1. Marketing Strategies and
Techniques for Small Business
National Capital Region
Small Business Utilization Office
For Training purposes only - GSA - NCR
SBUC

2. Overview
• The federal government is the largest buyer of goods and services.
In FY 2011 federal agencies awarded over $535 billion dollars in
contracts
• General Services Administration awarded 12.1 billion dollars in FY
2011
• The agency is comprised of the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS),
the Public Buildings Service (PBS), 12 Staff Offices, 11 Regional
Offices and the independent Office of Citizen Services and
Innovative Technology , and Office of Governmentwide Policy
Source: USASpending.gov
For Training purposes only - GSA - NCR
SBUC

3. Objectives
Understand how to:
Position your business to compete for
contracts - CCR, Certs & Reps, Cap Statements
Determine your Federal Market/Niche
Conduct Market Research for
Government Opportunities
 Contracting Vehicles
For Training purposes only - GSA - NCR
SBUC

4. CCR Record/ Capability Narrative
Include a
capability
narrative

5. Marketing Plans
Blueprints of a Business
• Who are we?
• What are our business strengths and
weaknesses? - Take a honest assessment
• Where do we want to go?
• What is attainable now (Federal
customer)?
• What/Who will help me meet my (federal
sales) goals?
• What is my budget for exploring
opportunities?
For Training purposes only - GSA - NCR
SBUC

6. What are you offering?
What products or services do you want to offer?
• Is there a viable market for your offering?
-How to determine if there is a federal market for your
products or services?
• What makes your products or services unique-
-Innovation
-Price
-Expertise
-Solutions
For Training purposes only - GSA - NCR
SBUC

7. Who buys what we sell?
To answer this question you must conduct market research .
Consider the following resources to conduct market
research
Acquisition Central
• www.acquisition.gov/procurement_forecasts
USASpending.gov
• www.usaspending.gov
Federal Business Opportunities
• www.fedbizopps.gov
Federal Procurement Data System
• https://www.fpds.gov
For Training purposes only - GSA - NCR
SBUC

8. One simple search using NAICS code
or keywords, Agency
Utilize www.fpds.gov and your NAICS code to
determine who buy your product or services:
Insert
NAICS
code or
Keyword
For Training purposes only - GSA - NCR
SBUC

9. Contract Vehicles – Do you need one?
GSA Federal Supply Schedule –FAR 8.404
FY 2011 Sales from the GSA Multiple Award
Schedule reached over $38 Billion
Determine how your products or services
are selling off the GSA schedule
SSQ.GSA.GOV
For Training purposes only - GSA - NCR
SBUC

10. GSA Schedule the Pro’s
 Preferred Source of Supply
 Great Earning Potential
 World Wide Program
 High Visibility
 Credibility
 Potential Financial Success
 5-20 Year Contract
10

11. GSA Schedule Contract – the Cons
Sales Criteria - $25K per year
Auditing and Set-Up
Requirements
Varied Demand
Paperwork
Award process time – back up
to 6 months for so schedules
Success Not Guaranteed –
numerous schedule holders
with zero or low sales
11

12. Additional Contract Vehicles/Systems
 GWAC – Government Wide Acquisition Contract
Alliant, Alliant SB, 8(a) Stars II
 BPA – Blanket Purchase Agreement
 IDIQ – Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity
 8(a) – Sole Source
 Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative*
For Training purposes only - GSA - NCR
SBUC

13. More Support
• 11 Regional GSA OSBU
www.gsa.gov/smallbizsupport
• OSDBU for all agencies
www.osdbu.gov
• Procurement Technical Assistance Centers
www.aptac-us.org
• Customer Service Directors
www.gsa.gov/CSD
For Training purposes only - GSA - NCR
SBUC

14. Questions & Answers
Judith Stackhouse -Jordan
Judith.stackhouse@gsa.gov
For Training purposes only - GSA - NCR
SBUC