Community Connection
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SBA: News RELEASE
SBA Launches New Online Training Course: Winning Federal Contracts – A Guide for Women Entrepreneurs
WASHINGTON ─ Women who own small businesses will be able to use a new online U.S. Small Business Administration training course to learn how to identify and take advantage of federal contracting opportunities. The new training course, Winning Federal Contracts: A Guide for Women Entrepreneurs, is part of an ongoing government-wide initiative to promote opportunities for women-owned businesses in the area of government contracting.
This free online tutorial is a practical and easy to use guide that walks a woman-owned small business through the contracting process. SBA is committed to ensuring that women-owned businesses receive at least 5 percent of federal contracts and believes better training opportunities are central to meeting this government-wide goal.
“Federal contracts can provide unique opportunities for women entrepreneurs and small business owners to grow their businesses and create jobs, particularly during these tough economic times,” Administrator Karen Mills said. “It’s also a win for federal agencies, by contracting with women-owned small businesses; they are working with some of the most innovative and dynamic companies in the country.”
The SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership oversees a national network of more than 100 Women’s Business Centers (WBCs) that provide education and training to help women start and grow small businesses. In addition, the SBA has 68 district offices and other resource partners throughout the country available to train and counsel women-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs seeking government contracts.
“This online training course makes critical information and training available to an even wider array of women entrepreneurs and small business owners,” said Ana Harvey, assistant administrator for SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership. “SBA wants to help ensure they have the tools and resources they need to compete for and win federal contracts.”
The Winning Federal Contracts course is designed to help women entrepreneurs learn about the federal procurement process and to prepare them to compete for contracting opportunities. The self-paced guide uses audio and script to provide information about contract rules, how to sell to the government and where to find contracts.
The Winning Federal Contracts course is available on SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov or directly at www.sba.gov/fedcontractingtraining. It is indexed by subject matter, and includes direct links to additional contracting resources.

Never Too Late to Heal
Last year when I went to renew my drivers license I was totally bummed that I could not pass the vision test. Try as I may I could not make out those letters. This event seemed to start me on a downward spiral of the aging process; or, at least, my thoughts on that process. I was convincing myself that I might as well just hang it all up and go into retirement. Well, that option was not very attractive to me, but what was I to do when this body would not do what I wanted it to do? I was diagnosed with dystrophy of the cornea many years ago and it just got progressively worse. I had cataract surgery several years ago and that did not do that much for my vision.
As synchronicity would have it, someone came into my life only long enough to tell me about her doctor and teacher at the Eye Associates of NM. and then she was gone, off to do other things. I did get in to see the doctor who founded the clinic and he immediately referred me to the corneal specialist who looked at my eyes and said you will have to have surgery sometime and you might as well do it now. Well, he is one of the few doctors who are doing this new corneal surgery and I found him right here in Albuquerque. I had the first implant in April, which did not take but the one in May did take. The vision improvement was slow and I was still wondering if I would ever be whole again. Slowly I began to regain my vision and I began to become more hopeful for an active life again.
I guess on some level I set an intention to continue to heal for the next thing I knew I was going to a sweat lodge with my friend Lydia and she mentioned that her new TurboSonic machine was in and wouldn't I like to come try it out. Well, sure, I am always open to experience the newest and the latest. When I went in to use the TurboSonic, Lydia asked if I had any condition that might qualify this treatment for Medicare to pay for some sessions. Well yes, I had this white water river accident 22 yrs ago that left me with a right arm and shoulder that had restricted movement. Following an evaluation we began PT treatment 2 -3 times a week. We were both amazed that this body wanted to heal after all these years.
So these two events proved to me that it is NEVER too late to heal; it is a life long process. And to think that I was beginning to believe that it was over and time to throw in the towel! Well I did not, and I am back in the game of life to it's fullest.
Then in January I get this invitation from Dr. Barbara Dossey to be a part of a Holistic Nursing Delegation to China. I read it and put it aside until Kate came in and I showed it to her. Her remark was "and you are going of course" ? No, I can't go and spend all that money, that's my kids inheritance. Actually, in retrospect, it was more about me still feeling too old to go to China. I am so grateful that Kate responded with "and how many more times do you think that you will be invited to go to China this lifetime?" That was my wake up call, the light bulb went on and I saw things differently. I no longer saw myself too old or too unworthy to take this wonderful opportunity.
So off to China I go with 18 other holistic nurses and what an experience that was for me. The time was just right for I returned with an inner calmness and self confidence.
Barbara Mader
9/25/09
Image courtesy X-ray: NASA/CXC/JHU/K.Kuntz et al.; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI/JHU/K. Kuntz et al; IR: NASA/JPL-Caltech/STScI/K. Gordon
Posted on September 30, 2009 at 12:15 PM in Aging, Barbara's Point of View, Beautiful Things, Colleagues, Conciousness, Creative Commentary, Giving, Gratitude, Healing Therapies, Health & Fitness, Inspiration, Journal, Meditation, Planetary Consciousness, Science, Spirit, Travel, Wellness, Workshops | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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