Business Matchmaking Events for 2005 Announced by SBA, HP

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the HP Small Business Foundation, a non-profit subsidiary of HP, today officially announced the Business Matchmaking (www.businessmatchmaking.com) schedule of both one-on-one and online matchmaking events for 2005.

"Small businesses make up 99 percent of all U.S. businesses, employ nearly 56 million people and account for more than two-thirds of all new jobs," said SBA Administrator Hector V. Barreto.

Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen joined SBA Administrator Hector V. Barreto and Michael Pinckert, general manager of Small and Medium Business for HP, in the announcement.

"Helping small businesses thrive is vital to jumpstarting the economy, and until now, entrepreneurs in pursuit of government and large-company contracts have often had to learn by trial and error, sometimes at great expense, and for mixed results at best," said Robyn West, vice president, Small and Medium Business, HP.

Business Matchmaking is a public-private sector contracting initiative made possible through a cooperative agreement between the SBA and the HP Small Business Foundation.

The program works by matching small companies with government agencies and private sector corporations, including Fortune 500 companies. The small business and the buyer then have a chance to meet one-on-one or via phone and negotiate a business deal for potential contracts.