FedBiz'5 - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

How to do Business with FEMA | Episode 15 Jan 26, 2022

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FEMA seeks local companies within a disaster area for goods and services.

In this episode of FedBiz’5 we are hosting Ashley Duwel, Government Contracting Senior Analyst, to discuss how to do business with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”).

With the recent disaster events like the tornados that moved across western Kentucky, disaster relief has been a hot topic in the government contracting community.

To help our country be better prepared the Department of Homeland Security has established FEMA’s Industry Liaison Program (“ILP”). The ILP creates strategic relationships with suppliers and stakeholders; serves as an information provider for suppliers seeking to do business with the FEMA; and connects suppliers with program offices in support of FEMA’s mission.

FEMA’s goal with the ILP is to seek local companies within the disaster area for goods and services related to a specific disaster when practical and feasible. In fiscal year 2021, FEMA awarded $2.1 billion or 22% of its total spending ($9.4 billion) to small businesses.

In addition, FEMA funding flows down to the state level that also issues awards directly to small businesses.

When considering how to do business with FEMA, the first steps are to make sure FEMA buys what you sell, and your registrations are in order. This includes checking the box in your SAM registration to be included in the disaster response registry and ILP.

For a closer look into FEMA, what they buy, how they buy, when they buy, and from whom - be sure to check out FedBiz Access’ 2021 FEMA Annual Agency Report, now available through the website.

The report provides information on the top spending categories by NAICS and PSC codes, spending by FEMA offices, how contracts were competed and issued, and top prime contractors used.

There are also strategic sourcing contracts which open multiple opportunities to small business for subcontracting. This requires reaching out to the prime contractors, which is also detailed in the FEMA report.

In addition, the report includes access to a 90-minute video from a former top contracting officer within FEMA on how to best do business with the agency. The video gives you an inside look into how FEMA operates

FedBiz Access works with its clients across industries to complete their vendor profile for the ILP as part of establishing their foundation in government contracting by ensuring their registrations are current, complete, and compliant.

FedBiz Access’ business development services include one-on-one engagement coaching, targeted market research, set-aside certifications filings, and GSA Schedule registrations.

FedBiz Access helps companies build a clear path from registration to award.

Visit us: FedBizAccess.com

Stay Connected:

Need help in the government marketplace? Call a FedBiz Specialist today: 844-628-8914

Or, schedule a complimentary consultation at your convenience.

FedBiz Partners with Govology for FedBiz-U | Episode 14 Jan 06, 2022

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New collaboration to provide FedBiz clients access to a library of on-demand video training courses and webinars for government contracting.

In this episode of FedBiz’5 we are hosting Carroll Bernard, President of Govology, to discuss their new partnership with FedBiz Access for providing training content for government contractors through FedBiz-U.

Govology provides government contracting on-demand video training courses and webinars based on relevant topics in the government marketplace. Govology produces approximately 140 training videos and webinars a year on topics related to government contracting.

Because of their collaborative approach to the industry, Govology was recognized as the 2020 SBA Small Business Champion of the Year.

Govology maintains an extensive library of training videos covering a wide range of relevant subject matter, which will be offered through a subscription service on the FedBiz Access learning center platform called FedBiz-U.

Co-Founder and President, Carroll Bernard, has over 20 years of government contracting experience. He has served as a supply officer in the U.S. Navy, contracting officer for the Department of Veterans Affairs, local-state level contracting specialist, business development specialist for the U.S. Small Business Administration, and PTAC (Procurement Technical Assistance Center) counselor working with hundreds of small businesses to help them get into government contracting.

“We have a really great library of training content, and what's exciting is that we're able to partner up with FedBiz Access to allow businesses to take what they learn and help them execute their plan. Getting into government contracting begins with education,” said Bernard.

Govology’s mission is to make government contracting education widely available, so it is easier for those who want to engage in the government marketplace to navigate and go where they want to go inside of this market.

