The Minor Framework for Government Contracting Success

M y academic background resulted in a Mass Communication degree, followed up with a Computer Science degree; my business career start with me working for major vendors in the IT sector (Digital Equipment Corporation, Network Solutions, Oracle Corporation, Sybase Inc. and one of the “Big Six” in accounting, Ernst & Young.  After achieving professional success, I started Infotek International, Inc. ( Infotek). While owning and operating Infotek for over 25 years, we launched and won commercial contracts with my former employers. During   the 1980s recession,   which  affected much of the d eveloped world in the late 1970s and early 1980s.   Infotek growth strategy included pursuing the Federal market. I got 8(a) certified and graduated; woman owned Small business (WOSB) certified, were accepted in the Department of Defense (DoD) Mentor Protégée Program (MPP) and got ISO certified. The Federal market is the largest purchaser spending over $500 billion annually of goods and services. Only one to two percent of all small businesses in the United States do business with the federal government.

Today as your small business starts fishing in the Federal lakes and ponds while continuing to grow on the local and state levels, know that there are key strategies required for success in winning contracts. To assist in landing work in the Federal market and continuing to grow on in the local and state government markets, below are seven key ways to increase your small business’s chances of landing a c ontract.

1. Get a Mentor: Using a Mentor is a proven method and game-changer in helping many small businesses achieve success. Mentors can assist your small business in learning how to mitigate certain risks and obstacles ahead of time. This alone not only save costs, but eliminates surprises and headaches. For the best experience, select a Mentor that has been successful, especially in an area where your small business needs assistance and has similar business ethics.
2. Attend Training Workshops: Many government agencies offer free or low cost training for small businesses year-round. Workshops such as “How to do business” or “Understanding the Procurement Process and Policies” are valuable to avoid costly mistakes and they help you optimize strategies to land work. Small business leaders can contact their targeted government agencies Small Business Development Office or visit their perspective web site to identify upcoming workshops. Also, Small Business Development Centers (SBDC’s), Procurement Technical Centers (PTAC’s) and Women Business Centers (WBC) are other resources offering workshops for small businesses. 
3. Get Certified: Though certification is not required to do business and to secure contracts with a certain government agency, certification is a strong strategy to increase your chances and position your small business to land government contracts. For example on the Federal level, my technical services company has recently received its Small Business Administration 8(a) certification. The SBA’s 8(a) program provides mentoring, counseling, and access to sole-source or set aside contracts. For those small businesses that meet the 8(a) criteria this is a valuable tool to develop and grow. Some other Federal market certifications include the Services Disabled Veteran-owned Business (SDVOSB), small businesses located in Historically Underutilized Businesses Zones (HUBZones), and Women Owned Small Businesses (WOSB). 
4. Focus: What is the ONE Thing you can do such that by doing it will make everything else easier or unnecessary. The most successful small businesses in the government marketplace and especially in the Federal market target two to three agencies that buy their particular products or services. To best position your small business to achieve success; research several government agencies that might can use your product or services and once confirmed, begin your early game marketing efforts.
5. Market Your Small Business: One of the things that I learned during my days at major Corporations and from growing a small business is always be marketing! Industry data show that 3% of the marketplace is always buying.In addition no agency is meeting 100% of their goals.  If you as the Leader of your small business have decided to save costs by limiting your marketing budget then you run the risk of stunting the growth of your business.

Many government agencies on the local, state and federal level hold matchmaking events with agency small business managers and contracting officers. Participating in these events provide opportunities to introduce your small business’s offerings, gain the edge on those small businesses who have chosen not to attend such as event or do not understand the importance of positioning one’s firm through marketing activities. Go to www.osdbu.gov for upcoming Federal matchmaking events.

Identify Contracting Opportunities: Be proactive versus waiting passively for someone to call or email you regarding a contract opportunity. After selecting the few agencies that use your products or services, the next step is to sign-up on their web site to receive notifications about upcoming contracting opportunities and most importantly, to review agencies’ fiscal year budget and allocations for projects. Also, for Federal contracts, visit www.fbo.gov which lists all contracts out for bid and highlights information about future contracts via Sources Sought notifications.

Say Thank you: Sending personal handwritten notes is still a powerful way to connect with target accounts, especially when most small businesses fail to say “thank you” to those who are assisting in their efforts. Also, a personal handwritten mailed note shows you have taken the time versus a quick trigger email and that you truly want to work with the selected organization.

In closing, small businesses are the cornerstone of the United States economy creating approximately 65% of our nation’s jobs. When small businesses are successful in winning government contracts, the United States of America, your state and community benefit.