At the recent Business Vision 360 Forum organized by the International Chamber of Commerce of Entrepreneurs IECCUS in Miami, Christian Cevallos, councilman of District 11 of Miami-Dade County, shared valuable insights about the current landscape for entrepreneurs and the opportunities the county offers. Below, we explore the key points addressed in his intervention, providing a comprehensive view of how to navigate the business ecosystem of Miami-Dade County.
Diversity as the Foundation of Innovation and Growth
Christian Cevallos highlighted how diversity and inclusion have contributed to the development and growing relevance of Miami-Dade County. This diversity is not just a social value but an economic driver that fosters innovation and opens markets. Companies that embrace diversity can access a wider range of talents, perspectives, and business opportunities. In a globalized world, a company’s ability to interact with and serve a diverse community is a significant competitive advantage.
The Age of the Company and Its Impact on Credibility
Cevallos’s recommendation on valuing a company’s longevity highlights a crucial aspect of the business world: credibility. A company with an established track record suggests reliability and expertise, decisive factors when awarding contracts. In this sense, keeping a company registered, even when considering starting new business ventures, could be strategically advantageous.
Registration and Qualification: Gateways to Success
The registration process as a vendor in Miami-Dade County is more than just bureaucratic paperwork; it’s the first step toward eligibility to participate in a wide range of public tenders. This procedure democratizes business opportunities, ensuring that companies of all sizes have the chance to contribute to the county’s projects and services. Cevallos demystifies the process, encouraging businesses to actively participate and take advantage of the tools and resources available to facilitate their inclusion.
The Critical Role of Insurance in Entrepreneurship
Addressing insurance, Cevallos touches on a vital point for any company, especially those involved in high-risk industries like construction. Proper insurance coverage not only protects the company’s assets but also enables it to compete in large-scale projects. This aspect is fundamental for business risk management, ensuring that companies can operate and grow without jeopardizing their financial viability.
Minorities in the Business World: Equity and Opportunity
The inclusion of minorities in the business sphere is not just a matter of social justice but also enriches the economic fabric of the country. Policies that encourage the participation of minority-led businesses in public tenders promote a more equitable distribution of opportunities and reflect the diversity of the community they serve. Cevallos points out how these policies benefit not only minority businesses but also strengthen the market by introducing a wider variety of suppliers and competencies.
Gradual and Sustainable Growth
Cevallos’s approach to business growth emphasizes the importance of sustainability. Entering contracts that exceed a company’s operational capacity can result in execution failures, negatively impacting its reputation and future business prospects. Promoting gradual growth, based on actual capabilities and expanding them organically, is key to long-term success. This cautious and calculated approach ensures that companies not only survive but thrive and expand responsibly.
Public Contract Remuneration: Debunking Myths
Cevallos addresses the myth of low remuneration for county contracts, providing a realistic perspective on the competitiveness of these contracts compared to the private sector. His argument underscores that public administration values efficiency, quality, and timeliness, willing to adequately compensate those providers who can guarantee these standards. This approach ensures that projects are not only completed within the planned timelines and budgets but also meet quality and service expectations, benefiting both the community and the involved businesses.
Responsibility and Penalties in Public Contracts
Cevallos emphasizes the importance of accountability in fulfilling awarded contracts. Penalties for non-compliance not only have a direct financial impact on companies but also affect their reputation and ability to obtain future contracts. This framework of accountability ensures that public interest projects are carried out with the utmost care and professionalism, ensuring that public resources are used effectively and efficiently.
Preparation and Adaptability in Times of Crisis
The councilman of District 11 of Miami-Dade County also spoke about the importance of adaptability and preparedness in times of economic crisis. A company’s ability to pivot and adapt to new economic realities, regulations, and market demands is crucial for its survival and growth. In this sense, the current crisis represents both a challenge and an opportunity for companies willing to innovate and seek new market niches or adapt their operations and business strategies to changing circumstances.