“We are excited about this new relationship with FedBiz. In fact, we're really all about collaboration. We believe the more people that are in the ecosystem educating, serving, and coaching, then the better it is for businesses,” Bernard went on to say.

Both parties agree that the strength of their relationship is coupling Govology’s knowledge piece with FedBiz’s support and coaching to help clients take what they learn and apply it.

FedBiz Access offers research and engagement strategy sessions, as well as marketing packages to targeted buyers at the federal, state, and local levels. FedBiz Access has over 21 years of experience working with companies to help them win business by ensuring their research, engagement strategy, registrations, and certifications are current, complete, and compliant.

FedBiz Access helps companies build a clear path from registration to award.

Visit us: FedBizAccess.com

Stay Connected:

Need help in the government marketplace? Call a FedBiz Specialist today: 844-628-8914

Or, schedule a complimentary consultation at your convenience.

Don't Start with Solicitations | Episode 13 Dec 07, 2021

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In this episode of FedBiz’5 we are discussing the importance of knowing your market and not chasing solicitations as your first step. You want to know who buys what you sell, and how they buy.

Of course, your initial step is to have your SAM and DSBS registrations complete, compliant, and optimized. It is also important to investigate what set-aside certifications or GSA Schedule categories you may qualify for.

However, to immediately thereafter start digging through SAM.gov for open solicitations as your first step is probably not your best recipe for success.

The vast majority of the federal spending does not go through solicitations. In fact, approximately 10% does go through solicitations. So, it is more important initially to do research and that research can encompass a lot of different things.

As in any successful business you need to know what your market is. You need to know who your market is. You must have a clearly defined plan going in. Who is spending? How are they spending? And in the federal market that is even more important because you want to be able to focus your energy.

Who is buying the most of what you sell? What offices, what people, who should you be reaching out to? This is about research and then creating relationships.

An important first step before entering any market is to learn more about the market opportunity, and who buys what you sell. The RADAR report (Real-Time Advanced Data Analysis Report) is a deep dive into the federal government marketplace based on a keyword search through award history associated with the products and/or services you sell.

The RADAR lets you know you the ‘who, what, when, where, and how’ of federal buying for your products and/or services, including the procurement offices that issue the most awards and how to contact them.

Under the Micro-Purchase Threshold purchases under $10,000 can be awarded without solicitation.

Under the Simplified Acquisition Procedures threshold, small businesses must be considered for all federal awards under $250,000 if there are two or more small business offerors expected to compete.

These markets are your best leaping off point to get started in government contracting and most of this business is awarded through relationships.

To establish these relationships, you need to know who is buying what you sell and how they buy it. In addition, subcontracting is another route where relationships become key. So, there are many ways to approach the federal market that are not necessarily just going after those formal solicitations.

If you plan to spend time and resources to engage in government contracting, let it be on research first so that you understand your path of least resistance and do not spend your efforts in the wrong place.

Just as in your commercial business, the key to success in government contracting is educating yourself on the market and building relationships with those who buy what your sell.

FedBiz Access offers research and engagement strategy sessions, as well as marketing packages to targeted buyers at the local, state, and federal government levels. FedBiz Access has over 21 years of experience working with companies to help them win business by ensuring their research, engagement strategy, registrations, and certifications are current, complete, and compliant.

FedBiz Access helps companies build a clear path from registration to award.

Visit us: FedBizAccess.com

Stay Connected:

Need help in the government marketplace? Call a FedBiz Specialist today: 844-628-8914

Or, schedule a complimentary consultation at your convenience.

R.A.D.A.R.: Test Before You Invest | Episode 12 Nov 16, 2021

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In this episode of FedBiz’5 we are discussing the importance of researching your market before entering the federal government contracting arena. “Test before you invest” or “Learn to earn” are themes those businesses new to government contracting should embrace. You want to know who buys what you sell, how much they buy, and how often they buy.

Many small businesses wanting to get into federal contracting spend time and resources chasing and responding to open solicitations to no avail. This is not the best way to start.

