June Proposal Tips

Are You in Proposal Hell?

As government contracting organizations mature, their proposal strategy evolves. Let’s face it, in the beginning, a GovCon is just happy to be invited to the dance, even as a sub. So, we’ll bid on blue birds; we’ll stretch our rates, our margins, our past performance and occasionally our credibility. How many go/no-go meetings have you been in where the phase “loss-leader” or just enough for “past performance” are mentioned? The theory being that you’ll grow the business organically, you’ll have a leg up on the competition for any additional scope/work, you’ll have a past performance that you can cite in other bids and the idea that it adds to the direct labor base.

Too many times, this “win” becomes the anchor of the organization. All of management’s time is spent on the contract, which turns into a dog that no one wants to walk. No raises are accounted for, the indirect rates won’t allow any extra costs, recruiting and retention become a nightmare. Generally, it takes just one of these contracts to learn the hard lesson on being strategic in what you pursue.

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A Small Business takes on An Industry Giant – A David and Goliath Story

Most of us routinely agree to terms and conditions in our daily lives without even reading them. We tap “I AGREE” to update our phone’s software, sign up for gym memberships, magazine subscriptions, and lawn care services, often without a second glance at the fine print. More importantly, we sign leases, mortgages, and purchase orders for new cars without reviewing the contract or seeking a consultant. Small business owners have more to worry about. They need to sign non-disclosure agreements, teaming agreements, and purchase/task orders, all invoking varying terms and conditions. And without a government contracts consultant, they could become lost in the weeds

While the options for accepting terms with consumer goods and services are typically “take it or leave it”, terms for more significant matters are usually negotiable. You don’t need to be an Ivy League-trained, sports agent-level negotiator to secure a balanced agreement. However, you do need the patience to wait until you achieve that balance before you start working. More importantly, you need a reliable ally in your corner with contract negotiation experience, like a consultant for government contracts.

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Enhanced Cybersecurity Standards for Federal Contractors Coming Soon

“Civilian agency contractors should start preparing now for an enhanced cybersecurity proposed rule to prevent gaps or issues when the regulation goes into effect—not to mention it just being good business to have robust cybersecurity protection.” –PilieroMazza PLLC

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CMMC is here to stay and civilian peeps, you will soon understand our DOD brethren’s pain. It’s a double edged sword – we all need to be vigilant on cybersecurity, now more than ever. But dang the govt can make it hard. – BOOST

Talent Acquisition and Proposal Season for GovCons

Proposal season is right around the corner, and we all know what that means! It means we all begin the time-critical endeavor of locating, recruiting, and securing the key personnel that are required to win the wide variety of contracts that are up for competition!

There are many factors involved in the enormous task of talent acquisition in proposal season. On top of that, you only have a very short window to make sure your proposal is solid, competitive, and wins out amongst all the contenders within the GovCon sector.

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BOOST Recommends Tuning in to this GovCon Podcast

One of the biggest challenges Government Contractors face is selling their services to the Federal Government. In a market worth billions, competition is high and the sales cycle is long. Small Businesses must be smart about how to spend their time and resources and arm themselves with information that can help them win more at lower cost. Often, companies feel they don’t have enough information to make sales decisions, although the Federal Government makes more information available to the public than any other industry! So, why does it feel sometimes like we’re left in the dark?

In this podcast, we aim to provide information and insights from two points of view: Industry and Government. Our hosts each have over 10 years of experience as a Contracting Specialist for a Federal Agency and Business Development for Industry. By creating a conversation about the acquisition lifecycle from our individual points of view, we will close the communication and knowledge gap for Small Businesses in GovCon, allowing them Break their Size Standard!