EzHubzone
EzHubzone was founded to help small businesses gain easy accessibility to the potentially lucrative SBA Federal Government HUBZone Program. www.ez8a.com, leveraging our experience in other SBA Hubzone application services, determined that many businesses that should rightfully be HUBZone Certified are not applying to the program due to administrative difficulties with the application process. This is unfortunate because these businesses are potentially missing opportunities they should be afforded for Federal set-aside contracts as well as other helpful SBA programs.
SBA HUBZone Certification Advantages
- 10% Cost advantage: The chief advantage a HUBZone Certification gives a small business is preferential treatment when bidding on Federal Contracts. The HUBZone firm gains a 10% cost advantage in bidding on government contracts over non-HUBZone competition.
- SBA Programs: The small business also gains access to additional loan and bonding programs available through the SBA.
- Partnering with Fortune Companies on Government Contracts: Another preferential treatment that HUBZone Certified firms enjoy is that SBA small businesses are also selected by larger fortune sized companies to assist in the completion of Federal Contracts. The fortune size firm is given targets by the government for assistance by HUBZone firms as part of their contract. Compliance for large firms with government contracts begins with contract values in access of $550,000. This gives the HUBZone firm access to completing a piece of the overall project gaining experience as profit.
Federal Budgetary Goals
The Federal Government sets budgetary goals for all branches of the government. In 2006 the goal for each branch of the Federal Governments HUBZone procurement was increased from 2% of the Federal Budget to 3% of the Federal Budget. This increase added 50% more dollars to the SBA HUBZone program. The HUBZone Certified firms are estimated at $8-9 Billion Dollars in annual procurement.
If your firm is eligible why apply for HUBZone Certification Today?
There is a minimum of a 6-month lag time from an initial application is submitted to the SBA and HUBZone Approval. EZHUBZone receives calls often from firms that require an immediate HUBZone Certification for a business project that will support the long-term growth or viability of the firm. A large portion of phone calls EZHUBZone receives from prospective clients ask for” expedited service”. Unfortunately the SBA works on a first-come first-serve basis and expediting an application is not possible. Therefore if your firm is eligible for HUBZone Certification Apply Today, when you might not need it! Do not wait until after you have lost a “once in a lifetime business opportunity for your firm!” Even a Startup firm with only a single employee can apply and gain a HUBZone certification.
May 3rd, 2010 Update
HUBZone Employee Definition Update Important changes taken place in regard to whom is considered an employee for the purpose of HUBZone qualification. See the following link to obtain an downloadable copy of this HUBZone update.
http://www.sba.gov/hubzone/ Highlights: - The full time equivalency requirement is removed.
- Temporary or Leased Employees are now counted as employees, or workers obtained through unions.
- Totality of size – what is this?
- Volunteers are not employees, those individuals receiving no compensation, see #5 if volunteer is an owner.
- If any owner of the firm works 40 hours per week or more they are considered an employee of the firm regardless of whether or not they receive compensation.
For more specific questions regarding these changes to the HUBZone employee definition please visit the SBA HUBZone website.