Doing Business With the Government

For a while now we have had an interest in public-private partnerships. This is defined as a business providing a product or service under certain conditions. One of the areas we are looking at is pre-disaster agreements with the government. Private agreements are easier to understand and implement.

Information about doing business with the government can be found on the Small Business Administration website, and the Oregon Emergency Management website. Recently we had a conversation with a State employee and he graciously provided five links to help us understand these opportunities. A few years ago we developed a simple, light weight product that meets an unmet need in disaster preparedness. We have kept a conception journal, and consulted with several persons. It's not the kind of product that needs a patent because of the likelihood of knock off products.

A few things have changed since we began such as a higher level of awareness of the need, our exposure to experts that might consider endorsing our product as one solution to the problem, and the possibility of a government contract. All this is future speculation and in the mean time we are examining a range of options that fit within the scope of our mission and vision statement. 

Resource Sharing. Part 1

Resource sharing agreements allow businesses or organizations to share personnel to meet a surge. They are typically used in disaster situations, however concepts can be drawn and applied to other situations.  Examples include parking lot attendants, safety personnel, public information officers, kitchen help, a clean-up crew, a graphic artist, an auctioneer or any other applicable resource. A catering business may have a huge order and insufficient staff. This could cause the loss of a large agreement. Instead of losing to another company, set up a resource sharing agreement to call up staff from another catering business to meet the immediate need. The agreement would require the requesting organization to compensate the sending organization for wages and benefits, plus an agreed amount for administrative cost. This same concept may be applied to a floral shop, clinic, accounting firm or any other non-technical company or nonprofit. Churches and other nonprofits may need extra staff to register guests for an event, welcome or help seat guests. Many churches have an abundance and rotate musicians or volunteers where as others may be able to offer a  guest speaker. The second post in this series will address logistics sharing agreements.

Making Every Dollar Count

Making Every Dollar Count
This is a basic workshop aimed at helping nonprofit organizations leverage every type of resource. Nonprofits often lack finances and manpower to fulfill their mission effectively which can lead to discouragement. Learn how to find compatible partners, and negotiate simple resource sharing agreements. Project work groups allow small nonprofits to become stakeholders in larger projects by working together. In this workshop you will discover ways to improve your  organization's capacity by learning abou the following concepts:
 

• What Are Resource Sharing Agreements and Why Do They Matter?
• Understanding the Value of  Strategic Alliances
• How to Design and Manage a Project Work Group