Showing posts with label gateway to government. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gateway to government. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Taking “Big Jake” by the Horns
This week I visited a little place called Fort Worth, TX. We drove in at night and it didn’t seem like much; it almost reminded me of a ghost town. I’ve never been to Texas – in fact I can count on one hand how many times I’ve left my precious East coast. So on a Monday night, Fort Worth didn’t look like anything special. In fact, it scared me a little and I dreaded waking up the next day, convinced that it would be worse in daylight. The next day I wasn’t surprised so much as stunned at how much they embrace their roots: cowboy boots used as signs, longhorn heads everywhere, a cow skull hung above my hotel bed, and the Western horse saddles set-up as bar stools in the hotel restaurant. Texas is an entirely different beast from the rest of the United States.
Longhorns parading in front of the Stockyard Hotel
As a native Virginian, I’ve been exposed to the so-called “Southern” lifestyle: mud splattered trucks in the high school parking lots, camouflage jackets as daily attire and, of course, that music. However, I could escape it because not everyone in my area was from Virginia; many were from Pennsylvania, Maryland, or farther away because there is a Naval base in my hometown. Located within miles of the Mason-Dixon Line, we are an eclectic county.
It takes some time for me to adjust to change, but when I visit places I like to force myself to go outside of my comfort zone and try something new. For instance, I rode a Longhorn steer, something that was never on my to-do list or had even crossed my mind. But it happened. I knew this was probably the only time I’d ever have the opportunity to ride a steer and stay on. It helped that I wasn’t alone–I had my business coach Carrie Wilkerson standing by, having already gotten up on the bull, telling me it was simple and doable.
Once I sat on top of the rather calm beast, I couldn’t help but smile. “Big Jake” wasn’t as scary as I had thought. In fact, he just stood there, chewing cud, his tail barely lifting to flick at the flies engulfing him. Business could learn a lot from an example like that. Take the bull by the horns – try something new. Gateway aims to be that guiding light in the contracting arena – we’ve ridden the bull before and know how the beast works. We want to help your business achieve because it is simple and easy. The only thing that is preventing you from getting up on that animal is yourself. One thing I took away from Texas was that I needed to trust myself more and believe I can do it anything. With the right coaches, anything is achievable.
Longhorns parading in front of the Stockyard Hotel
As a native Virginian, I’ve been exposed to the so-called “Southern” lifestyle: mud splattered trucks in the high school parking lots, camouflage jackets as daily attire and, of course, that music. However, I could escape it because not everyone in my area was from Virginia; many were from Pennsylvania, Maryland, or farther away because there is a Naval base in my hometown. Located within miles of the Mason-Dixon Line, we are an eclectic county.
It takes some time for me to adjust to change, but when I visit places I like to force myself to go outside of my comfort zone and try something new. For instance, I rode a Longhorn steer, something that was never on my to-do list or had even crossed my mind. But it happened. I knew this was probably the only time I’d ever have the opportunity to ride a steer and stay on. It helped that I wasn’t alone–I had my business coach Carrie Wilkerson standing by, having already gotten up on the bull, telling me it was simple and doable.
Once I sat on top of the rather calm beast, I couldn’t help but smile. “Big Jake” wasn’t as scary as I had thought. In fact, he just stood there, chewing cud, his tail barely lifting to flick at the flies engulfing him. Business could learn a lot from an example like that. Take the bull by the horns – try something new. Gateway aims to be that guiding light in the contracting arena – we’ve ridden the bull before and know how the beast works. We want to help your business achieve because it is simple and easy. The only thing that is preventing you from getting up on that animal is yourself. One thing I took away from Texas was that I needed to trust myself more and believe I can do it anything. With the right coaches, anything is achievable.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Construction Opportunities Will See Boom Due To DoD ARRA Allocation
Though we all know that many areas of the United States economy are suffering right now, the federal construction market is likely to soon see a huge boom. The Department of Defense presented a 191 page report to Congress which details how it plans to spend the money is has been allocated by the Stimulus Package, more properly known as the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.”
The Stimulus Package currently includes just under $7.5 billion allocated for the Department of Defense (less than 1% of the total). The DoD stated recently that it intends to spend its funding with “unprecedented full transparency and accountability.” www.Recovery.gov has been created in order to help citizens monitor the progress of the spending of ARRA dollars, and the DoD will be making use of this. They have also set up a website at http://www.defenselink.mil/recovery to further this initiative.
