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What do you wish you knew when you entered federal contracting that would have saved you time and money?
When I recieved my Small Business Administration 8(a) status, I thought that contracts were just going to come to me without doing any marketing. I wish I would have knew that you must never stop marketing your services. I don't care how many certifications you have. The government is not buying certifications, they are buying a product or service and you have to let them know that your company is the best resouce for them. You can have the best product or service, but unless you continue to market your company, it will eventually be gone out of your customers mind when they want to make a purchase. You have to nature the relationships of the contracting officials. I thought that now that I've got a couple of really good contracts, that I will be set. You have to continue marketing to the federal government because people move around to different agencies all the time. Sometimes they leave the government and new people are t here for you to get to know. Myth number one, contracts don't fall from the sky because of certifications.
This issue's theme is focused on Q.1 strategies, what tips or best practices to you have for readers as they enter the FY15 federal marketplace?
Look at the previous year’s spending habits to give you an idea of what will be purchased. Start making the connections in the fourth quarter for the next fiscal year. When you view the procurement forecast for federal agencies get the names of the procurement officials and try to arrange face to face meetings with these individuals. Use the Federal Procurement Data System as a tool for marketing.