WILLIAMS SUPPORTS CHAMBER-LAUNCHED VETERANS’ INITIATIVE

 HARRISBURG, JULY 6 – State Sen. Connie Williams lent her support for a program designed to give U.S. veterans small business assistance.

 VETWORK YOUR BUSINESS was launched in 2005 by The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce to provide service-disabled veterans and veteran owned businesses with the training and contacts necessary to access large private sector companies for contract opportunities.

 “Through the program, veterans can access valuable small business resources, tools, contacts, and networks that will help them to grow their businesses,” Williams said. “As a former consultant to small businesses, I know how valuable these tools and contacts can be when you are trying to grow a business. They really can be the extra hand you need to turn a fledgling business into a prospering one.”

 According to the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, many veterans are unaware of their preferential status, and as a result, both corporations and federal agencies are falling short of their supplier diversity goals. Through the program, veterans learn how to better qualify themselves to do business with large corporations and government agencies.

 Locally, VETWORK YOUR BUSINESS is supported by Lockheed Martin, Merck, Motorola, the Philadelphia Regional Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Small Business Development Center, and the Procurement Technical Assistance Center.

 For more information, contact The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce at 215-790-3649 or online at http://vetworkyourbusiness.gpcc.com.