Photo by Judah Ari Gross. Congresswoman Donna Edwards speaks to small business owners at a forum she hosted Aug. 27.

Published on: Wednesday, September 01, 2010

By Judah Ari Gross

Congresswoman Donna Edwards hosted a small business forum Friday to better prepare Prince George’s County business owners for the economic downturn.

Dozens of small-businesspeople came out to the Prince George’s Plaza Community Center for the event, which offered networking opportunities, workshops and exhibits from various state and county organizations.

Edwards explained the importance of reaching out to small businesses during a recession, “In a lot of ways,” she said, “it’s the launch pad for how we will fully recover.”

The event focused on the specific needs of the Prince George’s County community. The small businesses in the county depend heavily on the national government, the departments of defense and transportation especially, for support.

“In this region what are the big kahunas at the table?” Edwards asked the attendants. “It’s the federal government and all of our government.”

She went on to explain the opportunities of Prince George’s County, “In our area here, we have a robust private sector and a robust sector that aids and is facilitating the operations of government. And we want you to take advantage of that.”

To help businesses benefit from that fact, the forum focused primarily on how best to work with the General Services Administration, a government organization that helps support and manage many federal agencies.

Edwards explained, “The GSA helps people understand how to get their foot in the door.”

Julia Hudson, the newly installed regional administrator of the GSA, spoke on how to do just that.

Hudson spoke about the practicality of working with the GSA and the tangible benefits that comes from having a greater knowledge of the inner workings of the organization.

The forum also featured several workshops by other members of the GSA and by small business experts like John Herman, an author and entrepreneur, and Russell Teter, the director of the Small Business Development Center.