Bussiness Planing

About three weeks pass. I had a business meeting with three people and my friend. Prior to that I had not spoken with anyone about business or any other human concern. Yet after a lone talk with my friend I came out after staying at home, working in the yard and garden while continuing to do research on the problem facing this country where I live and watch my Grandchildren grow up. All the information I have read, heard, and watched indicate changes are occurring in the world of small business ownership by woman and minorities. Business’ ownerships by these groups are growing faster than among the majority group. Most new jobs are created by the growth of these small businesses.

This is good news, and hopefully will be an inspiration for others planing to enter the business world. Sadly, that’s not what I hear when I meet with the people I discuss business with, in setting where we are planing for the best result. We have discussed some wonderful products and services, gross income projection that will impress any VC (Venture Capitalist), all maybe a road to failure without the sales and marketing plan. Many would be business owners fail to realize some areas in the city cannot afford or will not buy the products or use the service. And locating the bricks and mortal store in the area they are considering will mean very few customers. My other concern, they seam willing to stop the business and get in a pleasure mode— someone makes some statements that invoke laughter, laughter can aid in keeping everyone relaxed, but should not become a stage for comedian.

For the majority, business counseling, training, long-term coaching will overcome a lack of skills as long as they have concern. If we are concerned, we can readily learn that the dress code for a round at the driving range may not be appropriate for a sales call to a drug store to present your line of band aides, gauze, leg and ankle wraps that you market under a subcontract with a large pharmaceutical company. In another company, the owner may have to call on all the Cemeteries in the area because they now have a subcontract to make the grave markers for (maybe) a total state area. I see in the language on both the VA (Veteran Administration) and the SBA (Small Business Administration) sites, plans to provide this training when necessary.

We are doing a self assessment (self test–if you will) to include all the training we need in the plans. We will enroll in programs to maximize our chances for success. Keeping in mine the Federal Government states that contractors are reporting a shortage of veteran owned businesses. Person’s I am speaking with believing it’s true, and agree we should try to increase the number of veteran and minority owned business.

Business Qualifications

8(a) Program

OSDBU promotes increased utilization of small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals certified under the SBA Section 8(a) Program.

Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act establishes a program that authorizes the SBA to enter into contracts with other agencies and to negotiate subcontracts with small disadvantaged business concerns eligible for program participation.

• Foster business ownership by individuals who are socially and economically disadvantaged.
• Promote the competitive viability of these firms by providing contract, technical, and management assistance.
• Expand acquisition opportunities for these firms.

To be eligible for the 8(a) Program, a concern must:

• Qualify as a small business.
• Is at least 51 percent owned by a U.S. citizen who is determined by SBA to be socially and economically disadvantaged.

Each SBA 8(a) concern is subject to a fixed program participation term.

Subcontracting Program

The information above is copied from the VA web site, you can read more by clicking on Veteran Affairs. Here, I can point out a couple things they discussed on a panel over the week end. One of the large telephone companies are still classified as a small business. When asked about it the person from the government, or speaking for the government, stated “we want them to grow”. My reaction, are they required to offer contracts to small and minority businesses? This question requires an answer because contractors are reporting a shortage of businesses owned by veterans. If true, this is sad but easy to remedy, just increase the number of veteran-owned businesses. The purpose for the 8(a) program is to increase the number of veteran-owned businesses.

APPLICATION FOR BURIAL BENEFITS: FORM 21-530

I received a copy of form 21-530 five days after I called and requested it, alone with the INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING APPLICATION FOR BURIAL BENEFITS, (UNDER 38 U.S.C., CHAPTER 23). As I read the instructions I notice additional information under WHO SHOULD FILE A CLAIM, As follows: a. CREDITOR – If expenses have not been paid, the claim should be filed by the funeral director or crematory service by completing Parts I, II, and IV. If the funeral director or crematory service has paid or advanced funds for or furnished the plot or interment expenses, inclusion of these items on the statement of account will serve as claim for the plot allowance. If cemetery owner or other creditor has not been paid for the plot and related interment expenses, he/she may file claim by completing Parts I, III, and IV. If both the funeral director and cemetery owner are unpaid, each must submit a separate VA Form 21-530 signed by the person who authorized services.
b. PERSON WHOSE FUNDS WERE USED – If all creditors have been paid, the claim should be filed by the person or persons whose personal funds were used by Parts I, II, and IV.
I will scan these forms in and upload them as soon as possible Thank you for your patience, I am trying to be sure I have all the information we need. My approach? I am mining gold and don’t want to leave any nuggets on the ground.

