FLORIDA SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER AT IRSC
FEDERAL CONTRACTING:
GETTING YOUR FOOT IN THE DOOR
TCBusiness.com 37
If you are a small business that has met
with a Procurement Technical Assistance
Center consultant to determine whether
federal contracting may be right for the
business and you have identified some potential
contracts to pursue, it is time to put
your best foot forward to get in the door.
By now we hope you have read our two
previous stories “Is Your Business Ready for
Government Contracting” (Summer 2019)
and “Researching Federal Government
Contracting Opportunities” (Fall 2019).
Each federal agency has a small business
office to ensure agencies follow small
business rules and regulations — they
are not buyers but should be your first
stop at an agency. Scotty Wilson, Procurement
Technical Assistance Center (PTAC)
consultant who specializes in government
contracting with the Florida Small
Business Development Center at Indian
River State College, recommends having
a completed SAM registration — the
government’s System for Award Management
at sam.gov — and three opportunities
in hand as well as your financial plan.
Ask the small business office for an email
introduction to the contracting officer.
Ask the contracting officer for a capability
briefing, and schedule monthly marketing
outreaches. Program managers also have
agency knowledge and may be able to
offer value to the solution you are offering
to the agency.
“The business should be proactive in
marketing products and services,” says
Wilson. While the ability of the business to
respond to opportunities will depend on
what opportunities are available via solicitations,
Wilson says proactively marketing
products or services to contracting officers
(where appropriate), user departments,
primes and other government contractors
will be critical in securing government
contracts.
“One example of this would be to reach
out to vendors being awarded large
contracts in your area of work for subcontracting
opportunities,” Wilson adds.
“Another example might be to reach out
to large primes within your area of work.”
You can identify federal contract recipients
at usaspending.gov.
“While the business is not specifically
responding to solicitations the operator
should always be networking and promoting
the products and services,” says Wilson.
And about putting your best foot
forward, Wilson recommends the business
owner should:
• Make a good first impression. Be professional
(including an email address using
the business website’s domain) and triple
check for typos.
• Make sure the company website is
updated and typo free.
• Know and understand the company’s
sweet spot and lead with you and your
company’s expertise and experience.
Emphasize your ability to mitigate risk and
overcome obstacles.
And as a quick review, Wilson adds this
advice in considering government contracting
opportunities and developing the
business strategy:
• Determine who buys what you sell
• Is the market large enough for you
to be profitable?
• Prioritize your buying targets
• Determine which certifications you
need to be competitive with your
target buyers
• Determine if you need or could use
a partner
• Strategize over potential partners
• Consider subcontracting
• Identify potential primes to target
for collaboration (joint venture or
mentor-protégé)
• Create a plan including these elements
with timelines for completion
Procurement Technical Assistance
Centers can provide no-cost assistance to
small businesses looking to compete for
government contracts, including use of
the BidMatch program, which helps clients
win more contracts. Consultants at PTACs
can provide this no-cost tool that allows
a business to efficiently identify contracting
opportunities and access solicitations.
Qualified clients receive e-mail notifications
of bid opportunities for specific
products and services from more than 800
federal, state and local bid-posting sites.
Once your company is ready for government
contracting, the Florida SBDC at IRSC
PTAC consultant, Wilson, can assist and
guide you, the small business owner, with
a series of next steps. v
BY NANCY DAHLBERG
Scotty Wilson served 28 years as an
Indiana Conservation Officer, eventually
becoming the Director of the Indiana
Department of Natural Resources Law
Enforcement Division. During his time in
state government, Wilson served as a District
Commander, State Logistics Officer,
Division Executive Officer and finally as
the Director of Law Enforcement. Wilson
is a graduate of the Indiana Law Enforcement
Academy, the FBI National Academy,
the FBI LEEDS (leadership academy),
and served a six month fellowship at FBI
Headquarters in Washington, D.C. While
serving at the executive level, his duties
included involvement and oversight of
procurement, service contracts, state and
federal grant administration, emergency
operations, human resources, budgeting,
payroll, continuity of operations, local,
state, and federal agency liaison, and
Homeland Security. Wilson is a veteran
of the United States Marine Corps and a
graduate of Oakland City University with
a bachelor’s degree in human resources
Wilson currently serves as the Procurement
Technical Assistance Center (PTAC)
consultant with the Florida SBDC at IRSC
helping regional businesses examine their
readiness for government contracting.
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