For small businesses in New Orleans looking to broaden their horizons, the Office of Supplier Diversity has outlined several opportunities for the month of August. According to their July Newsletter, a variety of workshops and networking events have been scheduled to offer resources, share contracting opportunities, and provide insight into the procurement process with the city.
Events such as "Coding for Contracts" wrap up the OSD's summer webinar series, aimed at aligning commodity codes with business services. Meanwhile, the "Rise to Resources" meets proprietors at PJ’s Coffee on Read Blvd., today, offering scaling strategies for businesses. On August 7, local agencies will congregate at Gallier Hall for the "Procurement Fair & Industry Day" to discuss potential contracts and growth. Here, businesses can engage directly with city departments and get hands on support from technical assistance providers.
Networking opportunities continue with an "After-Hours Informational/Mixer" scheduled for August 13 at PJ's Coffee. The event promises to facilitate connections and help attendees learn about SLDBE certification, along with exploring small business mentorship opportunities. A week later, OSD will spotlight four certified SLDBE entrepreneurs in a panel discussion "Small Business Success Stories: How They Won and Delivered," to share firsthand experiences with the City's procurement process.
Newly minted companies can look forward to a "DBE Bootcamp," held at Propeller on August 21, designed to jump-start their journey in the market. The OSD's August agenda concludes with "Compliance Forms Training" on August 27, where businesses can expect to learn about contract compliance form preparation and contracting best practices. These events serve as a primer, for a September series, which promises even more workshops and networking events to empower small businesses to effectively do business with the City of New Orleans.
