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Winter
2008
Vol 4, Issue 1 |
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Each year at this time, I send out an announcement asking you to complete our Awards Survey. It is very important to the NC PTAC that you complete and return the survey because I combine all the results and put the collective data in our “end-of-year” report to the Department of Defense (DoD). There are no personal or company names included, just the very important numbers. So, I ask that when this survey arrives, please take a few minutes to help us by filling it out and sending it back to me. On March 10th we will have Opportunities 2008 at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville. It is a premiere opportunity to meet government buyers and prime contractors. There will be training sessions as well as an exhibit area. All in all, for the serious vendor, this is a must. On May 29th, there will be the “Business Connections Marketplace” at the Embassy Suites in Greensboro. This is another excellent opportunity to meet the buyers and primes. As with Opportunities, there will be seminars and an exhibit area. Though not as big as Opportunities, this is still an event you should not miss. Again, the key to government sales is marketing and both of these events provide one-on-one time that can lead to further discussions and possible contracts. I hope you had a successful 2007 and we look forward to serving you in 2008. Tom Elam |
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Opportunities 2008
Now is the time to mark your calendars for Opportunities 2008 – Making Dollars and Sense Selling to the Government. The event will be held on Monday, March 10, 2008 from 8:00am – 5:00pm at the Grove Park Inn, Asheville, North Carolina.
The United States Government alone spends more than $350 billion annually for various products and services, yet each year, thousands of contracts bypass small businesses that do not know about or understand how the government buys. Opportunities 2008 is your chance to learn how you can tap into this lucrative market. It is a regional biennial “reverse” trade show that allows small businesses the opportunity to meet contracting officers from over 50 federal, state, and local government agencies and prime contractors.
For additional information, please visit www.sbtdc.org/events/opportunities
or call (828) 251-6025.
Opportunities 2008 is presented in cooperation with Senator Richard Burr, Senator Elizabeth Dole, Representative Virginia Foxx (NC-5), Representative Patrick McHenry (NC-10), Representative Heath Shuler (NC-11), and Representative Gresham Barrett (SC-3).
Marketing by Email
Marketing your business can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Learn how to save on marketing costs using these email marketing strategies:
FIRST, determine who your potential customers are at all levels of government, then use the Internet to search for those agencies or activities to find their contact information. Most points of contact (POCs) list email addresses and some list phone numbers.
SECOND, research their websites thoroughly to know what their needs are and what challenges the buyers face in procuring the items required to meet those needs. Basically, KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER!
THIRD, learn what your customer’s procedures or regulations are that they must follow. For example, to sell to a NC State Agency, read about how they do business using Term Contracts and what their Administrative Code requires. And for Federal Contracting, use the FAR as well as the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement.
Learn more email marketing strategies...
New 2007 NAICS Codes at US Census Website
Effective October 1, 2007, the federal acquisition community began using the 2007 version of the NAICS codes which are revised every five years by the Census Bureau. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes are used to categorize data for the federal government. In acquisition they are particularly critical for determining a company’s size standard as either small business or large. Three new industries and four activities within other industries will be available and you can find a listing of the new codes on the U.S. Census Bureau web site and its related Federal Register notification (May 2006). Contact your nearest PTAC Counselor for assistance.
Doing Business with the USDA Forest Service
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service Southern Region is looking for small businesses to provide services. These services include: natural resource and conservation services, construction of structures, transportation and charter services, lease or rental of equipment and vehicles, special studies and analyses, general architect and engineering services, fire and aviation support services, and information technology (IT).
The majority of their federal contracts are between $2,500 and $100,000. As a federal agency, they require the standard registrations (CCR, ORCA, WAWF) and utilize the federal preference programs for small businesses. Learn more...
Success Story: Seven Hills Construction
Seven Hills Construction is a general contractor focused on construction projects for the federal government. The company was formed on June 12, 2006 as a limited liability corporation. After attending seminars, networking sessions and small business study groups led by the North Carolina Procurement Technical Assistance Center (NC PTAC) and the Virginia Procurement Technical Assistance Center the concept and general purpose of the company began to evolve. During these discussions an important point was emphasized by the PTAC counselors that is worthy of repeating for every business -- find your own particular “niche”. In other words, a new, start-up company must have a clear vision of who they are and what there capabilities are compared to the competition and market conditions. The successful ones usually know what they are and do what they do as well or better than anyone else. Read more...
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