Month: June 2020

059: Bobby Brown, Broco Oil -Building a major oil company one truck at a time.

Posted on by Eric Coffie

Bobby Brown, CEO of Broco Oil is a FT firefighter and manages to build a Veteran-owned small business company of the year in 2019. For all those that think you have to pick between a FT job and growing a business think again. Bobby says that 80 – 100 hour weeks are normal. Not one to run away from hard work that’s all he ever knew. He actually says that he just puts his head down and just works hard. One thing that sets him apart from competitors is he puts his face out in front of the company. You will get him or one of his employees to show up to your location. This story goes in many directions, we take you from Broco Oil servicing hurricanes and disaster relief efforts, summer camps, posting on IG, how he acquired his latest facility and the hidden treasure that came with the purchase.

Starting with an old fuel truck and $25,000 SBA loan him and his wife went to work building Broco Oil. No banks would approve him, so he hustled his way to success. Today the company has more than 35 trucks and 50 employees. He is one of the humblest guests I’ve interviewed this year. Let’s give it up for first responder and Govcon Giant, Bobby Brown.

Proposal writing, responding to a beta.sam RFP, RFQ

Posted on by Eric Coffie

We get it! You are a small business just getting started in the federal market. And you just put up with your first gigantic proposal that is quite overwhelming especially if you’ve never seen a federal Request for Proposals (RFP) or Request for Quotes (RFQ) before.

However, you don’t have to worry as in this article. We’ll take a look at the solicitation structure and on how we can make it easier for you to navigate and determine whether or not you should proceed with pursuing the RFP/RFQ.

THE SOLICITATION STRUCTURE

Today, we’ll be breaking down the solicitation structure into four parts. However, please be advised that although this applies to the majority of solicitation, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. 

But with the majority of RFPs out there, especially if you go on Fedbizopps or any other bids sites that you are looking for actual solicitation. This will be an informative and helpful guide to know where to look and what each element means.

With that said, let’s start off with part one of the actual solicitation schedule. Again, the solicitation is broken into four parts.

The first part is called the Schedule. This where you’re going to have several sections that correspond to a specific element. These sections are:

 

  • Section A is the actual solicitation. 
  • Section B talks about the price and Fee Schedule.
  • Section C is the scope of work.
  • Section D packaging and marketing.
  • Section E is about inspection acceptance.
  • Section F is for deliverables or performance.
  • Section G is for your contract administration data, 
  • Section H special contract requirements.
  • Section I is for Contract Clauses
  • Section J is for List of Attachments
  • Section K is Representations, Certifications
  • Section L is Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors
  • Section M is Evaluation Factors for Award 

Don’t worry, we’re going to touch base on every single one of these sections later on. However, let’s continue with the other parts.

Part two in the solicitation is going to cover your Actual Contract Clauses. Part three is your list of documents, attachments, exhibits. And part four is about representations and certifications. 

Section A – Actual Solicitation and Contract Form

So let’s talk about part one section A, the actual solicitation and contract form. This is the very first page that you’re going to see when you pull down one of these monstrous or lengthy Requests for Proposals/RFPs.

When you look at the first page it may include the actual solicitation. It’s gonna have on it the details on whoever placed the offer up. This will include the agency’s name, their address, and contact information. 

If you are the one who submitted the RFP, you will find there the standard boxes that are going to ask for your information and you’re gonna have to fill those out.

It will also include the signature page where you sign the delivery location, the proposal due date, and other requirements.

Section B –  Price and Fee Schedule

Section B is typically found right after the first page. Depending on how long Section A is, what immediately follows should be the prices and fee schedule.

Most of us are familiar with Section B because we go straight away to this part as we’d want to know what the government’s price cap is. What they’d do on the government’s or on the federal side, they’d refer to these prices as CLIN or Contract Line Item Numbers.

A CLIN is a line that simply means that the lists of the services and products to be delivered must not exceed a particular price. 

Also, Section B is where you’re going to find a brief description of the actual supplies and the services along with that clin number.

And others usually tell you about the quantity in terms of units and then the price per unit they’d want. And when you add it together, it’ll give you a total and then you sum that total for a number of CLIN.

Section C – Scope of Work

Here in Section C, this where the RFP will have the scope of work description, specs, things like that. It usually fits a small section that doesn’t require an attachment. But if it’s a larger spec section let’s say 30, 40, 50, pages long.

They may take it and create a separate document and it is just referenced that they read for attachment.

To clarify, this Section C is where you’re gonna find exactly what it is that the government wants you to do. And what is it that they’re looking for.

We want to point out that Section C can be confusing. Because when you’re looking through this section, the samples you’ll find on the internet will differ from the actual words on the a proper RFP.Be mindful that sometimes it’s not going to just pop out like it’s not bold or all uppercase letters or underline the actual section header is a smaller font and it’s less. And it might be  a lot of you guys out there you may find when you’re scrolling through all this stuff you don’t notice where the sections start and end.

The sections will just kind of intertwine with previous sections and if you’re not careful you won’t even notice where they start and stop.

