About

Dick Otero, the principal of our firm is intimately familiar with the SBA, 8(a) BD, HUBZone, woman-owned small business, Service-Disabled Veteran and state DBE and MBE/WBE certification processes. He has been a successful 8(a) BD business owner himself and also retains lawyers who specialize in minority business enterprises and who are expert in the nuances of the SBA and state certification processes.

He has almost 50 years of relevant experience in the area of small and disadvantaged business.

He is of the single mind that the 8(a)BD and other certification processes are very complex, are fraught with the likelihood of “application rejection” for merely technical reasons, and tend to intimidate rather than attract otherwise qualified small businesses to these important, potentially lucrative SBA and state programs.

The requisite forms are available from us in a format that permits their completion on your own PC. That means you don’t have to print out, copy and finally type or hand-write your responses to hundreds of questions.

We know from experience that not everyone who desires to apply for 8(a)BD, HUBZone or other certifications is qualified to participate because of the stringent regulations that govern these programs. The regulations are lengthy, complex and leave large areas open to subjective interpretation. Because of this, we have developed a quick, easy and free test that is based on years of observing and analyzing why 8(a)BD applicants fail to be certified. This free pre-qualifying test is in the form of a concise interview, because we don’t want to waste your time, energy or money if you stand little chance of being certified for any of the SBA programs. It’s better to learn this sooner rather than later, after you’ve expended months of effort and hundreds or thousands of dollars on a futile quest.

We at the 8aAuthority also know that no two 8(a)BD applicants are alike. Each applicant and their business concern is unique, and may not (in rare cases) fit the mold of our tried and true processes. To help these types of companies and individuals, we provide a fast, easily accessible and no-cost means by which you can receive expert answers to what may be a unique or particular business situation. We never charge for our expert telephonic consultations.

In such circumstances, applicants may email or phone their questions to us for a considered response. We will respond to you, either by telephone or return email, within 24 hours. Although we do not purport to provide legal advice or assistance, we will upon request refer you to a number of distinguished law firms that specialize in small and disadvantaged business issues. However, our own experience has exposed us to thousands of applications and situations that provide the answers that likely would correspond to your own situation.

I am pleased to see that women, other non-minority and service-disabled individuals who can claim social and economic disadvantage are now encouraged to apply for the 8(a)BD Program. It’s about time! However, we also recognize that while this “invitation” might have been sent, accessing these programs remains such an arduous task that many are likely to avoid the process because the burden of proving social and economic disadvantage is still far too onerous.

That is precisely why our services include tips, examples, definitions and cautions to assist all applicants. Women, handicapped and other non-minority individuals who are socially and economically disadvantaged now can tell their story in a compelling way that meets the strict standards found in the SBA regulations.

In brief, our mission is to assist every qualified small business in America to seek and secure 8(a)BD, HUBZone, woman-owned small business, Service – Disabled Veteran and state certifications in the shortest time, least energy and financial investment as possible.