Federal Contracting Made Easy's Podcast

There are a lot of books out there on Government Contracting. I wanted to give you my thoughts on some of the books available to you. Today, we are reviewing a book written by Brad W. King. He has quite a few books available through Audible.   What do I like about this book? Well, the book is on 31 minutes in length and is very easy to understand. The author does an excellent job of making the topic fascinating, and the time flew by.  The information provided was at the 1,000-foot level. Brad tried to walk you through the process of starting a business and signing up to become a government contractor. He did an outstanding job overall.  

Today, we are going to look at the beliefs of the Democratic and Republican Parties during a downturn in the economy.  Why?  As a government contractor, you need to understand how political parties influence government spending.

Find out the 12 advantages and disadvantages of joint ventures.

In today's episode, we will be discussing Teaming Agreements from the Prime Subcontractor viewpoint.  In addition, to defining the term teaming agreement, we will be discussing when to consider using one and the clauses that you will want to include in your agreement.

Step One Market Research Why? Well, you need to determine if the government purchases your products or services in your area.  The Government has moved to larger nationwide procurement contracts. As a result, many of the contracts that were competed in your area may have been bundled or consolidated into these contracting venues.  You need to answer the following questions.  No, I have not listed every question but a few to get you started. Is there a federal market in my area?  Is there a federal market for my niche?  Can I be competitive in my niche?  Can I compete against the competition? Do I have the past performance that the government is looking for? I think you get the idea now let's look at the second consideration. Step 1a - Secondly, you need to determine which specific agency uses your products or services. Develop a list of agencies that could be potential clients in the future.  When first starting out it is advisable to review the list that you developed and only select three agencies to first

The WOSB program was not in effect at that time.  We can see that the program has skyrocketed from 2011 until 2017 when it dipped and then started another upward trend.  Now, this trend is not what I expected!!! Total Contract spending showed, Figure 1, a downward trend starting in 2011 and ending in 2015.  From 2015 till 2018 it was an upward trend.  It started a downward trend in 2018 but rebounded in 2019.  This is nothing like the trends we have seen in any of the other programs

Congress has stated that 3% of Prime Federal Contracting Dollars needs to be set-aside for Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB).  We want to see if SDVOSB received at least 3% for the last ten years.   Facts: Total Contract Spending in the USA has increased by 7% Small Business Set-asides has risen by 2% HUBZone Set-asides has been decreasing by 78% 8(a) Set-asides has been reducing by 48%  

Today on episode number 114 we will look at the HUBZone contracting dollars.  No, the title is not wrong.  HUBZone Contracting Dollars has been on a downward trend since 2010.  Does that mean that the end of the HUBZone program?  No, not necessarily.  However, I believe changes will have to be made to the program.

Today we are going to look at SBA's 8(a) BD Program.  Specifically, we are going to look at the trends in 8(a) contracting dollars over the last decade.  We can see that SBA's contracting dollars have been decreasing.  In fact, it is down by 48% from 2009. Furthermore, Participants in the program have been declining. Why is this happening?  A bigger question is what is SBA doing to fix this issue?

Today, we are going to review the trends affecting small businesses in Government Contracting.  We will review Federal Government contracting data for the last ten years and see what has happened.   Federal spending has increased by 7.15% over the last ten years however small business contract spending in the last two years has declined.  Small business contracting dollars is down over 19% the last two years.  

SBA has made changes to the HUBZone program that went into effect on December 26, 2019.  These changes will impact every HUBZone Certified Business.  Find out more about the changes by listening now.

