If you are interested in doing business with the federal government, one of the things you will want to learn is how to market your business to the different agencies. Marketing to the federal government is a whole different ball game then marketing to the general population. The federal government must purchase products, services and construction in accordance with the FAR (Federal Acquisition Regulations.) Agencies must follow a process that the FAR provides at different dollar thresholds.
Knowing how the agencies make their purchases is the first step to knowing how to market to them. For instance if you are selling supplies or services under the micro purchase threshold (under the dollar value of $3,000.00) ($2,000.00 for Construction) the purchase is paid by credit card and you could simply send the purchasing agent of the agency some information on the product or service you are selling. The information could be in the form of a government directed business card (DUNS#, CAGE Codes, Socio Economic group etc,) brochure, capabilities narrative, flyer or whatever marketing piece you may have. Because at the micro purchase level the agency does not need to go through a bidding process with competition, therefore, marketing your product or service to the federal government at the micro purchase level is fairly similar to marketing to the general public. Contact the Wyoming Entrepreneur PTAC if you need assistance with creating any marketing materials. www.wyen.biz
When the purchase amount is above the micro purchase level up to $25,000 then a purchasing agent or contracting officer must have competition before buying a product or service from a business. At this level a business must be registered in the CCR (Central Contractor Registration) in order to sell to the government. At the end of the CCR there is a SBA (Small Business Administration) profile that goes into a data base called the DSBS (Dynamic Small Business Search.) Please note that the CCR is being replaced by SAM (System for Award Management) so this process with change slightly. For more information on SAM please see my previous blog post at http://www.wyomingentrepreneur.typepad.com/
The DSBS is only offered to small businesses. This is a FREE marketing tool for small businesses and it is very beneficial to complete it. Within the DSBS is a Capabilities Narrative. The narrative gives you the opportunity to explain your business and what you have to offer. A contracting officer that is looking for a product or service to purchase will use this data base to find two or more businesses to bid on the purchase that they are seeking. This database is often overlooked by small businesses. The Wyoming Entrepreneur PTAC can help you complete your profile. www.wyen.biz
The DSBS also will link to your website. A businesses website is another prime location to direct your marketing efforts to the federal government. Elizabeth Parks with the Wyoming Entrepreneur Market Research Center is a great resource offering free website optimization services. It is important that your website has the necessary information that the government is looking for on it. Government agencies often rely on websites to find contractors while doing market research. Are you making it easy for them to find you on the internet? Do you have the information on your website that is needed to match your products or services with their needs?
The Wyoming Entrepreneur Market Research Center offers website optimization services at no charge to you. The MRC will evaluate your website to ensure that it is functioning as a marketing tool that will attract government agencies looking for contractors. They will also review your Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) profile.
A general analysis of your entire website is also included in the service:
• Usability
• Content
• Keywords
• Loading speed
• Online search
• Social media
To schedule your free web optimization report, please contact Liz Parks at the Wyoming Market Research Center (email eparks@uwyo.edu, or call 307-766-5405)
All of the PTAC and MRC services are FREE. Why pay a business to do this for you, when the Wyoming Entrepreneur team can help you at no charge?
For more information about marketing to the federal government contact Natasha Stahla, Procurement Specialist at Wyoming Entrepreneur Procurement Technical Assistance Center. Phone: 307.637.5029 Email: nstahla1@uwyo.edu
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