Chatham County Renews Contract with Broadlands!
Broadlands Financial Group, LLC will continue to work with Chatham County, Georgia to improve local, minority and women owned business capacity and participation Program for another year! The Chatham County Purchasing and Contracting Department, which selected Broadlands in January 2011 to design and implement this capacity building initiative renewed Broadlands’ contract for an additional year through 2012.
This is exciting news for Broadlands and the local businesses in Chatham County,” said Bryan Fortay, Broadlands’ Executive Vice President. “The programs we have designed and implemented to date have been described by participants as ‘life changing,’ but there is still much more to do.”
During the 2010-2011 period, Broadlands collaborated with the Chatham County M/WBE Office to develop training workshops and seminars, educate local business owners and provide resources for the advancement of the County’s M/WBEs. Bryan Fortay executed an extremely well-received six week Small Business Leadership Training Program that highlighted valuable lessons in corporate leadership, decision making, sales strategies and mission statements. Participants raved about the impact and success of the series.
In early November of 2011, Broadlands designed and implemented an estimating workshop for local contractors, “Faster, Smarter Estimating for Construction Contractors.” The workshop was designed and implemented by Broadlands colleagues Carl Kleinhenn and Jim Payne. This workshop gave attendees an overview of estimating strategies, pitfalls and software.
“Our success thus far has been significantly impacted by the support of the M/WBE Office and local County officials,” Fortay said. “It is clear that Chatham County is serious about supporting its small, minority and women owned businesses and the County is doing something about it.” Arneja Riley, Chatham County’s Coordinator for Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises, has called the program “insightful, strategic, engaging and empowering.” Carolyn Guilford, President of Health Restoration 101, said that “the program opened my thinking like no other class has.”
The success of these programs has created a strong foundation for future evetns planned for the next year. Broadlands has already begun developing more advanced leadership seminars and estimating workshops for the first quarter of 2012, a special working capital loan program is in the works and a unique bonding and risk management program was designed to minimize the barriers small businesses face in landing local, publicly funded construction work.
In addition to these presentations, Broadlands and the Chatham County M/WBE Program have consulted with numerous small business owners in the region. Representatives from the two groups have met with many local M/WBEs to discuss business plans, marketing and growth strategies. Broadlands has continued to provide information and consultation through their unique ”Bond Alternative” program while the Chatham County M/WBE Program assists in reaching out to local companies. Literary and online resources for construction contractors and small business owners have also been made readily available.
Keep an eye out for more exciting events to come!
