The FTC Launches New Online Course for Small Businesses Sponsored by AT&T
September 12, 2007

Barbara Winn, AT&T’s Area Director of External Affairs, and Jack Toney, Director of The FTC's Procurement Assistance Program, review the new online course.		Contracting with the government can be very profitable, but it is not always the best business decision for small business owners. To help business owners decide if government contracting is worth pursuing, The Federal Technology Center (The FTC) recently launched a new online class entitled, “Should I Pursue Government Contracting? An Online Step-by-Step Guide.” It is a self-paced, informative, and realistic decision tree to help business owners learn what to expect in the government environment by experimenting with alternative answers to key questions. This online course has been developed through
an Excelerator Grant from the AT&T Foundation which sponsors a program to help nonprofit organizations integrate technology into their operations. Barbara Winn, AT&T’s Area Director of External Affairs, recently met with Jack Toney, Director of The FTC’s Procurement Assistance Program, to review the online class.

Should I Pursue Government Contracts? An Online Step-by-Step Guide emphasizes the importance of market research, cash flow and government payment cycles, government business practices, accounting needs, and marketing methods. When business owners consider these issues prior to taking a class on government contracting or meeting with a counselor, they save time and money for their business. If they determine government contracting is not appropriate at this point, they can focus on other markets. If they determine that further exploration is desirable, they can begin learning about achieving that goal in an efficient and productive manner. For more information, or to take the class go to: www.TheFTC.org/pursuecontracts.

About The FTC: The Federal Technology Center is a not-for-profit public benefit corporation that promotes economic development by facilitating technology transfer between government and the private sector and by teaching small businesses how to successfully compete for government contracts. The FTC provides many free government contracting courses and seminars as well as free one-on-one counseling. To learn more about how The FTC can help you, visit us online at www.TheFTC.org.

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