Prince George’s County companies will pay lower prices for goods and services under an agreement between the county’s Small Business Initiative and My Business Discount, a private company.
Charlotte Ducksworth, director of the Small Business Initiative, said the program gives small companies the discounts enjoyed by large firms that are rewarded by suppliers for buying in bulk. My Business Discount negotiates lower prices with large suppliers for companies nationwide.
“The size of the discounts vary,” Ducksworth said. “Some go as high as 85 percent for things like benefit services for employees.”
In addition to the national discounts available through My Business Discount, Ducksworth said county officials negotiated discounts with local companies. Construction firms, for example, can save 25 percent to 30 percent if they purchase their pick-up trucks from local Ford dealers.
“We have special discounts just to meet the needs of Prince George’s firms,” Ducksworth said. “There is a lot of development going on in the county and we heard from a lot of small construction companies that have to buy expensive equipment.”
The program, expected to help 28,000 county businesses, offers discounts for items ranging from office supplies to employee training to consulting.
“This cooperative effort will help our businesses grow,” Ducksworth said. “For the county to be part of this national program, it is a very good thing.”
Prince George’s businesses interested in the discount program should visit the county’s Economic Development Corporation’s Web site at www.pgcedc.com.
“This partnership shows that if we work together, we can enhance the local business climate by providing access to exclusive benefits that they might otherwise not be able to afford,” said David Byrd, Prince George’s deputy chief administrative officer.
