The Small Business Administration (SBA) is inviting submissions from the public on how to become more transparent, participatory, and collaborative.

Deadline to submit comments is now through March 19, 2010.

The public's feedback and ideas are key in assisting SBA's plan.

Click here to submit your comments.

Any questions can be directed to opengov@sba.gov.

Click here to read the complete news story on WIPP's website.

2010 National Business Week is May 23-25 in Washington, DC.

I just read a new analysis of job gains and losses from the SBA Office of Advocacy that indicates small businesses created some 65 percent of the net new jobs in the private sector over a recent 15-year period. Although many of the new jobs are in new business startups, even more are in expanding firms - most especially mid-sized firms with 20-499 employees.

New startups and continuous high-growth firms were found to play an essential role in the labor market - allowing for an environment to create a large share of jobs.

Click here to read the complete article. Click here to visit WIPP's Economy policy page and learn more about our recent activities.

For more information and a complete copy of the report, visit the Office of Advocacy website at www.sba.gov/advo.

The U.S. Small Business Administration today released a proposed rule aimed at expanding federal contracting opportunities for women-owned small businesses (WOSB). The women's business community has been waiting 11 years for an effective program which will help the government meet its 5% contracting goal with women.

According to a press release from the SBA, the proposed rule identifies 83 industries in which WOSBs are under-represented or substantially under-represented in the federal contract marketplace. Additionally, it removes the requirement, set forth in a prior proposed version, that each federal agency certify that it had engaged in discrimination against women-owned small businesses in order for the program to apply to contracting by that agency.

Click here to read the proposed rules, SBA Press Release, and WIPP's response statement. We will review the rule and provide you with a detailed analysis.

The public may submit comments to this proposed rule up until close of business on May 3, 2010, to www.regulations.gov, where they will be posted after 4pm EST today, or by mailing them to Dean Koppel, Assistant Director, Office of Policy and Research, Office of Government Contracting, U.S. Small Business Administration, 409 3rd St. SW, Washington, DC 20416. Please reference RIN 3245-AG06 when submitting comments.

Contact Angelin Barrios, WIPP Small Business Policy Analyst, at abarrios@wipp.org with any questions.

What are YOU doing on March 4, 2010 at 7:30pm? I already know what my plans are. I will be attending a viewing of Half the Sky LIVE, presented by WIPP Coalition Partner CARE. CARE is planning on bringing together thousands of people in theatres across the country to celebrate, learn and take action to empower women and girls in the fight against poverty in 2010.

Half the Sky LIVE is inspired by the best-selling book from Pulitzer prize winning journalists and will celebrate International Women's Day with musical performances, celebrity commentary, and the world premiere of a powerful film directed by Academy Award Winner Marisa Tomei.

This is a one-night-event only! Visit www.halftheskylive.com to watch the film trailer, find your local theatre and purchase tickets.

Women talk. It is something that our gender has been well known to do and do well: communicate. We talk about our work, family, kids, and overall life. A big responsibility of being a working mother is taking on the additional task of "household manager". With this responsibility comes determining what products to shop for/use, and how to run your overall household.

Market researchers are forever turning to this segment of the population in determining if their products are working, how they can improve, and how they can capitalize on all this information to effectively be able to influence the household manager's buying decisions. Working women are not only consulted on household products, but also cultures around sustainable life and household energy practices.

I recently read a blog titled "Working Women: Key to Promoting Energy Efficiency" by a woman named Andrea Learned, who does an excellent job of connecting that with the number of women business owners now rising - who else would be better to influence and understand the sustainability and energy efficiency management in the household. She states that with energy efficiency and related technology on the rise, market researchers are correct in focusing on the biggest influencers - working mothers.

Further, the blog points to WIPP's August 2009 survey in commission with Women's Council on Energy and the Environment as revealing findings which directly supports her discussion.

Click here to see WIPP's complete Women's Survey on Energy & The Environment.