With the $1.2 Trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill passed and project announcements underway, How do businesses line up to earn government contracts?
It is one of the largest infrastructure packages in U.S. history and its focus can be a game-changing result for smaller businesses in the construction industry. The $1.2 Trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, passed in November, includes $550 billion in new investments for the nation’s bridges, airports, waterways, public transit and more. In dozens of states specific projects have been announced.
If you are a business within the construction industry, how do you get a piece of this trillion-dollar pie?
Government contracting expert Paul Karch, the founder of SelltoGoverment.com, says businesses should be focused on preparing for the opportunities way before the government begins soliciting RFP applications.
The U.S. federal government represents [the top of the Fortune 500] in the marketplace,” says Karch who has helped secure billions of dollars in government contracts for companies in a variety of industries for over 25 years. Karch says “the infrastructure bill can be a game-changing opportunity for construction-related businesses. The government buys often. When a small business receives a five-year contract with little financial risk, it’s a great path for growth and rapid expansion”
Karch has tips for businesses that want to break into the government contracting field. He says the wheels should already be turning in businesses ready to dive into government contracting. Don’t wait for the government to begin listing the RFPs:
1. Register. In order to sell to any government entity, you must obtain a Dun & Bradstreet number. This is used as your contractor identification code. From there, you register on the System for Award Management (SAM), the primary database of vendors doing business with the government.
2. Think inside the box. Innovative business ideas aren’t generally encouraged for government contracts. Government contracting is about giving the government what it wants, needs, and can afford when it wants it
3. Sell what you know. The government is interested in high-quality work that fulfills a direct need, it makes sense to sell what you do well. This isn’t the time to be innovative.
4. Revise when necessary. In order to land government contracts, small-business owners must be diligent in modifying their company offerings so they fit government needs
5. Get help. Government contracting is filled with nuances, acronyms, procedures, and regulations that require expertise. The SBA offers procurement representatives at various area offices to help businesses through the process
6. Check your commitment level. Be sure that you and your team really want to go in this direction. Small businesses can and do earn government contracts. But you have to be 100% committed to the challenges this area of business development includes.
Paul Karch Bio
Paul Karch is the CEO and Founder of www.SelltoGovernment.com a Gardant Global (www.GardantGlobal.com ) company. He has led international contract strategy, winning technology architecture and solution sales that have exceeded over $25 billion in Life Cycle Value with deployments in over 50+ countries, on 6 continents.
His focused specialization includes solutions for citizen services, information security, network management, imaging and knowledge management, staffing and management process, and operational logistics. He has managed as Vice President of Business Development, Sales and Marketing of Information Technology services for multiple divisions of L-3 Communications Inc. in the areas of Homeland Security, GWAC programs and state and local. Mr. Karch has also created, managed, and directed sales, operations, and marketing for leading networking, outsourcing, Call Center/CRM and technology services companies.
Mr. Karch accomplishments also include positions of Former International Vice President and GM (UK based) of a leading neural network content-based retrieval software corporation; Chief Operating Officer of a leading hosted Application Service Provider focused on the delivery of Software as a Service with ERP, CRM, and HRIS systems in a hosted environment.
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