DOING BUSINESS ON THE CITY OR STATE LEVEL, BUT THERE ARE VARIOUS LEVELS OF DOING BUSINESS WITH THE GOVERNMENT FROM FEDERAL, STATE, COUNTY, CITY SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AS WELL AS WITH CORPORATIONS. YOUR CERTIFICATION ALLOWS YOU TO BE VISIBLE AND IDENTIFIABLE TO CORPORATIONS AS WELL AS VARIOUS GOVERNMENT LEVELS. AND SO GETTING A CERTIFICATION HELPS TO SET YOU APART FROM OTHER PEOPLE WHO APPLY TO FOR GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS. THERE ARE AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS AVAILABLE TO HELP YOU WITH APPLYING AND UNDERSTANDING THE GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING PROCESS, SUCH AS THE APEX ACCELERATOR, WHO PROVIDES YOU WITH WEBINARS AND IN-PERSON INFORMATION ON GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING AS IT RELATES TO MANAGING GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS, APPLYING FOR GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS, AND THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU. [00:05:01] SCORE PROVIDES YOU WITH MENTORSHIP THAT'LL HELP YOU TO UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU, ESPECIALLY HERE IN HOUSTON AND WITHIN OUR ECOSYSTEM. THERE'S ALSO THE SBDC, WHICH IS A SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER WHERE YOU WILL BE ASSIGNED A BUSINESS ADVISOR THAT CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH INFORMATION AS IT RELATES TO NOT JUST GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS, BUT ALSO OTHER ASPECTS OF YOUR BUSINESS LIKE MARKETING, UH, FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP, AND OTHER RESOURCES THAT CAN BE AVAILABLE TO YOU TO HELP YOU BE SUCCESSFUL IN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS. WE ALSO HAVE THE SBA, THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, WHERE THEY CAN HELP YOU TO GET, UH, LENDING FROM BANKS BY PROVIDING YOU WITH GUARANTEES. SO THE SBA DOES NOT PROVIDE YOU WITH THE LOAN ITSELF, BUT THEY HELP YOU TO GET A GUARANTEE SO THAT YOU CAN GET THE LOAN THROUGH WHATEVER BANK YOU CHOOSE THAT IS CONNECTED WITH THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION. SO THAT'S SOME BASIC OR BOILER PLATE INFORMATION THAT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER WHEN, UH, WANTING TO DO BUSINESS WITH ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY. AND SCORE IS HERE TO HELP. WHEN WE RETURN, WE'LL CONTINUE EXPLORING, CONTRACTING WITH DR. RAVI. BRAT WILL BE RIGHT BACK. THE URBAN FABRIC OF HOUSTON IS WOVEN FROM THE AMBITIONS AND TRADITIONS OF PEOPLE AND IDEAS. COME ON. WE ARE A CITY OF COLLABORATORS WHO BUILD ON ONE ANOTHER'S INSPIRATION, STRENGTHS, AND CULTURES TO SHAPE A FUTURE WE ALL CAN SHARE. COME ON TOGETHER. WE ARE MORE THAN 7 MILLION INGREDIENTS THAT MAKE SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE DISCOVERED, TASTED, OR INVENTED ANYWHERE ELSE. COME ON, A MOVEMENT, A MOMENT, A FUTURE. COME ON TOGETHER. WE ARE RESHAPING THE CULINARY LANDSCAPE. COME ON, COME ON. CULTURES COMBINE TO CREATE A POWERFUL, FLAVORFUL TASTE OF THINGS TO COME. LOUISIANA. CRAWFISH BECOME VIA CAJUN CRAWFISH AND NOODLES. ASIAN FLAVORS MEET TEXAS STYLE BARBECUE, JAPANESE TAPAS, KOREA MIX, AND NIGERIAN JAMBALAYA. SET THE TABLE FOR A CREATIVE, INVENTIVE, COOPERATIVE SCENE ON THE POWER OF TOGETHER IS CREATING PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS THAT ARE SHAPING AN ECOSYSTEM OF BUSINESSES IN ORBIT AROUND THE EARTH, TAKING