Category Archives: Government Marketing

5 Tips for CEOs New to the B2G Market

1. Know Your Sales Cycle. Government agencies are some of the most reliable clients out there. The rigorous award process provides a lot of transparency, and there’s little danger they’ll skip town and not pay the bill. However, because of the process [m1]involved in government contracting, it can take longer to receive payment for government work – sometimes up to 30 to 45 days after the work is completed. Make sure you factor in this longer payment cycle in your budget planning: can you cover your overhead until the payment comes in?

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More Federal Marketing Tips for Fortune Small Business

A small business owner recently wrote in to Fortune Small Business’ “Ask FSB” column asking for advice on penetrating the federal market. She was the owner of a software-as-a-service company that was looking for some best practices to start their government contracting efforts. Fortune Small Business tapped Onvia, along with Austin-based Strategic Partnerships, to share our federal marketing expertise.

Entering the public sector for the first time may seem like a huge task. The procedures and personnel involved are very different from private-sector contracting, and there is a lot more paperwork involved. There’s no need to “reinvent the wheel” with government contracts, though. The U.S. government has been contracting with private companies for decades – it’s a new experience for you, but there’s a gold mine of contracting information out there, and your small business can learn from other companies’ mistakes as well as their successes. Read more…

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Construction Contractors: Use the Web to Sell to the Government

In 2007, the Small Business Research Board conducted a study on how U.S. small businesses use the Internet and eCommerce. The SBRB/Business Today Small Business eCommerce Study surveyed over 550 small businesses nationwide on their current and projected Internet sales and eCommerce activities. Overall, 42.7% of study participants indicated that their companies had no web site at all, indicating a major opportunity for small businesses to add value to their marketing efforts by adding a web site.

The results of the study were especially significant for businesses in the construction and contracting industry. A whopping 57% of construction and contracting businesses said they do not currently have a web site, making it the industry with the least Internet and eCommerce participation. This lack of online presence meant very low forecasts of Internet sales growth, as well – only 14% of construction contractors projected increased sales due to eCommerce, compared to 29.2% overall.

What does this mean for the construction and contracting industry? Read more…

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The Government Sales Process: Selling to People

Government sales can seem intimidating. When people think of “the government” they often view it as a gigantic, faceless bureaucracy. The government is more strictly regulated than the private sector, which can also be daunting if you are unfamiliar with the regulations in question. These perceptions can make it difficult to know where to start your government sales process.

The important thing to remember when selling to government agencies is that at all levels the government is still run by people. These people have business needs just like your private sector clients do, and just like your private sector clients, they want those needs to be met as well, quickly and cheaply as possible. When a contract is awarded, it isn’t being awarded by “the government;” it’s being awarded by people. Keeping this in mind will go a long way toward making government sales a comfortable and rewarding prospect. Read more…

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Small Business Marketing Tips from FSB Magazine

In October, I sat down with Fortune Small Business magazine to share my small business marketing and contracting expertise. FSB contacted me, along with two other contracting experts, to give advice to growing remote-communications company Nomad Technologies. 60% of Nomad’s clients are government agencies, but company founders were facing a great deal of frustration with the procurement process. I saw several ways that Nomad could increase the effectiveness of their small business marketing efforts; today, I’d like to share that same advice with you. Read more…

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