While all clients are good for your business, local, state or federal government contracts can be a big boon for your success. Federal, state and local governments spend more than $400 billion annually on various products and services. The federal government is continually looking for quality products and services at competitive prices.
Once you secure your first contract with a government entity, if you perform well, you can often be assured more business from said entity in the future. But, the red tape can sometimes seem daunting. How do you secure a contract with any governmental entity?
Thankfully, wherever you are located, there are agencies devoted to your success in this arena. Local Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC's) were created to assist businesses in winning government contracts.
To find your local PTAC outside of Kansas City, check out: http://www.aptac-us.org, but if you are in the Kansas City area there is a wonderful PTAC in your neighborhood. The Heartland PTAC (www.HeartlandPTAC.org) is located at UMKC and provides a plethora of assistance to help you win government contracts.
The Heartland PTAC will take anyone as a client for free, but I'd suggest attending their introductory class on "Winning Government Contracts: The First Steps" to get started in the government contracting arena. These classes cost $50.00 per person and are offered on the 2nd Thursday of each month.
Their class is designed to give you a 101 on starting the government contract procurement process. Once you understand what is required (it's not that bad, and that's what the class is for!), they have a great Bid Notification service that can provide you with daily potential bids from all levels of government that meet your capabilities.
So, check them out! It's basically a free counseling service offered for you to achieve success with government contracts. And, they are super nice. www.HeartlandPTAC.org or call 816.235.2891 (extension 1 will get you registered for their class). Happy bidding!