US TO THE MOON AND BEYOND. COME ON, OUR TOGETHER IS ROCKET FUEL. COME ON. THE POWER OF TOGETHER IS THE POWER TO HEAL. COME ON. WE ARE DEVELOPING THE WORLD'S MOST ADVANCED RESEARCH CAMPUS AT THE WORLD'S LARGEST MEDICAL CITY. THE GREATEST MINDS IN MEDICINE, SCIENCE, ACADEMIA, AND COMMERCE COLLIDE HERE. SPEEDING. RESEARCH AND BREAKTHROUGHS COME ON TOGETHER. WE ARE POWER IN THE FUTURE, EVOLVING THE ENERGY, SUPPLY AND SCIENCE LEADING THE GLOBAL TRANSITION TO A MORE EFFICIENT, SUSTAINABLE, LOW CARBON FUTURE. COME ON. HOUSTON WELCOMES YOU TO SAY HELLO TO THE INCREDIBLE POWER AND INFINITE POSSIBILITY OF TOGETHER. WE CANNOT WAIT TO MAKE TOMORROW TOGETHER. COME ON. THE INFLUX OF SO MANY PEOPLE ARRIVING HERE IN HOUSTON FROM AROUND THE WORLD IS VERY IMPACTFUL ON MY PALETTE AS WELL AS MY CANVAS AS AN ARTIST. ALL THE ART I WAS IN HOUSTON ONLY GOT ME SERIOUS ABOUT MAKING MY OWN. WHAT DO HOUSTON'S BEST COFFEE EXPERTS, SUSHI CHEFS, BAKER'S AND BREWERS HAVE IN COMMON? YOU CAN FIND THEM ALL IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON. THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW TO TASTE WHEN YOU JOIN US DOWNTOWN. VISIT DOWNTOWN HOUSTON.ORG TO FIND YOUR NEXT DELICIOUS ADVENTURE. HEY THERE. DID YOU KNOW SO MANY KIDS ARE BEING SUSPENDED OR EXPELLED FROM SCHOOL AND ENDING UP IN THE PRISON SYSTEM AND THAT THERE'S A NAME FOR IT. IT'S CALLED THE SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE, AND IT'S FLOWING JUST FINE. DO YOU KNOW THAT OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM IS SO OUTDATED THAT STUDENTS ARE DROPPING OUT BY THE LITERAL THOUSANDS EVERY DAY? DID YOU KNOW THAT ILLITERACY RATES ARE SKYROCKETING TO THE POINT WHERE MORE THAN ONE IN 10 ADULTS CANNOT READ OR WRITE WELL ENOUGH TO COMPLETE A JOB APPLICATION? DO YOU KNOW WHAT ALL THIS IS COSTING THOSE KIDS? MORE IMPORTANTLY, DO YOU KNOW WHAT ALL THIS IS COSTING YOU? STAY TUNED TO LEARN THE HARD TRUTHS ABOUT EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT IN THIS DAY AND AGE, AND WHAT WE AT READING WITH A RAPPER ARE DOING TO FIX THEM. SHAKE UP YOUR EVERYDAY AND COME EXPLORE DOWNTOWN. FROM NEW ART INSTALLATIONS TO FAMILY FUN SWEAT SESSIONS AND MOVIE NIGHTS, WE'RE KEEPING HOUSTON INSPIRED AND ENTERTAINED. JOIN US. WE ARE DOWNTOWN. [00:10:05] WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE. NOW LET'S CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION ABOUT CONTRACTING WITH OUR FIRST GUEST, DR. RAVI BRAVA. CONTRACTING IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE YOUR BUSINESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL. MOST BUSINESSES START THEIR BUSINESS WITH A B2C AND LEVELING UP TO A B2B MODEL. MANY BUSINESSES MAY NOT CONSIDER ANOTHER BUSINESS MODEL. BUS B TWO G. THE GOVERNMENT IS ONE OF THE LARGEST PURCHASERS IN THE UNITED STATES, EVEN PROVIDING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES TO SMALL BUSINESSES DURING NATIONAL DISASTERS. WHEN B2C AND B2B OPPORTUNITIES MAY BE MINIMAL. BEFORE WE EXPLORE HOW TO CONNECT WITH A GOVERNMENT AGENCY SUCH AS THE CITY OF HOUSTON, LET'S EXPLORE WHAT RESOURCES THAT ARE NECESSARY AND AVAILABLE THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNER HCC. WELCOME, DR. BRAVO. