Right Here. Right Now. Thought Leader Summit on Entrepreneurship

Join the Startup Alleghenies for a day of thought-provoking presentations at the Right Here. Right Now. Thought Leader Summit on Entrepreneurship on Monday, April 30th from 12:30 PM to 5:30 PM (registration beginning at 11:30 AM) at Seven Springs Mountain Resort.

Keynoter Chris Heivly, co-founder of MapQuest, one of the nation’s leading experts in how to turn startups into multi-million dollar companies, will share his lessons on startup success. National and local experts will explore ideas about how to turn the Southern Alleghenies into the next great startup zone during two round table events.

Successful entrepreneurs and Entrepreneur Coaches from Startup Alleghenies will be available to answer your questions at the networking cocktail reception to close the day. If you’ve thought about starting a business, already own a business or just want to be part of of the movement, join us.

Registration is free. For more information or to register, visit the Right Here. Right Now. website. If you’re interested in becoming an event sponsor, click here for the sponsorship kit.

SBA HUBZone Webinars Announced

The SBA is holding several webinars on HUBZones over the next few weeks. If you are unable to attend the live webinar, they will be archived on the SBA’s YouTube Channel. The upcoming webinars are:

How Does HUBZone Consider Employees and Affiliation?

February 28 | 2:00-3:00 p.m. EST

During this webinar, you will learn who to count as an employee for the purpose of the HUBZone Program. The webinar will also help you understand when to combine the employees from your other businesses to evaluate the principal and employee residency compliance of the HUBZone firm.  Click on this link 10 minutes before the webinar begins.

Understanding How HUBZones are Designated
March 7 | 2:00-3:00 p.m. EST

During this webinar, you will learn how areas become designated as HUBZones. Click on this link 10 minutes before the webinar begins.

HUBZone Protests and Appeals
March 14 |2:00-3:00 p.m. EST
During this webinar, you will learn the process for filing HUBZone protests and appeals; and for responding to protest notices. Click on this link 10 minutes before the webinar begins.

Please contact us for any of your government contracting assistance needs at (814) 254-4022 or (814) 254-4023 or via email at .

ATTENTION EMPLOYERS!

Connect to hundreds of qualified job candidates by participating in the Cambria County Job Fair on Tuesday, May 1st from 1 PM – 5 PM at the Frank J. Pasquerilla Conference Center in downtown Johnstown.

The 2017 Fair showcased over 80 employers and served over 500 job seekers.

Register by April 6, 2018 for the Early Bird discount of only $95! All registrations after April 6th will be $120.

For exhibitor registration and sponsorship information, click the link below, visit our website or contact Debi Balog, director of workforce development, at (814) 262-8366 or via email at .

Click here to download the Flyer and Vendor/Sponsor Form.

RNDT Receives WBENC Certification

RNDT Inc., provider of nondestructive testing and weld inspection services, just received certification as a woman-owned small business from the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). Jimma Raco, President, previously served on the JARI Board and recently became a member of the Women’s Presidential Organization Greensburg Chapter.

The WBENC certification can open government contracting and subcontracting doors for RNDT. The Federal government has statutory goals established by the Federal Executive Agencies, including a 5% prime and 5% subcontracting goal for women-owned small businesses. Various states and local government have similar programs, including Pennsylvania’s Small Business and Small Diverse Business Contracting Programs. Contracting opportunities can be “set-aside” for women-owned businesses.

If you would like to learn more about woman-owned business certifications or have any government contracting assistance needs, please contact the JARI PTAC at (814) 254-4022 or (814) 254-4023 or via email at .

Registration Open for BUILDing Connections

Registration for BUILDing Connections is now open. The free workshop is a special session for small to medium sized construction contractors interested in government contracting or subcontracting and will feature presentations from the PA Department of General Services, the PA Department of Transportation, and JARI PTAC staff. Attendees will get the opportunity to speak to representatives from both the PA Department of General Services, Bureau of Diversity, Inclusion and Small Business Opportunities and the PA Department of Transportation, Bureau of Office Services. Plenty of time will be available for networking and Q&A.

The workshop will be held on Thursday, March 1, 2018, at the JARI Center for Business Development, 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM. Registration is required and can be completed here or by emailing . Seating is limited, so register early. A special thank you to our event sponsor, Bantly Hardware, who will be providing light refreshments.

If you would like to learn more about this workshop or have any government contracting assistance needs, please contact the JARI PTAC at (814) 254-4022 or (814) 254-4023 or via email at .

