UHV SBDC brings back workshop for minority business owners
Crossroads entrepreneurs who are women or minorities soon will be able to learn more about a special certification for government contracts through a workshop hosted by the University of Houston-Victoria Small Business Development Center.
Grow Your Business with Texas HUB Certification will be from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Nov. 29 at the UHV SBDC, 1908 N. Laurent St., Suite 400. The free workshop will be presented by Bobby Mirabal, a certified procurement professional from the Del Mar College Procurement Technical Assistance Center.
“We received some great feedback after our previous certification workshop,” UHV SBDC Director Joe Humphreys said. “The information is presented in a clear, understandable way. Our goal always is to help small businesses succeed, and this workshop will offer some important guidance for those who want to get a leg-up on getting government contracts.”
HUB stands for Historically Underutilized Business. HUB businesses are for-profit, less than a certain size, mainly operate in Texas and at least 51 percent owned by an Asian Pacific American, Black American, Hispanic American, Native American, American woman or service disabled veteran who lives in Texas and actively participates in the business’s control, operations and management.
Businesses that receive the certification are more likely to be considered for local, state and federal government contracts and will be included in the Centralized Master Bidders List. The list functions as a directory of HUB-certified businesses.
During the workshop, attendees will learn about the application process and how their businesses can become certified. The application process is free, and certifications are good for up to four years.
“There is money to be made as a government contractor, but business owners need to have their ducks in a row to reach that step,” Humphreys said. “That’s what this workshop will help area entrepreneurs do. Anyone can apply for a government contract, but we want to help even the playing field for area small businesses.”
To register for the workshop, contact the UHV SBDC at 361-485-4485, 877-895-7232 or sbdc@uhv.edu. Participants also can sign up through the SBDC website at www.uhvsbdc.com.
The UHV SBDC is part of a nationwide small business assistance program that serves the small business community in partnership with federal, state and local governments. The center offers business advising, training and technical assistance to existing and start-up businesses in an 11-county area.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