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS HEADSTONES AND MARKERS

The Department of Veterans Affairs will furnish, upon request, a Government headstone or marker at the expense of the United States for the unmarked graves of certain individuals eligible for burial in a national cemetery, but not buried there. These individuals include any veteran with an other than dishonorable discharge who dies after service or any serviceman or servicewoman who dies on active duty. Certain other individuals may also be eligible for the headstone or marker. Headstones or markers for all individuals in national or post cemetery are furnished automatically without request from the family.

This information is from the bottom of form 21-530, on the second page.

This could be posted in your Church, or any Religious Building, bulletin so families can make a request if they have love-one that qualify.

Business Opportunities: Subcontracts, Working Agreements.

All the information I have compiled, all the Web Sites I have visited on the VA (Veteran Administration) web pages have assured me that the Federal Government, and indeed States and Local Governments plan to involve small businesses that are owned by Women, Veterans and other minorities, to be involved in the Free Enterprise Systems. To accomplish this the government’s legislators have passed enabling legislation mandating all large companies with a government contract to consider these groups or risk loosing the contract.
Many in these groups have never been in business and have little or no training to operate a business. Others will have education and skills, but fail to try because of a disability, racial or economic conditions. All causing a chilling effect on the would be business man or woman. But we can take heart, help is available, we should request it and take full advantage of all the training, counseling and support listed on the Web Sites of the VA and other sites mandated to aid and support these groups.
However, You can start with SCORE an organization with Councilors that provide the support free (no charge). Just click on SCORE in Blogroll, then click on FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CONTRACT PROPOSAL PREPARATION, on the top left, enter your Zipcode, this will give you a map and the location for all the SCORE offices near you. While you are on that site consider what benefits you can gain studying and using the information available from a source with a high quality of knowledge like this site. If you live in the area you can consider Kenneth Larson as your Counselor (that’s what it say on his site). I am sure you are aware that the SCORE in your city can be totally unlike the one in another city, the same as –say–local school boards. Once I list the requirements, to be classified as a business with the VA, you should be able to put a business plan together and start your operation. All the needed information is here, because I carefully checked and double checked. I will try to put it in better order, maybe on pages with instruction to do number one first then follow thru to the end. Then, Register your company with VA and seek training and contracts. As I take the steps necessary to secure a contract I will posted the procedures I am following, so we can compare the results. One thing I will assure you, I do not substitute any thing for results. If I get no results with one support group I will try another group. However I am not in a rush, remember I said it would take a year.

Business Trends and Marketing Plans

Look at the Dalton Aircraft Parts, Inc. site at http://www.daltonaircraftparts.com a well planed web site that can handle orders 24/7, make sure you click on the Quotes and Orders taking as well as the Parts lists. Here you can get a price quote or order the part by completing the order form on line. This is one site I will contact, first via e-mail to arrange a visit. If the office is in the home, I want to meet at a public place, to maintain a business relation at all times. For diversity a computer gaming equipment company and a drug manufacturing company will be included with the Dalton Aircraft Parts company above. Providing three examples of companies during business on the INTERNET.

I will use this Blog to write my business Plan, keeping in mine the need to register as a Veteran Business as soon as possible. In fact, I will cover where we register and why we register in the next post. Plus point to the training and support available to the Veteran and small businessmen. Many veterans will be attempting to enter business for the first time and will need all the help and mentoring available. Partnerships will be necessary for some to get the education, skills and training that managing a business require.

Once I select the products we want to sell I will prepare to contact companies manufacturing or distributing those items. Enrolling the company, will get it listed in the database, and I will have access to the database of the companies during business with the Federal Government. Remember the VA will try to match your company with a Large company during business with the governments or SBA. Any person or entities buying the products you sell is a good prospect, calling on them will require sales skills, with training you or a new hire can step-up -to-the-plate.

Center for Women Veteran

The mission of the Center for Women Veterans is to ensure that:

• Women veterans have access to VA benefits and services on par with male veterans.
• VA programs are responsive to gender-specific needs of women veterans.
• Outreach is performed to improve women veterans’ awareness of services, benefits, and eligibility criteria.
• Women veterans are treated with dignity and respect.

The Director, Center for Women Veterans, acts as the primary advisor to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on all matters related to policies, legislation, programs, issues, and initiatives affecting women veterans.

Our Goals:

• Identify policies, practices, programs, and related activities that are unresponsive and insensitive to the needs of women veterans, and recommending changes, revisions or new initiatives to address these deficiencies.
• Foster communication among all elements of VA on these findings and ensuring the women veterans’ community that women veterans’ issues are incorporated into VA’s strategic plan.
• Promote and provide educational activities on women veterans’ issues for VA personnel and other appropriate individuals.
• Encourage and develop collaborative relationships with other Federal, state, and community agencies to coordinate activities on issues related to women veterans.
• Coordinate outreach activities that enhance women veterans’ awareness of new VA services and benefits.
• Promote research activities on women veterans’ issues.