Augustine Die & Mold Receives HUBZone Certification

Congratulations to Augustine Die & Mold (ADM) on their recent HUBZone certification. Due to designation updates in July 2017, ADM was able to take advantage of the Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone) program. The program helps urban and rural small businesses gain additional access to federal procurement opportunities. Benefits of being HUBZone certified include competitive contracting, a 10% price evaluation preference, and even sole sourcing. The federal government has a goal of awarding 3% of prime contracts to HUBZone certified small business and prime contractors also have a 3% subcontracting goal.

Although there are several eligibility requirements including the business be physically located in a HUBZone, companies often have trouble meeting the employee residence requirement.  A minimum of 35% of a company’s employees must live in a HUBZone in order for a business to be eligible to apply for HUBZone certification. Prior to July 2017, only a few census tracts within Somerset County were eligible. Now, the entire county is designated as a HUBZone, thus opening the program up to more Somerset County businesses.

Congratulations, again, to Augustine Die & Mold. If you would like to learn more about the HUBZone or have any government contracting assistance needs, please contact the JARI PTAC at (814) 254-4022 or (814) 254-4023 or via email at .

Announcing the New Maker-to-Manufacturing Commercialization Center

Catalyst Connection is partnering with JARI and the University of Pittsburgh to provide both physical and virtual support to small entities seeking to commercialize their products. These organizations will work as a single virtual center to mentor entrepreneurs, support the scaling of start-ups to more robust economic expansion and job creation, connect innovators to the manufacturing supply chain, provide access to maker spaces, connect entrepreneurs to the region’s high-powered academic institutions, and provide access to seed capital.

The new virtual Maker-to-Manufacturing Commercialization Center (M2M) connects entrepreneurial makers and small businesses to a larger ecosystem of manufacturing. M2M offers services and resources including:

  • Technical Assistance – Assistance with prototype development, market research, business case development, sales and marketing strategies, production strategies, distribution strategies, and access to early stage capital.
  • Makers-to-Manufacturers Peer Network – to provide guidance, an education and training program that includes workshops and webcasts on topics including innovation and commercialization, and access to emerging Maker Spaces in the region.
  • Supply Chain Buyers Network – Startup companies can engage with supply chains in various industry clusters to make connections and gain entry into new markets.

If you would like to discuss your business needs and eligibility, contact Mike Evans at (412) 918-4283 or .

Creating Customer Delight and Enhancing Relationships

Dr. Randy Frye, Saint Francis University, will present “Creating Customer Delight and Enhancing Relationships” on Tuesday, February 20th, at a JARI Lunch & Learn event. Workshop participants will learn the salient principles of customer service/satisfaction and relationship building and maintenance; understand the difference between customer service and the customer experience; and will be inspired to do their best to create the finest customer experience in their respective organizations. Customer service and relationship management concepts are explicitly applied to their organization settings.

This Lunch & Learn will be held at JARI Center (160 Jari Drive, Johnstown, PA) from 12:00 PM to 1:15 PM. The cost to register is $5 per person and lunch will be provided. Click here to register. Please register by February 19th. No shows on the day of the event that have registered will be billed.

Craft Business Thursday @ Creator Square

The Community Arts Center of Cambria County will be hosting the fourth Craft Business Thursday @ Creator Square on Thursday, February 22nd from 6:00-8:00 pm at the Community Arts Center’s Goldhaber-Fend Fine Arts Center gallery (1217 Menoher Boulevard, Johnstown). The Craft Business Thursday @ Creator Square is a series of monthly lectures featuring a special artist guest speaker. This month’s lecture will include entertainment by local acoustic musician, along with wine, beer, and refreshments. Kim Fox, an artist in the medium of tins and salvaged wood, as well as art teacher, designer and illustrator, will be the fourth speaker in the Creator Square, Craft Business Thursday Speaker Series.

The goals of this series for Craft Business Thursday’s @ Creator Square are to: update the community on Creator Square’s progress in anticipation of the building’s renovation and program roll out in 2018-19; discuss concepts like ‘craft business,’ ‘makers movement,’ and entrepreneurialism; feature a talented and accomplished craft business person/maker during each evening’s lecture/workshop.

For more information, please click here.

Millennials and Other Generations – Insight into Working Together

Corey Christman, Vethos LLC, will present Millennials and Other Generations – Insight into Working Together on Thursday, February 8th. Attendees will learn about introverted versus extroverted leadership, how to motivate millennials in the workforce and at home, and how to incorporate millennial employees and other generations into the company succession plan.

The workshop will be held from 12 PM to 1:15 PM at JARI Center for Business Development. The cost to register is $5 per person and lunch will be provided.

If you are interested in attending, please fill out the registration form and email it to Lauren Brewer at .