Design To Delivery Inc Blog

According to the US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) web page, starting September 8, 2009, Federal Contractors will be required to use E-Verify to verify their employees' eligibility to work in the United States. If a contract includes the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) E-Verify Clause and your company is awarded a contract on or after September 8th, you will have 30 days after award to enroll your company in the E-Verify system. Keep in mind that once you're in the system, you're required to use it for all employees regardless if they work on a federal contract or not. If your current contracts don't include the E-Verify clause you may want to consider enrolling anyway, especially if you are marketing a contract that could include the clause. It may be a competitive advantage to say your already enrolled and using it versus saying you will use it in the future.

The requirement to use E-Verify is not limited to prime contractors; subcontractors will also be required to use it. It may also be required for companies awarded contracts using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) or Stimulus funds.

We enrolled in the E-Verify system almost a year ago. We find it easy to use and have made it part of our new hire administrative processes.

For more information on the E-Verify program:

• Visit the USCIS website:http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=109cc691d0673210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel;=68439c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD


• Visit the E-Verify site: www.dhs.gov/e-verify


• Or call E-Verify Customer Support at (888) 464-4218.

The fourth quarter of the federal government fiscal year (July 1-September 30) is one of the busiest times for government contracting. It is particularly challenging for businesses who are pursuing multiple opportunities, but have limited resources. Check out our article "Surviving the End-of-Year Fiscal Spending Crunch" in the September issue of ThinkBusiness Magazine. We talk about suggestions to manage multiple proposals during this really frenetic time of year. It's available online at http://content.yudu.com/A1fund/TBM-Sept-09/resources/14.htm.

If you're feeling the effects of the end-of-year federal government fiscal year frenzy, then you should attend this event: "Planning for 2010 Fiscal Year End Spending Opportunities. SBA Officials and Other Experts Discuss Programs and Assistance Available To Develop Your Business Strategy For FY 2010." Plan ahead for the end of FY10. Diana Kurcfeld is speaking on the panel.

For more information visit: http://www.executiveleadershipseries.com/lectureworkshopseries.html.

Many companies have disaster recovery plans that include items such as data backup, office space, and logistics. However, few have thought to implement an influenza plan. Considering the amount of productivity lost from unexpected sicknesses, you many want to consider including planning for a H1N1 outbreak in your processes. We just received an email from the US Small Business Administration (SBA) with pertinent information to address a potential flu/H1N1 outbreak. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released a document called "Planning for 2009 H1N1 Influenza - A Preparedness Guide for Small Business." This document is available on SBA's website at http://www.sba.gov/idc/groups/public/documents/sba_homepage/sba_h1n1.pdf.

This document provides good information about how to write a plan, tips for businesses to create a healthy work environment, tips for individuals to stay healthy, and H1N1 FAQs. It also refers the reader to http://www.flu.gov for more information.

You can also use this planning to ensure that you have contingencies to ensure your government contracts stay fully staffed. We encourage you to include your plan in your program management processes and procedures.

Businesses should take a holistic approach to their disaster recovery plans and make sure they are comprehensive enough to ensure the company continues operating, regardless of the situation. A solid plan to address a potential H1N1 outbreak and mitigate its impact on your business is a good idea.