OBO Programs & Opportunities

By: Damita Roberts

Build Up Houston

Applications are now open for Build Up Houston, a comprehensive 7-month program designed to increase the capacity of small businesses. Selected participants will learn about financial management, marketing and sales, human resources, business strategy development, and access to capital.

Build Up Houston started in 2014 as an educational resource for construction companies and has since grown into a powerhouse of information and support for local business owners. This year, the categories have expanded to include hospitality, restaurants, and retail companies.

Participants will also have the opportunity to learn and develop skills that they can immediately pour into their business strategies to see results following the program. To qualify for Build Up Houston, businesses must have been in operation for a minimum of two years, have at least two employees, and have an annual revenue of $150,000.

The deadline to apply is Nov. 30th and the sessions will launch February 2021. To learn more about the program visit: www.houstontx.gov/builduphouston.

Meet the Buyer Procurement Forum

On Dec. 10th from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., the Office of Business Opportunity will host its annual networking event for small businesses that are interested in working with the City of Houston. This event will focus on procurement opportunities and host educational workshops to help guide small businesses to becoming prime contractors or subcontractors.

This year, Meet the Buyer will include interactive workshops that will be accessible from anywhere with an internet connection, dedicated networking opportunities with small businesses by industry, a Procurement Success Stories panel, one-on-one sessions with procurement agents, conversations with prime contractors, and listings of current bidding opportunities.

Participating companies, governmental agencies, business support organizations, and City of Houston departments will also have the benefit of marketing their opportunities and resources to small businesses through virtual exhibit rooms.

To register for Meet the Buyer, visit https://www.tinyurl.com/mtb20.

Turner School of Construction Management

The Office of Business Opportunity congratulates the 2020 graduates of the Turner School of Construction (TSCM), who will celebrate their graduation virtually at 6:30 P.M. on Monday, Nov. 9th. Houston Vice Mayor Pro Tem Martha Castex-Tatum will offer welcome remarks, while OBO Director Marsha E. Murray will provide acknowledgements to each graduate.

This is the 27th year OBO has partnered with Turner Construction Company to offer TCSM. The eight-session program is built to develop and enhance technical, operational, and managerial skills of qualified small contractors and entrepreneurs in the construction industry.

This program has graduated over 1,000 local men and women and is free of charge for all participants. Its purpose is to develop small businesses and provide them opportunities to grow in the construction industry. The program began in September with 99 particpants.

“Turner School of Construction has been one of our most popular business development programs as well as our longest running,” said Dr. Porscha Jackson, Business Development Manager of the City of Houston’s Office of Business Opportunity. “With the pandemic and its effects on small businesses, we saw a surge in initial registrations for the program from 52 in 2019 to 101 in 2020. This year’s program was offered virtually and though the virtual environment had its challenges, we still had a more than 50 percent increase in graduates than in the previous year.”

The class subjects include business planning, marketing strategies, construction law, risk management, and daily operations and much more. The classes were engaging and included hands-on exercises that offered participants real life work experiences and knowledge.

For more information about the Turner School of Construction Management, visit https://www.houstontx.gov/obo/turner-school.html.