You know how hard Federal contracting is. You’ve had those weeks, those months: no signs of life anywhere. You turn over the rocks, you dig. Everything seems absolutely uninhabited. Nobody’s returning calls. No opportunities. Nothing. And yet. You know that Federal agency is spending money. In fact, your competitor is winning some of it, and
You know you have the superior solution for that Federal buyer…if only she would give you a chance. What’s the secret to winning work from a Federal buyer who’s already working with your competition? “We have to know you, like you, and trust you,” they say. But how do you build trust when you can’t even
One evening after I gave a presentation, someone asked me, “Where is the low-hanging fruit in Federal contracting?” Then, I told them confidently, “There’s no such thing.” I was so wrong! There is plenty of “low-hanging fruit” in the Federal market! Micro-purchases (anywhere from $3,500 to $5,000, soon to be $10,000 for all Federal agencies later
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“I need more time,” you’re thinking as you pull another all-nighter slammed up against yet one more proposal deadline. “How does anybody get these things done in 30 days?” What you need most is a reality check. If you’re looking for the way to do the whole job, start-to-finish, in 30 days, stop what you’re
The “why” is obvious. A Contracting Officer has power that the President of the United States does not: the legal ability to bind a company to the federal government in a contract to provide goods or services. They need to know you, like you, trust you, and know how to get to you. Contracting Officers
Summit Insight’s team works with federal agency websites every day. We constantly find new stuff, from overhauled portals and agency reorganizations to entirely new market intelligence resources (my favorite)! I love to share the top changes with you as soon as we discover them, and show you why they’re useful right away. The news: the
You’ve just seen that federal contract opportunity on FedBizOps. It looks perfect for you! But there’s not a lot of lead time. You want to give it your best effort to win! Should you submit that Federal bid? Or do they have someone else in mind? Here are ten things you need to look at!
One of the biggest mistakes in federal contracting is to set up a keyword on FBO.gov, wait for a federal opportunity to land in your email inbox. and pounce on the one that makes you think, “This one is PERFECT for us!” If you don’t know the buyer, the incumbent, the budget, or the story,
Is the clock ticking on your GSA Schedule? You’re nowhere near that $25,000 sales goal, and you’re facing cancellation of your contract within the next couple of months? That doesn’t have to happen to you. Here’s how you can buy some time to make good on your goals. First of all, GSA really doesn’t want
After studying trends among over 1,500 8(a) Business Development Program participants in Metro Washington, D.C., we discovered some common characteristics and best practices of those who leverage this federal contracting program. Here’s what the most successful companies do to grow their companies through the first four years of the developmental phase, and then the final
A General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule contract isn’t part of every company’s federal success strategy. Yes, it’s a popular kind of contract. It’s essential for some companies selling certain products or services to specific buyers. But the effort to get one also takes big upfront resources of time or money, usually both. Related: What’s A
A vendor who targets her most promising buyers and builds relationships with them over time has a distinct advantage: she gets to know the needs and concerns of program managers and end users of her product or service. Start building your key relationships long before the solicitation is posted. You can do that through formal
