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Everyone thinks that winning a government contract is a big payday.  Think again.  Most companies earn only 15% profit on their governement contracts, which is, of course, a decent margin.  In addition to the contract NOT being a huge financial windfall, there is an enormous amount of paperwork and preparation involved.  You may want to hire a consultant who specializes in government contracting or commit a dedicated staffer to just do the legwork.  

Don’t bother sharpening an elevator pitch.  The federal government does not take unsolicited calls or proposals from the general business public.  They are interested in creating as level a playing field as they can.  When the Federal Government needs a vendor they open the bidding to all registered, qualified vendors.   So, roll up your sleeves and prepare to do lots of legwork so you’ll be ready when/if the Federal Government invites you (and all your registered competitors) to bid on their projects.

Step 1: Make sure your website is in good order.  Your website needs to look professional, be easy to navigate and have no objectionable content.  The Federal Government is populated with lots of very serious grownups.  They will not award a government contract to an organization that does not look like it will take the responsibility seriously.  That goes for most of the big companies that have sizeable project budgets.

Step 2: You must be registered with Dunn & Bradstreet.  D&B serves as a central location that lists all businesses with a 9 digit DUNS number.  It registers and keeps track of all businesses seeking to work with the Federal Government.  You will not be able to get a DUNS without getting a Master Business License with your state.  (This article assumes that your business is a legitimate, tax-paying entity).

Step 3: Set up a comprehensive profile with the Central Contractors Registry. You’ll need your DUNS number for that. 

Step 4: When you are invited to bid on a contract, make a serious and reasonable bid.   You don’t want to bid so low that it’s not profitable.  Once you are awarded a contract and agree to the terms, you have to deliver to the letter of the terms.  Make sure it’s worth your time and that you can actually satisfy the contract.

Good luck to you.

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If you don’t have interactive presence yet, a knowlegable consultant can help you get started on the right foot. If you do have a website, a consultant can help you to examine your situation and help you get the best value for your money.  If you fall into the latter category, take some time to do an inventory of what you have to show for the investment you’ve made. 

Here are a just a few things you must have if you have an interactive presence.  Without thorough understanding of these 10 key components, you will waste thousands of dollars in time and money trying to upgrade or edit your website.

1. A professionally written technical specification. This is a document that details exactly how your interactive project was built, the code, the images, database structure, etc. A technical specification is the DNA for your interactive property.

2. A professionally written user’s guide.  This document is a manual that helps users know how to perform routine editing to your interactive property.

3. A professionally prepared design document.  This document defines the hexidecimal colors, fonts, sizes, etc. used in the design of your website. 

4. Thorough understanding of your service provider’s SLA’s (Service Level Agreements): This is the agreement you have with your service provider that defines the amount of uptime you can count on.  The goal is 99.99% uptime each calendar month.

5. An agreement with your service provider about what penalties they will pay if they violate the SLA. 

6. Thorough understanding of your service provider’s security policies, emergency escalation plan, backup & recovery processes, and server maintence schedule. 

7. A non-disclosure agreement with all staff and vendors who have access to your interactive property.

8. Clear, clean, concise, keyword rich copy and content. Hire a professional writer with SEO experience.

9. Disaster recovery plan.  In case of technical disaster or site attack, you should have a plan for immediate site recovery.  In addition to frequent site backups by the service provider, you should have a clean electronic copy of your site available. 

10. Information and permission to access your website.  You may need any of the following: FTP access, HTA access, database access. 

The help of a professional, knowlegable consultant means a better return on the investment you’ve made in your interactive property and overall bottom line.

Take our Free, Interactive Property Self Assessment Test now to see how vulnerable your website may be.

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