Postscripts

THEN: In September 1996, we covered Sen. Christopher Bond's (R-MO) proposed HUBZone (Historically Underutilized Business Zone) Act, which would require participating companies to employ at least 35 percent of their work force from a HUBZone, with 50 percent of the work of any federal contract done in the HUBZone.

NOW: The HUBZone program recently celebrated a milestone, registering its 1,000th participating small business. Nearly 8,000 communities nationwide are designated HUBZones, and the number of businesses registered is expected to rise after a nationwide outreach by the SBA. According to the SBA, the HUBZone annual contracting goal is expected to reach its maximum level by fiscal year 2003-translating to 3 percent of overall prime contracting, or an estimated $6 billion a year in federal contracts. To find out whether your company is in a HUBZone, visit www.sba.gov/hubzone.
-C.E.G. & N.L.T.

This article was originally published in the July 2000 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Postscripts.