Each federal company has a small enterprise workplace, the entry level for startups and small corporations that wish to promote their services or products to the federal government.
The principle operate of the OSDBU (Workplace of Small and Deprived Enterprise Utilization) is to fulfill with small contractors and advise them on working with their businesses. Any small enterprise can request a gathering, however they should be scheduled upfront.
OSDBUs may be very useful should you go in ready. If you happen to go in unprepared, the officers might be a lot much less receptive and you’ll in all probability have a brief go to.
After getting a gathering scheduled, there are a number of issues it is best to do upfront, on the assembly, and afterwards.
Earlier than You Go
Perceive that your small enterprise standing is NOT your aggressive benefit. It’s true businesses want to fulfill a sure quota of small enterprise vendor use, however the particular person you’re assembly with needs to know what your organization can do to unravel their speedy drawback.
Know what you deliver to the celebration. What’s your organization’s key aggressive benefit or talent? How does this match with what the company buys? Is your talent or product clearly said in your advertising and marketing supplies and in your website online? Do you will have any authorities contract expertise—prime or sub?
Understand how the federal government buys the factor you’re promoting. Is it a GSA Schedule or one other contract automobile? Does the company step into contract set-asides for small companies?
If you’re new to the market and don’t but have entry to any contracts, understanding which contracts this company makes use of is useful. When you have entry to a contract the company doesn’t use, you might want to map out a technique to get entry to the correct contract. Every company has contract preferences.
Sources that can reply the above questions:
- Analysis the company web site, particularly something to do with procurement. You’re searching for data on contracts the company makes use of and names of key personnel. Lookup the personnel on LinkedIn and both comply with them or join with them.
- Search the Federal Procurement Information System (FPDS) to see which contracts the company prefers.
- Discover and browse the Workplace of Administration and Price range 300 Submission (aka Exhibit 300). The OMB 300 outlines the upcoming capital expenditures, together with the acquisition of IT {and professional} providers. If you’re an IT firm, learn the OMB 53, which is tailor-made to IT providers. Each authorities division is required to submit each the OMB 300 and 53. After studying these, you might want to resolve, does what you present match with what that company wants?
- Put together a one-page doc to go away behind that particulars your organization data, your space(s) of experience, NAICS codes, expertise and key personnel bios, contact data, pertinent certifications, contracts, and present and previous federal shoppers.
- Comply with the company (as an organization web page) on LinkedIn.
On the Assembly
Have a plan stepping into. That means utilizing the knowledge you’ve obtained concerning the company and its wants within the assembly. Don’t go in speaking about “me” or “my firm.” As an alternative, be ready to ask clever questions that will provide you with helpful data.
Don’t anticipate a contract by visiting an OSDBU. They don’t make acquisition choices. Don’t assume you might be entitled to a contract merely since you’re in a set-aside class—HUBZone, 8a, women-owned, or service-disabled veteran-owned enterprise.
Do go in with the correct perspective. Count on to be handled pretty and with respect. Count on to be taught concerning the company’s mission and challenges. Count on to be taught the place you would possibly match into its mission. Count on to be taught:
- who the decision-makers are and the right way to get entry to them,
- what contract automobiles the company prefers and who its incumbent distributors are,
- which massive prime contractors are working there and who their small enterprise liaisons (SBLOs) are.
On the assembly, it is best to be capable of get entry to the company’s Forecast of Contract Alternatives. It is a doc ready by the company concerning anticipated exercise on their present contracts—a map of the place the spend will happen.
Professional tip: Attempt to be taught at the least partial solutions to a few of these questions forward of the assembly. The extra earlier than you go, the extra probably you’ll depart with helpful data—data that may result in enterprise!
After the Go to
It is best to know by the top of the assembly if the company is an effective goal in your providers. In that case, keep in contact and do what was advised by the small enterprise officer. Attain out to anybody beneficial by the OSDBU and join on LinkedIn. Ship a thank-you e mail. See if that exact workplace is on LinkedIn and join with it.
Maintain doing analysis about what you realized concerning the company. Monitor the federal government media recurrently to see what they’re doing, and join any information alerts you will discover concerning that company. There are a myriad of knowledge sources accessible.
If you’re new to authorities contracting, be affected person. Spend money on your training by means of legit sources, discover ways to reply to RFQs and RFPs earlier than truly bidding, leverage LinkedIn to search out key personnel, and eventually….community, community, community!