Those businesses who do make research a priority and an ongoing part of their federal procurement process typically win many more awards, primarily those awards that are not publicly posted. Through research, these businesses know who to contact to develop relationships in the offices that buy the products and/or services they sell.

So, while their competitors are spinning their wheels focusing only on the big RFPs and public solicitations, businesses that research award history and contracting offices can best target new award opportunities. These are harder to find, but the payoff is exponentially higher.

A free resource for small businesses to consider for assistance is their local PTAC (Procurement Technical Assistance Center).

Just as in your commercial business, the key to success in government contracting is educating yourself on the market and building relationships with those who buy what your sell.

FedBiz Access helps companies build a clear path from registration to award.

Visit us: FedBizAccess.com

Stay Connected:

Need help in the government marketplace? Call a FedBiz Specialist today: 844-628-8914

Or, schedule a complimentary consultation at your convenience.

State & Local Connections Marketing Campaign | Episode 11 Oct 28, 2021

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In this episode of FedBiz’5 we are discussing the importance of having a State & Local Connections Marketing Campaign, and the strategy to create market visibility for your business to state and local government buyers.

A great way to get started in government contracting is to start at the state and local level to help build your government-related resume. Many businesses see large dollar signs when they think about federal government contracting, but state and local contracting can be just as lucrative.

At the federal level, it is not always as easy as simply getting registered and then bid on a contract. That is because federal agencies buy from those contractors they know and trust. It can take time to develop these relationships as discussed in our Federal Connections podcast.

A primary consideration in establishing relationships and trust with federal buyers is your past performance. This helps buyers vet their contractors to know they can support and fulfill larger contracts.

Getting started on the state and local level, while pursuing micro-purchase awards and subcontracting opportunities allows more time to build up your contracting resume.

State and local government agencies like to keep award money within their economy. They like to hire people that are from their state and that are local small businesses in their area. There is also a better chance of meet and greets, local trade shows, and personal introductions to make inroads with state and local buyers.

So, getting in at the state and local level can be a good steppingstone because it builds that past performance that federal contractors look for. It can also create a significant sales channel for your business, especially when you do your research on historical data to find out who has fulfilled contracts or the purchase orders within your industry at the state and local level.

For example, who won past awards and who signed the purchase order? Market your business to that state or local official via email, phone calls, and be prepared with your capability statement. Your goal is to arrange a capabilities briefing to explain who you are and how you can fulfill the buyers needs in a one-on-one setting.

Once engaged with a contracting official let them know succinctly your core competencies, differentiators, past performance, socio-economic set-aside, etc. Be prepared for what questions might be asked of you and know what questions you should be asking them.

As with any relationship, you want to make a good first impression and create an ongoing dialog to develop into awards.

FedBiz Access offers Engagement Strategy sessions, as well as marketing packages to targeted buyers at the state and local government level with its State and Local Connections Package. FedBiz Access has 21 years of experience working with companies to help them win business by ensuring their engagement strategy, registrations and certifications are current, complete, and compliant.

FedBiz Access helps companies build a clear path from registration to award.

Visit us: FedBizAccess.com

Stay Connected:

Need help in the government marketplace? Call a FedBiz Specialist today: 844-628-8914

Or, schedule a complimentary consultation at your convenience.

Federal Connections Marketing Campaign | Episode 10 Sep 30, 2021

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In this episode of FedBiz’5 we are discussing the importance of having a Federal Connections Marketing Campaign, and the strategy to create market visibility for your business to federal buyers.

Federal buyers are busy and take their fiscal responsibility very seriously. As part of this responsibility, they have quotas to meet small business contracting goals, especially for orders under the $250,000 Simplified Acquisition Procedures threshold.

The key is to begin forming federal buyer relationships in advance of contracts and solicitations. Many of these awards are for a particular set-aside category and the majority these opportunities never get publicly posted.

