1 Marketing To Achieve A Small Business Set Aside Contract Alliance South Conference Atlanta, GA

1

Marketing To Achieve A Small Business Set Aside Contract

Alliance South ConferenceAtlanta, GA

Dinora GonzalezDG Federal Procurement Advisors, LLC

. . .your connection to federal contracts

dgsmallbusiness@gmail.com

614-434-6672

2

DG Federal Procurement Advisors, LLC

Art Brown

LeScott Enterprises, Inc.art@lescott.com

770-732-9392

3

DG Federal Procurement Advisors, LLC

4

Small Business Set Aside Contracting Program

5

Small Business Set Aside Programs*

Small Business Set Asides are acquisitions reserved exclusively for

participation by small business concerns.

Procurements of $3,000 - $150,000 are automatically reserved for

SBC unless the CO determines that there is no reasonable

expectation of obtaining offers from at least two responsible SBC

that are competitive in terms of market prices, quality and

delivery. (Rule of Two)

*FAR Part 19.5

6

Small Business Set Aside Programs*

If only one acceptable offer is received the contracting

officer is REQUIRED to make an award to that firm.

If no acceptable offers: CO can WITHDRAW the set

aside and solicit on an unrestricted basis.

There are no small business set asides for contracts $3000

or less.

*FAR Part 19.5

7

There is no order of precedence among the 8(a),

HUBZone, SDVOSB, and WOSB/EDWOSB Set Aside

programs.

However, if a requirement has been accepted by SBA

under the 8(a) Program, it must remain in the 8(a)

Program unless SBA agrees to its release in

accordance with 13 CFR 124, 125, and 126.FAR Part 19.203

SBA’s “Parity” Programs

Small Business Program Parity

8a HUBZone WOSB/EDWOSB SDVOSB

Small Business

Unrestricted Competition over $150,000

8

9

Summary of Small Business Set AsidesSmall Business Category Definition

Procurement Method Eligibility & Dollar Thresholds

FAR Reference

Small Business Independently owned and operated, for profit, not dominant in its field according to NAICS Code

Automatically set aside for procurements $3K - $150K

Set aside based on “Rule of Two” if >$150K

FAR 19.3, FAR 19.5

8(a) 51% owned and controlled by a socially and economically disadvantaged individual, includes automatic SDB Certification

Competitive: If > $4mil / $6.5 (Mfr)

Sole Source: If < $4mil /$6.5. CO may accept – OR if only one source available that can perform.

FAR 19.12, FAR 19.8

Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Zone Small Business

51% owned and controlled by U.S. citizens, principal office located in HUBZone, 35% of employees must live in HUBZone

Full & Open with a price evaluation preference of 10%

Competitive: If > $4mil / $6.5 (Mfr)

Sole Source: : If < $4mil /$6.5 OR if only one source available that can perform.

FAR 19.13

Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business

51 % owned and controlled by one or more service-disabled veterans

Competitive: If > $3.5mil / $6 (Mfr)

Sole source: If < $3.5mil / $6mil (Mfr). OR if only one source available that can perform.

FAR 19.14

Woman-Owned Small Business / EDWOSB

51% owned and controlled by one or more women / Economically Disadvantaged women

Only eligible NAICS / NO Sole Source

Competitive: If > $4mil / $6.5 (Mfr)

FAR 19.15

Marketing Strategies for Pre Selling:

Begin as early as possible

Historical Information; Current contracts; Competitors;

Use e-tools

Relationship building with decision makers:

“Interview” the Federal Client to find their procurement needs.

10

Get to know their situation and how you can assist them. What purchasing vehicle(s) do you use

Who are they currently using?

What is your role at this agency?

What is the protocol at this agency?

11

Interviewing Your Federal Clients:

Make the appointment all about them, not you!!

Make yourself Approachable!!!Properly registering on the central contractor registration (CCR) and Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS)

Adding and broadening their North American Classification System (NAICS) codes

Exploring if they qualify for any other SBA's small business programs

Look at contracting vehicles such as the GSA Schedule program.

Consider teaming with other firms

12

Navigating the Internet to Identify Opportunities for Your Preference

Certification

Presented to:Alliance SouthApril 17, 2012 EC

Arthur L. Brown770-732-9392art@lescot.com

Research Your Market to Find Answers To:

Who are my customers

Where are they located

What does/will make them by my product/service

What is my optimum selling price

What should my advertising/promotional message consist of

How do I get to them

How Search Engines Work There are oodles of servers, billions of pages and

a gazillion words and pictures on the Internet The Web: Growing Exponentially Best guess is somewhere over several trillion

pages and growing by a billion pages daily

Search Tool Category Examples Search Engines

Google – http://google.comYahoo – http://www.yahoo.comMSN – http://www.msn.comAsk - http://ask.comCuil - http://www.cuil.com/searchBing - http://www.bing.com/

Directories Reference USA - http://www.referenceusa.com Thomas Register – http://www.thomasnet.com

Central Contractor Registry – http://www.ccr.gov Listing of International Search Engines

http://www.searchenginecolossus.com/

Market Research Methods

Primary Research Provide online surveys, questionnaires, online

focus groups

Study your traffic logs

Example: http://www.zoomerang.com/login/index.zgi

http://www.surveymonkey.com/

http://www.zoomerang.com/

Start by Defining Your Business Classification

North American Industrial Classification (NAICS) Code - http://www.naics.com/search.htm

Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Code - http://www.naics.com/search.htm

Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number -http://www.dnb.com/US/

National Institute of Government Purchasing (NIGP) -http://www.nigp.org/

http://vendornet.state.wi.us/vendornet/asp/CC13_Process.asp

Market Research Methods (cont’)Secondary Research Sources

Company Data

Industry Sources/Associations

Governmental Agencies

Universities/Libraries

Search Engines

Trade Journals

Investment Industry Analysis

Internet Analysis

http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/index.html

Marketing Strategy Development

A marketing strategy is a target market and a related marketing mix

A target market is a similar group (market segment) of customers to whom you wish to appeal

A marketing mix consists of a group of controllable variables (product, place, promotion, price) which are put together to satisfy a target market

Procurement Research SourcesHistorical Purchases

E-Procurement Database – http://www.fpdsng.com/

Current Purchases Fedbizopps - http://www.fedbizopps.gov/

Subnet - http://web.sba.gov/subnet/search/index.cfm

NECO - https://www.neco.navy.mil/secure/register/register.cfm

Army Single Face to Industry - https://acquisition.army.mil/asfi/

Projections Agency Procurement Forecasts -

https://www.acquisition.gov/comp/procurement_forecasts/index.html

https://www.fpds.gov/fpdsng_cms/

http://web.sba.gov/subnet/search/index.cfm

http://dsbs.sba.gov/dsbs/search/dsp_dsbs.cfm

Administrative Management Consulting Firms Located in Fulton County – NAICS 541611

https://www.rfpsource.ca/e/index.cfm

Sources to Identify Target Markets/Commercial Build/Existing Contact Database

Access/Purchase Database

Reference USA

http://www.referenceusa.com/

Thomas Register

http://www.thomasnet.com/

Yellow Pages

http://www.yellowpages.com/

http://www.referenceusa.com/Static/Home#businessDatabases

Management Consulting Firms Located in Fulton County

Banks Located in Fulton County identified as NAICS Code 522110

"The past is history, the future a mystery, and the present is a gift. Spend it wisely."

SBA 8(a) contractor offering HR and Administrative Support Solutions

DeVan C. Brown, President

• SBA 8(a) Program

• I’m approved!  Now what?• Why isn’t my phone ringing?• Does the 8(a) program work?

Questions?

57