Hello and welcome to Federal Contracting Made Easy where we take the complex world of government contracting and break it into simple steps that anyone can follow.  In episode number 110 I will be discussing my reasons for not becoming a government contractor.   -intro-   Over the last 35 years I have had thousands of companies approach me about becoming a government contractor.  As a result, I feel that I have the experience necessary to tell you like it is.  Government contracting is not for those that are not in it for the long haul.  For example, it takes time to build relationships, learn the government language, learn how to capitalize on your proposals to win contracts, get through the numerous databases that the government uses and ultimately time and experience to become successful.      Mistake #1 – Not Performing Market Research   Market research is not just something you do when putting together your business and marketing plan.    It is a necessary step to ensure that you spend your valuable time

It should be easy to determine if your business is large or small. However, that is not the case, especially if you want a loan or become a government contractor. Remember, you cannot compete on small business set-asides unless you qualify as a small business. Furthermore, it will matter if you want to be eligible for SBA's loan programs. The last thing you want to have happened is to lose a government contract due to your business size. So before that happens, find out if your business is small or large. What Does the Government Use to Determine a Businesses Size? The North American Industry Classification System (NAIC codes) is a manual that includes definitions for each industry. NAICS codes assigned a six-digit code to twenty broad sectors. For example, if you are in general construction, your NAICS code would be 236220. NAICS code 236220 is defined as Commercial and Institutional Building Construction. If you are a government contractor, then you are already familiar with NAICS codes. The Census Bureau

Small businesses are responsible for creating 8.7 Million jobs since 2005.  They also are responsible for 46% of the GDP.  As a result, the impact that small businesses have on our local and national economy is great.  That is why all small business owners should pay attention to the economy.  How is the small business economy?  That is what we will be discussing today.  SBA just released it's the latest bulletin on the strength and weaknesses in the economy.  Let's find out more now.

We interviewed Raymond Christy with the SLC Airport Authority regarding the DBE Program. One of Raymond's jobs is to be the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Coordinator for SLC airports. He has also worked as the DBE Coordinator for the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) in Utah. He has a ton of experience with the DBE program and can provide valuable insight into the program. The DBE Program is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation. DOT uses this program to assist socially and economically disadvantaged businesses in obtaining experience on DOT contracts. Find out more... WATCH NOW!!

Today we will discuss DBE Program.  DBE stands for Disadvantaged Business Enterprise.  It is another contracting program available to socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.  The program is administrated by the U.S. Department of Transportation.  

Anytime you enter into a contract you may be faced with a dispute or need to file a claim.  This is what today's topic is all about.  In government contracting there are 4 levels that a claim maybe processed through.  We are going to talk about these todays.

In today's episode we will discussing filing a GAO protest.  Did you know that a GAO protest will cost you money?  That's right.  $350 to be exact.  Did you also know that it takes 100 days for GAO to make the decision?  That is a lifetime in government contracting. Find out more information just like this.  LISTEN NOW Links: eCFR https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=91f93493acfe54883f7975f4653dfd96&mc=true&node=pt4.1.21&rgn=div5 FAR https://www.acquisition.gov/content/part-33-protests-disputes-and-appeals#i1080497 GAO Website:  https://www.gao.gov/legal/bid-protests  

First you must present your factors in a concise and logical format so that the contracting agency can review for protest.  If you fail to present your facts in this matter the agency may elect to dismiss the protest.  And we don’t want that.  Your protest should include the following information: Name, Address, Fax and Telephone numbers of the Protester. The Contract or Solicitation Number. A detailed statement of the legal and factual grounds for the protest. You must include a description of resulting prejudice to the protester. Include copies of any relevant documents. You must request a ruling by the agency. Also include a form of relief. You must establish yourself as an interested party. You must establish that this protest is timely. You must address the protest to the contracting officer or other official designated to receive protests. You have the right to request an independent review of your protest at a level above the contracting officer. All solicitations should advise potential bidders and o

Can you protest a 8(a) sole source contract? Can you protest a competitive 8(a) requirement or contract? Can you protest the NAICS code assigned to an 8(a) requirement? The answers to these questions and more will be answered in this week's episode plus a giveaway.   GiveAway is through KingSumo.  http://bit.ly/FCMEGiveAway