Section D – Packaging and Marking

This section is typically not used but that’s what it covers are special instructions for packaging and markings. There’s nothing much to discuss on this part.

Section E – Inspection Acceptance

Section E is a very important section because this part will talk about the quality requirements. Basically, this is where the government specifies what they are looking for in the materials in order to approve your payment.

Equate inspection acceptance to money. If you do meet the criteria specified in this part. The products you deliver to the government will be rejected and when it does, you won’t get paid.

So you have to make sure that when you’re negotiating the prices from your suppliers or vendors. They must follow and ensure that they meet the minimum requirements so when your products have been inspected. It will be approved or accepted and so that you guys can get paid.

This is usually the part where you talk about the notice of completing task orders. You have to tell them where they’re gonna be delivered and how it’s going to be delivered and things like that.

Section F – Deliveries or Performance

This section talks about the place of performance or where it is going to be done, the period of performance or the timeframe. Also, this will also mention any liquidated damages/.

If you don’t know what liquidated damages are. It’s like when you delay the project, the government charges you with a penalty.If you delay the project with the government, this section will cover how they may charge you a thousand dollars a day, or five hundred dollars a day for the delays.

So that’s liquidated damages. It tells you the scope of what triggers stop work orders and then it also tells you that if it’s the other way around. And the government happens to delay you. The implications will also be included on how you can recoup your lost time, money, efforts.

Section G – Contract AdministrationThis part covers information on accounting data, so for example, let’s say when you get the project. Section G will cover how you will receive your payment.  It can discuss whether you are gonna do invoicing. Or if you can do credit card payments.

To keep it simple, it will provide the terms and mode of payment that you can expect.

Section H – Special Contract Requirements

In this section, it will talk about safety regulations, fire protection, energy conservation and the like. You must make sure that you have fulfilled the insurance requirements and liability before you bid on this project.

Why? For those who are starting out. This section is a great way to assess your company.This is where you can look at what type of things you need to have in place if you are looking to pursue this project.

And again, this section is one way to find out whether you are ready or eligible to participate in these solicitations.

Section I – Contract Clauses 

This is standard stuff but to give you an example. If you have a product that needs to be imported from another country. You have to make sure that the clause doesn’t preclude or exclude that country like a “Do not Buy Lists”.

Section J – List of Attachments

For us, this section is gonna be one of the most important part as this will include the Department of Labor wage determination or also known as the Davis-Bacon wage act.

This particular section states how we’re supposed to pay the people who work on that job site. This is very important in essence because we need to know if our subcontractors get this particular wage rate.

So when they’re doing their payroll and they’re paying their people. They must comply with the government’s minimum standards.

Section K – Representation and Certifications

To be entirely honest, we don’t know why the federal government contracting continues this particular section in their projects.

This section can be confusing at times as it can be twenty to thirty pages long. But at the very beginning when you read the instructions carefully.

It says if you are registered in Sam then there’s no reason to include your reps and certs. So again when you’re reading through a proposal when you’re getting ready to submit make sure that you clearly understand what are the requirements for this project.

Because sometimes, they’ll tell you that it’s not needed if you’re already registered and Sam. But in most instances, if you are already registered in Sam then you don’t need to include this particular section.

Section L – Instructions, Conditions and Notices to Offerors

Section L is super important. This is your instructions, condition, and notices to offerors. Basically, this is talking about how the government is going to determine the best value of your approach and submissions.

 

Section M – Evaluation Factors for Awards

Just to share, whenever we get one of these RFPs and are getting ready to bid. The first two sections we look at are Section L and M.

Why? 

This is because we want to know if there’s an actual upcoming bid or meetings that we can go to in order to see the project. Because, we would hate to pool our resources on a project that we may have already gotten late. 

Because maybe, by the time we got wind of this project. A week has already passed by. However, visiting Section L, can help you determine the pre-proposal date. 

This is why we jump immediately to sections L and M because we want to know first of all when it’s the pre-bid date or pre-proposal date.

The other thing is that we want to know the criteria that the government is going to use to determine whether or not someone a company is eligible to participate. And that is the most important factor when you’re starting this thing out. Whether or not one is eligible.

DO YOU MEET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT?

Is your team eligible? Is your company eligible to participate? Do you meet the minimum requirements that the government’s asking for in order to be deemed acceptable to submit a bid or proposal on this?

Now, the government will not tell you whether or not you’re accepted but what they’re gonna tell you is how they rate the companies.

And so, if you’re rating isn’t high on this. Then it may be time for you to decide to make this one a “no- goal” and then spend your time doing another particular type of proposal.

But what we’d like for you to avoid is that. Others will go through the entire piece of this project first. They start getting prices and negotiate with their vendors but at the very end because this section is towards the very end. They’ll realize that they were not eligible in the first place to actually even bid the job.

So what you need to do before doing all those technicalities, is to find out immediately if you are eligible. 

Because for example, the government may ask for two years of past performance of doing this task. They might ask for you to show your history, your project size experience and more.

And if it’s historical, they may want to show you work in a historical venue. Or if it’s something like filming they want to make sure you use these types of cameras, this type of equipment.