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. ABSOLUTELY. SO, HCC FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, IS ONE OF THE LARGEST COLLEGES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. UH, HOW MANY LOCATIONS DO YOU HAVE? SO, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WE ARE THE LARGEST COMMUNITY COLLEGE . OKAY. ALRIGHT. BUT WE'RE ALSO ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE COUNTRY. OH, WOW. UH, WE USUALLY RANK IN THE TOP FIVE. UH, IN TERMS OF OUR SIZE, UH, WE'RE A LARGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE. MM-HMM . UH, 70 PLUS BUILDINGS ACROSS HOUSTON, SO MILLION PLUS SQUARE FOOTAGE. UM, AT ANY GIVEN TIME, 50,000 STUDENTS WALK THROUGH OUR THOSE BUILDINGS, UH, AND OUR, OUR PROGRAMS AT THE COLLEGE. SO A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES, UH, AT THE, AT HCC YEAH. ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO CONTRACTING, BECAUSE A LOT OF BUSINESSES DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S NECESSARY IN ORDER TO CONTRACT WITH ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY. SO I KNOW, AND, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT HCC PROVIDES A LOT OF THOSE RESOURCES, UH, TO HELP BUSINESSES NOT ONLY RUN THEIR BUSINESS, BUT ALSO PERFORM CONTRACTING DELIVERABLES. SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE RESOURCES THAT HCC CAN HELP WITH? YEAH, SO I'LL FRAME THIS IN TWO WAYS, RIGHT? SO ONE IS TO START BUSINESSES AND THEN ALSO TO GROW BUSINESSES. SO WE HAVE AN OFFICE, UH, OF ENTREPRENEURIAL INITIATIVES, THE WEBSITE, IT'S CCS.EDU/SMALL BUSINESS. UH, WHEN YOU GO TO THAT WEBSITE, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THAT WE HAVE CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACROSS THE CITY. MM-HMM . UM, THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, LOCATED RIGHT ON CAMPUS WHERE YOU CAN WALK IN, MEET WITH THE DIRECTOR, AND UH, TALK ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS OR YOUR BUSINESS EDUCATION NEEDS. AND THERE ARE LOTS OF PROGRAMS. EVERYTHING FROM A WORKSHOP THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ACTUALLY PUT TOGETHER A MONTHLY WORKSHOP IS, IS ONE EXAMPLE, UH, ON A, ON A, A SELECTED TOPIC. UH, BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UM, UH, PITCH COMPETITIONS. YES. UH, BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITIONS. UH, WE HAVE, UH, EVENTS WHERE WE, WHAT WE CALL HACKATHON TRAINING MM-HMM . UH, SO WE HAVE A LOT OF THESE KIND OF ONE-OFFS, SMALLER, UH, PROGRAMS, BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE A LONGER SERIES OF PROGRAMS LIKE THE SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS SERIES. MM-HMM . WE HAVE THE SCHOOL OF MATTRESS MAX, UM, SCHOOL OF SELLING BY MATTRESS, MAC MM-HMM . UH, WE ALSO HAVE VETERANS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM. VETERANS ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM. SO THESE ARE LONGER PROGRAMS. ALL OF THIS IS INTENDED TO HELP YOU BUILD, YOU KNOW, YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL EDUCATION MM-HMM . AND THEN ALSO TO HELP YOU GROW YOUR ENTREPRENEURSHIP INTENTION. MM-HMM . UH, SO WITH THAT INTENTION, HOPE YOU TAKE ACTION AND YOU HAVE STARTED A BUSINESS. SO THAT'S OUR START BUSINESS. YEAH. UH, YOU KNOW, NOW TO GROW BUSINESSES, WE HAVE PROGRAMS LIKE THE, UM, GOLDMAN SACHS 10,000 SMALL BUSINESSES PROGRAM. IT HAS OVER A THOUSAND GRADUATES IN HOUSTON REGION TODAY. UM, I BELIEVE THE NUMBER IS 90% OF THEM, UH, STILL ARE IN BUSINESS. THE, THE ONES THAT STARTED BACK IN, YOU KNOW, 2014. WOW. AND, UH, IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM. IT'S FREE. YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH A, A, YOU