Connection with the Community and Contribution to Local Development
Finally, Christian Cevallos highlighted the importance of companies’ connection with the community and their contribution to local development. Companies that understand and address the needs of their community not only strengthen their customer base and improve their image but also play a crucial role in the economic and social development of the county. Establishing solid relationships with the community and actively participating in local initiatives can open new business and collaboration opportunities.
Conclusion: A Promising Future for Entrepreneurs in Miami-Dade
Christian Cevallos‘s presentation at the Business Vision 360 Forum offered an in-depth and detailed view of the business ecosystem in Miami-Dade County, highlighting the opportunities and challenges that businesses currently face. His message of diversity, inclusion, responsibility, and sustainable growth resonated strongly with the participants, offering a clear roadmap for navigating the business landscape and making the most of the available opportunities.
Ultimately, success in Miami-Dade County is based on companies’ ability to adapt, innovate, and collaborate, both with public entities and the community at large. The vision and support of leaders like Christian Cevallos are essential for guiding businesses through these challenging times and toward a promising future. With the right approach and adequate support, Miami-Dade County is well-positioned to continue being a vibrant hub of business activity, cultural diversity, and economic development.
Transcript:
It’s a pleasure to be here with all of you, friends. I sincerely thank you. The excitement of every Monday, my recent visit to Cartagena, the Quintero family, and all the places and people that make women and important people great have not been forgotten.
Entrepreneurs, each of you contributes to making this county a prominent place. We all aspire to be as diverse as the United States, and we have made our county increasingly relevant, providing cultural and gastronomic benefits, as well as business advantages.
This is exactly what we wish for everyone here. Since 2018, I have had the honor of collaborating with the community and sharing a bit of our work. It is crucial that all of you know and understand how to be entrepreneurs, how to register as vendors, and how to do business in our county, which has a budget of 11 million dollars. We are the seventh county in the United States in terms of population and budget.
With a budget larger than that of 11 entire states of the United States and many countries in Central America, our unlimited budget reflects the impact of our works and projects, making us more dynamic and important every day.
Therefore, everyone present has the opportunity to do business globally. Following this reasoning, it is crucial for any business to have a solid business plan, just as a job applicant needs to have a well-prepared resume. Likewise, having an effective business presentation is essential for doing business on a private level. It is important to make sure your website and social media accurately reflect what you are doing. This is part of your presentation and will be evaluated when comparing your business with others.
There will be tenders along the way, and if we have not prepared properly and do not have a well-structured business that communicates what we do and shows our track record, we could face difficulties. Even if we have the capacity, personnel, structure, and infrastructure necessary to do business, a poor presentation and unclear track record can be significant obstacles.
I want to emphasize that the first thing we should do once we have established the necessary infrastructure to do business in the county is to register in the appropriate place. It is essential to register and keep faith in the process. Often, I hear people say that it is impossible to become a registered vendor, but the reality is that, by law, contracts must be rotated, debunking the belief that a single contractor can monopolize all contracts.
In Miami-Dade County, for example, we have important documents available. It is vital to register properly, as in many cities, although we often talk about Miami, there are a total of 34 cities, each with its own methods and mechanisms. Regardless of the city’s size, it is necessary to register the business locally. For unincorporated areas of the county, it is necessary to obtain a special permit, similar to what happens in Los Angeles County.
This economic crisis requires us to adapt and learn how to properly incorporate our businesses in the state of Florida. If you already own a company that you started a few years ago and are considering closing it to open a new one, it is time to carefully evaluate your options.
I would like to tell you that it is not always advisable to dismiss the age of a company, as it can be very valuable. Therefore, it is wise to keep the company registered for a considerable time. Age can be more beneficial than we imagine, even if it is not always obvious. An essential practice is ensuring we are recognized as taxpayers and employers, which implies having an updated registration in the federal system, specifically the taxpayer identification number provided by the SAT in Mexico, similar to the EIN (Employer Identification Number) in the United States.
It is crucial to have the company name correctly registered. Often, we have a summary that describes our company, our mission, what products or services we offer, and how we position ourselves in the market. This summary helps potential clients recognize us and trust our legality to do business. Although it is possible to operate under a single name, obtaining an official registration, which acts as a business credential is preferable.