How does this apply to the construction market? The DoD has “identified specific investments in construction, facility improvements, and energy efficiency projects that will help improve the quality of life for our troops and their families.” Their report to Congress included an extremely detailed breakdown of how their share of ARRA dollars will be spent. The report includes anticipated costs, descriptions of work, and project locations for each expense they are proposing.
The Department of Defense intends to spend roughly $2.1 billion on military construction and family housing projects, including $1.3 billion to construct two new hospitals (to be located at Camp Pendleton, California and Fort Hood, Texas). DoD has also indicated that it will be “pursuing architectural and engineering services greater than $1 million for 5 projects, conducting repair projects greater than $7.5 million for 56 projects, and carrying out 45 Energy Conservation Investment Program projects, respectively.”
The DOD also provided a list of roughly 3,300 other Facilities Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization (“FSRM”) projects costing an estimated total $3.4 billion. These FSRM projects account for over $3.83 billion of their entire Stimulus spending.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the federal agency that is the most heavily involved in construction, has also provided Congress with “informed estimates” of existing capability to perform additional work. Of that, about $2.1 billion is appropriated for construction projects.
These and other projects will provide enormous opportunities for companies acting as federal construction contractors. Time will tell whether there are enough procurement officers currently active in the government to issue this many solicitations in such a short time and whether the specific agencies have the capability to properly administer all of this work, but there is certain to be a surge in construction projects over the upcoming months!
The Stimulus Package currently includes just under $7.5 billion allocated for the Department of Defense (less than 1% of the total). The DoD stated recently that it intends to spend its funding with “unprecedented full transparency and accountability.” www.Recovery.gov has been created in order to help citizens monitor the progress of the spending of ARRA dollars, and the DoD will be making use of this. They have also set up a website at http://www.defenselink.mil/recovery to further this initiative.
How does this apply to the construction market? The DoD has “identified specific investments in construction, facility improvements, and energy efficiency projects that will help improve the quality of life for our troops and their families.” Their report to Congress included an extremely detailed breakdown of how their share of ARRA dollars will be spent. The report includes anticipated costs, descriptions of work, and project locations for each expense they are proposing.
The Department of Defense intends to spend roughly $2.1 billion on military construction and family housing projects, including $1.3 billion to construct two new hospitals (to be located at Camp Pendleton, California and Fort Hood, Texas). DoD has also indicated that it will be “pursuing architectural and engineering services greater than $1 million for 5 projects, conducting repair projects greater than $7.5 million for 56 projects, and carrying out 45 Energy Conservation Investment Program projects, respectively.”
The DOD also provided a list of roughly 3,300 other Facilities Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization (“FSRM”) projects costing an estimated total $3.4 billion. These FSRM projects account for over $3.83 billion of their entire Stimulus spending.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the federal agency that is the most heavily involved in construction, has also provided Congress with “informed estimates” of existing capability to perform additional work. Of that, about $2.1 billion is appropriated for construction projects.
These and other projects will provide enormous opportunities for companies acting as federal construction contractors. Time will tell whether there are enough procurement officers currently active in the government to issue this many solicitations in such a short time and whether the specific agencies have the capability to properly administer all of this work, but there is certain to be a surge in construction projects over the upcoming months!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
SBA Budget Increase: What's The Impact?
If you've been paying attention to the news and popular media in the past few weeks, you are sure to have heard about the meeting between Jon Stewart and Jim Cramer. Their debate is already going down as one of the most controversial in history. However, how many people are talking about the House decision on the SBA budget that came out at almost the same time?
Not many.
This is for the simple reason that, to most people, small business government contracting just isn't as 'sexy.' It is a dry, difficult topic which few people partake in and even fewer truly understand. However, it is just this topic with which you, the small businessperson, should be familiarizing yourself during these times.
As one of the benefits of the stimulus package, a House panel decided to approve a vastly larger budget for the SBA in 2010. This increase of over $700 million roughly triples the budget for next year, providing a wide array of advantages to the small business owners interested in doing work with the federal government.
The SBA is the small business owner’s best friend in the federal government. It is literally their job to make sure that you get contracts and money; adding to their powers is going to make it much more likely that a small business will be able to get a contract.
For one thing, the federal appropriation to subsidize SBA loans has been put back into place, which will make it easier to get funding and money from the Small Business Association. This will raise the overall amount of loans the SBA can back to over $28 billion. This is going to increase federal contracting opportunities over time.
