As the new year unfolds, it’s a perfect time to be intentional and design your business to be more successful in the government contracting marketplace. This article will guide you through the crucial steps of goal setting, planning, and implementing the best strategies to succeed in the B2G market.

Embracing Education: The Foundation of Success

Your first step towards a prosperous year in government contracting is investing in yourself. This means delving into continuous learning to stay abreast of the latest technologies and market trends. Consider joining professional associations, enrolling in specialized training programs, and reading extensively.

Websites like www.govassociation.org, www.capturemanagement.org, www.nasbc.org, and www.nagc.us, among others, offer valuable resources to enhance your knowledge base.

Setting Effective Goals: The Blueprint of Achievement

Setting goals is an art. It starts with writing them down, transforming intangible dreams into tangible targets. Follow these guidelines to set effective goals:

1. Write Your Goals Down: This simple act makes your goals concrete and memorable.
2. Focus on Performance-Oriented Goals: These are within your control, unlike results-oriented goals, which depend on external factors.
3. Choose Goals You’re Passionate About: This ensures motivation even during challenging times.
4. Be Realistic: Set challenging yet achievable goals, considering your experience and resources.
5. Be Specific and Clear: Vague goals lead to vague results. Define them clearly.
6. Maintain Balance: Remember to set personal, fun, spiritual, and philanthropic goals alongside business objectives.

Taking Action: The First Steps Towards Realization

With your goals set, it’s time to act. Commit to your goals, communicate them to garner support but beware of naysayers. Regularly revisit your goals to keep them at the forefront of your mind. Envision your goals vividly, as if they are already happening. Take small, consistent steps towards your goals, and be ready to make sacrifices. This balance of vision and practical action is the key to success.

Choosing the Right Strategies

As we venture into the realm of government contracting, understanding the art of goal setting, education, planning, and execution is crucial. However, to truly thrive, it’s essential to integrate both short-term and long-term strategies alongside advanced contracting acquisition strategies.

Short-Term Strategies: Laying the Groundwork

As you design your business for this year, consider these key short-term strategies:

1. Start as a Subcontractor: Begin by working with prime contractors to gain experience.
2. Engage in Micro-Purchases and Credit Card Orders: Target contracts less than $10K and $25K respectively.
3. Utilize Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP): Focus on requests for quotations or purchase orders under $250K.
4. Build a Strong Capture Team: Include roles like proposal writer, capture manager, HR, CPA, and legal advisors.
5. Develop Your Past Performance (PP): Most proposals you submit will require past performance or references of previous projects.
   • Start with low dollar value contracts (micro/SAP), 
   • Use teaming partners’ past performance, 
   • Pursue more commercial projects to build PP, 
   • Become a Tier 1 or Tier 2 sub to build PP
6. Opt for Lower Profit Margins Initially: This can help in gaining initial contracts, then balance your focus between the following:
   • Fed vs SLED: 80% Fed focus / 20% SLED focus approach
   • Best Value vs LPTA
   • Federal: 60% Best Value vs 40% LPTA
   • SLED: 20% Best Value vs 80% LPTA
7. Obtain Small Business Certifications: These can open doors to set-aside and sole source contracts.
8. Invest in Infrastructure and Branding: Create a strong presence that attracts government buyers.
9. Specialize and Define a Niche Market: Start with a focused product or service.
10. Financial Preparedness: Ensure you have the necessary funding and credit lines in place.
11. Develop Pricing Strategies: Understand and formulate your pricing structure effectively.
12. Proposal Writing and Resources: Learn this skill or outsource it.
13. Cultivate Key Relationships and Networks: This includes building a ‘Dream 100’ list of potential clients and partners.
14. Explore SBIR/STTR Grants and Challenge Competitions: Look for opportunities that align with your business.
15. Engage in Coopetition: Cooperate with competitors to form teaming relationships.

Advanced Contracting Acquisition Strategies

Here are some more advanced techniques to help you design your business:

1. Pursue Unsolicited Proposals: A less common but effective approach to win sole source contracts.
2. Utilize Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs): These can be highly beneficial and bypass some traditional procurement processes.
3. Respond to Broad Agency Announcements (BAA): Provide unique solutions to agency-identified problems.
4. Join Accelerators: Collaborate with agencies and private sector leaders for growth and innovation. These are my suggestions: 

www.GovAccelerator.org | www.CaptureManagement.org

Long-Term Contracting Strategies

For sustainable growth, consider these long-term strategies:

1. Establish Joint Ventures and Mentor-Protégé Relationships: These can expand your capabilities and market reach.
2. Expand Geographically: Consider opening offices in key government markets.
3. Diversify as a Generalist: Broaden your market scope based on your and your partners’ capabilities.
4. Choose an Appropriate Exit Strategy: Whether building a legacy company or preparing for a sale, align your strategy with your end goals.
5. Create Passive Revenue Streams: Develop a model for long-term sustainability through diverse revenue types.
6. Develop a Small Business Program: This becomes vital as your business grows and transitions from a small to a larger entity.
7. Focus on Control: Mastering contract control is key in government contracting.

These strategies provide a roadmap for establishing and growing a successful government contracting business. In designing your business for success, balance immediate actions with long-term planning and embrace some of these advanced techniques. As you implement these strategies, monitor your progress and adapt as necessary to ensure the best outcomes for your business.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Abraham Xiong, CCM™

Abraham Xiong is a small business advocate, social entrepreneur, executive trainer, technology enthusiast, business coach, and community leader. He is the Founder of www.GovAssociation.org and www.GovGenie.com, which are organizations assisting small businesses to access more contract opportunities in the B2G marketplace. He can be reached at: info@govcontractors.org