The federal government anticipates spending over $150 billion dollars for the Katrina
and Rita hurricane disaster relief and reconstruction efforts. Contracting opportunities
abound for businesses of all sizes and types and there is a great need for varied
services and products. Businesses throughout the US can explore the contracting
opportunities by following these four steps.

The disaster-related services and products needed in the Gulf states will cover every
aspect of life, business and government in the affected areas. Savvy companies are
working to fill the needs now. However, this is a long-term, multi-layered process.
While initial contracts have already been secured, there will be many more contracts
worth billions of dollars to come over the next 6-12-18 months and longer. Those firms
that employ both short-term and long-term strategies will be the most successful.

Step 1: Identify the Agencies with the Budgets to Buy What You Sell

This is one of the advantages in doing business with the federal government. Unlike the
corporate environment, you can find out what agencies have budgets projected for your
products and services and when they are planning to spend it.

The Department of Commerce Hurricane Contracting Information Center (HCIC) will help
U.S. businesses, especially minority and small businesses, participate in the Gulf Coast
rebuilding efforts. The website www.rebuildingthegulfcoast.gov allows companies to
register with government agencies that are providing contracts to rebuild the Gulf
Coast. The website also provides basic information on doing business with the
government, e-mail alerts regarding specific contracting opportunities, links to other
government and local agencies, and information about minority business services.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is constantly changing to best serve the
nation s requirements. The 22 agencies that initially made up the DHS originally
maintained independent purchasing power. Now, the eight offices listed here are
responsible for all procurement functions of the DHS.

DHS Acquisition Offices:
DHS Headquarters
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Note: FEMA is the key agency responsible for
the majority of disaster-related budgets
Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC)
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
U.S. Secret Service (USSS)
U.S. Coast Guard Office of Procurement Management (USCG)

Check the DHS website for specific information regarding the disaster-related
contracting opportunities: www.dhs.gov/openforbusiness

FedBizOpps is a federal government website that provides a central listing of most
current federal contracts. Register at www.FedBizOpps.gov to receive the notices of bids
and contracts that go through the normal contract advertising process. However, it has
been noted on the FedBizOpps web site that many emergency contracts may not make it to
this public forum. You may need to contact each agency to determine the specific
opportunities available.

For past expenditures, check with the Federal Procurement Data Center (FPDC), part of
the U.S. General Services Administration. The FPDC manages the Federal Procurement Data
System (FPDS), which is the current central repository of historical information on
Federal contracting. The system contains detailed information on contract actions over
$2,500. The Executive departments and agencies award over $200 billion annually for
goods and services. The system can identify who bought what, from whom, for how much,
when and where.

Prime or General Contractors (GC) will be a source of sub-contracts for companies of all
sizes. This disaster is of a magnitude that the US has never seen before and many
contracting operations will be handled directly by Primes or GCs.

Action Items:

A. Check the agencies that have a history of purchasing your products and services. Go
to www.fpdc.gov.

B. Use some sort of contact manager software like ACT! or Goldmine to build your own
government procurement database and schedule regular follow-up.

C. New vendors: Get registered in the Central Contractor Registry: www.ccr.gov

Step 2: Find the Specific Offices in Your Targeted Agencies That are Most Likely to
Purchase Your Products and Services

The DHS and US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have nationwide agencies and offices, as
do Primes and GCs. Do you want to target areas that are geographically convenient to
you? Do you have service, shipping or delivery issues that demand a local presence to
your customers? How will this affect your bottom line? Can you effectively offer
regional, national or international support? You will be most effective if you
geographically prioritize the specific agencies, primes, GCs and offices to target.

Action Items:

A. Check the DHS open business opportunities that are listed on the Federal Business
Opportunities web site: www.fedbizopps.gov/katrina.html. Go to each DHS agency link and
click on Offices to identify offices geographically.

B. Contact the agencies to participate in their Vendor Outreach and one-on-one sessions.

C. Review the DHS Prime Contractors list on the DHS website for the top five that are
your best matches. Contact the small business liaisons to schedule capabilities
briefings.

D. Visit the USACE website: http://www.usace.army.mil/ and identify the General
Contractors (GCs) that are your best matches.

Step 3: Identify the Specific PEOPLE in Your Targeted Offices

You want to find the specific decision-makers because they are your best connections to
getting the business you want. They are THE KEY to your success. Finding the right
people and taking the time and effort to building solid relationships will guarantee
your long-term success.

Finding the agencies and end-users who buy what you sell is one of the most difficult
aspects of government sales. And yet it is one of the most important because finding the
people who buy your product or service is the most critical step in a successful
targeted marketing and sales program.

Within the agency, thousands of program managers, program professionals, operating
supervisors, engineers, and scientists participate in deciding what to purchase and from
whom. These are the people you want to take the time find and to whom you want to
introduce yourself.

The strategy is to identify both the end-users and the people involved in the actual
procurement process. Market your abilities, solutions and products to the end-users so
that they recommend your products and service specifications to the procurement
personnel, so that yours is the company the bid was written for.

Action Items:

A. Use the DHS and USACE websites to identify the following people who are keys to your
success and put them in your contact manager software:

–The Points of Contact (POC) for the US Army Corps of Engineers, DHS agencies, State
agencies, Red Cross, etc.

–The Small Business Specialists

–Prime Contractor Small Business Liaisons

B. Use the information you have researched from the FPDC web site to detail the specific
people who have purchased your products or services in the past. Add them to your
contact manager.

C. Set up a schedule of contacts with these people. The contacts should include personal
phone calls, emails, direct mail, visits during procurement conferences and all
out-reach sessions. Try for at least 12 to 18 touches per year. Since active procurement
projects are progress, step this up to every few weeks.

D. Long Term Action Item: As you build relationships with the Contracting Officers and
Specialists, ask them for the names of the end users who are involved in the projects
related to your products and services. Ideally, as you work with them you can begin to
really understand the problems they experience and educate them how you can solve those
problems. And perhaps become a preferred vendor.

E. Join the International Association of Emergency Managers: www.iaem.com

Step 4: Identify Business Development Processes Appropriate for Your Services and
Products

If you want to develop both short and long term business opportunities involved in the
disaster reconstruction process you must develop a strategy that utilizes a variety of
tactics. These are the most effective:

Web site: Make sure it is specifically addresses the government s purchasing best
practices on your home page. Does your home page also note your GSA schedule and
certifications?

Email: Is it professional? Do you use your business domain name? Or are you still using
yahoo, hotmail or some non-business related address? It is very important to appear as
professional as possible. Your business should be stable, reliable, established. Free or
personal email accounts make you appear fly-by-night or non-professional.

Do you accept government purchase cards? This is mandatory in the government contracting
environment. And it also works to your advantage by speeding up payments.

Action Items:

A. Take a critical look at your business development tools to determine if they meet the
specific needs of your government prospects and clients. Give your website TOP PRIORITY.

B. Identify the companies that could be good teaming partners. Add them to your contact
manager and start the relationship building process.

C. Schedule a pro-active contact process with all targeted contacts and assign specific
tasks to specific people in your firm.

If you use these specific tactics and strategies you will find that you will have better
opportunities for government contracts in both the short and long term.

Gloria Berthold is President of TargetGov at Marketing Outsource Associates, Inc. She is
one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women, a Winner of the Innovator of the Year Award,
Past-Chairwoman of the Baltimore/Washington Corridor Chamber of Commerce, a national
speaker, educator and expert in government contracting and effective
business-to-business marketing strategies. She can be reached through
http://www.targetgov.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gloria_Berthold

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