This guest post is part of our ongoing Small Business Perspective series, and is written by Audrey Clark, owner of Professionals Now, LLC in Tampa, FL.
When big events come to town, it could mean big opportunities for your small business. I had a personal experience when the Super Bowl came to the Tampa area last year, and it resulted in networking opportunities as well as knowledge that has helped carry me through as a small business since.
As it turns out, the NFL had an Emerging Business Program, which is designed to provide local minority- and woman-owned businesses the maximum opportunity to participate in the Super Bowl procurement process. While participation in the program does not guarantee receipt of Super Bowl related contracts, the Super Bowl Host Committee wants minority- and woman-owned businesses to receive information on the Super Bowl procurement process and an introduction to potential purchasing entities. With the Super Bowl being held in Miami, Florida, this season, it will pay to look into what is required this year should your business operate in the area. Let’s take a look at what some of them were from last year, and what is involved.
The requirements in Tampa were: 1) business had to be established for at least a year, 2) certification from the state or a local municipality and 3) a signed affidavit.
Let’s review what these requirements mean.
1. Your business had to be incorporated through the State (Florida is SunBiz.org). You can have an LLC or a corporation. I’m not sure if you can become certified as a sole proprietor. You had to be established as a company for at least a year.
2. The certification from the State or the local municipality such as the City of Tampa or Hillsborough County requires you to submit a list of required business documents and an application which certifies you as a small business, minority or woman-owned business. I had help from the USF Small Business Development Council (SBDC) (http://www.sbdc.usf.edu/) in Tampa, Florida. They held free classes regarding certification. The SBDC suggests you prepare all the documentation and then bring to their office for review. The State held local conferences and was certifying companies on the spot. I was not able to attend the conference so one of the SBDC counselors even took my binder of information to the conference to have it certified. I received certification in a week and provided this information to the Tampa Bay Super Bowl Host Committee (www.tampabaysuperbowl.com). This link is no longer active. Check out the link for the Miami Super Bowl Host Committee, Super Bowl XLIV. (http://www.southfloridasuperbowl.com/)
3. Once I received this certification, I provided a copy to the Host Committee with my signed affidavit and I was listed in their Emerging Business Resource Guide in three different areas – public relations, destination management and event planning.
The state certification requires the same documents as the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County with a few minor changes in forms or documentation. So I also became certified as a minority-owned business with the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County. It takes a little time, but it’s worth it.
I didn’t get a contract with the NFL but I did land a contract with the City of Tampa. I am now on my way with some capital and more knowledge about how to win more government contracts. This isn’t something I got out of a book. This is real life experience. The Super Bowl Emerging Business Program gave me the incentive and know-how to become a viable successful business. I was invited and attended a number of Super Bowl networking celebrations that provided a plethora of information and a chance to meet successful celebrity business owners. I also volunteered to create other networking opportunities.
Have big events in your city opened doors for your small business? What did you learn and what would you recommend to other small businesses?
Audrey Clark is the manager of her own media relations, public information and process serving company, Professionals Now, LLC, located in Tampa, FL. To learn more about Audrey and all of our Small Business Perspective Contributors, click here.
Image courtesy of the Boston Herald
