We met up with the District of Columbia’s Chief Procurement Officer James Staton at a recent meeting at the DC Chamber of Commerce. He explained three common mistakes many new vendors make when doing business with the District of Columbia and told us how to avoid them. 1)Vendors performing work based on verbal commitments from a DC employee. Don’t do work without a purchase order or it may be pro bono! 2)Not checking solicitations issued by those agencies with independent authority. Over 62 agencies use the Office of Contracting and Procurement to purchase goods and services. However there are several major agencies such as DC Public Schools and DC Department of General Services who have their own rules and process. Check out the agency first to save you time and frustration. 3)Expecting payment from OCP. Payments are disbursed by the agency noted on the purchase order not from OCP.

Painting brick can make a building look great or not. However, from a maintenance perspective, simply sealing the brick may be a better option. Some paints trap moisture in the wall causing the paint to eventually peel. Before painting begins we recommend researching the paint to ensure it does not decrease the lifespan of the [...]

Capital Retail Group, a leading commercial real estate firm specializing in representing retailers in the greater Washington, D.C. region, is launching a new marketing campaign featuring videos of their clients.

There is an upcoming conference called Rail-Volution to be held in the fall at the Wardman Hotel loacted here in DC. The expected 1,500 Rail Volution attendees are from both the public and private sector who share the same passion in building livable communities with transit.

If you have to visit DCRA in person you will be impressed with their new headquarters located at 1100 4th Street SW making the process alittle more comfortable

Zebra Lounge, Enology Wine Bar, and Alliance Tavern have all occupied 3238 Wisconsine Avenue NW in the last two years. Enology ownership didn’t have the results needed for sustained success so they changed concepts to Alliance Tavern adding a new and different menu and chef to attract more customers. The Washington Post reviewed the local tavern recently but apparently it was too [...]

Dave & Busters: Zeroing in on ESPN Zone in D.C.? – Washington Business Journal.

Noma food operators need to reach the local community for business Constitution Cafe, another new fast casual eatery has opened in the NOMA neighborhood. Father-son owners Su and Sean Kim focus mostly on buffet breakfast and lunch catering to 2,500 DOJ and 1,000 ATF workers. Yet existing food establishments say business could be much better. [...]

For the first time, the 2010 Mid Atlantic International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) show was held at the Gaylord National convention center much to the satisfaction of attendees. For 2010, ICSC forecasts a 3.9% increase in shopping centers growth mostly attributed to government stimulus programs initiated in 2008. Sales improved in almost every retail [...]

Washington DC, (January 22, 2010) – Capital Retail Group announced today the first Washington DC franchisee for Bella Bridesmaid www.bellabridesmaid.com has retained Capital Retail Group to find a location in Bethesda Md. Bella Bridesmaid is a bridesmaid-exclusive boutique offering a full range of chic, modern bridesmaid dresses and accessories with the brand names brides have [...]