So again, you’re gonna have to demonstrate your past history. And this is helpful as form the very beginning, you can determine if you have this particular eligibility.

So do we have this on our team? If not, then All right!Do we want to bring in a subcontractor that has this requirement, yes or no?Do we want to partner with another company and form an arrangement, yes or no?

Do we have someone on our side that has this requirement?

So again and knowing this information up front is tremendously valuable for everyone. As opposed to spending a whole lot of time putting together numbers and requesting bids from our subcontractors or suppliers or vendors but one isn’t even able to meet the requirements.

And so Sections, L and M is a very highly productive use of your energy and time when deciding to pursue a bid.

CONCLUSION

To recap the key elements of the solicitation. Section C, which is your performance work statement. Section L, proposal instructions and evaluation criteria.

Also make sure you check out any other sections for requirements, a lot of times they’ll have on their supplemental documents and the actual packages on other areas.

Lastly, if you decide that you’re going to do this. Your proposal outline must follow exactly the letter of the law that they’ve stated in Section M.

When you’ve put together a proposal and they say you have to format them in A, B, C, D, E. Make sure you write A, B, C, D, E.

If they want 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, make sure you write 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.Treat them as if they’re a bunch of robots. If they don’t see in there they’re the things that they’re laid out in the exact format that they’ve explicitly stated. Then it can disqualify you or you’re going to score really low on their rankings.

But, the federal government does this because if you look at it from their standpoint. They are evaluating tens of proposals and what better way to properly understand them is when they are all uniformed and consistent.

So do not stray away from the format that they explicitly state they want because it’s going to make it harder or more difficult for them to read.

As a parting note, remember Section M and section L, these sections are your friends. When you get one of these things and you pull it down make sure you understand and comply with these two sections before you go any further.

Darcella Craven—Chief Fear Conqueror and President of the Veteran Resource Business Center

Posted on by Linette Genao

Darcella CravenDarcella Craven, President and Chief Fear Conqueror of the Veterans Business Resource Center, VBRC, is a real champion for veterans. With a colorful personality, she shared exceptional and valuable information with us on the GOVCON GIANTS Podcast.

Thanks to Public Law 106-50 in 1999, the non-profit agency was created. Since 2004, Craven has assisted veterans with startups and expansions of small business, in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska and Southern Illinois.

However, they are also part of the nationwide Veterans Business Outreach Centers, VBOC, where they basically work as business consultants and assist in transitioning military members and their families.

Under that program, they conduct two-day entrepreneurship trainings on the military post, called “Boots To Businesses,” where experts in different fields come in to speak on a variety of topics and the directions you can go once you exit. They equip veterans with the knowledge and communication skills needed in their entrepreneurship journey.

With more than 18 million veterans in the US, either you or someone you know will be able to benefit from the information Darcella Craven gifts.

HOW DO YOU FIND OUT ABOUT VBOC?

  1. If you’re in the military, the TAP office will be the first place as you transition out.
  2. If you’re not on the military post, “Reboot Boots to Business” is the way to go.
  3. Sign up on their Facebook page, “Vetbiz.”
  4. Check out the website for a list of classes across the country.

TRANSITIONING OUT OF THE MILITARY, FEAR, AND STRUCTURE

american flagWith all of the resources available, it can become overwhelming to know which way to go. Naturally, there can also be a feeling of fear when trying to leave something you’ve been exposed to for so long and are transitioning into something new and less structured.

“In the military, I know when I’m getting up, where I’m supposed to be, what clothes I’m wearing. Someone tells me when I go to the dentist. Somebody tells me when I go to the doctor. Someone tells me when it’s time to eat and when it’s time to go home, right? Now, there’s a lot of flexibility in there doing my job, but quite frankly, it’s structured. One of the biggest things that we do hear from our clients is just the interpretation of when I get out, what? Who’s going to tell me what to do and how do I find that structure?” states Craven.

This can be scary. However, with proper guidance and community, it doesn’t have to be.

VBOC has 22 centers and while they all work a little bit differently, Craven focuses on “the why” of small business and directing people on a clear path. She focuses on mindset change and management of your language in small business.

“How we do it is, I don’t just say, ‘Hey, here’s a new resource, good luck.’ I say, ‘If you’re looking for this, use this resource. If you need this, go to this webinar.’ I try to make clear paths for people. There is so much information out there. You can completely get lost in it and then, you’re just swimming around in information and you don’t know how to use it.”

YOUR GOALS

goals- dart board

Identifying your goals is major when transitioning and to help keep you on track. Having a certification doesn’t automatically mean you will be making millions.

So where does this myth come from?

“It’s the guy in the question mark suit who at two o’clock in the morning. He said, ‘You’re missing out on all the free money.’ It’s bad information passed down from person to person. And quite frankly, it’s our American belief that there’s something out there that we’re all missing because I read a book and the guy said he was homeless one week and four weeks later he was a millionaire and he found the secret and I don’t have it.”

But according to Craven, that isn’t enough. It’s not concrete information.

