Is your small business interested in pursuing government contracts, but not entirely sure where to start? You probably need to eat some breakfast.

Specifically, you should consider signing up for the next Kansas City Small Business Networking Event at Union Station. For nearly 24 years, the monthly breakfast has been a must-attend event for local entrepreneurs and procurement officers from several federal agencies.

Patricia Brown-Dixon—who oversees the U.S. Small Business Administration’s operations in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska—started the networking sessions.

Back then, Brown-Dixon led the General Services Administration’s small-business utilization office for the four-state region, helping small businesses connect with opportunities in government contracting.

The event—which was modeled after a successful program in Dallas—grew out of the fact that minority businesses were going out of business, and it was felt that if they did business with each other, they might be able to stay in business.  At the same time, there was frustration among minority business owners, who were having a hard time breaking into the federal market.  So, the KC event was designed to get small-business owners and procurement officers in the same room, to make introductions,  share information and develop business relationships.

“Most people didn’t know where to start if they wanted to do business with a federal agency,” Brown-Dixon said.

The event works because, once people are sitting down at the same table, they start talking, Brown-Dixon said. Talking leads to relationships, and relationships lead to business. Agencies regularly announce upcoming contracts at the event.

(Sometimes, the event leads to something more than federal contracts. Marriages have resulted from attendance at the Kansas City Small Business Networking Event, she said.)

Any kind of entrepreneur can attend, though increasing opportunities for minority-, women- veteran-owned small businesses is a priority.

Some of Kansas City’s largest corporations send representatives. If they’re working on government contracts, they’re obligated to negotiate subcontracting plans and make “good faith efforts” to do business  with small busineesses.

Interested in taking part? The next session is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. Sept. 1 at Union Station, in the Kansas City Chamber’s Boardroom, and you can sign up here.