Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of companies are best suited for this product?
Our program is ideal for small businesses, including those certified as 8(a), those who want to diversify their customer base and penetrate the federal market prior to a significant investment in dedicated sales staff. Small businesses with an established, commercial customer base who want to diversify into the defense market are ideal for our program. Our clients range from small, family owned tool and die companies, to machinging, tooling, welding and service businesses with several hundred employees.
For companies with unique, proprietary solutions or intellectual property, our firm offers more customized solutions.
How will this help me increase sales?
This process creates a very powerful and economical way to accelerate your business development and sales cycle, and leverage a very minimal investment. By streamlining and targeting your lead generation, research, monitoring, education, networking and partnering efforts, both the number of quality, pre-qualified leads–relative to your time on task– and your success rate on each bid/proposal will increase significantly. See a chart attached for examples of past purchasing activity, by NAICS code, at just one active DOD facility.
The alternatives to this approach are not attractive. To monitor thousands of random solicitations on numerous websites like FedBizOps without relationships, insight, coaching, past pricing data and appropriate education is to guarantee poor results, waste time and generate frustration, a path that leads many companies to abandon a powerful market. Other alternatives include much more expensive consulting arrangements, redirecting untrained commercial sales staff or hiring expensive full time, experience staff well before you learn the ropes and start to create a track record of “past performance.”
Are Success Fees Legal and Ethical?
Yes. Our attorneys have confirmed what the U.S. General Accounting office has made clear: when an ongoing, professional firm provides appropriate assistance to a company in helping it secure government contracts, and does so without “undue influence,” and charges a fair price, that fee is entirely legal. In addition, we provide training on how to account for this cost, and a significant legal research file for your review.
Am I making a 12-month, binding commitment?
It is often said that it takes twelve to eighteen months for a company new to the federal market to see success—assuming the company provides a needed good or service, is price competitive and uses successful techniques in pursuit of opportunities. We only want to work for companies who are serious and committed to succeed, and nothing short of a one-year commitment will demonstrate that commitment. However, if circumstances warrant, you may terminate the agreement with 30 day’s notice.
What about competition within the Network? How do I benefit from that?
Our program is not designed for “exclusive” engagements. There is simply too much overlap of capability among manufacturers. And, the size, location, quality control, past commercial sales and many other factors determine who among our clientele may be best suited to a specific opporutunity.
Our view is that your company will see more quality opportunities and capture more business inside our Network than you will outside. Ask yourself this question: “If I don’t participate, will I face less competition?” The answer is clear.
Inside our team, you approach the competition with a much stronger toolbox. Finally, the company setting across the table from you may be a competitor today, but in our network, he is a team member or customer tomorrow.
What kind of return can I expect on my investment?
We cannot guarantee contracts, but we can guarantee one thing: If you enter this program and participate with commitment, your ability to capture new business will increase significantly. On the attachment, we have provided a number of examples of purchases by just one DOD facility, by NAICS code. Our firm will also track and ID leads as numerous other facilities and inside DOD prime contractors. If you provide a needed good or service at a competitive price, you may reasonably expect to capture business like that included on the attached chart. The average award size in this data is much greater than your investment in this program. What are the core deliverables I can expect?
First, you will receive a professional assessment of your ability to compete, and recommendations for how to ready your business to maximize your competitive position. Second, you will receive constant business leads from both DOD and prime contracts that fit your strengths. Third, you’ll receive coaching and assistance in deciding whether to bid, how to price, and how to interpret the technical package that accompanies a typical solicitation. Often, our leads precede any public solicitation, so you will often learn of them before your competitors! In addition, you’ll receive extensive training and education through our programs, workshops, teleconference briefings and webinars. You’ll enjoy networking with companies who do business and with government decision makers, as well as service providers and professionals who can help you be successful. Finally, and most importantly, your ability to capture more business will increase significantly!