Becoming successful with government contracting is not an easy feat. There are a lot of small businesses that are trying to enter this vertical – and many of these businesses would likely profit from such a relationship. However, most do not have the resources or the time to go through with the process. This is where it would be useful to outsource your business to government sales (B2G) and marketing program to a company dedicated to that function.
At PublicSpend we specialize in an array of services for small businesses which include researching and identifying government contract opportunities, comprehensive proposal writing and online government qualification marketing to name a few. It is crucial to be highly organized from the beginning of this process which is why I recommend that any business that wants to be successful with government contracting develops a B2G marketing plan and hires a dedicated sales team. It is important to determine if the ROI will be there and if there is potential to develop this aspect of your business.
The first step in the process is to understand the context in which your product or service could be used and determine which government agency could use it. Next, you need to review information on being a vendor for that agency by reviewing information on their website. If you are a small business – I would start off by contacting the small business liaison for that agency and discuss your products and the requirements for selling to that agency and any small business incentives/programs that may exist.
Once you have completed this research, you will know what steps are required for your products. These will include some general steps you need to take, (such as having a DUNS number, registering in the CCR and so forth if you want to contract at the federal level). You also will want to become familiar with the typical procurement requirements/contract language for your products.
One of the best strategies for entering the federal sector is to partner with a larger company. All the primes have small business requirements they must meet. Select several that are in the target market that you are interested in and develop a relationship with them. Most large companies have a small business liaison – just like the government agencies do. That person is the best place to start. You should also try to connect with any contacts that you have within those companies to research the best way to establish a working relationship. Some primes have pre-qualification procedures in place – so you will want to find out what those procedures are – because they can be lengthy.
You also want to get in on the ground floor for opportunities. The best time is in the pre-solicitation or sources sought phase. When you join a team at this point – you will be able to influence the resulting RFP (if the agency has a comment period) – and will be able to develop depth to your relationship with the prime before the RFP hits the streets.
At the state and local (county) levels you will want to follow similar steps in the beginning although you will obviously need to register with the state or municipality that you want to conduct business with. Again, identifying the right contract opportunities and building meaningful relationships with government takes time and resourcefulness – which is why outsourcing may be a good idea.
At PublicSpend we provide a number of services to meet the needs and resources of small businesses looking to be successful with government contracting at any level of government. If you wish to learn more information, you can contact us at 305-600-4576 and one of our associates will be glad to assist you or answer any questions that you may have.
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