KNOW, A PROCESS TO GET REGISTERED AND QUALIFY, AND ONCE YOU'RE IN THE PROGRAM, EVERYTHING IS FREE. MM-HMM . BUT YOU'RE, I THINK THE SECRET SAUCE OF THAT PROGRAM IS THEY PAIR ENTREPRENEURS IN SIMILAR, UM, GROWTH STAGES, AND THEY DON'T LET THEM LET THEM LEAVE THE ROOM UNTIL THEY AGREE TO, TO DO BUSINESS TOGETHER. OH, WOW. , I THINK THAT'S THE SECRET SAUCE. IT'S, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, GETTING PEOPLE, UH, AND EDUCATING THEM ON, UH, BUSINESS ACUMEN. BUT THEN I THINK THE, THE NETWORKING THAT HAPPENS IN THOSE CLASSES IS, IS PROBABLY WHY THEY'RE ALL GROWING OUT OF THE, AFTER THAT. BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, GOLDMAN SACHS 10,000 SMALL BUSINESSES PROGRAM, BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE MINORITY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AGENCY MM-HMM . UH, AND THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY RATED ONE OF THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY. THEY USUALLY KEEP, YOU KNOW, THEY DO OVER 190 PLUS MILLION DOLLARS OF CONTRACTING WORK A YEAR. OH. AND THEY, THEY ALWAYS GET THE PLATINUM STATUS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL BECAUSE THEY DO SO MUCH GREAT WORK. WOW. UH, IN HELPING, UH, MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES AS SUBCONTRACTORS [00:15:01] TO LARGER CONTRACTORS. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS MM-HMM . THAT, UH, MBDA DOES. OKAY. UM, AND THOSE ARE ALL FREE RESOURCES. MM-HMM . YOU HAVE TO QUALIFY FOR M-B-A-M-B-D-A, UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU GO TO THE HCC, LOOK UP SMALL BUS SLASH SMALL BUSINESS WEBSITE MM-HMM . AND, UH, YOU KNOW, PICK ONE, ANY ONE OF THOSE FOR YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS AND THEN GET PREPARED YEAH. TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT CONTRACT WORK. YEAH. UH, YOU DON'T WANT DO THIS WITHOUT BEING PREPARED. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. I, WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE TO ME IS THAT THESE PROGRAMS HELP BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN ANY BUSINESS MM-HMM . SO THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE THE DEVELOP, UH, DELIVERABLES WHEN IT COMES TO DOING BUSINESS WITH THE GOV WITH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. YEAH. AND I'LL, I'LL, I'LL EVEN ADD THIS. SO NOT ONLY DO YOU COME TO, YOU KNOW, GET MORE BUSINESS EDUCATION AND GROW YOUR, UH, YOU KNOW, GROW YOUR BUSINESS, BUT IMAGINE NOW TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS, YOU'RE GONNA NEED MORE TALENT, MORE STAFF. YES. WELL, GUESS WHAT? HCC, ALL THOSE STUDENTS MM-HMM. HIRE THEM, RIGHT? YEAH. UM, THEY'RE GETTING 21ST CENTURY SKILL SETS AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR EMPLOYMENT RIGHT AFTER, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY GET THEIR DEGREES. MM-HMM. UH, WE HAVE PROGRAMS LIKE BACHELOR'S OF AI MM-HMM . UM, SO IF YOU'RE A BUSINESS THAT'S BEEN RUNNING FOR A LONG TIME AND IT'S LIKE, HEY, WHAT DOES, HOW DOES AI HELP MY BUSINESS GROW? RIGHT. RIGHT. HOW CAN I GO FROM, YOU KNOW, SERVING A HUNDRED PEOPLE TO NOW MAYBE A THOUSAND PEOPLE? UH, HOW WELL GO AHEAD AND HIRE THAT TALENT YEAH. AND, AND EXPLORE SOMETHING. HIRE THEM THROUGH AN INTERNSHIP. HIRE THEM THROUGH AN APPRENTICESHIP, OR HIRE THEM, YOU KNOW, UH, STRAIGHT OUTTA COLLEGE. YEAH. THERE ARE LOTS OF MODELS. UH, SO WE ALSO HAVE A CAREER SERVICES DEPARTMENT THAT CAN