UNCLE SAM
WANTS YOU!
3 steps to success
1. Register with Central Contractor
Registration (CCR). This informs the U.S.
Government that you exist and you are
interested in doing business. You must be
registered with CCR to get paid.
2. Create a page on your website that draws
attention to what the government calls
“past performance.” Most commercial folks
call the tab “clients.” List your clients by
company or government agency name. You
must include this very important informa-
tion: your company name as shown in CCR
Registration, title of work, workshop or the
name on the service line of your agreement,
a short narrative of the work you performed
(being cautious not to give away any propri-
etary info) and—here’s a biggie—the size and
scope of the engagement, i.e., “400 people in
10 cities” or “ 20 workshops over a two-year
period.” This allows buyers to get an idea
of what you are capable of doing for them.
This area allows for bragging rights on your
growth and experience over time.
3. Find your nearest U.S. Small Business
Administration office at www.sba.gov to
share your skill set with a Small Business
Representative and the type of contract that
interests you. The SBA will advise you on your
potential within a specified region and may
point you in the direction of numerous websites that can assist you.
The American Express OPEN program is
another good source for small commercial
businesses that are interested in checking out
government contracts for the first time. For
a crash course, go to www.openforum.com/
crash-courses.
That suggestion changed my business
model. I found a product and a niche,
and began selling using the commercial
way that I knew well and the contracts
poured in.
Most speakers are unaware of the
potential for selling to the government.
The government uses a GSA MOBIS
schedule to adopt and use commercial
practices. As a speaker, trainer and facilitator, you can contract directly with the
government or become a subcontractor
to one of the “big guys” and let them do
the heavy lifting in the contracts management department.
When I started working for different
government clients, I sometimes recommended a helpful business book. I soon
learned that my clients didn’t order one
book—they ordered hundreds. The scope
of work my teammates and I performed
for the federal government was immense
— unlike anything I had ever experienced
in my commercial career. So I developed
books, online training and other useful,
in-demand products.
My husband and I travel the country
presenting at various conferences for both
government and commercial customers.
We have developed a game called “Stump
the Storeys.” This game has become
popular because it allows us to prove to
our audience in real time that the gov-
ernment buys everything. We pull out
our laptop, go live on the Internet and
challenge the audience to name some-
thing they are trying to sell. We tell
them we can find where the govern-
ment wants to buy it right before their
very eyes. So far, we have not been
stumped.
Doña Storey has been a business owner for over 30 years with more than half that time contracting with the federal government. Storey has authored a book series focused on government contracting and is a sought-after speaker nationally on this topic. She also travels around the nationwide training others how to successfully break down the myths and increase their bottom line
through government contracting. Visit www.govtips.biz.
