Having a hard time procuring contracts?
Everyone has the opportunity to be successful in Government contracting.
Government spending on a yearly basis is in the Billions and getting a piece of that spending is not an easy task. There are steps that must be taken to be successful. We have developed a winning strategy for procuring contracts. At Select GCR we have taken many marketing journeys to come up with the perfect strategy for our clients. It’s not an easy road and many businesses fail for a few simple errors in the way they position their business.
The road to success is not easy. It not only requires hard work, it also requires patience and sacrifice. You must be willing to put in the work to obtain contracts. With Select GCR on your side, the road gets a little easier to navigate.
Here are 5 reasons businesses fail in Government contracting.
#1 – Improperly registering their business with the Government.
Your business must become properly registered to be paid from the Government. This is the first step in contracting. Without this registration, the Government doesn’t know you exist. Going to SAM.gov and registering your business can be a complex process for some people. You have to be sure you are completely accurate with your information when you complete the application. If you misspell or put a period in the wrong place you can end up denied.
You also have to spend the time getting the correct numbers for your business. The old way was to register on D&B for a DUNS number. This is no longer the case. If you only have this number, you will not be properly registered. The new way is to obtain a Government issued UEI number which is required to submit your SAM registration. This number must be obtained prior to applying on SAM.gov.
The other thing that would hinder your ability to get contracts is an incorrect or inaccurate CAGE code. This is the number you receive when your status becomes approved with SAM. This number is the identifying number for Government to pay your business and relates to ONE location. If you have multiple locations with multiple DUNS numbers, you will have multiple CAGE codes.
#2 – Using the wrong NAICS code or PSC codes.
This can be a huge issue for your business if you aren’t utilizing the right codes. You want to be sure that the codes you claim for your business are accurate for the service you provide or goods you produce. NAICS codes are a 6-digit number that corresponds to every industry in North America. This classification system was developed to make aligning similar industries easier in Government contracting. Product and Service Codes (PSC) are meant to align similar products, service or R&D that are purchased by the Federal Government. You will find a full list of NAICS codes on Census.gov or PSC codes at PSCtool.us.
When you don’t use the correct codes, you won’t get awarded the contracts you seek. You’ll be bidding on one set of services that you provide, but your codes say you provide something totally different. You’ll be skipped over for the award. Always check these before you claim them to be sure you are using the correct codes.
#3 – Not Certifying Your Business Based on your Socio-Economic Status
Becoming a certified small business qualifies you for sole-source set-aside contracts. If you do not know what these are, they are the kind of contract that can be issued without a competitive bidding process. Set-aside contracts are given to only small businesses. Sole-source contracts are set-aside for the following certifications:
WOSB
VOSB/SDVOSB
8(a)
HUBZone
You are missing out on opportunities that could be handed to you. Agencies are required to fulfil obligations to award contracts to certified small businesses. These are easy contracts that contracting officers would give to you if you were their certified go-to business. Doesn’t that sound lucrative?
#4 – Improper Market Research
How else would you know who to get contracts from? You have to put forth the time and energy to finding the right contacts and the best contracts to go after. Let’s just say you are a metal fabricator and want to do work for the Department of Defense. You’d have to go to the website or database and start digging. Its like a needle in a haystack!
We created a solution for the clients who don’t want to dig through the haystack. Select GCR Pro is a proprietary program that does the research for you. Just submit a simple search query based on NAICS, keywords, locations or specific agency. There are thousands of contacts that are pulled up. You just have to filter down the results you are looking for and export the list. Select GCR offers extensive training on how to properly use the program so there is NO WAY you could fail.
#5 – Not Taking Action
This is the single BIGGEST failure. If you want to be successful you have to put in work. Don’t expect anything to fall in your lap. Don’t expect anything to be handed to you. Put yourself in front of the right contacts who are looking for your business. Let them know you are a viable option. When everything from 1 to 4 is done right, concentrate on number 5. It takes time, patience and a positive attitude to finally land that big contract or a few small ones that will kick start your career in Government contracting.
The more people you reach the greater your chances of nurturing lucrative relationships. You want to ensure the relationship is mutually beneficial and set their expectations on what you can do for them. In order to do this, you have to put in the effort. You can’t lay around on the couch, you must get on the computer and search. Email. Call. Interview. Meetings. Research. Research. Research. We know how much it takes to get on the road to success and know each and every client that comes through Select GCR has the same opportunity to make it big.
Let Select GCR do the hard work for you. We have been positioning businesses in government contracting success for many years. Our methods have been tested and tweaked to perfection. The knowledge we instill in our clients and the path we set their business on has gained our clients over $700 million in contracts. That’s saying a lot about our company. We know how to drive your success.
We would start by registering your business with SAM, registering you with the TOP primes in your NAICS and the local municipalities. As many places as we can to get your foot in the door. Second, we create a stunning Capabilities Statement to serve as your government resume. Then, we would get you on the way to a socio-economic certification to set your business apart from your competitors and qualify you for sole-source set aside contracts. Next, we do extensive market research, finding thousands of contacts and sending them all your Capabilities Statement. Depending on the response, the next step is yours.
We would provide you with analytics outlining who showed interest by opening your email and downloading your Capabilities Statement. You will get the contact information for everyone in your marketing campaign. You will then have to start relationships and nurture them to an awarded contract.
The road map to success is laid out and waiting for you to begin your journey. Contact one of Federal Business Development Advisors with any questions along the way.
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