Federal Contracting for Those Who Won’t Take No for an Answer

Shaunta Johnson, director of the General Services Administration’s (GSA) National Capital Region Small Business Utilization Center, makes federal procurement seem like an achievable goal. Landing a contract with the federal government is “done successfully by those who will not take no for an answer,” Johnson said at NAWBO’s Atlantic Region Leadership Retreat last October.

During the retreat, designed for NAWBO chapter leaders in the Atlantic region, several dozen women business owners listened raptly as Johnson explained the process of getting on the GSA Schedule, a necessary step in doing business with the US government.

Federal agencies work with GSA approved businesses because it takes the guess work out of finding a qualified firm. Agencies also use the GSA Schedule to help meet annual small business procurement requirements. After application and acceptance into the GSA Schedules Program, businesses are awarded five year contracts (with one five-year option) to provide goods or services to the government.

Johnson cautioned that this does not guarantee business for an approved company. “The onus of marketing is still on you,” she clarified. “GSA does not market your business for you.”

That’s where person to person connections come into play. “Ladies, it is about relationships,” Johnson said. She recommended seeking out a particular agency’s small business advocate. E-mails and cold calls won’t do the trick. Instead, focus on networking, get to know people who may be able to help, and be persistent. “It takes a long time to find the right person,” Johnson related.

She talked about meeting Theresa Alfaro Daytner, president of NAWBO Nation’s Capital, and Daytner’s determination in establishing a relationship. As president of Daytner Construction Group, Daytner continually sought out ways to connect with Johnson in person and, along the way, made her contracting goals clear. When Johnson learned of a project manager seeking a vendor in Daytner’s industry, she immediately put the two in touch. “That’s the magic,” Johnson said.

In her presentation, Johnson emphasized the importance of reaching the agency representative who has buying power. She recommended asking that person about their largest and smallest purchases within the last year.

The Federal Procurement Data Center (FPDC) provides a wealth of information on contract spending through the Federal Procurement Data System—Next Generation (FPDS-NG). According to GSA’s Web site, www.gsa.gov, “the FPDS-NG system can identify who bought what, from whom, for how much, when and where.”

GSA has 11 regional offices around the country that offer education and training on government contracting. Opportunities include networking sessions, online courses, local workshops, and full day events such as the Offices of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) Procurement Conference in Upper Marlboro, Md., April 19, 2007.

Daytner, who since meeting Johnson has begun doing business with the federal government, encouraged the other women business owners at the retreat to get busy making their own connections.

“I want everyone in this room to be a multiplier,” she said. Daytner urged NAWBO leaders to educate their members on the wide range of resources available and empower them to take the next step. “Federal contracting enables a business to really scale up,” she advised.