Government Contracting Locally
As the United States moves deeper into a recession period, businesses are turning to government contracting as an additional source of revenue. Many businesses try federal government contracting first, but the size and scope of these high-competition jobs can be discouraging. In a time when it’s vital to pursue every possible business opportunity, there’s a better place to start your government contracting: locally.
No matter where your business is located, there’s a good chance that there are plenty of opportunities for government contracting locally. Local government contracting is also a better fit for most small-to-medium sized businesses – e.g. it’s easier for a small business to supply computer equipment to an entire City Hall than to the entire U.S. Army.
Pursuing Government Contracting Locally
When it comes to local government contracting, there are a few strategies your business can employ to gain more of a competitive advantage.
Know Your Business. What special expertise or experience does your business bring to the table? Can you demonstrate experience working on similar projects? A local government agency won’t have the level of subject matter expertise that you have in your field, so don’t assume they know what qualities make your business the best for the job. Demonstrate value in your proposal. Don’t just summarize your past projects – describe how your services saved your clients money, brought in the most revenue, etc. This is especially useful if you don’t have a lot of previous government contracting experience.
Know Your Competitors. One huge advantage of government contracting locally, as opposed to at the federal or even state level, is that you’ve probably already got a good idea of who your competitors are; they’re the same companies who compete with you on private sector contracts. Make sure your proposal highlights the areas in which you know you excel over your competitors. This is no time to trash-talk, though – keep it about your company and the unique value you can bring to the table.
Know Your Buyers. In government contracting, relationships are important. Take every opportunity to meet the buyers and decision makers from your target agency. Attend networking events in your area, and use government contact information to make marketing calls to your target decision makers – just like you would in the private sector. Make sure to attend the pre-bid conference for a contract you’re planning to pursue.
Be Well Known. A federal agency may not know or care if your business has a good standing in the community, but it can make all the difference when government contracting locally. Having a reputation for good value and sound business practices can definitely work to your advantage in local government contracting. Work to build your local reputation by participating in community business events, and – of course – by providing excellent service to your local private-sector customers. If you’ve got an especially good relationship with some of your existing customers, consider asking them to give you a positive review on local review websites such as CitySearch or Yelp.com.
editor said,
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Rob Northrop said,
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editor said,
October 23, 2009 @ 12:32 pmHi Rob,
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Manoj Raghunath said,
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