“That’s wonderful when you’re reaching and you’re striving and you’re going for goals, but unfortunately, if we don’t also shore that up with actual facts and information and how to, then all you basically do is dream all day. So, part of what we’re supposed to do is help them go, okay, yeah, this is the big goal. The dream. The moonshot. Now, let’s see how you get there, right?”

SUPPORT

Continue reading “Darcella Craven—Chief Fear Conqueror and President of the Veteran Resource Business Center”

Sonia Mundra (AK): Doing Business as an Alaskan Native Corporation (ANC)

Posted on by Eric Coffie

You have to be prepared for an administrative burden when you start to do business with the federal government. Sonia Mundra, President of Chenega Analytics Business Solutions has provided us insight on how taxing and expensive government contracting can actually be.

However, Mundra is dedicated in sharing her expertise and helping entrepreneurs and businesses effectively navigate the process. Her discussion also provides an insider’s look into the tools and forming the right mindset needed in order to be successful in federal contracting.

 

ABOUT SONIA MUNDRA AND CHENEGA ANALYTICS

Last 2017, Ms. Sonia Mundra became the President of Chenega Analytics Business Solutions (CABS), a subsidiary of Chenega Corporation. They have been doing business with the federal government contracting community since 1989. 

Ms. Mundra has over 15 years of combined experience as a Certified Public Accountant, Project Management Professional (PMP), and a certified Government Blockchain Consultant. 

She is the professional that you’d want to consult when you consider diving into federal contracting processes and blockchains. She has assists federal and commercial agencies to implement information solutions that include storage, digitization, data migration, cloud storage, and security.

CABS is also a small disadvantaged business (SDB) who received its 8(a) certification last September 2018. They are also an Alaska Native Corporation (ANC), that enables them to receive direct awards from all federal government agencies up to $22M without the need for justification and approval. 

Their current contracts and past performance have nearly included all DoD agencies, DHS and most Fed Civ agencies.  

 

NUMBERS AND CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

Ms. Mundra has always been a numbers oriented person. But she advises businesses to not replace communication and relationships by relying purely on SLA’s as she believes it is a very tone-deaf thing to do.

“Customers still need TLC (Tender Love and Care) at times. And you gotta reach out and touch them to make sure that relationship is good,” she says.

SLAs or Service Level Agreements defines the level of service expected by a customer from a supplier. It lays out specific metrics that customers can answer or leave as a feedback.

Although SLAs are a critical component for any outsourcing and technology vendor contract, SLA can SLA metrics will vary depending on the services being provided. But its approach should be kept as simple as possible to avoid confusion and excessive costs.

 

CALCULATING PROBABILITY OF WIN

Truthfully, you won’t be able to see your future without looking at your past performances. Your previous stats are actually a great source for insight to your PWIN. However, what is Probability of Win, exactly?

Probability of Win (PWIN) is by its name the probability of winning a particular opportunity. It is a tool that can help you assess where you stand at a given point in time.

Although Ms. Mondra says that PWIN can be quite subjective. But when used properly, it can help financially-oriented people to weigh in the financial value of a project and assist capture-oriented individuals to assess where they are on the opportunity. 

In federal contracts, PWIN is used in competitive bidding. 

Competitive Bidding is the process when companies will put together their best proposal and compete for a specific project. The bidding is actually beneficial because it makes the environment competitive which means that small agencies are able to keep up with larger companies since the costs will remain low. 

And the government issuing the project can simply wait to look for the most qualified companies to do the work.

 

TOOLS BEING USED BY BUSINESS ANALYTICS

In addition, knowledge has always been power. And so with tools like calculator for PWIN, we have Deltek GovWin IQ and beta.SAM.gov. 

These are critical resources in developing and refining a long term growth strategy especially with business developments that deal with selling to the federal or public sector.

In order to optimize your sales processes, government bids and contract awards, GovWin and BetaSam are tools that’ll assist you in planning in advance for Government Bids, Request for Proposals and Contract Vehicles that are to be released even before taking action.

They are vital for those companies who are looking to piece together a proactive business development strategies. These platforms cover opportunities that range from months to even years before contracts go out to bid.

These tools can also help your government sales team in developing a long-term actionable pipeline. And it is a foolproof strategy in getting ahead of the competition. 

Because, by arming yourself with more information than your competitors. Companies will use these tools to identify which agency contacts, spending trends and government purchasing history can help build a powerful proposal for the bids.

 

UNDERSTANDING BLOCKCHAINS

If you have been following banking, investments, or cryptocurrency, you may be familiar with “blockchain”, the record-keeping technology behind the Bitcoin network. 

“A blockchain is essentially a distributed ledger,” says Ms. Mundra. 

Blockchains or also referred to as Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) has the potential to eliminate huge amounts of record-keeping. It can also save money, streamline supply chains and disrupt I.T. in ways that we haven’t seen since the internet arrived.

A blockchain in simple terms, is a time-stamped record of data. It is managed by a cluster of computers but isn’t owned by a single establishment. Each of these “blocks” of data are secured and are bound together using cryptographic principles or “chains”.

