“ HIRING OUR HEROES . ORG ” “ The Hiring Our Heroes Small Business Grant Program awards veteran or military spouse entrepreneurs with a one-time $10,000 grant to grow and support their business. This program honors the leadership, resilience, and dedication that veterans and military spouses bring to business. “From a coffee shop transformed into a mission-driven community hub to an auction house that has raised $2 million for charity, the 2025 Small Business Awardees dem

“ WASHINGTON TECHNOLOGY ” By Elizabeth Harr “ At its core, an effective marketing budget focuses on reaching strategic business goals. So before you start trying to estimate costs, it pays to set goals for exactly what you are trying to accomplish with your marketing. “ _________________________________________________________________________________ “As we rapidly move [into 2026] it is critical to build your marketing budget and plan for the year ahead. Here’s a step-by-ste

During January 2026 National Mentoring Month, my thanks to the SCORE and MicroMentor organization teams with whom I have worked for 20 Years . _______________________________________________________________________________ Small business volunteering has kept me active in retirement, in touch with my profession and engaged in a continuous learning mode. The SCORE and MicroMentor platforms have been my “Windows On The World” in pursuing those objectives. I believe we are growi

“ NATIONAL DEFENSE MAGAZINE” By Steve Priest “ Grounding compliance in ethics requires integration. This integration is most effectively accomplished by emphasizing a culture of integrity. Bringing compliance, ethics and integrity together as the foundation of a company’s culture strengthens the company in all ways — including in compliance. “ _______________________________________________________________________________ “Compliance is not working; or at the very least, it i

“SMALL TO FEDS” By Ken Larson “Most small businesses, particularly those selling services, will encounter the need to team with industry partners in small business federal government contracting. Be prepared for challenges and the risks. Exclusivity is the practical way to go on any given program. Team early and exclusively by opportunity, then give it your all and be a winner. Your reputation is key, ethics count and your customers as well as your industry are observing you.

“DEFENSE NEWS” By Rudy Ruitenberg “Investors are keen to finance autonomous systems and artificial intelligence for the battlefield, according to data from business-intelligence providers that track venture capital funding. The number of firms actively investing in defense tech increased 41% last year” _______________________________________________________________________________ “The value of venture capital deals in d technology jumped to a record $49.1 billion last year f

By Ken Larson Having dealt with the funding process in the government contracting industry (both large and small business) for over 40 years, I can discuss with some credibility a major weakness in the huge machine we call the US Federal Government — the one year budget cycle. A huge reason for much of the largess in the National Debt is the fiscal year funding agony in which the US Government is entrenched. Shutdowns, delays and spoon feeding funds to areas as vital as

Mississippi River Valley - Hastings, Minnesota https://www.flickr.com/photos/odysseyof_armaments/55053799031/in/dateposted-public/

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY – D’Aniello Institute for Veterans &Military Families “V-WISE is a two-part program, starting with a 4-week online course that teaches fundamental business skills to women serving, who have served, or serve as military spouses/partners. Students attend a three-day capstone conference in-person and meet with fellow participants. ” _______________________________________________________________________________ “Details Who V-WISE is for women with a new ide

“SMALLTOFEDS” By Ken Larson “ The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15-204-1 specifies a uniform contract format for federal government contracts. Your contract is divided into four parts, with various sections within each part. It behooves your small business to examine the contents, research the appropriate sections of the FAR that may govern them and review them as commitments to which your organization can conform and perform before you sign your contract.” ___________

“FEDERAL TIMES” By Jere Glover “Incentivizing the major primes to incorporate small business technological solutions needs to be the first step in fully harnessing America’s small business innovative power” ________________________________________________________________________________ “It is no secret that U.S. Department of Defense has long struggled with getting advanced technology into the hands of military end users quickly. Under Secretary Heidi Shyu, the DoD’s Chief

‘NEXTGOV/FCW” By John Breeden II “2026 looks like a year when government technology settles into its next phase of maturity. None of that will generate much hype, but it will quietly change how agencies make decisions, manage risk and deliver services. And in government, the most meaningful technology shifts are often the ones that work so well they stop being remarkable at all.” ________________________________________________________________________________ “As the governm

“SMALLTOFEDS” By Ken Larson “In contracting for supplies and services the federal government utilizes several different contract types. The nature of these contract vehicles has evolved over a period of years based on the government experience. At the heart of selecting the contract type is an analysis of risk involved to the contractor and the government and the administrative burden of the contract.” __________________________________________________________________________

https://www.pinterest.com/smalltofeds/sm-bus-fed-gov-contracting/ Pictorially illustrated, direct links to topics on the Military Industrial Complex, Small Business Federal Government Contracting and Veterans Affairs. (Click images at above link to access and follow on Pinterest

Image: Clarity and Peace by Ken Larson Joe Coy from his from the book “Meditations with Native American Elders : – The Four Seasons” “ Nature is a living example of how communities live in harmony. If you go into the forest or mountain and sit still and watch, ask yourself, what lessons are being taught?” ________________________________________________________________________________ “Then watch how the animals conduct themselves. The trees could represent diversity. The flo

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE The irony the United States faces, both within our country and globally, is a product of technology, weapons and power races inside human communication bubbling voids. This is high risk. Both within our country and abroad, we are struggling to understand one another, having not taken the time to learn about each other’s respective values, cultures and objectives. We have much more in common than we have been led to believe. _____________________________

“Nerdwallet” by Andy Rosen Key takeaways “Section 179 of the Internal Revenue Code lets businesses write off assets immediately rather than after they’ve depreciated. Office furniture, certain vehicles, computers and off-the-shelf software are typically considered deductible expenses. For 2025 (taxes filed in 2026), the maximum Section 179 deduction is $1,250,000. What is the Section 179 deduction? Section 179 deductions are major purchases that can be used to lower a busines

“NATIONAL DEFENSE MAGAZINE “ By P.W. Singer and Emerson T. Brooking “A comparatively tiny physical conflict, fought in an area the size of Portland, Oregon, became a global engagement, prompting the exchange of more than 10 million heated messages on Twitter alone. The lesson was clear: Not only did modern war require a well-planned military campaign. It required a viral marketing campaign as well… “ “The following is an excerpt from the new book LikeWar: The Weaponization

“SMALLTOFEDS” By Ken Larson “ How can a startup or a small business new to government contracting meet the past performance challenge? The answer lies in a high quality proposal that clearly demonstrates an understanding of the requirement at hand, a unique and cost effective project plan and high performing personnel and/or products tailored to the statement of work to offset an interim, light past performance record.” ________________________________________________________

“SMALLTOFEDS” By Ken Larson “Contract Line Items (CLINs) specify products or services being procured and the negotiated prices for them. Carefully review (CLIN) relationships to other critical elements of your contract for consistency before proposing, accepting and signing your deal. Contract line items are critical for reporting and billing purposes in your accounting system.” ________________________________________________________________________________ “Invoices to th