HELP ENTREPRENEURS, UH, AND BUSINESS OWNERS KIND OF FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY NEED. MM-HMM . TO BE ABLE, AGAIN, SO NOT JUST GET EDUCATED ON THE PROCESS MM-HMM . TO BEING READY FOR CONTRACTING MM-HMM. BUT ALSO THE RESOURCES NEEDED. YES. LIKE TALENT AND PEOPLE YES. TO GET TO CONTRACTING. RIGHT. RIGHT. AND SO THE, THE MONTHLY MEETINGS THAT WE DO HAVE AS IT RELATES TO GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING, ALLOWS US TO HAVE THESE VERY CANDID CONVERSATIONS AND TALK ABOUT THE INTRICACIES THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR EACH BUSINESS, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO THEM SPECIFICALLY. SO I, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR OVER TWO YEARS NOW. YEAH. AND WE CULMINATED WITH, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S, UH, MEET THE BUYER EVENT IN DECEMBER. MM-HMM . AND THAT IS COMING UP VERY QUICKLY. AND SO WE'RE GONNA TALK TO, UH, UH, DR. PORTIA JACKSON, UH, IN OUR NEXT SEGMENT, UH, AS IT RELATES TO DOING BUSINESS WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO DON'T GO ANYWHERE. WE'LL CONTINUE OUR CONVERSATION ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS CONTRACTING WHEN WE RETURN. KIDS OF AMERICA ARE STRUGGLING WITH ILLITERACY. SYSTEM ISN'T LISTENING. THEY'RE GETTING THROWN OUT, LITERALLY MINOR INCIDENTS, BUT THEY'RE TREATED LIKE DEGENERATES. THE SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE IS TEACHING THEM DELINQUENCY. THESE STUDENTS WANT TO LEARN, BUT THEY'RE LOSING TIME IN CLASS, FALLING WAY BEHIND, MAKING IT SO TOUGH TO PASS, DROPPING OUTTA SCHOOL BY THE THOUSANDS. WAY TOO FAST. 7,000 KIDS A DAY ARE FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS. EIGHT OUT OF 10 IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM CANNOT READ OR WRITE DUE TO SUSPENSION. THEY END UP IN JUVIE DETENTION WHERE THERE IS NO ONE WHO WANTS TO GO TEACH THEM. THIS IS A SYMPTOM OF A BIGGER PROBLEM, BUT DON'T YOU WORRY, THAT'S WHERE WE COME IN READING WITH A RAPPER. WE INTEND TO MEND THE EDUCATION OF STUDENTS IN PRISON THAT WAY SOMEDAY WHEN THEY GET OUT, THEY CAN FIND THEIR WAY FORWARD WITH NO FEAR OR DOUBT, FIND THEMSELVES A JOB, A CAREER THAT PAYS READING, WRITING LIKE A BOSS. THAT IS WHAT WE ARE ABOUT. METRO IS HERE FOR YOU EVERY DAY, PROVIDING SAFE, RELIABLE TRAVEL OPTIONS. WE TAKE YOU TO CELEBRATIONS AND HELP DURING EMERGENCIES. WE'RE ALWAYS LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY, AND WE MANAGE TAXPAYER DOLLARS RESPONSIBLY. AND THANKS TO OVERWHELMING VOTER APPROVAL, WE'RE BUILDING TRANSIT FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW SO THAT YOU CAN DRIVE LESS AND DO MORE. WE GET TO EXPERIENCE A LOT OF CULTURES IN OUR CITY. THEY CHALLENGE US TO REALLY RETHINK THE WAYS WE DO THINGS. WE EMBRACE THE FUTURE. WE LEARN, WE GROW. AND WORK IS ONE TO GET THE JOB DONE AND BUILD A BETTER FUTURE. HERE IN HOUSTON, YOU COULD EAT EVERY NIGHT OF THE WEEK IN HOUSTON AND ONLY SCRATCH THE SURFACE OF ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CUISINES THAT WE HAVE HERE. THERE'S SO MUCH TO EXPLORE. THE BEST WAY TO TAKE IT IS THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AT A TIME. EACH NEIGHBORHOOD HAS ITS OWN SPECIALTY, AND THERE'S JUST SO MUCH TO LEARN. IT'S ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT FOOD IS THAT YOU CAN NEVER LEARN AT ALL [00:20:05] GREASE AND WIPES, CLOG PIPES. IN FACT, CLOGS FROM THESE ITEMS ARE THE MAIN