Federal Compass - Waypoints

When pursuing the next opportunity, it’s [of course] important to understand the competitive landscape—who are the major players? how entrenched is the incumbent contractor? The answer to these questions lies in two fundamental areas of research 1) human intelligence, and 2) data-driven market intelligence. The only way to paint a complete picture of the competition around any opportunity requires both elements and requires them to work in concert.

Perhaps you’ve just passed $1 million in revenue and are gearing up for continued success, or just turning on the lights. Either way, you’re part of a massive ecosystem of small businesses operating within the federal contracting market. While the government has created an attractive market for entrepreneurs and start-ups, success is dependent on your ability to conquer a steep and intimidating learning curve.

For those in our audience who own or hold the top position within a government contractor, think about the following statement. When you’re in the boardroom, do you have the information you need for accountability and transparency? If you own a smaller company, you might be forced into the fray and have intimate knowledge of your business. For those managing more substantial companies, fire drills and meetings consume your day and prevent you from acquiring the necessary visibility. From carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders to feeling like they are alone on an island; company owners and CEOs face unique challenges that require the right information. Do you have the decision intelligence you need to navigate through the tough choices?

In fiscal year 2018, obligations through indefinite contracts represented 40% of all contract spending — an increase of nearly 4% over fiscal year 2016. For more than a decade, the government has promoted competition by continually shifting their buying power towards contract vehicles. Capturing prime positions on contract vehicles has become the critical component for contractor success in the federal contracting market. But it can be easy to overlook the reality that a win guarantees nothing more than a place at the table. A contractor’s ability to execute post-award determines success or failure. Below we discuss some of the most common pitfalls in the approach to pursuing and managing contract vehicles.

Few things are as rewarding as watching your company grow. Finding success is the ultimate recognition of the risk, investment, and countless hours of sweat equity it took to get here. And it is no easy task to break-in and generate sustainable growth in this market. Of course, there is a world of uncertainty looming just over the horizon as success inevitably leads to adversity. You’re approaching your graduation date or closing in on cracking the small business threshold of your NAICS. There has never been a more critical time for your business. Are you ready?

If you visited our website, attended a webinar, or read one of our blogs, then you've heard we are built from industry feedback. That we identified 111 frustrations, questions and challenges, and used those as the blueprint for Federal Compass.

The Federal government has become one of the largest incubators for small businesses. A reliable and secure customer that sets aside a portion of the hundreds-of-billions of dollars spent every year to create a safe harbor for start-ups and growing companies. However, those gaudy topline numbers act as neon lights attracting newcomers and obscuring the complexities and nuances that exist within the Federal market.

I was reading a research report a few years ago on the president’s latest budget. These were the Obama years, and with a Republican congress a continuing resolution was all but assured. What’s most interesting about the report, and what really took me back, is how little it mattered to me. Not that budgets don’t matter (they do!), but that this was the exact same report that everyone in the industry was consuming and then applying to their strategic decision-making process. That’s a problem.

As many others in this industry, I’ve worked with FPDS data for a long time. I suppose the good news is that the system has changed little over the years, so time invested in learning its quirks is worthwhile. Below, I’ve outlined a few methods for maximizing its value and pitfalls that you may encounter.

Monitoring SAM is a way of life if you conduct business with the Federal government. Contractors of all sizes and levels of maturity depend on SAM as a critical source for information and lead generation.