Small business owners may not be used to hearing the words “zero cost,” but WRBSC’s new procurement consultant, Amy Meyer, wants South Dakota business owners to know about a free service for them. At one of the four Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC) in South Dakota, Amy offers free advice and assistance to help businesses apply for state, local, and federally funded government contracts. The world of government contracts presents plenty of opportunities for businesses, but Amy says it can be overwhelming, especially when someone is not familiar with the process. “It’s time consuming with a lot of paperwork to go through, and everything must be done correctly,” Amy says.

Before beginning her PTAC work in July 2018, Amy was WRBSC’s administrative assistant for two and a half years. She says she’s enjoying this new position, “It’s neat to learn something new and to help people.”

Amy says the best part is receiving an email or thank you note from a client and knowing that the PTAC expertise helped a business owner. As the daughter of small business owners, Amy understands their experiences from a personal perspective, as well, and encourages people to look into bidding on government contracts: “There are so many things that state, local, and federal governments are buying, if somebody here offers it, then they don’t have to go out of state, and the money stays here. That helps our state.”

A lifelong learner, Amy says she’s excited to grow her knowledge by attending annual PTAC conferences. “I want to continue building my expertise in understanding what governments want.” With a background in accounting, Amy also plans to focus on learning more about cost analysis and looks forward to assisting future clients with this.

If you’re interested in learning more about PTAC services, contact Amy Meyer ameyer@tie.net 605-716-0010