By Dan Israeli
The Franklin Square Chamber of Commerce - no stranger to these issues - hosted a presentation from the Long Island Development Corporation's Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP) at its meeting this month, to let local merchants know about a fairly untapped resource in expanding business - government contracts.
Sol Soskin, director of Long Island's PTAP, and Patricia Cook, deputy director, were on hand to speak to a room full of chamber members at Franklin Caterers on New Hyde Park Road. The program, which has been around for over 20 years now on the Island, provides personal and technical assistance to small businesses interested in doing contracts with federal, state or local governments, as well as the private sector. PTAP offers free seminars, workshops and one-on-one consulting for small business owners, who according to Soskin, are all eligible to contract with government agencies.
"We've been in contact with almost every type of business," said Soskin, "As long as you have a business, we can help you. No matter what service or product you have, we can contact you with a government agency that has a need for that service or product."
Cook echoed the same guarantee. "The government, local to federal, buys everything from paper clips to battle ships," Cook said. "It is our job to streamline the process for small businesses, help them with the bidding process page by page." Services for PTAP include helping businesses search for contracts, complete bids, complete pre award and post award surveys, obtain any specific documents, connect with buying agencies and make payments, among other services.
Mary Seifert, vice president of the Franklin Square chamber, said she has already benefited from PTAP with her business. As owner of the Franklin Square UPS, Seifert was able to establish good working relationships with federal agencies through the assistance she received from PTAP. "I'm constantly looking at other avenues to turn revenue," Seifert said. The program is a great resource. Are they going to do the work for you? No. But if you're willing to do the work, you can benefit from the help."
PTAP is governed by a multifaceted committee representing the diverse economy of Long Island, including financial institutions, quasi-governmental agencies, businesses and foundations. These participants provide a wealth of resources for the benefit of the small business clients of PTAP, according to the Long Island Development Corporation's Web site.
Cook said that businesses in Franklin Square could surely benefit off of government contracting, and the other services PTAP provides. "It will assist people in building better businesses, which can develop across the community," she said. "If your small business is doing well, there is the potential for people you can hire and business growth. Small businesses in Long Island have to work so hard because of the competition, and competitive intelligence is key."
Soskin, who has been working with government contracts for over 60 years, said that there are a number of free resources out there for businesses to take advantage of, from agencies like the department of labor and other offices. "We have to make aware to all businesses the resources available," he said. "It doesn't matter how small your business is, we can still work with you."
Frank Cutolo, chamber president, said that services provided by PTAP are already starting to catch the ears of local business owners. "It's something that many chambers are starting to promote," he said. "A few businesses in town have already taken advantage of it. They're [PTAP] great at what they do, providing such a valuable service for free."
Comments about this story? DIsraeli@liherald or (516) 569-4000 ext. 214.
