Some updates about the greening of government…

Finding Federal Business Opportunities or Creating FedBizOpps: Which works Best?

The vast majority of articles in magazines and on the web provide tips on how to set up your business to receive federal contracts and how to search for opportunities. Most provide advice about where to search agency web sites for procurement plans and forecasts, how to use FedBizOpps to locate current opportunities, or, if you are a GSA Contractor, using eBuy to find still more opportunities not available on FedBizOpps (see the eGuide link below for a guide containing this information).  But in searching all of these databases, are you missing out on the greatest opportunity of all; the opportunity to create your own opportunities with Federal agencies?

GSA's Southeast Sunbelt Region Office of Small Business Utilization is conducting a free conference for Veteran Owned Small Businesses (VOSB) and Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) that will focus on marketing your GSA Schedules contract.  It is an opportunity to network with other small businesses and government contracting officers to learn how to market your business and to identify and compete for opportunities.

I received a call from a business colleague last week.  It seems she received a cold call from another firm that “expedites GSA sales proposals.”  A number of dubious claims were made about their services as well as erroneous statements about GSA schedule contract.

SUMMARY

In bygone days, GSA contractors received little oversight by GSA auditors.  Today, the average GSA Contractor will receive two audits during their initial five year term.  GSA vendors won't be visited by an Auditor, because GSA euphemistically calls their audits "Contractor Assistance Visits" and their audits are known as "Industrial Operations Analysts"

Contractor teaming agreements allow two or more GSA contractors to get together to respond to an RFP/RFQ that they might not be able to respond to going it alone due to a lack of specific capabilities or adequate resources. And a team of small businesses can band together to compete effectively against much larger firms.  Agencies benefit because such a team can provide them with a total solution and they can enjoy far higher achievements against small business contracting requirements.

Federal buyers contend that they rely on the internet more than ever to research vendors.  For this reason, it is essential that your web site provides all of the information that a Federal buyer might need,.  It does not take much to accomplish the bare minimum, and I suggest you modify your web site to include information about your GSA Schedule and how your firm can help solve Agency problems and challenges. 

Obtaining a GSA schedule contract provides companies with many benefits including making the firm a preferred vendor, the ability to sell to any Federal agency, shortening the time it takes agencies to issue contracts, and select access to procurement sites from GSA. A GSA contract is especially useful for small businesses, since the Federal agencies earmark between 23%-40% for small businesses.

GSA Schedule program to feature Sustainable Products

With the 4th quarter of  the Federal fiscal year now over, every GSA schedule contractor will be submitting their quarterly sales report and remitting the Industrial Funding Fee (IFF).