Selling to the Government

PTAC has worked with US Foam and Etch for several years now and has recently assisted with facilitating introductions to other GSA providers that could benefit from their services. PTAC has been very encouraging as well as proactive in the efforts to assist the client. PTAC brought an opportunity to client that has proven invaluable, a business valuation thru the MBA program at Wake Forest University.

Helen is candid about the initial difficulty of breaking into government contracting and the complexity of contract jargon. “Some of the language is so dreadful and difficult to parse – without the help of the local PTAC counselor, I would never even have pursued government contracting.”

Our annual revenue has grown a minimum of 10%. In the last year we have placed 35 to 40 employees with federal contracts that we received with the help of the SBTDC and we placed approximately 2000 employees throughout the Southeast. We have a total of three federal contracts, one of which is expanding and those probably generate three-quarters of a million annually.

DD Consulting and Management is a certified minority-owned business that provides an array solutions and services for data storage management, backup and long term archiving of healthcare data and surveillance data.  The company targeted the government contracting market to expand and diversify its client base.

The company worked with the Charlotte PTAC to connect and build relationships with state and municipal government agencies and to receive guidance on structuring and submitting proposals. David Batie, Managing Partner of DD Consulting and Management, noted that as a result of that assistance, the company received an award with the police department of Riverdale, GA. The award provided a solution to the police department that saved them significant costs by consolidating police body cameras, patrol in-car cameras and interrogation room videos into one system.

David noted, “My partners and I feel the input from the Charlotte PTAC kept us on track and helped to void those mistakes that can derail a small business from getting started in the local, state and federal market.”

SBTDC and PTAC assistance has included helping Prometheus define their labor categories and rates for government bidding, providing advice on teaming arrangements and bidding practices, facilitating a strategic planning process to streamline the company’s internal operations and management practices, and matching the client with a Western Carolina University student team that conducted a situation analysis for a new product the company was considering bringing to market. Prometheus has built a strong track record of success in the Federal marketplace.

PTAC has provided Joyce & Associates with Contract Solicitation interpretation services and assistance with regulations that have been incorporated into their contracts by reference or full text. Joyce and Associates overall outlook on the future of Federal Government Construction Contracting is good.

Created in 2015, Trans-Utility Services (TUS) is an industry leader in transformer oil processing. The company’s equipment capabilities enable them to do degasification, vacuum filling, thermal cleaning, retrofilling, and hot oil dryouts.

Jim Scandrol, VP of Sales Operations, contacted his local PTAC Counselor for assistance as the firm expanded into the government market. Through the collaboration between Jim and his PTAC counselor, Trans-Utility Services has obtained their first work on a government facility in the form of a subcontract with a large prime to be performed in 2017. This is an exciting step into a new market.

Valet Dry Cleaning and Laundry Service, Inc. is a minority-owned SDVOSB company based in Fayetteville, NC. Actively in business since November 2012, they provide pickup and delivery dry cleaning services, and have been a client of the SBTDC and NC PTAC since October 2012.

Over the last four years, SBTDC Business Counselors and his PTAC Counselor have routinely met with the client to assist him his company’s capabilities to achieve his goal of making government contracting a significant part of his company’s revenue stream. With each opportunity the client has pursued, he has been very receptive to the assistance given to him by the PTAC counselor, and continues to improve his operations and personal capabilities.

Creative Management Staffing Services is a small staff augmentation and recruiting firm. Started in 2013 by veteran Craig Gorham, the company was created with the mission to support disabled veterans and other service veterans transitioning or retiring from the military. By providing variety of staffing services, Creative Management Staffing Services matches specifically skilled veteran and non-veteran workers with clients in a wide range of industries.

Craig first contacted his PTAC for assistance with navigating the government marketplace. With his mission of assisting veterans in finding employment, Craig felt that government agencies and prime contractors would good potential markets. After working with his PTAC counselor on basic registrations, Craig began to search for opportunities within his niche. As the business grew through relationships with prime contractors such as SAS Institute, Craig recognized that he was ready to pursue 8(a) certification. His counselors helped him prepare his application, respond to inquiries, and understand the certification process.

Craig was ultimately successful in his pursuits and obtained 8(a) certification in early 2016. He continues to work with his PTAC counselor for guidance on how to make the most of certification program. Since becoming certified, Craig has continued to explore numerous subcontracting and prime contracting opportunities, while continuing to grow his commercial business. Even with his growth, Craig continues to remain focused on helping veterans find employment and is an active member of the NC Veteran’s Business Association. For more information on CMSS, please visit their website at cmsstaffing.org.

SIMPLY VIRTUAL is a certified minority and woman-owned small business that provides an array of professional consulting, training and project management services. Located in Charlotte, NC, the company has applied professional and imaginative best practice solutions to a myriad of business problems for nearly 20 years.

Nikita Devereaux, CEO of SIMPLY VIRTUAL, targeted the government contracting market to expand the company’s client base. Devereaux worked with the Charlotte PTAC office to connect and build relationships with prime contractors, review national labor rates to ensure competitive pricing for clients and to receive guidance on structuring and submitting proposals. Devereaux noted, as a result of that assistance, the company received an award and was placed on an approved listing of Professional Services Consultants firms for the City of Durham in North Carolina.

