Roundup

Virginia Business
May 2007

Workshops scheduled on selling to the state
The Virginia Department of Business Assistance will kick off a series of workshops on “Selling to the Commonwealth” on May 14 in Lynchburg. They will offer information on state certification for small-, women- and minority-owned businesses.

VDBA workshops will include updates on the procurement process for state agencies, including mandatory spending with Virginia’s small businesses. Methods of contacting state government buyers and business assistance services will be presented and in many cases businesses will have the opportunity to meet on site with purchasing officers from state and local agencies.

Additional programs will be held May 15 in Danville, May 17 in Culpeper, May 24 in Hampton and June 5 in Hanover. The VDBA also will partner with the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to present a workshop in Richmond on May 17. An “Advanced Selling” workshop is scheduled for Richmond on June 14.

For more information, contact the Virginia Department of Business Assistance at (804) 371-8200 or www.vdba.virginia.gov.

Partnership for the Future seeking corporate sponsors
Partnership for the Future is seeking corporate sponsors for summer internships.

Partnership for the Future is a college preparation and youth employment program that spans over three consecutive summers and two academic years.

The program recently hosted a roundtable at which representatives from a variety of fields talked about career opportunities.

People and companies interested in working with the program can call (804) 967-2512 or go to the Web site at partnershipforthefuture.org.

Latin-American ambassadors are invited to participate in Hispanic Chamber’s gala
Six Latin-American ambassadors are expected to attend the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce gala May 2 at the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond.

More than 700 people are expected, including key Hispanic leaders, business leaders, and state and local officials. Michel Zajur, the chamber’s president and CEO, also says Virginia Tech will collaborate with the organization on a “Global Perspectives Forum” to be held May 2-3 at the Omni Hotel in Richmond in connection with the gala. Panelists include multinational corporate CEOs, ambassadors and government leaders.
Additional information and reservations are available on the Virginia Hispanic of Chamber of Commerce website at www.vahcc.com.

City official to get award for promoting minority businesses
A Richmond city official is getting an award for her promotion of small, minority-owned businesses.

My Lan Tran, program manager for the city’s Office of Minority Business Development, has been named Minority Small Business Champion of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration for Virginia and SBA’s Region III. The region includes five states and the District of Columbia.

Tran, a native of South Vietnam, will receive her award May 18 at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond. She has worked for the Office of Minority Business Development since 2003.

Fair planned at Lansdowne Resort
The Virginia Business Opportunity Fair 2007 will offer minority suppliers an opportunity to network with more than 200 state agencies and corporate leaders exhibiting at its trade show.

Hosted by the Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council, the conference is scheduled for May 6-8 at Lansdowne Resort in Loudoun County. In addition to networking, it will offer best-practices workshops and matchmaker activities. Small-business owners will be paired with corporate representatives in targeted industries. For more information, contact the Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council at (804)320-2100.