Here is the information from the VA site that I missed yesterday. Please click “in Blogroll” on Women Veterans to read the topic: “OUR ACTIVITIES”. Listed immediately below the above information.

Earned Revenue, Not Prostituting

We have a good list of things to buy and sell in the post: “What to sell” All be it, an abbreviated list. Now we can look at items and services we can market to government agencies. But first I want to look at procedures and pit falls we must avoid at all cost. During the last six months I have watched or read news about the illegal acts that occurred during the airport expansion at Cleveland’s airport. The $500 million project at the Cleveland Hopkins International airport, where they investigated the general and subcontractors and uncovered a plan that the people involved called “check swap” In this plan the White cement contractor paid a minority and female-owned business, more than $5.1 million. Then the female-owned company paid more than $3.9 million back to the White-owned cement company and another company with the same owner, according to the investigation. This information is based on a transactions outlined in the investigation by the city’s Office of Equal Opportunity.

Investigation determined that the White owned cement company failed to meet the city’s rules for hiring minority – and female-owned businesses on the runway project.

Based on the city’s findings, recommend that the Cement company be barred from city contracts for two years and face penalties that could cost the company millions.

The Office of Equal Opportunity, received sworn statement that the minority company Chem-Ty Environmental Inc. President Terri Thomas admitted her company did not do any work on the runway at the airport.

When a company prostitutes itself in this fashion (if this really is a company) the owner fail to get any experience, or gain any knowledge about the construction business. About ten years ago a contractor installing drain pipe where a new housing development would be located, in order to comply with the required laws that small and minority businesses should be included by sub-contracting some of the work to their companies. The major contractor, some how found, located, or maybe employed a Black man and paid him $5 thousand and listed him as a subcontractor. When discovered he admitted he never went on the job site, didn’t know the location and had no knowledge about installing drain pipes. When I talk with any minority contractors, they tell me this is the larger contractors efforts to keep small contractors from gaining the experiences and knowledge required to offer a competitive bid for the jobs. So they pay some one under-the-table to lie and maybe go to jail just for a quick, but a few bucks. This is not the way a business should be managed, nor will you acquire any knowledge from subcontracting with a large companies, with skills and know-how, that could kick-start your business into a path toward success.

Now that I have finished this post, I can not publish it until I complete the post on Funding,and Accounting For and Managing Money, because I want you to end on a positive note of concern.

Seek Funding or Just Start?

Women-Owned Business Program

“In response to the need to aid and stimulate women’s business enterprises, this advocacy program directs acquisition officials to take appropriate action to facilitate, preserve, and strengthen women’s business enterprises and to ensure full participation by women in the free enterprise system. Appropriate action includes the award of prime contracts and subcontracts and counseling of women-owned businesses. “Women-owned small businesses” means small business concerns that are at least 51 percent owned by women who are United States citizens and who also control and operate the business”.

I copied the above information from the VA site because it talks about women-owned small businesses yet do not mention a DD214 or Honorable Discharge. When most of these benefits are targeted at veterans. I am sure women with an Honorable Discharge will qualify for all the benefits available to veterans, I am not sure why they failed to mention the requirements here. I will ask why when I call to request any information I need to help me understand what I will need when making an application for the women involved in the business.

After carefully reading the pages listing information about contracts, subcontracts and other business agreements. I can talk about money, loans, inventory AND what is available to help the small business owners get started and access the help needed to succeed in business. To benefit as many people as possible, I will try to include as many types of businesses as time permit. Starting with a company requiring inventory and no money to purchase it. Here I will listed some of the things I have considered, most large companies with government contracts can and will extend you credit for stocking your shelves with the most demanded items. Since I know I will need inventory I have this at the top of my list. (Here I should tell you I am listing things I will need in the daily operations, that I hope to acquire without securing a loan.) Next on the list are items requiring installations: Companies selling these items will make them available as I market them to my customers. My company, a distributor can follow the procedures other companies adopts, namely, down payments from the customers, with a thirty days balance-in-full to my suppliers. All the purchase procedures will be compiled on a page to be printed or down loaded, once I finish compiling them.

Black-History, Politics and Sports

Can history be black? While reading posts, in the Blogs I read daily, I got this tingling in the six inches between my ears. And since WordPress asked us to post something different, plus this is Black History Month. I will give my two-cent worth, for what it matters. In Carson Sasser, his post is about the Congressional Black Caucus and in Plagiarized News, Thomas Sowell’s post is about Group Differences: both Blogs are listed in my Blogroll.

