Building Your Business Development Toolkit Tuesday, May 24, 2011 Nicole Hansma Senior Program Manager, CRP Support NISH National Business Development
Today’s Topics • Building relationships with Federal Customers • Marketing to potential Federal Customers • NISH resources to help you grow business • Tips for success! • NISH Prime Contractor Programs update
Building Relationships Knowing Your Customer
Where Do You Begin? • What Federal Agencies are in your area? – – – – –
Google search www.fedbizopps.gov E-Pipeline (Fee) NPA Procurement Opportunities (NISH website) www.usaspending.gov
Where Do You Begin? • What information can you find out about them? – Research government websites: www.usa.gov
• What are their spending patterns and where can you fit in? • How far are you willing to travel? Are you looking for products or services?
Develop Your Strategy • What is your marketing strategy? – What is your message to customers?
• Do you have a business plan? – Have you conducted market research?
• Who are your potential competitors? – What can you offer that sets you apart from them?
• Do you want/need a partner?
Business Planning • What are customers looking for? – Best product or service – Lowest price and best quality – On-time delivery
• Business Plans – Start with research – Who are going to be your largest competitors – How are you going to bring additional “value” to your customer
Marketing To Potential Federal Customers Speak The Language Of Your Customer
Get The Ball Rolling • Attend events held at Federal facilities in your area – Grab a newspaper while on base to learn what is happening – Sign up for golf outings or attend special events
• Involve your Board members • Hire a business development person with a contracting background and established contacts
Get the Ball Rolling • Advertise in Industry publications – Hit your main target audience – Some examples of publications running AbilityOne Ads: • • • • • • •
Government Procurement Contract Management Government Executive Federal Times Mail Magazine Government Food Services Government Fleet
Who Are Your Targets? • Complete research on your potential customers – Goals, mission, procurement history – Who has the purchasing power?
• Create a specific presentation for this potential customer – Secure an initial meeting – Bring in NISH Business Development to support you – Bring along customer references and referrals
Marketing Tools • Create a Capabilities Statement – – – –
Snapshot for the customer Speaks to your audience Easy to communicate and understand Money/time saving marketing tool • Can send as part of your follow up email • Can format to use at trade shows
Marketing Tools • What is included in a capabilities statement? – Generally a brief 1-2 page summary of your capabilities
• Highlights: – – – – – –
Areas of expertise Customers Successes Government codes Contact info Description of facilities and equipment
NISH Resources
Marketing Tools • NISH/AbilityOne logos and other marketing materials – www.NISH.org > For Non profits > Marketing Tools – Youtube videos – Resources to support National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) – Co-branding opportunities with NISH • pscanlon@nish.org
– Much, much more!!!!
NISH Training Resources • AbilityOne Business Development Seminar • Business Line Specific Training – – – – – –
Total Facilities Management (TFM) Hospitality Contact Center Document Destruction Secure Mail Fleet
• Subcontracting • Marketing
NISH Financial Resources • AbilityOne CRP Worker Support Grant (For: Disability Documentation or Security Clearance)
• Capacity Building and Capital Equipment Lease Programs • Capital Equipment Loan Program • Contact Center Services Financial Assistance Program Due December 8, 2010 -- CLOSED FOR 2011 • Interest-Free Revolving Loan Fund Program • Line of Business Specific Assistance Management Assistance Grant Program • New Lines-of-Business Scholarship Pilot Program • Strategic Growth Loan Program
Other Tips • Review B1 Transparency process (Project Distribution) • Erases Regional boundaries • Attend sessions at this conference to learn best practices when completing your responses
• Utilize GSA Schedule/Federal Supply Schedule to increase footprint and open doors • Partner with other CRPs or Commercial firms to expand footprint
Other Tips • Host regular Legislative days • Bring in your local Representatives to tour your organization and build support
• Create a business advisory council – Cross-functional team to help diversify your approach to business development
More Tips • Engage your Regional Office Business Development Teams – Bring in NISH BD Managers to assist you when you have secured a marketing visit or have a customer wanting to partner with you – Keep NISH staff in the know if you are working with customers – BD Managers assist with sales, pricing, and contract start up support so take advantage of resources – If you have questions on posted AbilityOne opportunities you can contact the Project Manager of that opportunity for clarification
More Tips Utilize NISH Line of Business Managers • Industry expertise – Project startup support – Equipment recommendations – Quality management – Best practices • Capacity/Capability Development – Training • Business line overviews • Competency-based development – Industry information/resources – Information on suppliers, equipment, tools, etc.
More Tips • Utilize NISH Grassroots Programs – CEO Fly-in – Grassroots Event
• Sign up for Capwiz – http://capwiz.com/nish • Attend Regional NCWC Conferences
Prime Contractor Program: A New Tool in your BD Toolkit
Melissa McKenzie Senior Program Manager Prime Contractor Programs
Focus of Prime Contractor Program • Program Objectives – Facilitate subcontracts between Prime Contractors and NISH CPRs • On Competitive Solicitations • On NISH Set-Aside contracts – Assist Prime Contractors in their selection of qualified and capable NISH CRPs – Assist CRPs in responding to Prime Contractor requirements for subcontracts – Work directly with Federal Contracting personnel to develop AbilityOne subcontract requirements
Focus of the Prime Contractor Program • Program Objectives (cont.) – Serve as NISH central point of coordination for Prime Contractor relationships (AbilityOne and NonAbilityOne) • Increase awareness of CRP capabilities • Develop projects awarded with AbilityOne subcontracting goals • Facilitate CRP engagement through Sources Sought Notices and other outreach • Increase contract/subcontract opportunities – Program scope is not commercial
2011: Prime Contractor Projects • Working with Primes and CRPs to Achieve AbilityOne Subcontracting goals – SOFSA (Special Operations Forces Supply Activity Contract) – MiDAESS (Missile Defense Agency Engineering and Support Services Contract) – Military OneSource – Military Family Life Counseling
• Tracking progress of Corporate level Agreements for “proactive” Prime Contractors • Working with Contracting Personnel on several large and significant solicitations with AbilityOne requirement • Opportunity Development for Corporate level subcontracting with Primes (Recycling, Scanning, Manufactured Products, Assembly and Kitting)
Prime Contractor Session
To learn more, attend the Prime Contractor Program Overview session on Wednesday, 1:30 pm
Upcoming NISH Trainings
Courses to help you grow!!
Fleet Training • June 15 – Webinar – Customer Service Agreements 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Eastern Time
• August 17 – Clean by Steam – “Hands-On” training sponsored by Steamericas – Carson, CA
• September 15 – Clean by Steam – “Hands-On” training sponsored by SteamJet – Dallas, TX
• October 4-5 – Fleet Institute Training - Joint Base LewisMcChord, Tacoma, WA
Hospitality Training • September 14-15 Atlanta, GA – Property Management and First Sergeant’s Barracks Program (FSBP) Business Development 1
• July 12-15 Seattle, WA November 29–December 2 San Antonio, TX – Property Management and First Sergeant’s Barracks Program (FSBP) Business Development 2
Contact Center Training • JUNE 14-15 Atlanta, GA – Business Plan Preparation
• JUNE 15-16 Atlanta, GA – Business Development
Stay Tuned • New CRP Capabilities tool to be launched in the fall – Keep checking the NISH website for updates – Will help NISH market to Federal Customers on the overall capabilities of the AbilityOne network
• Don’t forget to attend the B1 Best Practices session – Project distribution is a competitive process so you must arm yourself with the best tools to compete with other CRPs
Questions??? Comments??? Thank you for attending!
Session Evaluation Information
SESSION TITLE: Toolkit SESSION CODE: BD-T300