Jobs--Taxes--Age--Government Contracts--Grants--Marketing

President Barack Obama spoke about jobs in Ohio today.  While the stimulus packages are designed to support job creation, existing limitations on selection of contractors sometimes create a "catch 22" in that the money for job creation does not go for job creation.

It is challenging to be in a position to bid on a government contract or to go for a government grant.  Many organizations promise to educate and to help would-be contractors or grant recipients for "nominal" fees of $5,000 or $7,500.  While government contracts or grants could certainly be higher than those fees, most start-ups or experienced workers laid off from their jobs cannot afford these "nominal tuitions."

What is a challenge is that, in today's economy, age, experience, and education often limit job options.  When employers are looking for employees in this economy, they often would like to find someone on the "low-end" of the experience and education spectrum who might be willing to work for an annual salary significantly less than the salaries needed by more senior employees who are trying to replace retirement funds or to support their families.

If some of those people could move to become part of a network of government contractors, they may actually be able to create jobs for themselves and their peers.

Perhaps some of the stimulus package needs to focus on helping start-up contractors and people with good ideas for grants to learn what they need to learn in order to be successful in working with the government on these contracts and grants.