Government Contracting, Winning Government Bids with a GSA Contract

Many companies try to acquire a GSA Contract by themselves, and it usually takes too long or is never finished. This is because acquiring a GSA Contract is a big process. Going back to the house-building analogy, carpenters have many tricks-of-the-trade to build the house stronger and quicker. Also, a carpenter is very experienced in home-building. When a company tries to acquire a GSA Contract themselves, they do not know the logical or natural methods in the process.

It is not cheap getting on schedule with GSA Contract Services, but even the GSA recommends that you use a specialist. Still, many companies decide to do it themselves. I will now outline several ways getting a GSA Contract without a specialist can be dangerous to your business.

Liability of making a mistake in the GSA Contract

The process is long and tedious, and very error-prone. It is certain that inexperience will show when someone a completing the GSA Contract. An error in your initial submission of the GSA Contract can leave you open to a huge liability. The mistake will not be set in stone, there are ways to reverse and error, but they take very long to correct. Meanwhile your company will be left exposed, possibly with a clause in the contract that was improperly completed. A mistake in your GSA Contract usually translates to big dollar losses or dissatisfied customers.

You may never get your GSA Contract

Most companies that set out to acquire their GSA Contract in-house will never finish. The process is long and tedious to those who have no experience with a GSA Contract. The poor soul that has to learn this giant process, while also expected to complete their current responsibilities is doomed for failure. This may seem like an exaggeration, but it is not. A GSA Contract is hundreds of pages with confusing questions about shipping terms, product categorization, Trade Act compliance, and many more. After a first timer finishes completing the GSA Contract, they will likely realize that they started in the middle of the process, and they are nowhere near being done. Getting your GSA Schedule Contract is naturally frustrating, and without experience it is nearly impossible.

It makes financial sense to have a company acquire your GSA Contract

If you or an employee are learning how to acquire a GSA Contract, then you are not focussing on the profit centers of your business. The time and efforts that go into acquiring a GSA Contract by an employee will be done inefficiently and slowly, and it is a learning process that will never be used again. Would you learn Japanese to use it once and never use it again? By using a GSA Acquisition company, you and your employees can focus on getting daily tasks completed, while the GSA Contract is handled by a professional. Also, every day without a GSA Contract you are losing money. So, if an expert is working on getting your company on GSA schedule, then you will benefit in the federal market much sooner. You should sit down and do the math. Take into account the salary or wage of the person you have working on the GSA Contract, then calculate the cost of having them work on the project part time for 6-9 months. After you figure out the dollar amount this is will cost you, getting your GSA Contract from an experienced company will be in the context it should be in.

If you are serious about federal marketing, then a GSA Contract is the first step, and you must go with a company with experience. Of course, it may seem expensive for their GSA Services, but after your GSA Contract is in hand then your company will be on your way to winning the large federal bids you set out to in the first place.