In Ms. Mundra’s words, “Blockchains ensure that what you are consuming is clean. This means that it is a fair trade that’s devoid of foreign corrupt practices such as child labor, human traficking and more.”

 

THE 4 BIRDS PERSONALITY TEST

Ms. Sonia Mundra also opened up that when advancing to being the top management in her field, she needed more than technical skills and willingness to work hard.

She also needed to improve her few soft skills that helped her to take her career as far as it could go. 

Whether it was to practice discipline, take on more projects, learn to develop situational awareness, and inspire others, she believes that being a leader means that you are part of a team. That you are inspiring collaboration with encouragement and guidance. 

And the best part of becoming a good leader is that it resolves conflicts instead of ignoring them or hoping they will go away. But each individual needs a unique approach. And one way to be an effective leader is to become a discerning listener.  

One can do this by learning a lot more about who you work with with a simple D.O.P.E. Bird personality test.

This test doesn’t need you to become a psychologist. Instead, it is a fun and useful tool that notes down an individual’s different characteristics, strengths, motivation and experiences. 

However, these bird types do not pin down who or what you really are in life. But it can be an interesting way to find out more about others and yourself. 

But why does it have birds in it? 

Each bird represents a trait. The Doves are peaceful and friendly, the Owls are wise and logical. The Peacocks are showy and optimistic, and the Eagles are bold and decisive.

A person will have a combination of these types. However, just keep in mind that they must not be used as a psychological assessment of your life. 

3H LEADERSHIP (HUNGRY, HUMBLE & HUSTLE)

Lastly, although one can prepare to be a leader. One shouldn’t forget that there are things that we can’t control. The H3 Leadership provides a practical outline for implementing and living out the transformational habits of a great leader.

However, will all the adversities you’ll face. One should always strive to remain hungry, humble and hustle. 

Because at the end of your journey, will you become someone who is willing to work hard and get things done? And can you make sure that it won’t be about others are treating. But how you treat yourself. 

And ultimately, how transformative you can be that you can influence others to do the right habits to succeed. 

 

RESOURCES

If you want to watch the full video with Sonia Mundra, be sure to click on the link below to redirect you to our YouTube channel where I share free content about the government contracting process as well as my interviews with other GovCon giants.

055: Doing Business as an Alaskan Native Corporation (ANC) with Sonia Mundra – Eric Coffie

Mohanchand Raghbeer Shares How He Finds All the Search Results on the SAM database

Posted on by Eric Coffie

With FedBizOpps being moved to the SAM.gov, the latter platform provides more advantages for government contractors. But what could it be? Well, in the recent live show, Mohanchand Raghbeer shares how he finds all the search results on the SAM database and how he took advantage of it. 

BACKGROUND

Mohanchand Raghbeer has over 20 years of experience in Information Technology and nine years of technology workforce development program experience.

With this, he built his own company, Accelerated Partners LLC, to provide services for the government as well as honing professionals for in-demand positions.

MO’S SEARCH AND FILTER PROCESS

When the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website was moved to the System for Awards Management (SAM) database, Mo directly thought of ways to develop his style in viewing thousands of contract opportunities and taking advantage of it.

“Large companies have all the tools and all the resources and we don’t have many so again anything that we can do to give us a slight advantage is tremendously helpful.”

1. Sign in with your SAM ID.

The first step is to enter your SAM ID and password because the website information such as contract data and opportunities can easily be viewed by the public but in order to download it for the next step, you must sign in first. 

2. Type your preferred keyword.

You will then type the keyword based on what you are looking for in the search bar. You can use one keyword depending on locations, dates, year, and codes or you can combine it together.

However, the most beneficial keyword to use is the product service code (PSC) because it describes a  product, service, and research and development that the government buys.

The key is to just use keywords that will help you broaden your search but also focus on the things that you primarily provide to the government. 

3. Filter the results.

Then, you should also filter the search results according to your specific preferences. 

In Mo’s case, he chose to look for “Active Only” contracts that have his preferred date while also crossing out all of the options under the Type of Notice section except sources sought, pre-solicitation, and combined synopsis.

“I’m basically narrowing down my search to the notices that I’m interested in and the one that’s going to give me, you know, exactly what I’m looking for.”

4. Choose CSV over PDF.

Afterwards, Mo downloaded the results data to make it easier for his research because the SAM database only shows 10 contract opportunities for each page. 

5. Filter the data in your CSV file.

Then, you should open the CSV file on the Excel application and filter the results for easy navigation. 

In doing so, Mo looked at all of the information under the title column and unchecked or deleted information using the filter option in Excel.

6. Save, follow, or email.

Lastly, look for a specific contract opportunity that you want to deal with later, highlight the notice ID, and then use the SAM search options to look for the information about it.

Most importantly, when the results and information show up, save it for later. You can choose to get notification by tapping the follow button or email to yourself or to other government contractors.  

“It might be something out of my bucket but I just sometimes it’s so big that you know you gotta you got to dig it deeper.” 

RESOURCES

If you want to watch the full video with Mohanchand Raghbeer as he shares how he finds all the search results on the SAM database, then be sure to click the links below.