CAUSE OF SEWER OVERFLOWS IN HOUSTON. LEARN MORE@PROTECTOURPIPES.ORG. WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE. AS PROMISED, WE HAVE ANOTHER SPECIAL GUEST JOINING US TODAY, DR. PORTIA JACKSON FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY. AS WE CONTINUE THE CONTRACTING DISCUSSION, WE SHOULD EXPLORE HOW TO DO BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. THERE ARE DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS TO DO BUSINESS WITH EACH AGENCY, BUT AS, UH, ONE OF THE LARGEST PURCHASERS IN HOUSTON, DR. JACKSON WILL PROVIDE US WITH SOME INSIGHT AS IT RELATES TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WELCOME, DR. JACKSON. HOW ARE YOU TODAY? THANK YOU. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. I'M DOING WELL. ABSOLUTELY. SO WE DO THIS EVERY MONTH, YOU KNOW? OKAY. AND WE, WE TOUCH, YOU KNOW, UH, BASE WITH SMALL BUSINESSES AND TO PROVIDE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK VERY CANDID QUESTIONS. MM-HMM . AND, UH, WE WANT TO EXPLORE DOING BUSINESS WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. CAN YOU GIVE US SOME POINTERS AS IT RELATES TO, TO, TO CONNECTING WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON? ABSOLUTELY. SO WHAT I TELL BUSINESS OWNERS ALL THE TIME IS, ONE, MAKE SURE THAT WHOMEVER YOU'RE TRYING TO DO BUSINESS WITH, THAT THEY ACTUALLY PURCHASE YOUR GOODS OR SERVICES. AND SO ONE THING THAT YOU CAN DO, ESPECIALLY WITH GOVERNMENT, IS YOU CAN LOOK UP PAST SOLICITATIONS. SO I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GO TO HOUSTON TX.GOV/BIZ BZ WITH HUGH, AND THEN YOU CAN LOOK UP ARCHIVE SOLICITATIONS THAT WILL GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THE CITY PURCHASES, THE TIMES THEY PURCHASE IT, PURCHASE IT, AND THEN FROM THERE, THEY CAN GO TO THE BID SEARCH AND BEGIN TO LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE THERE CURRENTLY AND GO FROM THERE. ONE THING THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THEY DO IS TO BE A REGISTERED VENDOR WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BECAUSE ANYBODY WHO DOES BUSINESS WITH US, WHETHER IT'S SUPPLYING A PIECE OF PAPER ALL THE WAY UP TO SOMETHING THAT'S IN THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, YOU HAVE TO BE A VENDOR WITH THE CITY. ABSOLUTELY. AND THAT'S NOT A LENGTHY PROCESS, RIGHT? THAT NO. YEAH. I I, IN MY EXPERIENCE, IT TAKES A GOOD MAYBE, MAYBE 30 MINUTES AND IT'S, YEAH. YOU KNOW, BASIC INFORMATION, IT'S LIKE CREATING A PROFILE. SO WITH ALL THESE APPS AND EVERYTHING, EVERYBODY HAS TO CREATE A PROFILE, SO WE'RE ALREADY USED TO THAT. SO JUST ADD THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO ONE OF THE OTHER PROFILES THAT YOU'RE CREATING. ABSOLUTELY. THEN ROBBIE, WE JUST GOT FINISHED TALKING ABOUT THE RESOURCES THAT, UH, ARE IN THE COMMUNITY, LIKE HCC. AND SO YOUR ORGANIZATION, UH, ASKED FOR VENDOR REGISTRATION AS WELL? YEAH, SO, UH, FOLKS CAN FIND OUT, UH, YOU KNOW, TO DO BUSINESS WITH HCC, THEY GO TO HCCS.EDU/PROCUREMENT. THERE IS A NICE BIG BUTTON THAT SAYS REGISTER. IT'LL TAKE YOU INTO A SYSTEM CALLED BONFIRE, AND YOU ALSO, UH, CAN SET UP A PROFILE THERE. AND, UH, ONCE YOU'VE GOT A PROFILE SET UP THERE, THEN YOU CAN LOOK AT THE BIDS AND SIMILAR AS, UH, A PORTION SHARED, UH, SAME PROCESS. YEAH. AND EASY. YEAH. AND, AND YOU KIND OF TOUCHED ON THIS, UH, IN THE QUESTION OR ANSWER THAT YOU PROVIDED RESEARCH MM-HMM . UH, AND LOOKING INTO THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN