NOTE: This release was sent from the University of Tennessee.
Entrepreneurs who want to win federal grant money for new business projects should plan to attend two separate workshops on grant writing and cost proposals Sept. 10-11 in Chattanooga and Oak Ridge.
Both workshops are being offered by the Tennessee Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Proposal Assistance Center at the UT Center for Industrial Services. The workshops will be led by Jim and Gail Greenwood, nationally recognized consultants who have shared their expertise in SBIR and small business incubators for decades in 48 states and Puerto Rico.
The SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are federal initiatives that provide more than $2 billion in grants and contracts each year to small and start-up companies to develop new or enhanced products and services based on advanced technologies.
"Each year, about 40 percent of SBIR Phase I awards go to firms with no prior SBIR experience, so there are plenty of opportunities to win funding," Jim Greenwood said.
The Tennessee SBIR Proposal Assistance Center is designed to help increase the volume of applicants from Tennessee and to boost the success of proposals from Tennessee entrepreneurs and small businesses.
A grant writing workshop will be offered Sept. 10 in Chattanooga at the Tennessee Small Business Development Center, 100 Cherokee Blvd. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. The workshop is from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Geared toward individuals with small, technology-based businesses, this workshop emphasizes correct writing methods and proper responses to government agency requirements. Participants will learn the basics of preparing a competitive Phase I proposal and will get an overview of basic government accounting principles. Much is learned by critiquing an actual proposal with the Greenwoods during the workshop. Participants also get an appointment for a complimentary critique of their own proposal with the Greenwoods.
A cost proposal workshop will be offered Sept. 11 in Oak Ridge at UT's Glazer Building, 1201 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. The workshop is from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Participants in the cost proposal workshop will learn to make sense of SBIR/STTR cost proposals; how to develop an Indirect/Facilities and Administrative/General and Administrative rate; how to fill record-keeping requirements; and what to expect from government audits.
Registration for each workshop is $150 and includes continental breakfast and a networking lunch. Online registration for either workshop is available at www.tnsbir.tennessee.edu. For more information, contact Kim Arms at kim.arms@tennessee.edu.
Three Tennessee businesses, East Tech Company, Inc.; Mike Collins & Associates, Inc.; and Neely's BBQ are Blue Ribbon winners in the US Chamber's Small Business of the Year contest.
East Tech Company and Mike Collins & Associates are from Chattanooga. Neely's BBQ is in Memphis. They are among 55 small businesses competing for the Regional Awards in March and, from there, the Small Business of the Year Award in April.
According to the US Chamber, "the Small Business Blue Ribbon Award highlights businesses that demonstrate excellence in a variety of selection criteria, including financial performance and business history, staff training and motivation, community involvement, customer service, and business planning."
Read more about the Small Business of the Year awards, including important dates in the contest.
Knoxville business duo Cynthia Moxley and Alan Carmichael were featured recently in Fortune Small Business magazine in a series about couples who partner in business.
The two have done some adjusting in the decade of working together, but have managed to thrive in their co-owned public relations and marketing business.
From the article: "Business partners for almost 10 years, the two now share the title of co-president. But 'Cynthia is the founder,' he points out. She gets the corner office with a view of the Tennessee River. 'I was here first,' she pipes up amiably."
Moxley-Carmichael is a premier partner with the Knoxville Chamber.
The U.S. Chamber's ChamberPost blog recently carried an interesting anecdote about how the U.S. government has programs that can actually help small businesses.
While this defies most popular belief, agencies such as the Office of the National Ombudsman work to make sure the small business owners are treated fairly. Other organizations, such as the Office of Advocacy, have staff that work to champion the causes of small businesspeople before regulations become final.
Read the ChamberPost entry about small business and government.
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