Last week, we took a poignant journey, paying tribute to the resilient spirit of Pittsburgh, a city dear to my heart, where I was born, raised and raised a family of my own. The city's tenacity and ability to adapt resonates deeply with me, at such a time as this, and especially in the realm of equitable business opportunities. As promised, this week, we are pivoting from admiration to action. Thank you very much for joining me. I hope you agree that this is a worthwhile topic. With decades of experience developing and managing government procurement programs, including capital program management and supplier diversity, I now offer my own program and project management consulting services.
Throughout my career, I have been fortunate enough to observe, learn, and contribute to best practices in the field. Today, I am excited to share some tangible strategies to ensure local diverse businesses have equitable chances in the public contract arena. While these strategies have been crafted with Pittsburgh in mind, they hold relevance and potential far beyond its borders.
Key Players Consultancy, at its core, is dedicated to creating impactful programs that produce real, measurable, and sustainable outcomes. As we navigate these local diverse business development best practices together, remember that our collective goal is to continue fostering environments where opportunity, fairness, and growth prevail. I hope that you will not only read on, but please share this blog across your network. Remember, #Key Players Connect.
Pittsburgh is an Emblem of Innovation, Resilience and Rebirth: In the heart of the Rust Belt, the city of Pittsburgh stands as an emblem of innovation, resilience, and rebirth. With its storied history of steel production giving way to new industries such as technology, healthcare, and education, the city is in a prime position to be a model for others, particularly in how it supports local diverse businesses. The local economy of any city relies heavily on the health and vibrancy of its small businesses. Pittsburgh, like many cities across the nation, can realize a multitude of benefits by intentionally supporting these entities. Here are some actionable ways:
1. Debundling Contracts for Accessibility One of the key hurdles for small, #diverse businesses is the scale of public and private contracts. Large contracts are often beyond the capacity of these enterprises. By debundling these contracts into smaller, more manageable sizes, cities can make them more accessible to the diverse business community. For Example: If the city has a contract for landscaping public parks, it can break it down based on regions or specific services, allowing niche or smaller firms to compete. 2. Provide Local Diverse Business Visibility through Engagement Connecting with the local #diverse business community is often pivotal. Hosting networking events, workshops, and awareness campaigns regularly can raise the profile of small, diverse local businesses, giving them opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow. Get to know them and the services they provide. Be careful not to assume that all #diverse business owners lack expertise. Create learning opportunities for agency buyers and procurement officers to stay current on best practices as well. Remove hurdles and create a clear path to contract opportunity that considers qualifications and performance above personalities and politics. Some ways to achieve this include; eliminating requirements for unnecessarily high and unrelated insurance coverage, streamline the procurement process for smaller value contracts where possible, and reimagine current systems designed with a single point of entry for diverse businesses, often requiring access solely through a majority contractor.
3. Promote & Encourage Corporate Participation Cities should encourage all companies, especially the larger ones, to collaborate with local, #diverse businesses when participating in publicly funded initiatives. This not only promotes economic equity but also ensures that public money is circulated within the community. It must not be assumed that local, #diverse businesses will have equitable opportunities as a result of other business goals currently connected to publicly funded contracts. Simply put, goals and objectives to achieve opportunities for local diverse businesses should be carefully developed and monitored. In fact, tracking and monitoring components are key to achieving measurable outcomes. 4. Be Creative & Leverage Diverse Business Resources in Non-traditional Ways Diverse businesses often have specialized expertise that can be of immense value. Cities can engage these resources for short-term executive leadership roles, contributing to strategy and innovation, or for specialized technical needs. This approach offers the dual benefit of tapping into niche skills and reducing costs associated with permanent hires. 5. Encourage & Promote Regional Diverse Business Utilization Standards Leadership sets the tone. My decades of experience reveals that the many diverse business policies, goals and programs are often very confusing. By implementing standard policies that promote local small business utilization across regions, cities can ensure that the benefits are widespread. This standardized regional approach promotes a clear understanding and more inclusive economy, ensuring that even businesses outside the city center get opportunities. Moreover, standards are widely communicated and understood paving the way for actual outcomes to be more easily observed and managed. Contact me today for strategies to accomplish this or any aspect of your supplier diversity and/or vendor management programs.
6. Offer Incentives and Rewards Recognizing and rewarding efforts to support local small businesses can drive more entities to participate. Offering tax breaks, public recognition, or even direct financial incentives can motivate companies to engage with local #diverse businesses. Tout their success.
The Advantages of Local Diverse Business Equity
Economic Resilience: Small businesses help in diversifying the local economy, which can be a buffer against downturns.
Job Creation: These enterprises are significant job creators, often offering roles that cater to a diverse local populace.
Community Engagement: Small businesses typically have a stronger connection to the community, leading to philanthropy and local engagement.
Innovation: Being nimble, small businesses are often breeding grounds for innovation and current
ideas.
Celebrate Successes
Pittsburgh, and cities like it, should not just implement these strategies but actively celebrate their success. Regular reports highlighting the growth of local diverse businesses, success stories, and the benefits realized by the city can inspire other municipalities to follow suit.
In conclusion, by actively nurturing and supporting local diverse businesses, cities like Pittsburgh can ensure a more resilient, inclusive, and thriving local economy. It is not just about business; it is about community, growth, and the promise of a brighter future.
If you find this blog informative and wish to learn more, send me an email at Cameil@keyplayersconsultancy.com or give me a call at 412-401-2334.
Be on the lookout for next week’s blog entitled,
“Best Practices in Capital Program Management. Delivering Results on Time, Within Budget & Exceeding Client Expectations”
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