FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 21, 2008

Columbus, OH -- Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher today announced that the Ohio Department of Development's Entrepreneurship and Small Business and Minority Business Enterprise Divisions, along with Small Business Administration Columbus District office, are cosponsoring the third annual Ohio Business Matchmaker Conference on March 27 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Wright State University Nutter Center, 3640 Colonel Glenn Highway, in Dayton. The conference links small business participants with potential contracting opportunities with government agencies and prime contractors.

"There are many local, state, and federal government contracting opportunities that Ohio's small and minority-owned businesses can tap into that will increase their sales and competitiveness," said Lt. Governor Fisher, who also serves as Director of the Ohio Department of Development. "The Ohio Business Matchmaker helps to maximize contracting dollars to small and minority business owners by helping them learn how to secure government contracts and sub-contracts."

Business Matchmaker provides small businesses with a unique opportunity to meet with buyers and sellers of goods and services. More than 600 buying organizations and small businesses will hold one-on-one meetings that last approximately 15 - 20 minutes and allow buyers and sellers to discuss their products, services, and capabilities. Small businesses present capability statements and learn about the purchasing process of buying organizations. Buyers will represent city, state, county, and federal agencies, as well as prime contractors and other organizations with combined purchasing budgets representing hundreds of millions of dollars. There will also be opportunity throughout the day for buyers and sellers to network.

In addition to one-on-one matchmaking meetings, the event offers seminars for small businesses about selling to the government, United State General Services Administration schedules, government certification, marketing to prime contractors, online government marketing tools, and business teaming arrangements.

The Ohio Department of Development's Minority Business Enterprise Division works to create a business environment in Ohio that assists in the growth and development of minority-owned businesses, working closely with minority, female, and small businesses to help them obtain financing, bonding, and contracts in the public and private sector. The division provides assistance through the Minority Contractors and Business Assistance Program, Management and Technical Services, and Procurement Technical Assistance Centers.

The Entrepreneurship and Small Business Division manages a variety of programs and initiatives that assist entrepreneurs and small businesses in growing and finding success in Ohio. The Division also hosts the Small Business Development Centers of Ohio program, which provides consulting and training assistance to small businesses and emerging entrepreneurs to promote growth, expansion, innovation, increased productivity, and improved management. The Centers are supported through a partnership among the Ohio Department of Development, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and several of Ohio's chambers of commerce, colleges and universities, and economic development agencies.

For more information about the Ohio Business Matchmaker Conference, visit www.vetsbizmatch.com or contact Ken Klein with the Small Business Administration at (614) 469-6860 ext. 261 or via e-mail at kenneth.klein@sba.gov.

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Media contacts: Melissa Ament at (614) 466-6619 or Kelly Schlissberg at (614) 466-4133