By getting started now, your business can be perfectly positioned in time to get access to some of the stimulus billions. This decision to increase funding to the SBA is likely to add just that much more opportunity for your company!
Not many.
This is for the simple reason that, to most people, small business government contracting just isn't as 'sexy.' It is a dry, difficult topic which few people partake in and even fewer truly understand. However, it is just this topic with which you, the small businessperson, should be familiarizing yourself during these times.
As one of the benefits of the stimulus package, a House panel decided to approve a vastly larger budget for the SBA in 2010. This increase of over $700 million roughly triples the budget for next year, providing a wide array of advantages to the small business owners interested in doing work with the federal government.
The SBA is the small business owner’s best friend in the federal government. It is literally their job to make sure that you get contracts and money; adding to their powers is going to make it much more likely that a small business will be able to get a contract.
For one thing, the federal appropriation to subsidize SBA loans has been put back into place, which will make it easier to get funding and money from the Small Business Association. This will raise the overall amount of loans the SBA can back to over $28 billion. This is going to increase federal contracting opportunities over time.
By getting started now, your business can be perfectly positioned in time to get access to some of the stimulus billions. This decision to increase funding to the SBA is likely to add just that much more opportunity for your company!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Change and Business Growth – Five Steps To Success
There is an old expression that says change is one of the three unavoidable facts of life – the others are death and taxes. Change is both essential to business success and one of the most frightening things a business owner can face; market conditions fluctuate, profits rise and fall, employee turnover… All of these and many more are all an integral part of doing business in today’s world.
Building your business is hard work, and once you have the ball rolling in one direction it can be very difficult to change the course. Doing something differently can be a terrifying prospect, but the best business owners have to stay flexible in order to succeed! Resisting change and trying to stick to the old ways can lead to trouble and worse. Companies that don’t change stagnate, miss growth opportunities, and, even worse, die out.
You’ve seen this time and again. Successful businesses generally have a core area that works well for them, but regularly fiddle with what they do, tweaking and improving constantly to see what works the best for them. Take a look at McDonald’s, for example; a franchise operation that works as a standard cookie-cutter template or mold. They’ve had the same basic setup, offerings, and operations for decades, but try out new things all the time – products, promotions, marketing, everything. Not all of these changes work or are kept, but every once in a while the company finds that perfect new item that makes all the difference and then brings in millions of dollars.
Constant reinvention, innovation, and acceptance of change are what keeps companies like McDonald’s at the forefront of their market. Smaller companies can and should learn from this and be willing to take a leap into a new venture or try out a new way of thinking or doing business! Taking a leap can pay off with huge rewards, as long as you make sure of a few things and follow five steps in a fairly straightforward plan.
1) Plan Your Approach
Before you start any major change or new business venture, have a plan of attack. Know what you want to do, why you want to do it, and do your homework! Don’t go into anything without a good, strong feel for what your strategy is going to be.
2) Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew
You have to be realistic. If this new venture or change is going to swamp your business, don’t do it! Keep the proportions manageable – if the resources required to do this are more than you can afford to allocate (and possibly risk losing) then it is a simple decision. Be sure to have a backup plan!
3) Don’t Be Afraid
Having steps 1 and 2 taken care of can make this easier. Fear is one of the most detrimental things to any business, and can dramatically reduce a business owner’s ability to proceed and prosper in a new venture. You have a good plan, and know that it is something you can handle – what is there left to be afraid of?
4) Take The Plunge
As a business owner, by now you have already done this many times. You’ll have to do so many more before your time as a business owner draws to a close. Have your leaps in the past paid off? Obviously, you’re still here! Remember these times and try to do it again.
5) Wait, Evaluate, Measure, And Decide
Now that you’ve had some time working in the new venture, you should evaluate your progress. You don’t want to simply close your eyes and hope; pay attention to what’s going on, tweak what needs to be changed, and keep a fluid plan of attack. Adjust your actions according to the development of what you are doing – if something isn’t working, fix it! Determine whether or not your venture is paying off, or simply burning resources, and decide if you should celebrate and keep it, or accept a loss and move on to the next big idea.
Change should be part of every business owner’s plan. Take a look at how you do business – do you anticipate the need for new ideas, products, markets, or methods? If not, carefully consider your approach; not being prepared can be disastrous.
However, if you are willing to consider expanding your business into new markets, give Gateway to Government a call! We can help you with all five steps and introduce you to a lucrative new business arena.
