WASHINGTON – Small businesses that participate in the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development program and certain other disadvantaged companies may be eligible to receive free training entitled: “Basic CEO/Executive Development” and “Cost and Pricing” as part of a nine-month series of workshops that begin in January 2007 in Portland, Ore. 

The training, offered around the country under the SBA’s Management and Technical Assistance program, features 80 workshops in 40 different cities and will be conducted by Unlimited Services Systems Management and Consultants (USSMC), a small business based in Largo, Md.  The first session in the series will take place in Portland Jan. 9, 2007.  Two sessions will be held in Albany, Georgia in June 2007.  

“The SBA is committed to helping small business owners manage and grow their businesses, gain access to federal contracting opportunities, and remain competitive in the federal marketplace,” said SBA Administrator Steven C. Preston. “We are happy USSMC has joined us to offer this valuable training.”

The “Basic CEO/Executive Development” and “Cost and Pricing” workshops will highlight:

• Perfecting the business and strategic plan;
• Marketing and doing business with the federal government;
• Learning the procurement process and how to write winning proposals;
• Understanding the fundamentals of indirect cost and rates; and
• Setting up an acceptable accounting system for government, finance, audit, banking, invoicing and proposal purposes.

Firms that are eligible for the two-day “Basic CEO/Executive Development” training workshop include: 8(a)-certified firms in the developmental stage of the 8(a) program.  Other eligible firms include firms that operate in areas of high unemployment or low incomes, or firms owned by low-income individuals, firms that have been in business for not more than four years, and HUBZone-certified firms.  The one-day “Cost and Pricing” workshop targets firms in accounting, finance, pricing, cost proposal or contracts administration. 

Those wishing to participate in these courses should visit www.ussmc.com to register and view the list of cities and dates scheduled for upcoming training sessions.  After selecting a course from USSMC’s homepage, individuals should select “Online Registration” and then select “Schedule/Upcoming classes” on the left hand side of the screen.  The maximum capacity for each session is 40 and classes are limited to one representative from each firm. 

For more information on how to receive federal contracting assistance from the SBA, visit www.sba.gov/gcbd, and to learn more about the training workshops, visit www.ussmc.com.