GSA Offer Best Practices, Volume 4

Working with the Government should be a piece of cake, right? Wrong! It takes a great deal of time and dedication to sell to the Government. To become a premier contractor under the GSA Schedule, you have to know what the “sticking points” are when dealing with Government representatives.

·         Turnaround Times: These are extremely important. Missing a deadline by one minute could mean getting your offer rejected by the GSA – or worse, losing a bid! The Contracting Officers are not going to wait until you decide to give them the information they’ve requested. You must live by their deadlines!

·         Read and Research: Yes, Contracting Officers are there to assist you – but do them a favor and do your own homework. You are responsible for reading the requirements of the Schedule and filling out the documentation properly. They will help, but they will not do it for you! Don’t waste their time, because they can sense when a contractor is going to be difficult to work with. You should be trying to make things easier for them. They talk, and word of mouth goes a long way.

·         Your Tone: Be mindful of the way you speak to Contracting Officers. Being overly pushy isn’t the way to handle things. There is a fine balance between asking for updates and demanding that they move the process along. The latter isn’t going to get you anywhere.

·         Straight Answers: Don’t beat around the bush. If you try to hide or disguise business practices, it only makes more work for you in the long run. It could even mean fines and penalties! Be open and honest about your company and how it operates. The Contracting Officers will appreciate your integrity and respond positively.

If you want to be really successful in the Government marketplace, make it a priority to understand how the GSA works and how your Contracting Officers operate. Just like any other customer they want to be respected. Become an organization that thrives on learning the ropes of Government contracting. It takes time, energy, and resources. You can’t cut corners here!

Steph Gowin

General Manager

Government Contract Services, Inc.

Two Ways That Small Businesses Can Simplify Their Government Purchases

Among America’s small businesses—especially those with 20 employees or less-- that seek government contracts, many are too resource strapped to handle the burdensome paperwork involved.  Recognizing this, the federal government has at least two programs that significantly reduce the red tape. 

One involves federal contracts that meet the Simplified Acquisition threshold which involves most government purchases of less than $150,000.  The paperwork for such contracts is less onerous. 

A second way is with micro-purchases.  These purchases typically are under $3,500 but can range up to $15,000 with some government purchasing officers who have an extra allotment of SmartPay credits.  The benefit of micro-purchases is that small companies can make these without having to register on www.FedBizOpps.com.   To find out more, read paragraphs 1 and 2 of 3 Easy Ways For Small Businesses to Wind Government Contracts According to US Federal Contractor Registration.  Just click on the following link:  http://www.itbusinessnet.com/article/3-Easy-Ways.    

What's Next? Administering your GSA contract.

Being awarded a GSA contract in a huge achievement for a company. All that painstaking work collecting documents, writing narratives, and compiling information just for the opportunity to sell to the government. And once you have that permission, after all that hard work, it’s only logical that you want to make the most of it.

Our latest webinar show you how to do just that. Every step in the contract administration process has an important function; miss one and you put your contract and good company standing in peril. We show you everything you need to do make the most of your contract and of course, Make Money while doing it. Learn about pricelists, SIP uploads, marketing, quarterly reporting, and so many other vital functions that need to be performed to keep your contract healthy and working for you.

Watch the webinar here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us8FXZee5eo and reach out to us if you have any questions at all! We’re ready to help you untangle the mysteries around GSA. 

-Sonya Nudel, Marketing Consultant