Building your business is hard work, and once you have the ball rolling in one direction it can be very difficult to change the course. Doing something differently can be a terrifying prospect, but the best business owners have to stay flexible in order to succeed! Resisting change and trying to stick to the old ways can lead to trouble and worse. Companies that don’t change stagnate, miss growth opportunities, and, even worse, die out.
You’ve seen this time and again. Successful businesses generally have a core area that works well for them, but regularly fiddle with what they do, tweaking and improving constantly to see what works the best for them. Take a look at McDonald’s, for example; a franchise operation that works as a standard cookie-cutter template or mold. They’ve had the same basic setup, offerings, and operations for decades, but try out new things all the time – products, promotions, marketing, everything. Not all of these changes work or are kept, but every once in a while the company finds that perfect new item that makes all the difference and then brings in millions of dollars.
Constant reinvention, innovation, and acceptance of change are what keeps companies like McDonald’s at the forefront of their market. Smaller companies can and should learn from this and be willing to take a leap into a new venture or try out a new way of thinking or doing business! Taking a leap can pay off with huge rewards, as long as you make sure of a few things and follow five steps in a fairly straightforward plan.
1) Plan Your Approach
Before you start any major change or new business venture, have a plan of attack. Know what you want to do, why you want to do it, and do your homework! Don’t go into anything without a good, strong feel for what your strategy is going to be.
2) Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew
You have to be realistic. If this new venture or change is going to swamp your business, don’t do it! Keep the proportions manageable – if the resources required to do this are more than you can afford to allocate (and possibly risk losing) then it is a simple decision. Be sure to have a backup plan!
3) Don’t Be Afraid
Having steps 1 and 2 taken care of can make this easier. Fear is one of the most detrimental things to any business, and can dramatically reduce a business owner’s ability to proceed and prosper in a new venture. You have a good plan, and know that it is something you can handle – what is there left to be afraid of?
4) Take The Plunge
As a business owner, by now you have already done this many times. You’ll have to do so many more before your time as a business owner draws to a close. Have your leaps in the past paid off? Obviously, you’re still here! Remember these times and try to do it again.
5) Wait, Evaluate, Measure, And Decide
Now that you’ve had some time working in the new venture, you should evaluate your progress. You don’t want to simply close your eyes and hope; pay attention to what’s going on, tweak what needs to be changed, and keep a fluid plan of attack. Adjust your actions according to the development of what you are doing – if something isn’t working, fix it! Determine whether or not your venture is paying off, or simply burning resources, and decide if you should celebrate and keep it, or accept a loss and move on to the next big idea.
Change should be part of every business owner’s plan. Take a look at how you do business – do you anticipate the need for new ideas, products, markets, or methods? If not, carefully consider your approach; not being prepared can be disastrous.
However, if you are willing to consider expanding your business into new markets, give Gateway to Government a call! We can help you with all five steps and introduce you to a lucrative new business arena.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Rockin' Robin - The Rise of Social Media in Business Marketing
Have you heard of tweeting? Twittering? Tweeps? All of these and many more are terms that have been added to the internet lingo by Twitter, one of a burgeoning group of free social media service websites now being used by more than six million people around the world. The basic principle is simple – network with other ‘Tweeps’ (users of Twitter) and express what you want to say in 140 characters or less – but the effects are proving to be far more wide-ranging than one would expect.
Twitter has recently become very well known due to a few key events: some of the first eyewitness reports of the U.S. Airways plane that landed in the Hudson River were from Twitter, prominent politicians have been seen using it during meetings, speeches, and conferences, and Twitter was heavily utilized during the most recent presidential campaign. Courtesy of this micro-blogging service, news is being spread even more rapidly.
People from all walks of life are now using Twitter every day. Entrepreneurs, news anchors, bands, politicians, artists, business owners, students … All of these and many more are utilizing tweeting (posting on the Twitter website) as a networking and information tool. Charitable organizations are using it - today there is a push for Share our Strength, an organization aiming to reduce child hunger. They are trying to raise $12,000 in 12 hours using Twitter alone - currently they are five hours in and they have almost reached they goal.
An increasing number of big corporations are using Twitter now as well – HP, Microsoft, American Express, and Dell are just a few. In fact, when a coworker recently tweeted about our recent post involving UPS’s ‘no left-turn’ innovation, she was contacted by a UPS employee whose job it is to monitor UPS appearing in social media!
