I’ve worked with the federal agency Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) community in a NaVOBA capacity since 2004. Last month, however, I had the experience of asking them for assistance in a different capacity.  Our G.I. Jobs magazine, long the leader in employment outreach to veterans, was interested in pursuing an opportunity.

President Obama recently signed an executive order (EO 13518) directing federal agencies to create and implement an “operational plan for promoting employment opportunities to veterans.”  Advertising in G.I. Jobs is a perfect match to fulfill that presidential mandate.  And in addition, G.I. Jobs has years of exemplary prior performance with the government.

So my inquiry to 21 OSDBUs was to ask for a referral and assistance in having their agencies use G.I. Jobs, an SDVOSB itself, to satisfy the executive order.  As business owners, you know when the odds of a sale are in your favor.  And let me tell you, G.I. Jobs has everything going for it about now. 

In addition, consider that my inquiry comes amidst a federal contracting environment where SDVOSB contracting is a top priority and three percent hasn’t been achieved in ten years of trying.  You’d think every OSDBU would be all over this right?

The results were mixed.  About half, 10 of the 21 I personally contacted, responded and provided referrals and offers of assistance.  Shockingly, however, the other half did not respond at all.  And one of the 21 responded by acting as if I were bothering him with such a request. 

The G.I. Jobs sales environment, in this particular situation, could not have been more conducive.  Such an underwhelming response in that environment, especially considering that the inquiry came from NaVOBA itself, leaves me disappointingly pessimistic in the hope that those vetrepreneurs in less fortunate sales situations are getting the assistance you deserve from those who are supposed to be working to help you. 

OSDBU mission statements are pretty simple and clear: assist small, disadvantaged businesses in their efforts to do business within their respective federal agencies.  We are the customers.  They work for us.  Our tax dollars pay OSDBU employees to assist and endorse our efforts to land government contracts.

I have great personal and professional respect for a number of the OSDBU directors and count many as personal friends.  But clearly others have fallen asleep at the wheel.
 

Thanks for serving.

Chris Hale

U.S. Navy, 9 years

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