PURCHASE OR HAVING THEM PURCHASE FROM YOU, UH, WHAT WE SAY ON A MONTHLY BASIS IS THAT YOU'RE, THAT EACH ORGANIZATION, EACH SMALL BUSINESS IS A VERY VALUABLE ORGANIZATION TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU AS AN ORGANIZATION TO KNOW WHO YOU WANT TO DO BUSINESS WITH. NOT EVERY ORGAN A GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION IS A GOOD FIT. RIGHT. UM, SO, UH, DOING THAT RESEARCH, GOING ONLINE AND LOOKING AT PREVIOUS BIDS, UM, SPEAKING OF BIDS, WHAT IS A TYPICAL BID PROCESS FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON? SO THE TYPICAL BID PROCESS, AND KEEP IN MIND THAT WE HAVE THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF, UH, OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE. MM-HMM . YOU HAVE ON THE ONE END, UH, ANYTHING THAT'S LESS THAN $3,000, THOSE TYPES OF, BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT IT IS NOT GONNA BE UP FOR BID MM-HMM . BUT THEN YOU HAVE THINGS THAT ARE MORE THAN 3000 AND LESS THAN 50. THOSE ARE GONNA BE INFORMAL BIDS MM-HMM . AND SO THE FORMAL BIDS ARE GONNA LOOK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THEN THE FORMAL BIDDING PROCESS WHEN IT'S GONNA ASK FOR A LOT OF DETAIL AND A LOT OF INFORMATION. AND SO WHAT I TELL FOLKS TO DO IS JUST KEEP IN MIND THIS ONE, YOU GOTTA BE A REGISTERED VENDOR. MM-HMM . TWO, YOU GOTTA LOOK FOR THOSE BIDS. THEN ON THOSE FORMAL BIDS, IT'S GONNA BE A PRE-BID MEETING, PRE-BID CONFERENCE. YES. WE INTERCHANGE THOSE WORDS. MM-HMM . MEANS SAME THING. YOU WANNA [00:25:01] MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE ATTENDING THOSE MM-HMM . AND THEN AFTER THAT, THEN IT'S THE ACTUAL BID SUBMISSION. IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE THE PRIME, THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION THAT HAS A CONTRACT DIRECTLY WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THEN IT'S ABOUT PERFORMING AT, ON THAT PARTICULAR BID SOLICITATION AFTER YOU'VE BEEN AWARDED MM-HMM . AND THEN JUST MAKING SURE THAT YOU, OF COURSE, THAT YOU GET PAID, WHICH IS WHAT, WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT. RIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT. RIGHT. . AND THEN AT THE END, JUST IF YOU'VE DONE ANYTHING ADDITIONAL THAN WHAT YOU'VE PUT IN YOUR PROFILE, JUST KEEPING YOUR PROFILE UPDATED SO WE KNOW WHAT GOODS AND SERVICES THAT YOU'RE CURRENTLY OFFERING. THAT'S A GOOD POINT. AND, AND SPEAKING OF THE, THE PRE-BID MEETINGS, THAT IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES TO CONNECT WITH LARGE ORGANIZATIONS. YES. UH, SUCH AS PRIMES, IT'S SO IMPORTANT AND BECOMING A SMALL BUSINESS, OR EXCUSE ME, BECOMING A SUBCONTRACTOR. YES. THAT'S WHERE THE RELATIONSHIP BEGINS. YES. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE OTHER HIGH POINTS THAT WE, THAT WE TALK ABOUT EVERY MONTH. YES. IT'S ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS. MM-HMM . BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT COME TO US, THEY SAY, WELL, HOW DO WE, YOU KNOW? YEAH. HOW DO WE FIND THESE PRIMES? HOW DO WE FIND THIS? YES. IT'S ABOUT BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS. EXACTLY. AND KNOWING, AND YES, YOU'RE RIGHT. THE PRE-BID IS ONE OF THOSE AREAS 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, WHO'S INTERESTED. RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT. AND SO THEY'RE IDENTIFIED RIGHT THERE FOR YOU. RIGHT. SO DEFINITELY PRE-BID ARE SO CRUCIAL TO