There are two ways to create these relationships with federal buyers: (A) they find you, or (B) you market to them.

A. They find you. – Federal buyers are required to do market research to find buyers. According to FAR 10 of the Federal Acquisition Regulations, buyers are required to “take advantage of commercially available market research methods in order to effectively identify the capabilities of small businesses and new entrants into federal contracting.”

Common means of market research include FedBiz Connect, the SAM and DSBS databases, Google, LinkedIn, etc.

B. You market to them. – This is similar to how you would market your products or services in the commercial marketplace; however, relationships and timing are particularly important in the government arena.

For example, in an emergency a federal buyer might need thousands of facemasks. If you are in their rolodex, then you are most likely to be contacted if you have made yourself known, including being properly registered in SAM and DSBS, as well as having a professional Capability Statement.

Besides emergency purchases, federal buyers like to have pre-vetted vendors to speed up their ordering cycle. To accomplish this, you need to be proactive with your marketing to build relationships.

Federal marketing means finding the buyers who buy what you sell. Identifying those agencies and offices to get the specific points of contact and reaching out to them on consistent basis.

You want to create top-of-mind awareness and your capability statement let’s them know your core competencies, differentiators, past performance, socio-economic set-aside, etc.

While marketing to federal buyers may be more difficult than commercial marketing because you have to peel back the layers of department and agency offices. The first task is research to identify the buyers.

The second task is to create an engagement plan, which includes an email strategy. Government emails have strict security so the wrong subject line, image, or attachment can make the email undeliverable behind government firewalls.

The third task is your actual engagement. This is when you make that human connection. You need to be prepared for what questions might be asked of you and know what questions you should be asking them.

You have a short window to speak with these buyers. You want to make a good first impression and create an ongoing dialog to develop the relationship.

Visit us: FedBizAccess.com

Stay Connected:

Need help in the government marketplace? Call a FedBiz Specialist today: 844-628-8914

Or, schedule a complimentary consultation at your convenience.

Buyer Engagement – Be Prepared? Part 2 - Episode 9 Sep 16, 2021

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Welcome to our podcast - FedBiz’5, where you get informed, get connected and get results. In our last episode we discussed what is an Engagement Strategy?

In this episode we are discussing the importance of Engagement Preparation, and the value of coaching to identify what the buyer’s needs are before speaking with contracting officials.

Engagement strategy or “Coaching” is one-on-one consultation with our client to help further their efforts to form relationships with government buyers. It is all about preplanning and preparation.

Before contacting a contracting official, you need to have a plan and a position your business to meet the needs of the buyer. Your positioning focus should be in parallel with what is important to that buyer.

Think of the ‘needs’ (products or services) of the audience that buyer serves, and that is what you focus your value proposition on.

Next, what can make your business stand out compared to the competition? Contracting officials get calls and emails every day. How can you stand out compared to everyone else.

BE PAREPARED - Know Your Value Proposition.

Make sure your SAM and DSBSregistrations are complete, compliant, and optimized, as well as having a professionally prepared and aesthetically appealing Capability Statement.

These serve as your government calling card or resume, and you only get one opportunity to make a good first impression.

Succinctly address what you have to offer. What you do, and what have you done in the past.

Past performance, even in the commercial market, provides some level of assurance that you can fulfill the requirements of the award. Explain what projects you have completed in the past and the scope of those projects.

Do not lead your conversation with your socio-economic status but address it later in the conversation, especially when you are SBA certified for set-aside awards. Your value proposition is more important to lead with than if you are woman-owned, veteran-owned, HUBZone, or some other category.

While these categories are very important, do not start your conversation with, “Hello, I’m a HUBZone business (or whatever socio-economic category fits your profile).

When making your initial introduction, focus on what you do and how you have done it well for others in the past. Taylor your conversation to the needs of the buyer.

