Category Archives: Small Business

Government Contracts – “To bid or not to bid”

Knowing when and why to “bid or not to bid” is a business decision we face as business owners on most days, especially, if you are doing business with the government.   As a business consultant I’ve seen it time and time again. … Continue reading

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Are You Ready to do Business?

We’ve seen the numbers and we still wonder where the large percent of small businesses in the United States are located.   More important are they really doing business?  Yes, they are – take a look at the government stats – they … Continue reading

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Success – Government Buying Trends in 2013

Future business trends for the government and USA small business contractors is looking good!  If you take a look around you’ll notice more small businesses are getting loans.  Ok, that doesn’t mean the banks are just handing it out – you … Continue reading

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Perfecting Your Small Business Salesmanship

As a business mentor, I find small business owners know their product, but few have mastered the ability to clearly explain what they offer and exactly what the benefits are to the customer. The goal is to leave a lasting … Continue reading

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Small Business Network Marketing

I recently attended a small business event where the major primes were in search for a new breed of small business subcontractors.  The event was in response to “we can’t find any small businesses”.   I believe what they meant to say is … Continue reading

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Small Business and Fixed Price Contracts

It’s not as difficult as it seems.  Deciding to do business with the government requires some patience and a learning curve.  First you need to know what type of contract fits your business model.  Let’s talk about fixed price contracts and … Continue reading

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2013 Marketing Small Businesses

No matter what the state of the economy as a small business  it’s about staying ahead of the competition and surviving.   The best advice I received during my early days as a business owner was to “look for market segments where … Continue reading

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2013 New Year Preparations for Small Business

Here’s come the new year filled with expectations and unknown certainties for all businesses.  As small businesses regroup from the mad dash of the holidays, they began preparing to do business using their new found strategies, and improved processes with … Continue reading

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Doing Business with Government

The government is very motivated when purchasing supplies and services from local suppliers and small diversified companies.  Small businesses need to take advantage of searching for government opportunities in their own backyards during fiscal year end.  The reason is simple, less competition in … Continue reading

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Virtual Leadership in Small Business

 During my early career, communications were delivered via fax, telecons and conferences. Today, we have access to the world using a variety of Internet platforms to communicate and send messages in real time environments.  As business and technology move at high speed, new … Continue reading

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Navigating a Small Business to Maturity

Growing a small business is no easy task, it’s a challenge, as well as, a learning curve that ultimately turns into a growth curve!    In the beginning, whether you are an entrepreneur or a small business owner, you will be wearing several hats to keep the … Continue reading

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Management Cycles for Small Business

 Large businesses appear to loom over small business and the largest business in the USA is the Federal government.  Surprisingly, no matter the size of the business they share common internal functions for operations, ensuring order and maintaining consistency for … Continue reading

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Small Business and Change Management

This week was interesting, filled with changes in the weather, the price of gas and the cost of doing business.   As small business owners, our lives are consistently filled with change to accommodate the market place and our customers.  Our … Continue reading

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Why Business Development is Critical

In a roundtable session, I recently had an interesting conversation about company positions and functions – the question was, which position in a company is critical to its success. The majority of small business owners believe that the company’s concept … Continue reading

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Business Opportunities and Fiscal Year End Calendars

Small businesses who have been doing business with government, understand the business opportunities available at this time of year. Great beginnings start with knowing the preferred buyers in your area.  If you’re new to the arena, look for a partnering … Continue reading

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Early Stages Small Business Brand Developments

Understanding how company branding works, and accepting the challenges of doing business, actually set the stage for your company’s path to success.  While, these two business actions are developing, your company’s presence and values are being established in the marketplace.  Small businesses need to know your market and your customer to create … Continue reading

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Small Business, Government Regulations and Protocols

Doing business with the government is systematic in all situations.  Small businesses sometimes have difficulty during the early stages of pursuing government contract awards because they haven’t taken the time to really understand the rules and procedures. 

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Back to Business Basics

I recently met with a small company who lost the opportunity to bid on a contract that they were more than qualified to support.  During my review and analysis of the company’s business development and marketing strategies, it became clear … Continue reading

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GSA Requirements for Doing Business with Government

If you’ve been to a small business networking event lately to learn about doing business with government, you’ve heard the term GSA (General Services Administration).   This sector of government business isn’t much different when it comes to business requirements.

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Small Business & Quality Management Systems

Why is a Quality Management Systems (QMS) an essential tool for small businesses doing business with government?  The first business benefit to the small business is profitability.  Quality systems are preventative actions, it eliminates potential duplication of costs pertaining to materials and … Continue reading

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