In the three years since its creation, Twitter has become one of the go-to places for entrepreneurs and business owners to learn about, network, and market their businesses. Social media and marketing experts are cropping up all over the place with ways to help streamline this process. People co-promote with each other and people who give good advice, are entertaining, or have some other valuable service are generally recommended to more and more people.
I just started using Twitter about a month or so ago after having heard more and more about it. I currently have about 500 followers, from a wide range of groups – many are total strangers, some are friends or family, others are business contacts. It is easy to get lost in what Twitter offers; an endless stream of interesting stories, blurbs, and thoughts from hundreds of people can be difficult to get away from. Generally, I’ve found it best to simply play the fly on the wall and jump in with a comment if I hear something interesting, or to ask a question of my followers and the ‘twitterverse’ as they come up.
While Twitter and similar social media are becoming increasingly good ways to make business connections, you have to be careful to avoid some basic pitfalls. The hard sell is incredibly unpopular on the site and will lose your credibility faster than virtually anything else. Twitter is meant to be used in a more organic fashion – by building a reputation with other users, they will be driven to use your products or services over time. Another thing to avoid is considering the number of followers you have as a popularity contest; rather than quantity, try to go for the quality of the people you interact with and make better content.
All in all, Twitter is becoming a fairly powerful tool for marketing, networking, and business development. Websites are easy to promote, especially if they have good content. There are numerous external applications that make it even easier to use (for example, one program allows you to search for key phrases in recent tweets – you can find out who is talking about small business government contracting, for example, and start a discussion!) and these can help reduce the time spent on it each day.
Don’t get overwhelmed – Twitter isn’t something that has to be used 24/7! This dynamic word-of-mouth advertising format has made marketing even easier to do, as long as you monitor what you are doing. Just remember that to get anything from it, you will have to give time, effort, and a little bit of yourself, just as you would in any other format.
If you’d like, you can always find Gateway to Government representatives on Twitter. My name is JIstvan and let me know when you get on! LauraGuthrie, my aforementioned coworker, is also worth following - she is a social media expert!
Twitter has recently become very well known due to a few key events: some of the first eyewitness reports of the U.S. Airways plane that landed in the Hudson River were from Twitter, prominent politicians have been seen using it during meetings, speeches, and conferences, and Twitter was heavily utilized during the most recent presidential campaign. Courtesy of this micro-blogging service, news is being spread even more rapidly.
People from all walks of life are now using Twitter every day. Entrepreneurs, news anchors, bands, politicians, artists, business owners, students … All of these and many more are utilizing tweeting (posting on the Twitter website) as a networking and information tool. Charitable organizations are using it - today there is a push for Share our Strength, an organization aiming to reduce child hunger. They are trying to raise $12,000 in 12 hours using Twitter alone - currently they are five hours in and they have almost reached they goal.
An increasing number of big corporations are using Twitter now as well – HP, Microsoft, American Express, and Dell are just a few. In fact, when a coworker recently tweeted about our recent post involving UPS’s ‘no left-turn’ innovation, she was contacted by a UPS employee whose job it is to monitor UPS appearing in social media!
In the three years since its creation, Twitter has become one of the go-to places for entrepreneurs and business owners to learn about, network, and market their businesses. Social media and marketing experts are cropping up all over the place with ways to help streamline this process. People co-promote with each other and people who give good advice, are entertaining, or have some other valuable service are generally recommended to more and more people.
I just started using Twitter about a month or so ago after having heard more and more about it. I currently have about 500 followers, from a wide range of groups – many are total strangers, some are friends or family, others are business contacts. It is easy to get lost in what Twitter offers; an endless stream of interesting stories, blurbs, and thoughts from hundreds of people can be difficult to get away from. Generally, I’ve found it best to simply play the fly on the wall and jump in with a comment if I hear something interesting, or to ask a question of my followers and the ‘twitterverse’ as they come up.
While Twitter and similar social media are becoming increasingly good ways to make business connections, you have to be careful to avoid some basic pitfalls. The hard sell is incredibly unpopular on the site and will lose your credibility faster than virtually anything else. Twitter is meant to be used in a more organic fashion – by building a reputation with other users, they will be driven to use your products or services over time. Another thing to avoid is considering the number of followers you have as a popularity contest; rather than quantity, try to go for the quality of the people you interact with and make better content.