Finding all the search results on beta.sam.gov with Mo and Eric Coffie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcxGZ87hw70

What is a PSC (product service code) and how to use it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SXK_1NyyFg

Finding opportunities. How to determine potential untapped markets?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCtnAM0j5gY&t=579s

Register System for Award Management “SAM.gov” to win Federal Contracts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIXcaPYrqMU&t=68s

Living while Black in America has not been easy for me either – Eric Coffie

Posted on by Eric Coffie

As the tension between the black communities and the police are running at all time high, me, and countless others are forced during these turbulent times to stand up, to speak out and to process, capture and share everything going around the state. 

I, or anyone listening to the news have seen a lot of concerns and protests beginning with what happened to the 75-year-old guy who was unarmed but was pushed by the police into the pavement causing him to be unconscious and bleeding. 

There had also been pepper spray incidents and tear gassed riots reported to have taken the lives of teenagers. And also that black man in Minneapolis who suffocated under the knees of the people who were supposed to protect lives not take them.

With everything going on, I just wanted to share to people some of my past experiences growing up as a kid in Miami, Florida.

I AM AFRAID OF THE POLICE

Living in Miami, Florida might seem like paradise for most. But when you are a black teenager in the city. It was a norm to experience police harassment and injustice.

A lot of people seem to assume certain things about me or make presumptions about the kind of life I’ve lived to be successful today. This is why I’d like to share my personal experience and sentiments because for a very long time, I’ve had my fair share of police harassment. And I, too, am afraid of them.

HOW CAN A TEENAGER HAVE A GRENADE LAUNCHER?

When I was a teenager, one of the vivid memories I have with the police were me and my friends driving just fifteen minutes away from where I grew up and we got stopped by the men in uniforms.

At that time, we were just heading out for a party. As we were just exiting that community near Lakes by the Bay, a predominantly white neighborhood. We heard the police sirens and all of that, then the police quickly surrounded our cars and blocked us from being able to drive.

Me, and my four other friends were told to get out of the vehicle and they immediately started questioning us and asked what we were doing in the area.

Take note that I’ve been driving my mom’s car. We weren’t speeding, and we didn’t have any broken lights.

They said that they pulled us over because we matched a suspect. Or a description about some people that committed some robberies in the area.

That part was understandable but what was really crazy was they asked a bunch of teenagers if we had AK-47s or grenade launchers in the vehicle.

And I thought, how ridiculous was that? I had never heard of teenagers having grenade launchers during that time. And if that wasn’t enough, he asked if we had any criminal records and or if we had nicknames they should know about.

We were just teenagers who were driving around nine or ten in the evening. But we were already being treated and labeled as people who were up to no good.

SHOULD WE POINT OUR GUNS TO UNARMED TEENAGERS?

And then another incident was at a Taco Bell in Miami near 152nd Street. As we were pulling in to get something to eat we were surrounded by police cars again.

But this time, the police cars that surrounded us had guns pointing at us from every direction. If you were the police, and you saw two teenagers, me and my nephew trying to get through Taco Bell drive thru, is it necessary to point guns at us?

During that time, I remember how my uncle told me to take my keys out of the ignition and place the keys on the roof. This is to show that you are not trying to flee or run. I then proceeded to place my hands on the steering wheel so they can clearly see that I wasn’t trying to do anything.

On the other hand, my nephew was very frustrated and upset. He was flipping out. If I didn’t ask him to put his hands on the dashboard, who knows what could have happened to us that night.

When everything calmed down, the officers said that they believed that we had guns. And that someone had called and said that we were shooting at night.

We were allegedly pulling out our guns on people on the highway and that’s why they surrounded us. 

THIS IS OUR NORM: BLACK PEOPLE GET HARASSED

That was our norm, even if I was a great student who didn’t drink or do drugs. I made sure to always bring my license and registration to avoid going to jail during these incidents.

But it was just a constant harassment. Let’s say for every other weekend that I would go out. I already knew that we we’re gonna be stopped by the police. You could count it like, if we went out for three weekends, we’d definitely get stopped twice. Almost every ten days, we’d get stopped and that was our norm. 

Fortunately, nothing bad ever happened but those experiences left a sour spot in your heart with regard to how I felt about the police. And it just makes it very difficult to see them in a positive light. 

As a child, we are all taught that the police were your friends growing up. But when you become a teenager and you experience different things. It makes it hard for you to balance that.

HOW I GOT ARRESTED FOR BEING A GOOD CITIZEN

Another incident that stood out or that baffled me as a teenager was when we were coming back from a party. And we’re driving through Miami, we saw someone committing a robbery.We quickly flagged down a police officer and said “Hey! We just witnessed a robbery from this store.” But they proceeded to arrest us and placed us in the police car. They told us that “We bet that you had something to do with it.”

So here we were, trying to help and assist when we saw someone committing a crime. Instead of going over to check out the scene, they accused us of being the ones behind the incident.

They took our fingerprints and our pictures and they told us they didn’t want to see us in that area. And I remember these police officers saying, “I bet you a million dollars that you guys had something to do with it.”