Be prepared and practice explaining your value proposition, and what differentiates your business from the rest of the pack

The buyer can then make a good assessment of your business and keep you in their ‘active’ file for consideration when an award solicitation opens, or an award is under the $250,000 threshold for the simplified acquisition program for small businesses.

In addition, FedBiz offers SBA Certifications and GSA Schedule fulfillment services through our experienced team of professional.

This podcast is sponsored by FedBiz Access - https://fedbizaccess.com. For government contracting made simple, call (888) 299-4498.

Visit us: FedBizAccess.com

Stay Connected:

Need help in the government marketplace? Call a FedBiz Specialist today: 844-628-8914

Or, schedule a complimentary consultation at your convenience.

What is an Engagement Strategy? Part 1 - Episode 8 Sep 09, 2021

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Welcome to our podcast FedBiz’5, where you get informed, get connected and get results. In our last episode we discussed what goes into a Capability Statement.

In this episode we are discussing the importance of an Engagement Strategy, and the value of coaching in preparation for speaking with contracting officials.

In an engagement strategy session, clients learn how to get in front of and make the most of the time spent with the contracting official. It is the “how to” approach and reach out to government buyers.

The first step is to have a complete and optimized registration in both SAM and DSBS.

Secondarily, a professionally prepared and aesthetically appealing Capability Statement serves as your government calling card or resume.

Next, we teach clients how to identify their buyers. Who buys what you sell? Then set a plan to reach out to these buyers through marketing. This is similar to how businesses market to their commercial clients, but with government buyers there can be more layers to peel back.

Identifying government buyers takes research. In addition to the research, once you have identified who your buyers are, it is important for you to tailor your dialogue, tailor your capability statement, and tailor your whole message to that specific buyer in their specific agency.

By tailoring your approach, you want to address what they buy and how they buy. Through preparation, you can look at the trends in government buyers’ historical spending and when their current contracts come up for renewal.

FedBiz Access offers Engagement Strategy sessions, as well as marketing packages to targeted buyers in the federal government with its Federal Connections Package and on the state, local, and education market with its Local Connections Package. In addition, FedBiz offers an online database of buyers, solicitations, and expiring contracts through its Market Intel subscription.

This podcast is sponsored by FedBiz Access - https://fedbizaccess.com. For government contracting made simple, call (888) 299-4498.

Visit us: FedBizAccess.com

Stay Connected:

Need help in the government marketplace? Call a FedBiz Specialist today: 844-628-8914

Or, schedule a complimentary consultation at your convenience.

What is a Capability Statement? Episode 7 Aug 23, 2021

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In this episode we are discussing the importance of your Capability Statement, and what it should include as your ‘government resume’.

A Capability Statement should be a concise, aesthetically pleasing, one-page document that speaks to your business's competencies.

Its purpose is to provide specific information that will convince potential customers, government agencies, to do business with you. When written well, a Capability Statement will help differentiate your business from others.

Below are the 6 key areas to include in a successful and effective capability statement:

1. Capability Narrative: A brief ‘About Us’ description. This is a short, direct, and concise general overview of your company without delving too much into your products and/or services.

2. Core Competencies: Listing of products and/or services that speak to the agency you are trying to do business with. Core competencies do not need to include everything about your business, and what you are able to do. In fact, they should focus on the needs of your audience. Use bullet points and short statements of your expertise as it relates to your target audience. In addition, use high-quality images to showcase your products and/or services. Organization and aesthetics are important.

3. Differentiators: Why should the government choose you to do business with you over your competition? List the unique benefits of your products and/or services that set you apart from your competition. How is your business best suited for the needs of the targeted government agency? A clear statement that relates to specific needs of the agency can help the buyer understand why they should choose you over everyone else.

4. Past Performance: List your previous customers, either commercial entities or government agencies, that you have done similar projects for previously. You should include details such as the date, location, and value of the award so the reader knows the types of projects you are capable of handling.

