Carlos Ansuarez’s presentation at the Doral Business Forum highlighted a critical aspect of business development: navigating the complexities of government contracting. By demystifying the process of becoming a vendor with Miami-Dade County, Ansuarez not only provided a roadmap for businesses looking to expand their opportunities but also emphasized the county’s commitment to supporting small businesses. This approach underscores the importance of government contracts in driving growth and sustainability for local enterprises.
The Importance of Supplier Registration
Ansuarez stressed the first step in doing business with Miami-Dade County: Supplier registration. This process is crucial as it allows the government to identify potential vendors and match them with relevant contracts through commodity codes. By transitioning to electronic contracts and emphasizing the need for up-to-date information, the county streamlines the procurement process, making it more accessible for small businesses to participate in government projects.
Keeping Local Dollars Local
A central theme of Ansuarez’s presentation was the goal of keeping local dollars within the county to stimulate economic growth and development. By implementing measures to ensure that county contracts are accessible to local firms, Miami-Dade County aims to create a multiplier effect: local businesses hire within the county, pay taxes, and contribute to the overall prosperity of the community. This approach not only supports the growth of small businesses but also reinforces the economic foundation of the local area.
Advantages for Small Business Owners
The Office of Small Business Development plays a pivotal role in leveling the playing field for small businesses in Miami-Dade County. By reviewing contracts and setting aside opportunities specifically for small businesses, the office ensures that these enterprises can compete effectively against larger companies. Ansuarez’s explanation of the criteria for qualifying as a small business, including the review of personal net worth and business income, highlights the county’s commitment to inclusivity and support for businesses at various stages of growth.
Pre-Qualified Pools and Specialized Opportunities
Ansuarez introduced the concept of pre-qualified pools, a strategic approach to procurement that benefits both the government and small businesses. By pre-qualifying vendors for specific goods and services, the county can quickly and efficiently meet its needs while providing small businesses with a steady stream of opportunities. This system not only simplifies the procurement process but also encourages small businesses to specialize and align their offerings with the county’s recurring needs.
Vendor Academy and Support Services
The presentation also touched on the resources available to businesses new to government contracting. The Vendor Academy and the training offered by the vendor services team are invaluable resources for businesses looking to understand the bidding process, prepare effective proposals, and navigate the complexities of government contracts. These educational opportunities, coupled with the management and technical assistance provided by the Office of Small Business Development, underscore the county’s holistic approach to supporting business development.
Conclusion
Carlos Ansuarez’s presentation at the Doral Business Forum served as a powerful testament to Miami-Dade County’s dynamic approach to supporting small businesses through government contracting. By demystifying the process, providing clear pathways for participation, and emphasizing the importance of local economic development, the Office of Small Business Development is not just facilitating business growth; it’s actively shaping the future of the local economy. As Miami-Dade County continues to evolve and expand its support for small businesses, its impact on fostering a vibrant, inclusive, and prosperous business ecosystem is undeniable.
Transcript:
I have you. I’m here to show you how. Okay. So, dealing with the government, who has ever dealt with the government? No one? Okay, a few. Is it easy? It’s a little tricky, right? But it’s like that because if not, everyone would do it. So let’s get started. Supplier registration. I’m going to be brief. The first thing to do when doing business with Miami-Dade County is you have to register as a vendor or as a supplier with the county.
That way, we know who you are and what you do. Let me give you a quick brief summary of how the government does business. Whenever a department has a need, they’re going to formulate a contract for that need. And in that contract, they’re going to include commodity codes. We’re not going to write in what we need; if we need painting, there’s a commodity code for painting. If we need it, there’s a commodity code for it. You guys see where I’m going with this? The more commodity codes, the more opportunities. So, our contracts are electronic. No more handwritten contracts. And we’re going to put the codes there electronically, and then we’re going to check our vendor pool, and it’s going to automatically match us with the vendors that provide the service.
