CONNECTING TO FEDERAL CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES

The Small Business Contractor’s Forum of the National Association of Small Business Contractors and the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce presents a full day of connections to federal contracting opportunities. 

Contacts & Contracts is totally focused on bringing businesses up to date on current contracting opportunities and connecting you with federal agency and prime contractor representatives.  During the morning session, an overview of opportunities in the region is provided.  The afternoon session is matchmaking between small businesses and representatives from federal agencies and prime contractors. 

The National Association of Small Business contractors and the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce are highly respected supporters of small business contractors.  

Contacts & Contracts will be held August 5, 2010 in Arlington Virginia and again in November in San Diego, CA.   For more information, check the website at   www.nasbc.org.

DOING BUSINESS WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DoD) (Part 2 of 2)

Now that you have become familiar with the Federal Contracting Guide and other great resources at the www.business.gov web site, you are ready to take the plunge and become a Federal Contractor!!

To find information on how to establish yourself as a defense contractor, check out the guide to DoD Contracting Opportunities, a step-by-step approach to the DoD marketplace.

The DoD’s Office of Small Business Programs (DoD OSBP) will help with registering to do business with the DoD, finding your target market and finding and securing contract opportunities.

If you know which defense agencies you want to target, take advantage of the numerous small business offices and comprehensive web sites; such as www.sellingtoarmy.info maintained by at least 15 DOD agencies to help small business explore opportunities and resources.

DOING BUSINESS WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DoD) (Part 1 of 2)

Doing business with one of the largest purchasers of goods and services in the world – the US Department of Defense (DoD) can seem like an overwhelming experience for small business owners.  Many small business owners mistakenly believe that only the “big guys” can really compete for DoD business.

The reality is that the Department of Defense (DoD) and various areas of the U.S. Armed Forces have specific contracting opportunities set aside for small business.  DoD typically allots 20% of its procurement contracts and over 30% of its sub-contracting opportunities to small businesses each year. This doesn’t even take into account the set asides given to small businesses owned by veterans, women, minorities and disadvantaged businesses.

Whether you are selling a product or a service, the procurement process can be in the very least challenging for a small business to navigate.  There are many considerations that you will need to navigate through on your way to securing your share of what can be a very profitable line of business.  Here are some resources to help you get started.

Understanding Federal Government Contracting.  A great place to start is the government’s www.business.gov web site for small business.  The Federal Contracting Guide can guide you through how to become a federal contractor, find business opportunities, and the rules and regulations that federal contractors need to follow.  Another great resource is the downloadable PDF “Open Forum – The Essentials: Securing a Share of Government Business”,  which summarizes best practices for selling to the government plus how you can use government resources, such as the Small Business Administration (SBA), to your advantage.