5. Company Snapshot: List pertinent company details including primary contact information, DUNS #, CAGE Code, set-aside eligibility, and socio-economic statuses such as WOSB, SDVOSB/VOSB, 8(a), HUBZone, and other applicable designations. Regarding contact information, your email URL and your website are very important. You may also include a QR Code that can be scanned to provide additional information. A unique email address (not a Yahoo, Hotmail, AOL, Gmail address, which can often be blocked by government agencies) and a professional website show your business has legitimate commercial visibility.

6. NAICS and PSC Codes: List your industry codes demonstrating your capabilities specific to the government agencies you are trying to work with. It is important not to list too many codes, which can make you seems like a jack-of-all-trades, but master of none. Do not confuse the contracting official. Do your research to pinpoint the codes that make the most sense to your target agency for the products and/or services you offer.

Your next step is to market your business. Do the buyers know who you are? Do you know how to find them?

FedBiz Access fulfillment takes the time to understand the client’s business to ensure their Capability Statement is the best presentation of their business.

FedBiz Access also offers marketing packages to targeted buyers in the federal government with its Federal Connections Package and on the state, local, and education market with its Local Connections Package.

Visit us: FedBizAccess.com

Stay Connected:

Need help in the government marketplace? Call a FedBiz Specialist today: 844-628-8914

Or, schedule a complimentary consultation at your convenience.

DSBS Incomplete – Don’t Get Excluded. Episode 6 Aug 16, 2021

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In this episode we will continue discussing the importance of your DSBS, and why it is important to have it complete and optimized so you do not get excluded from government contracting opportunities.

Your DSBS marketing profile can help separate you from other your competitors. The Small Business Administration (the “SBA”) maintains the DSBS database that government agencies use to find small business contractors for upcoming contracts. Small businesses can also use the DSBS to find other small business to work with or to be found by prime contractors.

The DSBS is important because federal buyers are required to do market research to find small businesses to fulfill federal contracts. This is part of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR 10) that buyers are required to use “commercially available market research methods in order to effectively identify the capabilities of small businesses.”

Many small businesses do not realize the value of their DSBS profile. They do not understand what it is for. They do not know where to find it. They do not know why it is so important.

One consideration to ensure your DSBS is done correctly is to use an experienced professional to complete your registration and sync your SAM information.

Businesses may believe, well SAM and DSBS are free and must be easy to do myself. But, these are the same people that are registered for years just waiting for a phone call or email from a government buyer that never comes.

A good analogy is a small business filing their own tax return. It is free to file a tax return. However, it is advisable that they should pay to use an accountant to ensure their tax filing is done correctly and in full compliance.

Another analogy is if a business has a job opening to be filled and runs an advertisement. For this example, the business gets two applicants. Each applicant is required to complete a five-page application with detailed information to better assess their qualifications.

Applicant One fills out the application completely and thoroughly. All their skills in detail, their experience, past jobs, references, all of it, every question addressed and answered.

Applicant Two fills out their basic contact information, where they went to school, puts one or two skills down, but did not feel the need to provide details of their experience, or references, or where they worked before. They did not think that was important. Applicant Two left several questions blank and obviously did not apply much effort into the application.

Both applicants return their application. Which do you think will be selected for a call back?

As a business owner, how important it is to be that Applicant One? You want to be that business that the government call back. Do not allow your business to be disqualified for a simple error, omission, or ‘none given’ response that can be easily addressed. Let the government know you are an expert in your field by having your registration completed in a thorough and professional manner.

FedBiz Access’ fulfillment team takes the time to understand the client’s business and asks questions to pull information from the client to ensure their SAM registration and DSBS profile are complete, compliant, optimized, and competitive in the eyes of contracting officials and prime contractors.

This podcast is sponsored by FedBiz Access - https://fedbizaccess.com. For government contracting made simple, call (888) 299-4498.

Visit us: FedBizAccess.com

Stay Connected:

Need help in the government marketplace? Call a FedBiz Specialist today: 844-628-8914

Or, schedule a complimentary consultation at your convenience.