And that’s where you get notified. So, a few things: Register as a vendor, and make sure that your email, phone numbers, and commodity codes are up to date. It’s that simple. And I’m going to go through this pretty fast. You’ve got to register. We’re going to send you this.
Don’t worry about taking pictures. We’ll send you a copy. Imagine that. This is basically where you go. It’s very user-friendly, and here’s where you’re going to see bidding opportunities and awarded contracts. Okay. Real simple. Now, anyone can become a county vendor. We have factories in China that are vendors with the county. So, anyone can become a county vendor.
Let’s go through this fast. If you want to bid, that’s where you bid. We have a helpdesk. If you want to come in person, you can. It’s an online process. Okay. You go to the website, it’s going to ask you to upload your documents. You scan them into your computer, you upload them, and that’s it. Now, the Office of Small Business Development.
So, aside from becoming a vendor, which is necessary so we know who you are, you, as a small business owner in Miami-Dade County, have certain advantages when bidding. Where I work, in the Office of Small Business Development, we review every county contract over $20,000, and we review it to put measures on it. In Spanish, they’re called “medidas,” right?
Why? Because we don’t want big businesses to come in and snatch your lunch. Our goal is to give county dollars to county firms because then you guys are going to hire in the county, pay taxes in the county, and we all move up together. So, we want to keep local dollars local. This is how we do it. We review all of Miami-Dade County’s contracts and put certain measures on them to be part of our Small Business (SB) Enterprise program.
You have to register. You go to that website right there, B2G, and this one is a little more in-depth. This one has a bit more requirements. We’ve got to make sure you’re a small business, right? Imagine if Donald Trump applied for this; it wouldn’t be quite fair, right? He’s a big guy. I like him, but he’s a big guy.
So, we try to keep the big guys away and keep this for small, local businesses. Your next question must be, “What qualifies as small?” Look, it’s free. We’re not going to charge you. This is what you need: You need your local business tax receipt. If you’re in a city, you need it for the city, and you need it for the county. Okay.
Local business tax. You have to have an actual place of business. Our program is race and gender-neutral. And we’re going to look at each owner’s personal net worth, which should be no more than $1.5 million. Don’t get scared. That’s excluding your primary residence. If you own a house in Miami-Dade County, it’s probably well over that. And we’re working on bumping that up as well because we know inflation is a thing, and we have a three-year gross income requirement, which you’re going to see.
So, if you’re in construction, we have three programs, right? Sorry, go back—no, this way, back when. Sorry.
Okay. Here we are. We have three programs: architecture, and engineering; we have construction; and then we have everything else, which is goods and services. This is how we divvy up our programs. There are certain requirements for each program. So, if we’re doing construction: GC, no more than $15 million in gross annual sales; $12 million for heavy building construction; and $8 million for specialty trade.
Plumbers, painters, electricians—that’s how we do it. For goods and services, we have an $8 million cap for goods and services. But if you are a manufacturer or a wholesaler, a different set of rules applies. It goes based on your employees. So, no more than 100 employees for manufacturers and no more than 50 employees for wholesalers. That’s a nice little gray area, right? We follow the SBA guidelines for that.
Then, architecture, and engineering: You’ve got to have at least 25% if you hold the license; $6.5 million cap for architects; $8 million for engineering, landscape architecture, surveying, and mapping services. That is, in a nutshell, our program. You’re not expected to know all this. I’m going to send it to you. All right. So, what we do, we carve out opportunities. 10% of county spending has to go to SB firms.
Okay. We have a 14-day prompt payment period, meaning if you are working on a county contract and you are an SBE, I’m sorry for moving. And if you’re an SBE, then you have to get paid within 14 days of an approved invoice. That’s good because have you ever heard? It takes forever to get paid by the county.
Man, yeah, it’s three months. Two things happen: one, if you don’t submit an approved invoice, a good invoice, we’re not going to pay, right? We have to justify your payment and justify things. And secondly, if you submit the invoice and it’s approved and you forget about it, then we have a problem, right? We’re all human, right? Some folks may have something sitting on their desk, and you pick up the phone and call them, but they don’t pick up.
