Wyoming Business Tips for March 30-April 5

A weekly look at issues facing Wyoming business owners and entrepreneurs from the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, a collection of business assistance programs at the University of Wyoming.

By Andi Lewis, program manager, Wyoming Procurement Technical Assistance Center

Small businesses in every industry can potentially expand their markets by selling their products or services to government agencies. The official starting point for all contracts valued at more than $25,000 is at https://beta.sam.gov/. Anyone interested in doing business with the federal government can use this system to research active opportunities.

This new website is currently undergoing upgrades as more resources are consolidated into this one location. However, entrepreneurs in Wyoming can find everything they need to search for the right opportunities for their businesses. Each contract opportunity found on the beta website provides the following information:

-- Original contract announcements and updates.

-- Related attachments or external links.

-- Instructions on how to submit a response, offer or proposal.

-- The date on which responses are due.

Other items listed on the website include pre-solicitation, award and sole source notices. You also can learn about upcoming small business events and vendor collaborations. You do need to create a user account if you want to use features, such as saving searches or following notices.

If you would like assistance with beta.sam.gov, an upcoming webinar is a great chance for you to familiarize yourself with the new look, functions and registration process. The April 6 webinar, titled “Navigating and Using beta.sam,” is open to Wyoming residents at no cost. To register, visit the training section of www.wyomingsbdc.org. You also can reach out to your local adviser for no-cost, confidential assistance at www.wyomingsbdc.org/sign-up.

The Wyoming SBDC Network offers no-cost advising and technical assistance to help Wyoming entrepreneurs think about, launch, grow, reinvent or exit their business. In 2019 alone, the Wyoming SBDC Network helped Wyoming entrepreneurs start 108 new businesses; create or save 3,402 jobs; and bring a capital impact of more than $24 million to the state. The Wyoming SBDC Network is hosted by UW with state funds from the Wyoming Business Council and funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

To ask a question, call 1-800-348-5194, email wsbdc@uwyo.edu, or write 1000 E. University Ave., Dept. 3922, Laramie, WY 82071-3922.