All in all, Twitter is becoming a fairly powerful tool for marketing, networking, and business development. Websites are easy to promote, especially if they have good content. There are numerous external applications that make it even easier to use (for example, one program allows you to search for key phrases in recent tweets – you can find out who is talking about small business government contracting, for example, and start a discussion!) and these can help reduce the time spent on it each day.
Don’t get overwhelmed – Twitter isn’t something that has to be used 24/7! This dynamic word-of-mouth advertising format has made marketing even easier to do, as long as you monitor what you are doing. Just remember that to get anything from it, you will have to give time, effort, and a little bit of yourself, just as you would in any other format.
If you’d like, you can always find Gateway to Government representatives on Twitter. My name is JIstvan and let me know when you get on! LauraGuthrie, my aforementioned coworker, is also worth following - she is a social media expert!
Friday, March 6, 2009
Obama Charges Administrators to Reform Contracting
President Barack Obama on Wednesday ordered a much-needed look at and reform of the processes surrounding government contracting and procurement. This is to include virtually all agencies and branches of the federal government, including the Department of Defense, usually exempted from such measures. The following quote is from President Obama via the White House executive memorandum:
“I hereby direct the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)… and the heads of such other agencies as the Director of OMB determines to be appropriate… to develop and issue by July 1, 2009, Government-wide guidance to assist agencies in reviewing, and creating processes for ongoing review of, existing contracts in order to identify contracts that are wasteful, inefficient, or not otherwise likely to meet the agency’s needs, and to formulate appropriate corrective action in a timely manner. Such corrective action may include modifying or canceling such contracts…”
What does this mean for the small business owner?
Well, that depends. If you have a long-term contract currently in place, immediately make sure that your processes are well documented and defensible. Excess waste should be cut out proactively and inefficiencies need to be addressed – nobody wants a contract canceled so be sure to take a look at what you can do to prevent it.
On the other hand, for companies looking to break into contracting, this is potentially a tremendous opportunity. As of July 1, 2009, existing long-term contracts will begin to be reviewed. Many incumbent contractors could be hoisted out of their positions, which means that many contracts will have to be refilled. Over the coming year many businesses will be tapped to replace the companies who have their contracts cancelled, so now is a great time to start positioning your business to take their place!
Obama also said he wants to “open up the bidding for contracts to small businesses,” which will help drive even more potential growth to the small business owner!
“I hereby direct the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)… and the heads of such other agencies as the Director of OMB determines to be appropriate… to develop and issue by July 1, 2009, Government-wide guidance to assist agencies in reviewing, and creating processes for ongoing review of, existing contracts in order to identify contracts that are wasteful, inefficient, or not otherwise likely to meet the agency’s needs, and to formulate appropriate corrective action in a timely manner. Such corrective action may include modifying or canceling such contracts…”
What does this mean for the small business owner?
Well, that depends. If you have a long-term contract currently in place, immediately make sure that your processes are well documented and defensible. Excess waste should be cut out proactively and inefficiencies need to be addressed – nobody wants a contract canceled so be sure to take a look at what you can do to prevent it.
On the other hand, for companies looking to break into contracting, this is potentially a tremendous opportunity. As of July 1, 2009, existing long-term contracts will begin to be reviewed. Many incumbent contractors could be hoisted out of their positions, which means that many contracts will have to be refilled. Over the coming year many businesses will be tapped to replace the companies who have their contracts cancelled, so now is a great time to start positioning your business to take their place!
Obama also said he wants to “open up the bidding for contracts to small businesses,” which will help drive even more potential growth to the small business owner!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Step 7: Final Thoughts
Hello again readers, and welcome back yet again to Gateway to Government, the small business resource for government contracting. Over the past week I have been writing a new tip each day on government contracting. Well, it has been a long seven days but I think everyone should have learned something from our Seven Steps series! Today we finish up with the final, and in many ways most important step to being a successful government contractor.
Step 7 – Relax!
In the past I have noticed that business owners and employees tend to start to panic as the prospect of government contracting is raised or comes near. Don’t! Stress causes mistakes, difficulties, and shorter life-spans. If you are reading this, you know that contracting is a valuable step for any business to take, but it doesn’t have to be as difficult as you think – Gateway makes contracting easy for you.
We’ve taken all the necessary steps to make sure your contracting experience is as painless as possible. Don’t worry, with Gateway the process is simplified and we eliminate the hassle of bidding, as well as give you some major competitive advantages in the federal contracting arena. We can provide answers or solutions to any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Gateway guarantees that contracting through us will be as simple as 1, 2, 3 – so stay calm, relax, and get ready to get started!