The client has been very receptive to PTAC assistance, and has spent the time and effort necessary to effectively market their services in the government contracting arena. In 2015 their efforts have been rewarded with a sales increase of over 51% compared to 2014. Though the government contracting performed in 2015 has been largely local and State subcontracting business, the government contracting segment of their business now accounts for 58% of their yearly gross sales.

Expert Education and Training, LLC (EET) was founded by Shawn Livingston in 2012 with the mission of providing professional program management, administrative, financial and support services to the federal government and commercial clients. As an Army Veteran, Shawn had extensive military experience draw upon when starting his business and saw some early success as a subcontractor to other small businesses and primes.

In 2015, Shawn’s sister Jackie decided to join his business to help move it to the next level. Recognizing the value of certifications, Jackie contacted the NC PTAC for assistance with the VA’s Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business verification. Jackie, Shawn, and their PTAC counselor had several meetings to review their application prior to submission. Their PTAC counselor also helped them address requests for explanation and additional documentation as their application was being reviewed. The team was ultimately successful and EET received SDVOSB verification in November of 2015. Since receiving the verification, Jackie and Shawn have continued to work with their PTAC counselor on finding opportunities, and have engaged with SBTDC general business counselors for marketing assistance. Congratulations to EET! For more information about EET, visit www.xpertedu.com.

KAG1 is a small, minority, service-disabled veteran business in the wholesale distribution of electronic parts and headed up by Keith Anderson. Keith met with the Charlotte PTAC and was provided counseling on pursuing government contracting opportunities at each level of government: local, state and federal. Counseling included how to effectively reach out to small business counselors at federal agencies and also a discussion of government socio economic preference programs. The company was successful in obtaining the NC HUB certification and also contacting the regional GSA OSDBU where contacts were subsequently made with potential primes.

Keith Anderson notes, “I just want to take a moment to say I am truly grateful for your commitment and dedication to helping small businesses like KAG1, Incorporated. We found ourselves in need of your support and you came through for us. With your help, I was able to meet with a GSA building manager for this region to talk about federal subcontracting and he was very helpful. In addition, thanks to you my company is now HUB-certified.” Learn more about KAGI at www.kag1inc.net.

Mind Your Business has accomplished impressive results in government sales, including award of a GSA schedule contract for background screening and EEO services, certification as an 8a firm by the Small Business Administration, recognition for owner Karen Caruso as the NC Small Business Person of the Year in 2011, and countless contract awards across a broad range of Federal, state and local agencies. The business has steadily grown their government sales to an all-time high in 2015, with no sign of slowing down.

PTAC has been extremely beneficial in providing expert assistance with identification of products and services customers may need that MIS provides, performing market research and assisting in interpreting requirements / regulations in preparing bids and proposals. The entire NC PTAC staff has been much appreciated by MIS for all the assistance and guidance.

Not surprisingly, the company also has an impressive track record selling its products to Federal agencies, including through GSA and to defense agencies. Past PTAC assistance has focused on registrations, how to locate opportunities, research on business development programs, navigating ordering and depot systems, and marketing the business to government customers.

Their PTAC counselor was able to make recommendations on formatting of files, details to include, and offered explanations for all of the certification requirements. Electric Motor Shop’s diligence did pay off, as the company became NC HUB certified in September.

As of this article, the client has secured four Task Orders on the contracts totaling $37,292.92 over a three-month period of performance. As these are five-year IDIQ’s, the client’s potential revenue for subcontracting during the life of the contracts could total almost $750,000 in federal government subcontracting revenue for his company. This will go a long way in “building” the financial track record performance section of his company’s capability statement in his NAICS.

The first contract I reviewed was 70 pages in length and almost made me think the business was not for us. After counseling with PTAC and much study Snider Fleet Solutions was able to start submitting bids. We won a 3-year contract in May 2012 and shipped our first order in December 2012.

Although Workforce has a presence on the U.S. Coast Guard Base in Elizabeth City, they had the desire to expand their services to various military bases in North Carolina.  A project manager for Workforce Resources attended an industry day event in Philadelphia, PA. This is when Workforce Resources discovered the PTAC program.

PTAC assistance dates back to 2003, and has included early-stage assistance with locating target agencies and relevant contract opportunities, advice on strategies for marketing and outreach to potential agency customers, and more.

Most recently, TVS has continued its success with dry bakery flour mixes for domestic food distribution programs.  In November and December 2014, TVS won two contracts for dry mixes totaling more than $3.7 million.

They reached out to PTAC early in the process to learn more about government contracting, registrations requirements and certifications. They also needed assistance with marketing their products and getting their information out to government buyers on military bases and other facilities. Their persistence and hard work paid off when in 2010 they were awarded their GSA schedule.

The NC PTAC and SBTDC team have become my sounding boards and mentors as opportunities and challenges arise. They challenge us to dream bigger. I don’t know where CMT would be without the support of the SBTDC.