In some ways, marketing to the federal government is just like marketing to other businesses: You have to find out who is buying your product or service, and then reach out to them directly. Luckily, there are two largely underutilized, yet extremely effective resources which can help you do just this.
The first thing small business owners can do to get the attention of Government Buyers is to create a profile on the SBA’s Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS). The DSBS is one of the primary tools used by procurement officers to find and research small businesses when awarding contracts. In addition, small businesses can also use the DSBS to perform their own research. By finding competing companies under your same keywords, you can check out their qualifications and past contracts, and then tweak your own profile to better appeal to potential buyers.
The next tool available to small businesses is the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS.gov). While this search tool may not be user friendly, it is well worth the trouble to use. This search allows you to find past contracts awarded for your line of business within your geographic region. By performing this search, you not only find out what contracts you could have worked in the past, who they were awarded to and how much the contracts were worth. You also learn which agencies have a need for your type of business in your area and how to contact those agencies directly.
Once you’ve narrowed down the agencies who would be most interested in your product or service, you can contact them directly to introduce yourself and express your interest in working with them. Don’t know what to say to catch procurement officers’ interest? Keep checking our blog for future articles explaining what federal buyers want to hear!