WE HAVE DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES

After that incident at Taco Bell, I called NAACP: The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. But their reaction was more of like. “You guys shouldn’t be out in those areas at night.”

And I get it! We were taught that you can’t say anything to the police whether you’re right or not because of what they might do to us. But even if I understood it, looking back. That was a horrible way to grow up.

Even if you’re in the right you have to just go along and play along with whatever happens to you.

LIVING WHILE BLACK IN AMERICA DURING COLLEGE

Fast forward to my college years, I remember a friend of mine saying. “You know, you think just because you speak properly or you talk educated and that you hang out with white people. You think that you are equal to them. But once in a while, they are going to remind you and put you back in your place.” 

And somehow, what he said was true. Because no matter what I accomplished. I founded the Entrepreneurs Club. I raised money for a business but I was always reminded that I was lesser or was inferior to the white. And that I had to work harder and be better and prove myself more.

And time and time again, things like these would happen. I remember being in a business plan competition at the University of Florida. And we were dubbed as the best business plan written in that contest.

And everyone stated that, including all the judges said “Hey! You got the best plan, the best idea and you’ve proven your concept.” But yet we were ranked in second place, next to the whites.

It was weird because how they could say so many positive things about us, they knew we did better but they kept us at second place.

And this is how it stands out in my mind that Eric, you’ve got to work harder! I’ve got to be better and do twice as much. And I think that is a part of  what makes our experience different from the experiences of those privileged people out there.

What makes us unique. Is the fact that we grew up with these different sets of rules and by which we have to operate in and play by.

WHY I DON’T TELL PEOPLE I’M THE PRESIDENT OF MY BUSINESS

Fast forward, to even in recent times, specifically to my business.

In my business card on Evankoff. I never printed on it the title “President” or “CEO” or  anything like that. 

It will always be a project manager or program manager for my business.

Why do I intentionally not tell people I was the business owner?

This is because of the fear that they would ridicule me. For fear that they may damage my projects. For fear that they would do something to sabotage my construction site.

But I think it is horrible that, not only me, others had also pretended to not be proud of having built their own business.  Of having hired and employed and given a livelihood to people just so that people would not cause us harm or try to cause harm or impact our business.

And that was my normal, because when I get on here. I put all my money into everything I did but when I went to certain projects and certain jobs.

I knew that people would always question me who the owner was, was he young? Was he black?

The truth is, there’s a lot of jealousy out there and a lot of people would not want to see me, or the blacks succeed. 

And this isn’t just blind assumptions, no. I saw that in their performance and in their work. I remember being on a project site with other people who thought I was just a project manager.

They shared with me all the types of information about their company and how they were gonna and do a particular job and everything like that.

Note that these pieces of information was something they wouldn’t have said if I had told them that I was the president of the company. 

So just saying that I was a project manager, helps to ease any race relations or tensions that they may have against me because they can rest thinking that I wasn’t better than him or I wasn’t higher than him.

But it’s actually sad that you have to pretend to be something less than what you are and belittle your accomplishment and achievements so that other people can feel superior.

THIS IS THE REAL AMERICA

So when I reflect on these things, I say to myself that this is the real America. Because this isn’t fifty years ago, this is the present.This stuff has happened to me, and I thought I should share that. Because if I don’t share my stories and what happened to me. People may go around believing in their own reality, or whatever the narrative it is that they want to paint about who I am or of what I’ve been through.

The fact remains that black oppression still exists. And if this stuff continues to happen. The more it makes people uneasy because it is a big deal and it impacts our psyche. I know it did a huge blow on my own mental psyche. 

Because if you add what’s happening today and couple that with what the experience has happened to you in the past. As a black individual, I know how easily but that could have been me in the news.

Lastly, I want people to know my particular experiences and then that way they don’t have to guess or assume or make any presumptions about Eric and who Eric is.

And you know what Eric’s story was so now you’ve heard it from me and you can take it for whatever you want to see and however you like to see it. 

But again, I have never traveled in your shoes, you’ve never traveled in my shoes and if someone has never experienced what we did. We know how hard it is to explain.

However, I didn’t let fear defeat me. I haven’t let it stop me because I’m persisting. A lot of people are standing up for their rights. And I’m doing all these things, creating content out there to support and spread awareness that black lives matter and we experience different things.

Wesley Ross: 16 Year Old Military Contractor

Posted on by Eric Coffie

Age is not a requirement in the federal marketplace. As long as you establish yourself and your business, you will certainly land into various contracting opportunities. To give you an inspiration, here is Wesley Ross, the 16 year old military contractor!

BACKGROUND

Just recently Wesley Ross has been featured in different news outlets in the United States. He thought of only selling out his stocks of Personal Protective Equipments but this in turn gave him an opportunity to be featured as a young government contractor. 

Wesley Ross is a young business-minded individual who started selling ever since at a young age on things such as bracelets, handmade soaps, clothes, shoes, electronic parts, and auto parts on both online and offline. 