Call me. I’ll give them a call or I’ll call their boss. And then we’ll get the fire lit. We’ll give them some motivation. That’s what we are here to do. Small Business Development is here to help you obtain county contracts, work on these county contracts, and get paid as quickly as possible. And there’s bonding and financial assistance.
Man, okay, that’s my area of expertise. I am the manager of the Business Outreach and Education section. And I also help you to get bonded. And if you need loans, you can sit down and talk to me. I’m not a lender to you, but I could refer you over to some of our partners who are here today.
Okay. Let’s go quickly. Our team, Business Outreach, and Education, provide outreach events like these. I also have an educational event. On March 1st, I’m going to be having a tax workshop. I’m going to be able to pry a CPA away from his practice to present to our small business owners the importance of your financial returns in order to increase your profits. If you’re interested, email me, and I’ll send you the link, and it’s free.
We also provide management and technical assistance. Like I said, we don’t just bring you in and leave you high and dry. We are your contact person. If you have a problem with the county, you give me a call, and I’ll try to figure it out. I can’t do everything, but I can certainly try. Also, if you’re on a contract and you’re having issues with that contract, you could give me a call or my team and say, “Hey, Carlos, I need help with this.
I need help with that. I belong to law. What can I do? I bid a little too high. Congratulations. I don’t think I’m paying my employees the right wage.” We’ll get you the help. If you’re stuck in the contract, and owe money, it’s late in the game, but I’ll help you. I’ll try.
Okay. The way we have those set-asides or carve-outs, we do it through our Project Review and Analysis section. They spend all day reviewing contracts and putting the set-asides on those contracts. This is a great page for you guys to look at. This is our projects under review page. As you know, we are the government.
We are under the Sunshine Law. So everything we do has to be transparent and clear. If you guys want to see projects that are going to be happening soon, it’s right up there. If you want to see what we’re working on, it’s right there. You click on the type of contract opportunity you’re looking for, and you’ll see the contracts before they come out to bid.
Okay, this is great because now you know what’s happening. You can prepare your business, and your proposals, and get your team of experts together to win the bid. And guess what? If you’re smart, you say, “Wait, you’re a public entity. Can I get a copy of the last bid that won that contract?” Yes, you can.
You just have to ask for it. Mind-blowing, right? Okay. And here’s a preview of some of our construction opportunities. This is just an example. It’s a bit late; it’s already passed. Goods and services opportunities. We qualify. The last thing before I go is that we have pre-qualified pools when the government is making purchases. Sometimes there are certain things that we need that we know we’re going to need for the whole year.
Let me think of one. Tires, right? I know we’re going to need tires. Our school buses need tires. Our public transportation buses need tires. Our metro movers need tires. Those are very specialized tires. We need boots. We need hats. We need uniforms. We need it all. Instead of going out every time I have a need, I’m going to do what’s called a pre-qualified pool.
I’m going to open up a group of contractors that are licensed to do these certain things and provide these certain goods. And I’m going to send the opportunities just to this group because they’re already pre-qualified. They know what I need. They have access to what I need, and I will let them bid amongst themselves. This is free for you to go in and take a look.
If you provide some of these things, please go in there. It’s like four pages. It’s mind-blowing. Let’s say you want to find out what I want to do as a business. Find out what we’re looking for, then strategize your business plan accordingly. Right. I saw this one for the airport holiday decorations.
The airport rents holiday decorations. Guess how much we spend. Take a stab at it. Rent, I mean. Very good. Close. $500,000 every year renting holiday decorations. Wow. That’s a lot of money, right? For what? Two, or three months out of the year. I mean, so all that you can see here, please take a look at this website, Vendor Academy.
Also, for those of you new to government work, and government contracting, our vendor services team has training on how to prepare a bid, and how to get involved. Okay. And all this is going to be sent to you. That’s the information for my team. I’m not up there but come see me. I’ll send you an email, and I look forward to speaking with each and every one of you later on today.
Thank you.