How To Succeed In Government Contracting

What does it take to succeed in federal contracting as a small business? The Small Business Administration (SBA) should know. In the 50-plus years since the agency's inception, more than 20 million small businesses have benefited from its associated programs. Calvin Jenkins, deputy assistant administrator of government contracting and business development at the SBA, offers some advice.

1 Be Proactive
More than their larger counterparts, small-business contractors have to do their homework if they expect to stand out. "Successful small businesses identify agency needs before the agency even releases an opportunity," Jenkins says. "A lot of firms sit back and wait for bids to appear in FedBizOpps, [the point-of-entry for federal procurements], and respond without knowing a lot about the agency needs. That doesn't work."

2 Leverage Partnerships
As procurements grow larger than ever, small-business contractors have an even harder time meeting requirements. Teaming with another contractor means additional resources. "Small businesses shouldn't necessarily try to do it alone," Jenkins says. "When two [businesses] combine, they can compete for a contract as a joint small venture, or one business can act as a prime, doing at least 51 percent of the work and subcontracting the rest."

3 Accept Help
Small-business contractors should leverage available resources. They should update their profiles with the Federal Central Contractor Registration, for example, which links to a searchable database for potential customers, and reach out to procurement-center reps that initiate small-business contracts and Offices of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) that ensure small-business opportunities within agencies. "They act as a good entree for getting work," Jenkins says.

4 Network
Procurement officers (POs) serve an important role in federal contracting, but they don't make the buying decisions. "For all practical purposes, POs are [middlemen] between supplier and buyer," Jenkins says. "Don't spend all your time there--meet with the program people. Small-business goals are not just on the PO; it's also on the program committee whether or not they reached out. They want to know you."