Then, at the age of 16, he already has two businesses: SpeedLabs which is a car accessories and electronics business and NorthStar Dynamics, a government contracting company. 

“Ever since I was in the seventh grade, I always knew that I wanted to live my dreams and goals at an early age.”

STARTING IN THE FEDERAL MARKETPLACE

Wesley Ross didn’t know anything about government contracting until he saw the movie, War Dogs, for the second time and then attentively took note of the things about the said topic.

Then, he started making his business legitimate. He stayed up late until four or five in the morning just to make sure that NorthStar Dynamics is a registered business in SAM.gov and has the qualifying codes after looking for contracting opportunities in FedBizOpps. 

“Hard work and dedication is what’s gonna actually bring money in on the table, so staying up ‘till four or five in the morning was no issue for me if knowing what the potential could be too.”

STRUGGLES AS A YOUNG CONTRACTOR

When Ross started in the federal marketplace, he lacked money to get his first contract even with the income that he gained in his previous endeavors. 

As a way to supply it, he organized the Minnesota Auto Show and used the Internet to make sure that a huge number of people will be there at the event.

Another thing that also bugged him is being underage because he’s still unqualified for getting government loans and credits as well as not being taken seriously by others. 

However, he was able to gain the public trust by showing them the process and things that he had already done.

ADVICE FOR OTHER TEENAGERS

Currently, Ross has already won contracts, performed various projects, and gained public recognition for being a young entrepreneur and government contractor. When he was asked what could be his message if he will be given a chance to do a 2020 commencement speech, he stressed the importance of finding yourself and what you want with your life. 

Consider that you only have one chance of living and you have a lot of things that you want to do with it, so don’t let anything or anyone hold you back. 

“Follow your dream and let nothing stand in your way because the only person who will hold you back from what you want to do on this road, on what you want to do with your life, is you.”

RESOURCES

If you want to watch the full video with the 16 year old military contractor, Wesley Ross, then be sure to click the links below.

Wesley Ross the 16 year old military contractor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFVrRAfwq7Q

058: Ronnette Meyers – How She Launched a Successful Federal Government Contracting Firm

Posted on by Eric Coffie

Ronnette Meyers founder of JLAN Solutions story mirrors that of many entrepreneurs who got their first start from their parents. But unlike those who have severed ties, grew apart or could no longer work together, her and her mom hatched out a plan to increase their net worth, build generational wealth and capitalize on a skill set they had acquired over the previous decade. While growing out her mom’s multi-million-dollar firm, JMA Solutions. Mom and daughter got together and said how can we grow bigger, do more, help others in greater numbers. The solution; separate into two different organizations.

Today Ronnette and JLAN is off to the races and has made a name for themselves winning the DC Chamber of Commerce 2020 Women in Business and Washington Business Journal 2020 Minority Business Leader honoree. Today’s episode highlights her upbringing with a single mom, the opportunities afforded to their family via the military, her upbringing in Germany, building her mom’s business, launching JLAN and investing in Hotels, Broadway shows and Condo’s.

057: Black Proud and Successful Business Owner Eli Smith shares his journey to millions

Posted on by Eric Coffie

In today’s episode, we feature our guests, Eli Smith, the son of a Black Panther, following two weeks of racial tension and protest across America. After the death of Mr. George Floyd, I thought this would be the great episode to follow considering that Eli Smith, a black business owner has not only built one successful business, but he’s built multiple successful businesses across the country. And he’s changing the idea of what people view Black Americans as in terms of their success and in terms of what we can accomplish despite all obstacles, Eli Smith, ESmith, Contractors, SGTR. He is now also in spite of everything, building his own development in Syracuse, New York, where it was formerly a waste site.

I hope that you enjoy today’s episode. As we transform the minds of people, we share with him the story of how he found his partner and how various programs help change his life and shape who he is. On top of all that we talk about race, because again, this is the time that we’re dealing with and the situation at hand. This may be difficult for some people to hear, but it is a candid conversation. And I think that it needs to be heard. Mr. Smith talks about how, when he started his company cleaning out basements in New York, the only people that would work for him were people of color, were felons or people who needed sometimes second, third, and fourth chances. I think we all could use an extra chance. Hope you enjoyed today’s episode.

056: U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce (USWCC) founder Margot Dorfman

Posted on by Eric Coffie

Today’s guest, Margot Dorfman is the CEO of the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce (USWCC). A not for profit trade association that she founded back in 2001.

Their focus is economic growth for women and small businesses; access to capital, affordable benefits like healthcare. What makes USWCC different from other organizations as per Margot is that they are sponsored by the interests, aspirations, and needs of our members — not by big corporate sponsors who would moderate our voice or blunt our independent work. This independence powers our ability to always say and do what is right for our members. Women-led. Progress for all.

In today’s episode we talk about:

  •  What makes Margot Dorfman tick?
  • How USWCC has evolved and grown over the years?
  •  What keeps you up late at night pondering?
  • Do you have any aspirations to become the SBA administrator? ▪Her five simple steps to grow your business?
  • How Best in class is hurting small businesses
  • When do you feel like the fight will be over, when _______ happens