Remember:
"The question is not and should not be whether or not the government buys your products, because they do. The question is whether or not they buy it from you."
Gateway will help you to make sure that they do!
Step 7 – Relax!
In the past I have noticed that business owners and employees tend to start to panic as the prospect of government contracting is raised or comes near. Don’t! Stress causes mistakes, difficulties, and shorter life-spans. If you are reading this, you know that contracting is a valuable step for any business to take, but it doesn’t have to be as difficult as you think – Gateway makes contracting easy for you.
We’ve taken all the necessary steps to make sure your contracting experience is as painless as possible. Don’t worry, with Gateway the process is simplified and we eliminate the hassle of bidding, as well as give you some major competitive advantages in the federal contracting arena. We can provide answers or solutions to any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Gateway guarantees that contracting through us will be as simple as 1, 2, 3 – so stay calm, relax, and get ready to get started!
Remember:
"The question is not and should not be whether or not the government buys your products, because they do. The question is whether or not they buy it from you."
Gateway will help you to make sure that they do!
Monday, February 16, 2009
Step 6: Don't Use the Deadline
Welcome back to Gateway to Government’s blog and the Seven Steps series! I hope everyone had a pleasant weekend and is ready to continue learning how to do business with the government through the Gateway program. Today we will take a look at how deadlines can impact government contracting.
Step 6 – Don’t Wait Until the Last Second
Though this may seem like another obvious idea, time and time again we have seen people submit their information just minutes before the deadline – only to find a major problem with no time to correct it. Every government bid and every bid we send you will have a deadline – a date and time – prominently displayed. This 'timestamp' is the absolute last chance to submit your information – if the bid is not full, complete, and accurate or is not received by that deadline, all of the time and effort you have put into your project will have been to no avail. The government will NOT accept late bids! Delivery or sending timestamps are also not important – it is when the document is received that matters, not when you mail it. If your bid gets delayed in the mail, or you get a flat tire trying to deliver it just before the deadline... Too bad! For this reason it is highly recommended that none of our clients use the final deadline.
By sending your details in well ahead of this time, we can work out any kinks or issues there may be with your submission. We review all of the bids and make sure they arrive on time in the right hands. This will help to ensure that your bid is submitted in the best possible fashion and that your experience is as painless as possible!
Step 6 – Don’t Wait Until the Last Second
Though this may seem like another obvious idea, time and time again we have seen people submit their information just minutes before the deadline – only to find a major problem with no time to correct it. Every government bid and every bid we send you will have a deadline – a date and time – prominently displayed. This 'timestamp' is the absolute last chance to submit your information – if the bid is not full, complete, and accurate or is not received by that deadline, all of the time and effort you have put into your project will have been to no avail. The government will NOT accept late bids! Delivery or sending timestamps are also not important – it is when the document is received that matters, not when you mail it. If your bid gets delayed in the mail, or you get a flat tire trying to deliver it just before the deadline... Too bad! For this reason it is highly recommended that none of our clients use the final deadline.
By sending your details in well ahead of this time, we can work out any kinks or issues there may be with your submission. We review all of the bids and make sure they arrive on time in the right hands. This will help to ensure that your bid is submitted in the best possible fashion and that your experience is as painless as possible!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Step 5: Bid to Your Capabilities
Welcome again to Gateway to Government’s blog. Today is step five in our Seven Steps series. Today we will look at the bidding process; deciding what to bid on is obviously important. Many companies have gone out of business because they took on a task too large for them or went broke waiting for the government to pay them!
Step 5 – Don’t Bid on Something You Can’t Do
This may seem like common sense, but sometimes what one thinks is expected in a contract isn’t. Review everything and make sure that your business is capable of all of the elements, both technically and financially! I have heard of many cases where small companies put in a bid and won a great government contract but ended up going out of business because they couldn’t support the finances while waiting to get paid (in most instances, the government pays after job completion).
Once you have read the fine print and asked all of your questions, review the entire contract again. For instance, one contractor (not one of our members!) lost over $18,000 on a bid because they hadn’t realized that they needed to train others to help with installation of their product. They though that they were going to be able to do all the work themselves!
Again, reading the bid requirements is vital to knowing what your company can and cannot fulfill. Examine the requirements and compare them to your capabilities, then review your business’ financial situation – can you afford to float the full cost of the contract potentially for months while awaiting completion and payment? While Gateway does its best to send bids related to your business, it is ultimately up to you to review the bid and decide whether or not your company can handle the contract.