Carson Sasser post talked about the Black Caucus, refusing to admit a White Congressman as a member: “not even one who represent a district that is 60% Black.” That may be true, or the Caucus could have another reason for not admitting the White Congressman, The number one reason could be the Judas-Concern: namely the fear of being betrayed. Let me make this perfectly clear, I have listen to some, maybe most of the members of the Black Caucus, and the only thing any of them has said that I can agree with is the statement Cong. Charles Rangel made on TV one night, when he stated that the “Illegal immigrants are a form of slavery” (or words that mean the same).Where is the political know-how of the White Congressman? With a 60% Black district, he could talk to the other elected officials from his state, single out the elected Reps. and Senators that the Black Caucus depend on for a vote and get their support in his effort to become a member of the Caucus. Also he should be aware of the individual voter, if he convinces them that they will benefit from his membership, you will see some changes in the attitude of the Black Caucus.

With over forty years activities, working with four other men, we selected, nominated and campaigned for every candidate for office in this county, and I can tell you the Judas-concern is very real

GROUP DIFFERENCES:

In Plagiarized News and Views: Thomas Sowell, states the following:

“Is it just a stereotype that some groups do better at some things than other groups do? Do blacks not really play basketball any better than whites? Do our eyes deceive us when we notice the racial make-up of the NBA?” If I had read this statement, year before last, I would have agreed with it without any doubt. But after reading in the New York Times last year (on the front page) that the Coaches are getting tired of getting the Black Basketball players out of jail so they can play basketball, so they are going to switch to the European players. Follow that statement, with the statement by the Olympia coaches that won the Gold Medal, He stated we know how to beat them now, we are not afraid of them, (meaning the Black players). In that same New York Times article the European Players said that the Black Players think they intimidate us, with the talk about a tough upbringing, living in the ghetto. Well we grew up where people had to dodge bullets every day, so we had it tougher than the Black players. I also heard a panel discussing the possibility that the NBA could end up with a majority of White Players, some on the panel said the fans would not like it because the European players are not as entertaining and would not sell product as well as the Blacks players.—-so the ball keep bouncing.

Back when I would watch a sports game (other than golf) C-Span had just come on the cable, and without ads. A panel of Media types discussed race, sports and neighborhoods. One member stated he was Spanish and that he had heard the Blacks complaining about the Hispanic players taking the baseball slots away from them. He stated “they are yours, they are Black, they were slaves just like you”. His last statement–”I live in a White suburb, I don’t live in the enter-city”. In the last ten years I have seen a decrease in the number of Black Players. And I believe that the numbers will study decline over the next ten year prior.

Unless Lebron James can slow the pace!

Recovering Burial Cost: addendum

Burial Allowance Benefits

In certain circumstances, a Burial Allowance is available from the Veterans Benefits Administration. The National Cemetery Administration does not provide these benefits.
For assistance please call:

1-800-827-1000: The above text is copied from the VA site.

Updated: Mon, 19 Feb. 2007

I received a copy of form 21-530 five days after I called and requested it, alone with the INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING APPLICATION FOR BURIAL BENEFITS, (UNDER 38 U.S.C., CHAPTER 23). As I read the instructions I notice additional information under WHO SHOULD FILE A CLAIM, As follows:

a. CREDITOR – If expenses have not been paid, the claim should be filed by the funeral director or crematory service by completing Parts I, II, and IV. If the funeral director or crematory service has paid or advanced funds for or furnished the plot or interment expenses, inclusion of these items on the statement of account will serve as claim for the plot allowance. If cemetery owner or other creditor has not been paid for the plot and related interment expenses, he/she may file claim by completing Parts I, III, and IV. If both the funeral director and cemetary owner are unpaid, each must submit a seperate VA Form 21-530 signed by the person who authorized services.

b. PERSON WHOSE FUNDS WERE USED – If all creditors have been paid, the claim should be filed by the person or persons whose personal funds were used by Parts I, II, and IV.

I will scan these forms in and upload them as soon as possible.

This addendum to the post, Recovering Burial Cost, will bring together all the information needed to apply for reimbursement, for payments made by someone other than a family member or the VA. The answer is yes. I called the Phone number above and talked with John, Veteran Service Representative, and asked him who can apply for a reimbursement for payments made for burial cost for Veteran? What if the neighbor or a strangers pay the burial costs, could they apply for reimbursement?. The answer, yes, as long as its with in two years of the disposition of the Remains. Anyone paying for the burial cost can apply by calling and getting the application for Burial Benefits: VA Form 21-530. you should attach proof of the veteran’s military service (DD214), a death certificate, and copies of funeral and burial bills you have paid.

The Veteran Service Representative is mailing me a copy of the form, I will keep it on file to make copies available when an employee or family member die. no one should have to do a tap- dance, to get a copy of an application to bury their love ones.

Updated 19 Feb. 2007:

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