By John Eckberg
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Hundreds of small businesses in Greater Cincinnati want a slice of the procurement pie from the federal government or big companies.

A new Business Matchmaking partnership developed by U.S. Small Business Administration can help them get the work.

The Business Matchmaking approach, a public/private venture between federal authorities and Hewlett-Packard, brings small businesses into contact with buyers who work for big businesses or the federal government.

The online approach was unveiled in Cincinnati at a half-day seminar of workshops at the Westin Hotel earlier this week.

"We have a lot to be excited about," said Hector Barreto, administrator of the SBA, who spoke Thursday by telephone from Washington, D.C.

"A lot is at stake: $240 billion in goods and services with $60 billion of that going to small businesses. Small businesses tell us all the time that they want to do more business with the federal government."

That includes YDS Inc., a trucking company based in Blue Ash.

YDS President Alvin Thompson attended the event but said he could not pass judgment about its value until he meets with potential clients later this month.

Each attendee is guaranteed a 15-minute meeting with federal or private procurement specialists that need the services of small businesses.

"Lots of times you go to a seminar like this and they say what you have to do but never give you guidelines and direction for follow-up," he said. "This was different, but time will tell."

He said his company, founded in 1992, employs 10, but that's a far cry from the 33 who once worked there.

"We never came back from the economic slowdown," Thompson said.

Local officials were fearful that not enough small businesses would be interested in the event. But instead of a partially filled room, it was standing room only.

"When we were planning it, we were worried that we might have trouble getting 500 people to the event," said Ronald A. Carlson, branch manager of the Cincinnati office for the SBA. "We had to turn people away."

The workshop provided training on how to submit proposals and where to obtain financing so a small business could ramp up production.

Qualified small businesses that went through the training are each eligible for that 15-minute interview and can tap into the Small Business Networking Center.

The center's technology also will allow small firms to communicate - perhaps create a joint venture - and can match the small firms with larger companies that need their services, Carlson said.

Barreto said the initiative reflected an imperative to bring federal spending to companies not located in Washington, D.C.

"If you're not located in the Beltway, your chances of getting a federal contract go down precipitously," Barreto said.

"Our job is to empower 25 million businesses, and we need to be doing that job every single day."

That can't happen soon enough for Thompson.

"In the past at these seminars it was always a lot of red tape. You'd hear the same story," he said. "If they respond like they say they're going to, it will be beautiful."

E-mail jeckberg@enquirer.com