Catonsville application development firm Fearless Solutions’ latest project attempts to improve on a federal program that has both helped the company gain business and impeded its ability to grow.
Fearless Solutions, which specializes in geomapping applications and software testing, is among the hundreds of businesses that are part of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s HUBZone program, which improves access to contracting opportunities to businesses in underutilized business areas.
The program can be a boon for business, giving very small firms a shot at contracts that might otherwise go to larger, more experienced companies. But the diligent record keeping required to demonstrate eligibility and hiring rules that require 35 percent of the company’s workforce to live within the company’s designated zone can stunt growth at HUBZone companies, says Fearless Solutions Founder and President Delali Dzirasa.
Dzirasa thinks his company’s latest web application — HUBFinder— will make the federal program much easier to navigate for participating small businesses, as well as job seekers and agencies that want to do business with HUBZone companies. Fearless Solutions debuted the program a few weeks ago and is still building out many of its features. But when it’s complete, Dzirasa envisions HUBFinder as a tool that will connect businesses to new hires, new contracts and each other.
The HUBFinder shows HUBZones in a particular area and details all the participating companies in each zone. HUBZone companies will be able to claim their profile on HUBFinder and use it to automate record keeping of important details, like contract bidding and hiring, that business owners must otherwise track manually.
HUBFinder could also help business hire better. Hiring can be an especially arduous process for HUBZone companies because they must hire workers who live within their designated zone. Growth at these companies is often limited by whether they are able to find the right employees. HUBFinder would bring qualified employees to them — job seekers could use the map’s search function to find companies in their area that may be hiring.
For this reason, Dzirasa thinks the map has potential to make a difference in Baltimore, where residents often struggle to find work that is close to home. Nearly the entire city is part of a HUBZone.
Federal and state agencies and private companies that need to hire small or minority businesses as part of a contract requirement could use the map to more easily find qualified contractors.
The map makes money through fees charged to HUBZone businesses and agencies that use it. The program will remain free to job seekers.
Dzirasa is hopeful the program will not only help other HUBZone companies and job seekers, but will lead to growth at Fearless Solutions. The company, founded in 2009 currently has 20 full-time employees and is based at University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s, incubator, bwtech@UMBC. The company will in October move into Cordish Cos.’ new Spark offices at Power Plant Live.
Dzirasa anticipates hiring between five and eight more staffers by the end of the year, depending on interest in HUBFinder.
