E-government is also good news for those established
entrepreneurs who are interested in selling to governments or
expanding their customer bases. "We have programs designed to
target minority, women and small business as well as local
businesses, so we wanted to open up the purchasing process to be
more accessible to everyone," says Walton. Since joining
MunicipalNet Inc., Evanston has worked with suppliers as distant as
Connecticut and Florida. You could be one of those companies.
Start by checking around locally. Walton has received a lot of
positive feedback from the vendors he's done business with.
Evanston has been diligent in getting the word out about its new
e-procurement system to businesses in the area: The city has
notified businesses through letters, press promotion, business
associations and the chamber of commerce.
But, according to Sharrard, not every city is as thorough as
Evanston. If you haven't heard about an online bidding system
in your area, contact your local government to determine whether
one exists and is in operation.
Content Continues Below
Sharrard still sees businesses' lack of Internet access as a
hurdle in the rollout of e-procurement: "The governments are a
little bit ahead of the private sector in moving online and, as a
result, have to drag suppliers online. In the near term, suppliers
who are online and willing to work through some of these channels
probably have a slight advantage."
MunicipalNet Inc. deals with this problem by offering fax
notifications to businesses that don't use the Web site. In the
meantime, get a jump on the competition by exploring online
offerings. Your city's official Web site is a natural starting
point.
Page
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 |
5 |
6 