Peer to Peer Federal Contacting Program (Fed P2P)
Loudoun Small Business Development Center (Loudoun SBDC)
Researchers
have identified peer-to-peer mentoring and coaching as a “best practice”
because it has proven to be especially effective in aiding the successful
growth and development of small businesses. The goal of the Fed P2P Program is to
create jobs and sales within the overall category of federal contracting.
We
are in the process of forming our second Peer-to-Peer Federal Contracting Group. Our first group graduated last year, and members of that group have started businesses and won contracts. We will encourage those from Fed P2P Group 1 to join us and help mentor Group 2 when possible! The group will be limited to no more than 16 members.
Target
Participants:
Individuals (or businesses) who:
·
Live
in and/or base their business in Loudoun County
·
Are
currently either federal contractors who want to take their business to the
next level OR are well-positioned to enter the federal contracting arena
·
Participants
are expected to have the time and appropriate resources to commit to making
their business a success
Commitment:
·
Those
accepted as participants must commit to attending the group meetings and to
complete agreed-upon “homework” or “assignments” as set by the group as a
whole. This level of commitment is critical to the Program’s success.
Format:
·
The
Pilot Program is offered free of charge
·
The
group will meet on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the
three months of July-September (with a possible extension into October, as determined by
the Loudoun SBDC with group input)
·
Each
session will be from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the office of the Loudoun SBDC:
202 Church Street, Suite 100, Leesburg, VA 20175
·
To
the extent possible, no direct competitors will participate in the same group
·
Only
one person per company may participate in the group
·
All
participants must maintain confidentiality
·
A
Loudoun SBDC facilitator will lead the group
·
At
the initial session, participants will introduce themselves, and the group as a
whole will establish its goals and the categories of speakers they would like
to hear during the Program
·
Participants
will form into teams for working on some projects
·
Each
participant will present at least one time. The other participants will help by
brainstorming solutions and best practices for any challenges addressed by the
presenter.
The
Loudoun SBDC is a member of the Virginia SBDC Network, a statewide service network
funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business
Administration. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are
those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.
Additional Loudoun SBDC funding sources include George Mason University-Mason
Enterprise Center at the School of Public Policy, the County of Loudoun,
Loudoun County Industrial Development Authority and Town of Leesburg.
