How to Best Use Technology to Win Government Contracts

Tips to help your business get found, help you find opportunities, and speed up the bid process.

By Sean Parry, vice president of marketing at BidSync

Interested in winning government contracts to help grow your landscaping company? In this day and age, doing so requires an understanding of technology on a business level. This use of technology should ideally create measureable results, including reduced transaction costs, improved process efficiency, increased contract compliance, improved transparency, reduced cycle times, and improved inventory costs on both sides of the contract.

A good start, for instance, would be a website. Most businesses utilize websites to reach out to their target audiences, but it is important to understand that your technology can be optimized beyond face-value. Also, make certain that all of your technology has a flow—this includes tablets and smartphones—so that your target audience can enjoy a seamless experience. Such factoring will also provide your business with a stronger foundation when it comes to bidding for contracts.

In order to most effectively use the information and technology available today to win government contracts, use these tips in your business’s bidding process.

Lay a Strong Foundation

To delve into the process using technology, it is important to go back to basics. Completing all of the paperwork, registrations and certifications before you submit a bid or find a partner is the first step, and one that is often overlooked due to the general misconception that compiling such information is an inconvenient task.

Here are a few more tips that will help this process move faster:

iUpdate  –  Use iUpdate, an online tool from DnB, to obtain a DUNS number and update your business information. Maintaining your DUNS number is vital to ensuring a smooth process.

SBA  –  It is important to determine if your business qualifies for any set-asides like small business, veteran-owned, women-owned and HUB (historically Underutilized Business) Zone. The SBA has available resources to help you get the appropriate certifications.

BidSync  –  For several state and local agencies, you will need to register with BidSync before you can submit any bids. Further, BidSync has a number of procurement technologies that you can use to help win bids and contracts.

SBDC  –  Your local Small Business Development Center can help with anything from regulatory compliance to writing a business or marketing plan to finding funding.

Chamber of Commercedigital resource for small business owners and entrepreneurs, providing the guidance they need to start and run successful businesses.

APTAC  –  Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers offer expert government contracting assistance at little or no cost. They can help with registrations, certifications, developing marketing strategies and anything else you need to sell to federal, state and local agencies.

Gather Intelligence

Even after you’ve plowed through the basics, it is a good idea to compile all of the background information and any research you can. Doing so will only help pave the pathway to your contracts. There are multiple resources at your disposal.

For example, USA.gov is designed more for the general public looking for information from the government. The advantage of the site for businesses is that it is a clearinghouse for links to all federal, state and municipal government sites. Additionally, the SBA has a directory of subcontracting opportunities which can help you find companies to partner with that have goals comparable to yours.

Further, you can get forecasts of how specific agencies are going to spend when you visit Acquisition.gov. Also, to get daily updates on topics that your business is tracking, set up a few Google alerts. Be sure to use the advanced search feature to narrow down the parameters so you don’t get inundated with information you don’t need.

Search Effectively

The internet is a technology open to all, but it is not optimized by all. To search effectively and find relevant information, you have to go beyond a basic internet search. There are assets available that most people overlook, such as clicking on the “news” tab at the top of the search page (if you are looking for a news item) rather than simply entering a phrase or topic into the generic search bar.

Further, note that internet searches acquire results based on the browsing history of the searcher, and not just on the algorithms factoring into the search term. Follow these tips to ensure search accuracy and efficiency:

  • Put “quotation marks” around words to find an exact phrase.
  • Place a -hyphen before a word to exclude it.
  • Write site: before your search term to search within a site. Use the Control F function to find the term when you get to a particular site to save on time.
  • Use location:  when looking for information using a location.
  • Type related: to find sites that are similar to ones you enjoy and use.
  • Use allintext: to find a type of text. If you want to find a term that is in the url, type allinurl: to find it.
  • Place two periods around a number range to find information within that range: .$300..$500.

Whatever the resource, use the available technology that is around you; it will help you to accelerate your business by winning government contracts. If implemented as part of an overall strategic plan, technology will be your key to success.

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