in this issue

One on Ones - How to Get the Contract

Himanshu Bhatia is Honorary Co-Chair

Purchasing Activity Reports Due

CMSDC Quarterly Meeting at Cartus August 21

Opportunity - AV and Media Firm

And Finally,

The CMSDC Business Opportunity Expo will once again feature the One on One Sessions on Thursday, September 18 from 9:00 AM to 12:15 PM. The format of these sessions will be to invite all of our corporate members to come with known opportunities for MBEs. We will then arrange meetings for our corporate members with MBEs that can provide these services and goods. The demand driven approach assures us of the most efficient use of everybody's scarcest resource: time.

In order to make this work, it is imperative that as many of our corporate members as possible participate in the program. We will be reaching out to each corporate member to ask them to identify the products and services they are looking to procure. We will then be reaching out to the MBEs letting them know that certain corporations are looking for services they supply. Both the MBE and the corporate member must be registered for the full conference to participate in these One on One sessions. After registration is confirmed, we will begin the arduous task of scheduling meetings during the One on One time frame.

We have an almost unlimited capacity to handle corporate representatives at these sessions, so if a corporate member wants to bring multiple buyers, managers or others to these sessions we can accommodate them. If MBEs have multiple representatives that would allow them to meet with different corporations simultaneously that would also be possible and desired, from a scheduling perspective.

The amount of time that we will allocate for these meetings is going to be a function of our ability to put together meetings. The more meetings a corporate buyer/representative has, the shorter the meetings will be. But the minimum time per meeting will be twenty minutes.

To encourage corporate participation we will be listing in this newsletter MBEs who are looking to meet with corporate members who are registered for the Expo. So if you are a certified MBE and have registered for the event and want to participate in the One on Ones, please send us an email saying that you are interested and listing the services you provide.

Because we know that MBEs never get the demand for their services that they desire, we have added an additional session on Thursday afternoon that will allow MBEs an opportunity to give 10 minute presentations about their company to an audience of corporate members and MBEs. This time can be used by MBEs to market their goods and services, or to pitch opportunities that they might have to collaborate with other MBEs, or their need to share investment opportunities they have for members of our network. In order to participate in these "MBE Showcases" you need to be certified and registered for the event and you need to let us know that you would like to have 10 minutes during this program. There is a limited number of these slots, so please register early and sign up.

To Register for Expo Click Here

Greetings!

The mission of the Connecticut Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. (CMSDC) is to significantly increase the procurement opportunities between corporate members and certified minority owned businesses.

·  Himanshu Bhatia is Honorary Co-Chair

Himanshu Bhatia, CEO, founded Rose International in the spring of 1993. Under her leadership, Rose emerged as a force in the IT and Business Services arena.

Rose offers five service lines under two business areas: Contingent Workforce Services and Information Technology Solutions. Rose is a leader in providing innovative end-to-end technology services to both commercial organizations and government agencies from offices and development centers in 11 U.S. cities and India. Rose's offshore development center is CMM Level 3 certified, which allows Rose to deliver quality IT solutions while controlling costs. With 1,200 associates and steady revenue growth, Rose International is recognized as one of the country's fastest-growing and most successful companies.

Under Mrs. Bhatia's leadership, Rose International has received numerous honors and acknowledgments. Rose has been consistently recognized as one of St. Louis' most important companies, and the company has also been recognized nationally as one of the country's top woman- and minority-owned businesses by Minority Business News, the Indus Business Journal and many other publications and organizations. Prestigious publications such as Inc, BusinessWeek and Working Woman have also highlighted the achievements of Rose International. Additionally, Mrs. Bhatia herself has received many awards, including the U.S. Small Business Administration's 2003 National Entrepreneurial Success Award, and the 2001 Missouri Small Business Person of the Year award. In 2005, Mrs. Bhatia received the National Minority Supplier Development Council's (NMSDC) Minority Business Leadership Award, and was also ranked 13th on Fast Company's list of the Top 25 Women Business Builders in North America.

While her responsibilities at Rose occupy most available time, Mrs. Bhatia has always found time to give back to the community. She continually focuses on ways to develop and promote women entrepreneurs around the world. Examples of such involvement include; serving on the President's Initiative on Race, acting as a mentor for Women in Technology International (WITI) and previous service as a board of director for the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). Mrs. Bhatia is also actively involved with WBENC's Leadership Forum. Recently, Rose International served as a sponsor at the 2008 WBENC Salute Gala.

Mrs. Bhatia holds a Bachelor's degree in Architectural Design from SPA, New Delhi, India and a Master's degree in Management Information Systems from the University of Missouri, St Louis.

Mrs. Bhatia will be making the keynote speech at the Thursday September 18 luncheon.

·  Purchasing Activity Reports Due

Corporate members have received a request for information on your purchases from certified MBEs. We submit these totals to the NMSDC so that we can track how we are doing. Jack Welch used to say that if it is not measured, it is not important. Please cooperate with us and send us your reports. And if you do not have any information on your MBE spend, send that information to us as well. That is also helpful to know and report. Thank you for your support on this matter.

·  CMSDC Quarterly Meeting at Cartus August 21

The third quarterly CMSDC meeting is scheduled for Thursday August 21 at Cartus in Danbury, CT. Registration for this free meeting is on line at www.cmsdc.org.

This meeting will focus on two things:

1. Trades Show Marketing and
2. Preparing Corporate Members for One on Ones.

The session on trade show marketing is designed to help MBEs prepare to make the most of the their time at the Expo (September 17-19). This will include helping you develop an overall Expo strategy that includes pre-show marketing and preparation, show marketing, and post-show marketing. You will learn about the latest in trade show booth technology. You will also get help identifying whether to exhibit or walk a show. You will also get help with learning what should and should not be done at a show. The lessons learned at this session will be beneficial for those who participate in our show, in the NMSDC show or in any of their industry related shows.

The section of the meeting that will cover One on One marketing is designed to assist our corporate members develop a plan of action to get the most out of the One on One sessions that take place on Thursday, September 18. These brief meetings can go a long way toward assisting a company with it MBE goals. You will learn from experienced corporate members who have had success with this part of the program.

We look forward to seeing you on August 21 at Cartus.

·  Opportunity - AV and Media Firm

We have a national corporate member who is looking for a MBE to buy and maintain all LCD, Audio, Video, and any other AV equipment and related services. These products would be leased back to the corporate member. If you are a certified MBE in this area, please contact me (203) 288-9744 for more details.

This may be an area for an MBE who is in IT or in facilities management to expand their line of services. Entrepreneurs have to take the Willie Sutton approach to business - "that is where the money is" - should influence your strategy. The challenge is being smart enough to put the pieces together.

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·  And Finally,

I want to publicly thank James Sturgis, the Chairman of the New England Minority Supplier Development Council and supplier diversity manager for Stop and Shop, for sending me this link of a speech and presentation given recently by Stephen Crosby, Dean of Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts - Boston on race, immigration and diversity in Boston. Connecticut has a history and culture similar to that found in our neighbor. I also believe the information and message in this speech are relevant across our network. The names could be changed, but the message is largely the same. Please view this powerful 5 minute presentation.

In your service

Dr. Fred

And Finally Website

·  And Finally - The Book