Moving on to the next point, the registration process is quite simple. You will find a webpage where you must sign up as the first step to register as a vendor. This site will include all the necessary documents to complete the registration, and once finished, you will be officially within the system.
It is essential to be aware of any additional requirements we initially do not know about and make sure to meet them. Additionally, obtaining an identification number to compete in tenders within Miami-Dade County is an important step. This number is essential for those interested in participating in tender processes.
Finally, it is important to be not only registered but also qualified as a company that can participate in tenders. For example, in a recent review of the official website, several available contracts were highlighted, including those related to metals and water sample analysis, among other services.
The document includes the quantity, unit, and total contract, presenting a recent real component. These are examples of the types of contracts we can aspire to. It is crucial not to improvise. Often, when trying to participate in tenders for school supplies or to supply an aerospace component manufacturing plant, I may face the challenge of proving my experience in this market, risking failing the tender for a contract in this sector.
We must bid in areas where we have experience. Although there are minor contracts that do not require extensive experience, in specialized and complicated fields like construction and water treatment, among other scientific topics, it is vital not to improvise. My recommendation is to move forward on topics that are also important and consider the certificate of arrival and general responsibility required at the building entrance.
Many businesses already have this certificate, essential for participating in events and tenders. It is common for higher insurance to reach one million dollars, and in many cases, coverages of $255,000 to $10,000 are required, depending on the project. Therefore, it is essential to familiarize ourselves with specific needs and work with insurance companies that understand our requirements. From experience, I have noticed significant differences in insurance costs, which can vary due to the understanding of the risk involved in our operations. For example, the risk of working at 40 feet high is not the same as delivering school supplies.
Additionally, we have certificates like workers’ compensation, especially required in construction contracts to cover employees in case of accidents. The legislation of various states can complicate insurance when additional coverage is required for vehicles and other aspects.
In some cases, it is possible to request a compensation waiver, applicable when there is not a sufficient number of employees and only needed for the owner and a couple more people. This exemption, offered by the state of Florida, can be useful when entering contracts with the county, allowing us to argue that we do not need this coverage due to the nature of our operation.
Finally, it is essential to consider that each city or unincorporated area, like in Miami-Dade County, requires specific documentation to validate commercial activity. This will be a crucial document in the tendering process.
Registration is the topic I will address next, presenting some solutions that are not necessarily directly linked to me, given that my intention is honest and informative. There are many opportunities to do business with the Miami School Department, a very important department.
Within its platform, there is a tender section where third parties can register and participate. It is relevant to mention that this department particularly values contractors belonging to minorities, and on many occasions, up to 30% of contracts are awarded to these groups. Therefore, it is crucial to be registered as part of a minority, which can also be done on the same website.
This is an additional recommendation in the context of financing. Regarding the registration process and how to do business with the school department, it is important to follow a few simple steps that I am willing to share with all of you. Miami offers direct access to the main page for registration, where it is even possible to upload required documents from the United States.
There is also another link, marked as Copyright 2.6, directing to the school department’s registration portal. Although the process may require patience due to navigating the site, it is valuable to make the effort to register and explore the available options.
It is essential to only register in areas where you have relevant experience, as it does not present a good image to be rejected in several contracts. Additionally, it is important to consider the real capacity to fulfill the contracts; for example, if you only have three employees and experience in small projects, it is unlikely to obtain a $500 million contract to build bridges.
Caution should be exercised when entering contracts that exceed our capacity, and it is advisable to grow gradually. The county values previous experience and, on occasion, may offer small contracts to new bidders as a form of test. Successfully fulfilling these smaller contracts can open the door to bigger opportunities.
There is a myth that county contracts are poorly paid, which is incorrect. These contracts often offer very favorable compensation, as the county seeks to avoid problems and ensure quality and timeliness in projects that impact the community. Fulfilling these contracts involves not only an economic reward but also the responsibility to face penalties in case of non-compliance.
With this, I conclude my presentation and greatly appreciate your participation. From Argentina, I am at your service to offer help and guidance whenever possible. Thank you for this opportunity.