Small businesses see gold in public contracts

Federal agencies spend a half trillion dollars a year on government contracts, 23 percent of which has to go to small businesses.

Fred Leamer, president of Wynton Sales Associates, an Atlanta seller of mouse pads and other office items,  would like a bigger piece of that action.  So he listened and watched Tuesday as small business experts told him and hundreds of other business owners how to get it during a procurement primer called Teaming USA held at the AmericasMart.

"That room right now is worth $250,000 to me," said Leamer, who anticipated getting the information and making the contacts to boost his government business that much annually.

Wynton has had contracts with the Internal Revenue Service, Homeland Security and other agencies, said Leamer, who hopes to increase his government work. But others in the crowd were new to the game.

Teaming USA, launched last year by American Express OPEN, the company's small business division, and Business Matchmaking, a public- private initiative, tries to help owners navigate the procurement process. Among other things, it helps them meet potential business partners in the hope that the resulting partnership would have a better chance of winning a government contract if if offers complementary services or products.

"The government buys every product and service out there. We're just trying to get them to think in a new way about an additional revenue stream," said Ivy Zuckerman, manager of customer advocacy for American Express OPEN. "We want small business owners to say, ‘Oh, let me get in that game.'"

It's not always easy, said David Hightower, owner of Speedpro Imaging, a large format digital printing specialist that does color graphics for wall murals, vehicle wraps, trade show displays and other applications.