THAT PROCESS. AND, AND, AND AS A PART OF THE PRE-BID, UH, MEETING, THEY PROVIDE YOU WITH AN ATTENDANCE LIST. YES. SO DO, SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW UP WITH THOSE ORGANIZATIONS MM-HMM . AFTER THE PRE-BID MEETING, AND KNOW WHO ONE, WHO YOUR COMPETITOR IS YEAH. AS WELL AS WHO YOU COULD POSSIBLY DO BUSINESS WITH. YEP. YEAH. SO, UM, THESE, THESE ARE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. IT IS SIMILAR TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. SO YOU CAN FIND THE SAME PROCESSES OR CREATE THE SAME WORKFLOWS YES. FOR DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS. WE, WE, DR. JACKSON REPRESENTS THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BUT WE ARE VERY CANDID ABOUT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU CAN DO BUSINESS. WE WANNA HELP, ESPECIALLY SCORE AND HCC IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WE WANNA HELP YOU TO LEVEL UP YOUR BUSINESS. AS WE EXPLAINED EARLIER IN, IN THE, UH, SEGMENT, THAT THIS IS THE NEXT LEVEL OF SMALL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY FOR ANY SMALL BUSINESS. UH, THE GOVERNMENT AS A WHOLE IS THE LARGEST PURCHASER OF SMALL BUSINESS GOODS. AND SO, UH, TAKING YOUR BUSINESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL, UH, THROUGH, UH, GOVERNMENT, UH, CONTRACTING IS AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY. ABSOLUTELY. DR. UH, BRAVO. WHEN IT COMES TO HCC, THERE ARE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO SMALL BUSINESS SO THEY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL IN DOING, UH, BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. CAN YOU SPEAK ON SOME OF THOSE RESOURCES? YEAH. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, HCC HAS FOR A VERY LONG TIME NOW, UM, A GRANT WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CALLED MBDA. MM-HMM . SO, UH, THAT'S ONE PLACE WHERE THEY DO SUB, UH, UH, SUBS AND SANDWICHES. IT'S AN EVENT EVERY MONTH. YOU GO AND YOU MEET PRIME CONTRACTORS, AS AN EXAMPLE, JUST SO I WOULD SAY DO THAT. AND WE ALSO HAVE GOLDMAN SACHS 10,000 SMALL BUSINESSES. AND, UH, AS I SHARED, UH, BEFORE THAT, UH, IT WOULD BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR BUSINESSES TO KIND OF PREP UP, GET A CAPABILITY STATEMENT AND OTHER THINGS THAT THE PROGRAM TEACHES YOU FOR FREE, UH, WHEN YOU'RE IN THE PROGRAM AND KIND OF PREPARES YOU TO SCALE YOUR BUSINESS THROUGH, YOU KNOW, UH, A B TWO G MODEL. THOSE ARE EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITIES, UH, WITHIN OUR ECOSYSTEM. AND AS WE STATED, EVERY MONTH, WE BRING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AND WE EXPLORE THOSE, UH, TOPICS WITH EVERY SMALL BUSINESS. THANK YOU, DR. JACKSON. ABSOLUTELY. AND DR. BRAVO FOR PROVIDING SUCH VALUABLE INFORMATION TO, UH, THE COMMUNITY ALONGSIDE SCORE AS IT RELATES TO SMALL BUSINESS CONTRACTING. WE WILL CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION AT OUR NEXT IN-PERSON PANEL DISCUSSION AT THE HCC MISSOURI CITY LOCATION. YOU CAN FIND ALL THE DETAILS ON OUR WEBSITE AT SCORE.ORG/SLASH HOUSTON. UNDER THE WORKSHOPS TAB, SMALL BUSINESS CONTRACTING CAN TAKE YOUR BUSINESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL, AND WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU NAVIGATE CONTRACTING IN YOUR SMALL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM. LOOK OUT FOR OUR NEXT EPISODE ON HTV TV. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.