Step 5 – Don’t Bid on Something You Can’t Do
This may seem like common sense, but sometimes what one thinks is expected in a contract isn’t. Review everything and make sure that your business is capable of all of the elements, both technically and financially! I have heard of many cases where small companies put in a bid and won a great government contract but ended up going out of business because they couldn’t support the finances while waiting to get paid (in most instances, the government pays after job completion).
Once you have read the fine print and asked all of your questions, review the entire contract again. For instance, one contractor (not one of our members!) lost over $18,000 on a bid because they hadn’t realized that they needed to train others to help with installation of their product. They though that they were going to be able to do all the work themselves!
Again, reading the bid requirements is vital to knowing what your company can and cannot fulfill. Examine the requirements and compare them to your capabilities, then review your business’ financial situation – can you afford to float the full cost of the contract potentially for months while awaiting completion and payment? While Gateway does its best to send bids related to your business, it is ultimately up to you to review the bid and decide whether or not your company can handle the contract.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Step 4: Ask the Right Questions
Good morning yet again to everyone and welcome back to Gateway to Government’s blog, filled with tips and advice for our partners and small businesses wanting to do work with the government. As you know, each day this week I have been focusing on one step which will help you maximize your advantages so that your business can get and maintain government contracts. Today is step number four in the Seven Steps series.
Step 4 – Ask The Right Questions
Asking questions is vital to government contracting. There are many types of questions that can and should be asked (for a more detailed rundown, click here). However, the wrong questions or ones posed to the wrong person can be destructive to a business’s chances at getting a contract, so be sure that you know what – and who! – to ask. Be sure to know exactly what it is you want to know. Going into this process with any sort of ambiguity can be disastrous... Without a definitive sense of the goal, your questions can easily lead to more confusion.
In addition, if you ask a question about a contract you are working on or a solicitation you intend to bid on, get it in writing. Anything said verbally or informally is not binding, and action taken based on what is said is not legally defensible. Also make sure that the person you ask is the right person – an answer given by someone without the proper authority over a contract is the same as an answer given by, say, your grandmother. Or the five year old down the street. Or anyone else; unless given by someone with the proper authority, an answer, even in writing, is useless.
In short, if you are going to ask a question, make sure of four things:
1) Exactly what you want to know,
2) How to ask (context, beware of ambiguity, etc. more here)
3) Who to ask,
4) Get it in writing!
If you as one of our members have ANY questions about how to proceed at all, please contact us. We are here for you and we want to help. Gateway knows what to ask, who to talk to, and wants to make your experience with government contracting as hassle-free and painless as possible. If anything about the bidding or contracting process is confusing, please don’t hesitate to contact a member of our team anytime – if we don’t answer immediately, we will get back to you as soon as possible. We want your business to grow and prosper through this lucrative market as much as you do!
Step 4 – Ask The Right Questions
Asking questions is vital to government contracting. There are many types of questions that can and should be asked (for a more detailed rundown, click here). However, the wrong questions or ones posed to the wrong person can be destructive to a business’s chances at getting a contract, so be sure that you know what – and who! – to ask. Be sure to know exactly what it is you want to know. Going into this process with any sort of ambiguity can be disastrous... Without a definitive sense of the goal, your questions can easily lead to more confusion.
In addition, if you ask a question about a contract you are working on or a solicitation you intend to bid on, get it in writing. Anything said verbally or informally is not binding, and action taken based on what is said is not legally defensible. Also make sure that the person you ask is the right person – an answer given by someone without the proper authority over a contract is the same as an answer given by, say, your grandmother. Or the five year old down the street. Or anyone else; unless given by someone with the proper authority, an answer, even in writing, is useless.
In short, if you are going to ask a question, make sure of four things:
1) Exactly what you want to know,
2) How to ask (context, beware of ambiguity, etc. more here)
3) Who to ask,
4) Get it in writing!
If you as one of our members have ANY questions about how to proceed at all, please contact us. We are here for you and we want to help. Gateway knows what to ask, who to talk to, and wants to make your experience with government contracting as hassle-free and painless as possible. If anything about the bidding or contracting process is confusing, please don’t hesitate to contact a member of our team anytime – if we don’t answer immediately, we will get back to you as soon as possible. We want your business to grow and prosper through this lucrative market as much as you do!
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