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Finding Government Business: Once You’ve Done the Basics, Here’s What’s Next

by Guest Blogger on 02-25-2010 10:10 AM

In my first blog post within the Business.gov Community, called “Your First Five Steps in Government Contracting”, I explained the first steps you should take in getting yourself ready to do business with the government. I recommended you:

  

  • Register your business with the CCR
  • Get a GSA Schedule contract
  • Do your homework
  • Secure references
  • Make a commitment

 

Once you’ve done these, you’re ready to move to the next step: finding and pursuing government business.

 

Know What to Expect

With your proverbial ducks in a row, you’re probably ready to dive in! Just make sure you know what you’re diving into.

 

Many, many companies dive in without knowing their market space – particularly the size of their market space. How large or small is the size of the market you’re trying to reach? And, is the government interested in buying what you have to offer?

 

Remember, this is the government market. All the information you need is publicly available. From agency budgets to contract sizes to details about which services and products the government is buying, there is a trackable history of all government purchasing activity.

 

Knowing where to find this information can be a challenge. Here are some suggestions to get you started:

 

  • A listing, and history, of federal procurements can be found at the Federal Procurement Data System site (https://www.fpds.gov – note the “s” after the http)
  • A history of federal grants can be found at Grants.gov (www.grants.gov)
  • A database of nearly all government spending can be found at USASpending.gov (www.usaspending.gov) – an aggregate of information from Grants.gov and FPDS.gov.
  • A government-focused market intelligence firm like FedSources (www.fedsources.com)* can go a long way toward providing you with a depth and breadth of information you may otherwise spend months gathering.

Once you know the lay of the land, take this information and take aim. Be sure, however, to target carefully. The government is no place for a shot-gun approach. It may work in the commercial world – occasionally – but not here.

 

Decide whether you should target Civilian agencies or the Department of Defense (DoD). If you don’t know the difference between these, you’ll need to do more research.

 

Remember, you’re targeting based on budget, demand, and history. Which agencies are buying? Which have the budget for your particular service or product?

 

Once you identify your target, you’re ready to dive in.

 

Knowing Where to Look

Once you’re completely ready to roll, check out FedBizOpps.

 

Short for Federal Business Opportunities, this government website – www.fedbizopps.gov – provides a listing of all federal bids posting a value of $25,000 or more. You don’t need to register to browse this site – just click, and look around.

 

Be aware, FedBizOpps provides a lot of information. I highly recommend that you watch the “How to use FedBizOpps” demonstration videos on the site.

 

The government also runs FirstGov (www.firstgov.gov), where it lists bids and requests by agency. This is a good one as well.

 

Business.gov has a great page called “How to Find Contracting Opportunities”. Here you’ll find a range of helpful links, from the GSA Subcontracting Directory to state contracting opportunities to Federal Procurement Opportunities for Green vendors.

 

Another option is a government-focused market intelligence firm, as I mentioned earlier. While these types of firms specialize in providing data, some go much farther – to the point of providing a list of opportunities, e-mailed to you, based on your own search criteria.

 

Conclusion

Being a successful government contractor can mean steady business for many years if you research, target, then sell – in that order.

 

And, once you start selling, there is one more thing to keep in mind: you may get a “Blue Bird” but remember, the government buying cycle is long – between nine and 12 months, on average.

 

Be patient.

 

*hyperlink directs readers to a non-government website

 

Bill Gormley is president and CEO of Washington Management Group and FedSources, and chairman of the Coalition for Government Procurement.

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About the Author
  • Barbara is a respected corporate speaker, contributing editor, author of more than a dozen books from major publishers, sought-after expert media source, newsletter publisher and, more than ever, a trusted advocate for small business owners. Barbara is passionate about helping the small business community and fostering the entrepreneurial spirit. She enjoys serving as a true small business expert, teaching people how to start a business and expand their current enterprises.
  • Bill Gormley is a former senior federal executive. He has held a vast range of government contracting positions from Contract Specialist to Contracting Division Director to Assistant Commissioner of the General Services Administration (GSA). He is recognized by both the federal government and industry for his proven leadership, and is a frequent guest speaker at GSA-sponsored events. With years of hands-on government contracting experience, Bill now provides invaluable advice and insight to clients looking to sell their services and products to the government. You can reach Bill directly at the Washington Management Group (www.washmg.com).
  • Since 1990, The Libava family has been helping future entrepreneurs with their dreams of business ownership. Joel Libava, Franchise Selection Specialists Inc. 2nd generation President, brings real world franchise industry experience to his clients, coming from a franchise management background in the automobile and restaurant and hospitality industries. Joel shoots from the hip, and you'll find his unique take on the world of franchising refreshing, and sorely needed.
  • Rieva Lesonsky is CEO of GrowBiz Media (www.growbizmedia.com), which helps corporations, government agencies and other organizations identify, understand and connect with SMBs, and provides information, products, services and resources to help SMBs build their businesses. Lesonsky is also an Editor-at-Large for AllBusiness.com, a Contributing Editor for Microsoft Office Live Small Business, and a small-business blogger for The Huffington Post and can be seen regularly on MSNBC's Your Business. Lesonsky has written several books about entrepreneurship and small business. In 2009 she was named to Folio magazine’s annual Folio: 40 list of top influencers in the publishing industry.
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  • President and founder of Palo Alto Software, founder of bplans.com, co-founder of Borland International, author of books including 'the Plan-as-You-Go Business Plan' and '3 Weeks to Startup' (Entrepreneur Press, 2008) and conceptual author of Business Plan Pro. Baby boomer ex-hippie Stanford MBA, married 39 years, father of five.
  • As a Certified Program Planner and the Program Manager for the Manufacturing and Technology Small Business Development Center (MTSBDC) at Columbus State Community College (CSCC) I create, coordinate and promote programs and events to inspire, educate and engage individuals in our region who wish to start or grow a small business. I draw on my background in training and development, multimedia production, organizational management, marketing and communication daily to brand and market the SBDC. The SBDC, MTSBDC & ITAC (International Trade Assistance Center) provide free one-on-one business management counseling to small business owners and low to no cost training. You can also find Tonya on twitter at @TonyaWilson.