9. Insight on how to adapt610-358-4034 clobis@governmentprocurement.net
10. Four steps for success: Developing a realistic potential of your opportunities Developing a Government oriented strategy Develop a very focused tactical plan Execute the plan systematically 610-358-4034 clobis@governmentprocurement.net
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12. What are the NAICS codes that truly define your business?
15. What are the Feds paying for this product or service?
16. What purchases are anticipated over the next 3, to 12 monthThese questions need toand can be answered 610-358-4034 clobis@governmentprocurement.net
21. Develop a very precise tactical plan Setting a realistic goal Developing or acquiring the means to address obstacles Develop an intelligence mechanism to direct activity Improving your force ratio Follow through……persistence and perseverance 610-358-4034 clobis@governmentprocurement.net
22. Execute the plan and continually test market Understand your business value proposition Carefully select the business you want to pursue Start bidding ASAP Be certain you can deliver Understand the Federal Acquisition Regulations that apply 610-358-4034 clobis@governmentprocurement.net
23. Getting Government Contracts The opportunities in this marketplace are enormous ( $500 Billion) don’t you think it deserves a little of your time take a look? Planning………….Persistence…………Perseverance Give us a call, we can help 610-358-4034 clobis@governmentprocurement.net
Notas do Editor
If you are giving serious consideration to pursuing government contacts you need to be prepared to do allocate sufficient resources. That means that you will have to do some planning up front, be persistent in your execution and persevere through the maze called Government procurement.
Obviously, before you begin allocating resources there should be some compelling reasons why . Clearly as the slide depicts, the federal marketplace alone is larger than the ten largest US companies combined. In addition, the Feds encourage small businesses to pursue opportunities by setting aside substantial amount of their purchasing for that group. With all of that potential less than 4% of US companies are registered to do busniess with the Feds. What’s wrong with the other 96%? Where are they? They and maybe you fall into one of three categories. First, they may have tried and became frustrated at the complexity or confusion they encountered. Second, They looked at the marketplace and have no idea where to start. Third, they’re just not aware of the opportunity for their business. It doesn’t have to be tat way. You’ve got a prospective loyal customer who isn’t going to go out of business and who will pay you in 30 days or less. This market is likely to get larger before it gets smaller.
If you’re going to pursue government contracts be prepared to do some extensive planning up front. This marketplace does not respond to a “ready, fire, aim” approach. You will waste a lot of ammunition if you do not take careful aim at your target. Much like a military operation you will need to test your enemy’s defenses to see where the weaknesses are before committing your major force. That’s where persitence and perseverance comes into play.
There are four steps you need to pursue to have any expectation of success. Although the steps themselves are not unique to the government market the nuances involved are. On the surface, the opportunities are so large that might appear that all you have to do is throw some mud against the wall and some of it is bound to stick. This is probably the single most common mistake made by new vendors and usually results in total frustration and eventual loss of interest.
Here is the first and most crucial step in the process of obtaining government contracts. The question we are trying to answer here is “ does the potential justify the effort?”. (elaborate on each point)
There are special categories that provide advantages in government solicitations. Knowing where and if you fitinto any of them can have a significant impact on your competitiveness. The second element in your strategy is to find the easiest and fastest pathto business. That path may not be as a direct supplier to the government. Depending on your product or service the fastest path may be through another entity. For example, every major supplier over a certain size must provide the Feds with a subcontractor plan for small and disadvantaged businesses. Or you may find that your product or service in and of itself does not meet the total needs of the agency or department and that partnering with some other entity can respond to those needs. The Feds offer a way to essentially offer your products in a catalog fashion. Common products or services are made available to contracting personnel on a searchable data base called a GSA schedule.
It will likely take some time to reach this point but when you do it’s time to develop a tactical plan for execution. I like to use a typical military battle plan approach. Setting a realistic goal not merely in revenue terms but in strategic terms is critical but should be a natural rsult of the effort that went before. There will naturally be obstacles that stand in the way of success. Depending on what nature thay take will determine what resources you need to bring to bear. You need to develop a means of testing your enemy’s defenses and adjust your battle plan accordingly. As you understand your strengths and weaknesses you will need to find a way to leverage your strengths to overcome your weaknesses. Finally, a persistent attack plan needs to be pursued. The plan may change but applying constant pressure is critical.
Every product or service needs to have a unique value proposition. That typically involves it being either faster, better or cheaper. Depending on where your value proposition falls will to a great extent determine what business you want to pursue and how tyoupaln to pursue it. The only real way to test your plan is to start bidding on opportunities. You will find shortly where your strenghts and weaknesses are and that wil provide you with the intelligence you need to adjust the paln. Be certain that if you are fortunate to receive a contract that you can deliver. If you fail to deliver as promised you will probably not get a second chance. The feds are not into do- over's. There is a huge body of work called the Federal Acquisition Regulations that govern procurement. Although it isn’t necessary to be familiar with every one of the 1200 pages you need to understand the regs. that apply to your solicitation. You can do everything right but fail to meet one of the regulations and get disqualified or worse yet incurr a financial or legal liability.
If you follow the steps outlined there is no reason why you can’t be successful in this marketplace. Remember that less tah 4% of US companies ae sharing $500 Billion of business. We’re Government procurement Services and we can help.