My GSA Misadventure
There is good that has come out of this ill-fated and completely avoidable misadventure trying to get onto the GSA Schedule. The process and requirements forced me to focus and articulate my areas of expertise. I had to give serious thought to what differentiates my services from others who work in similar areas. And I learned some hard lessons.
Mom Blogs: What Are the Benefits?The emergence of mommy bloggers is a direct result of women’s desire to work online from home and build a community of like-minded friends. These blogs differ in content from other types of blogs by focusing mainly on topics revolving around the home, family matters, spiritual issues or work at home topics. While on the surface these mom blogs may seem like a way to pass the time, there are actually many other real benefits to running one.
Small Business Marketing to the Federal GovernmentOnce my company was finally on the GSA MOBIS Schedule, the next step was marketing. First, we needed a mailing list.The marketing company I hired gave me a list of 100’s of government contracts to sift through to identify: (1) the contracts relevant to my services, (2) the government agencies that purchased those services; and (3) the names and phone numbers of the purchasing agents for those agencies.
No Magic Pipeline to Federal Contracts – Part TwoIt sounded so very promising: “Contractors will receive a Contract Award and GSA Schedule Contract Number approximately a week after submitting the Final Proposal Revision. Once awarded, you may begin selling from your Schedule immediately.” This was much easier said than done.
A GSA Schedule Cautionary TaleMy company has been on the GSA MOBIS Schedule for nine months, with absolutely no success. Why? The answer is very simple and I am glad to share it with you, in the hope that my sad tale saves someone else from this costly and time-consuming misery.