Linette Genao, Author at GCG Contracting Group

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

Posted on June 29, 2020 by Linette Genao

Darcella 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?

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

TRANSITIONING OUT OF THE MILITARY, FEAR, AND STRUCTURE

With 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

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”

Jennifer Namvar- The Billion Dollar Capture Manager – Part 2: Insight

Posted on June 7, 2020 by Linette Genao

By focusing on emerging and next-generation technologies, Jennifer Namvar, Capture Director for Leidos, has become the best of the best at what she does. With 16 years of experience in all phases of the federal government business development life-cycle, she is someone you want to learn from. Jennifer Namvar has worked for some of the DoD’s Top 100 list companies and has closed more than one billion in new and re-compete business.

With so much knowledge to offer, we decided to break this into two parts.

Part 1, focused on proposal writing assistance and how-to effectively execute the process as a small-business. Here on Part 2, Jennifer Namvar will take us a little into a Capture Manager’s World and how small businesses can benefit from this insider knowledge.

CAPTURE MANAGER INSIGHT

According to Namvar, there are key areas that capture managers will always focus on.

Customer engagement
- “The more customer intimacy that you have, the higher your win probability will be on your opportunity that you’re working.” -Jennifer Namvar
Teaming
- “For a particular opportunity, usually one company doesn’t do the whole thing themselves. They bring a team of other companies.” -Jennifer Namvar
Solutions
- “How do you bring a differentiated solution?” -Jennifer Namvar

Some of the questions Capture Managers ask throughout these three stages include, “Who are you going to call in, in a government? What are the requirements this customer’s looking for? Which ones does my company do best? Are there small business requirements? Which small businesses would be a good fit for this contract? How do you put together a differentiated solution that’s not something your competitors are going to put together?”

That’s a lot of information.

Because of this, you’re probably wondering do larger organizations work less with small businesses?

They do!

According to Namvar, “A lot of the RFP’s that come out will have a small business requirement as part of them.”

Through the teaming stage, they have to put together a winning team. “If that includes 40% of my subtracted dollars go to small businesses, I have to figure out which small businesses I need to bring on my team.”

HOW IS THIS DONE?

They look at small businesses that they’ve successfully partnered with in the past.
They look for a specific socioeconomic category
- For example, a woman-owned small business, service-disabled small-business, veteran-owned small business, etc. and how their company meets the areas of the statement of work.
Customer Relationships

HOW CAN YOU DISTINGUISH YOURSELF AS A SMALL BUSINESS?

One word. Relationships. Relationships. Oh yea, relationships! Okay, that was technically three or five, but that one word is key!

“This is the advice I always give to small businesses. I think that this is a relationship-based business, and the best thing you can do is nurture a relationship with the decision maker in one of these large businesses,” states Namvar.

Having lunch with them, reaching out to them and nurturing the relationship, are all ways Namvar advises you begin building and growing your connections. That way, when a contractor is coming out and needs to fulfill a requirement, you are at the top of their mind.

“It could be someone from the contract side, you might want to work that angle, but you might want to consider also working the angle of someone who is dealing with a large volume of proposals that they have to deal with. Whether, it’s a business development person or a capture manager who’s working a few different deals.”

Secondly, Namvar advises bringing your client relationships to the primes.

“So if you can nurture some customer relationships, in the same way of customers you would ideally want to work with, you can say, ‘Hey, I can make an introduction to customer so-and-so and I hear that this opportunity’s coming out. You would be a great fit for a prime and we would love to partner with you on it.’ That’s a slam dunk way to do it, in my opinion. That’s how I would do it if I were a small business.”

How do you get these relationships you might ask?

Word of mouth, networking events and even LinkedIn.

MISTAKES SMALL BUSINESSES MAKE

During the process of building relationships, there are mistakes that can be made. Do not just invite these new connections to have lunch with you.

When you contact them, Jennifer Namvar advises sending a message that is detailed but quick. In the message, articulate your value, bring a customer into the picture, identify an opportunity they may or may not be aware of and ask for a brief 15-minute call.

Another mistake, becoming too tactical. Don’t get so tactical as a small business, that you forget to have a process.

“I think that most small businesses use the excuse that ‘hey, we’re a small business, so we can’t have a process, so we can’t have a strategy.’ Instead of having a strategy of, ‘Okay, this year I want to go… These are the accounts that I want to focus on or these are the customers I want to focus on and these are the opportunities at the beginning of the year, and build a pipeline. I see them more waiting for the… chasing the next shiny object or waiting for the next opportunity and completely overextending themselves and not actually engaging with customers or engaging with those partners that they can work with.”

As she says, “Don’t go wide instead of deep.”

LAST PIECE OF ADVICE

Finally, we leave you with some encouragement from Jennifer Namvar herself.

“If you’re afraid of that and you don’t put your art out into the world, then no one gets the benefit of it…You can’t please everyone all the time. But there are going to be some people out there who really like what you put out there, who really like your company, who have jobs because you created a company. And none of that value would exist if you’re too scared to put it out there.”

To hear more, join the GOVCON GIANTS Podcast Community available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Play, Stitcher, and iHeart.

To learn more about Government Contracting, subscribe to the GOVCON GIANTS YouTube Channel.

JENNIFER NAMVAR BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

Jennifer Namvar – The Billion Dollar Capture Manager – Part 1: Proposals

Posted on May 31, 2020 by Linette Genao

With so much knowledge to offer, we have decided to break this into two parts. With part 1, we will focus on proposal writing assistance and how to effectively execute the process as a small-business.

PROPOSAL ADVICE FROM JENNIFER NAMVAR

1) Have a proposal management process

We all know proposals require a lot of time and dedication. As a small business, even if you cannot afford a full out-proposal management team, you should still have a process. For example, even with a small 5-person team, this can be effectively accomplished by beginning with creating a schedule.

“What I would recommend is that you put together for each proposal a schedule and an outline of the requirements and the evaluation criteria. You dedicate or assign a team of people and give each person on your five-person team a responsibility for putting together a part of the proposal.”

Additionally, Namvar recommends holding reviews and getting someone else to review your proposal.

“Get a couple people. Either if it’s a startup, sometimes you have a board, sometimes you have business advisors. Get those people to review your proposal. Don’t review your own proposal.”

2) If you outsource…

Find someone credible to review your proposals.

“I would bring in trusted consultants…There’s several proposal and capture consulting companies that have very senior folks that you can hire to review your proposal,” states Namvar.

If you hire a freelancer, Namvar suggests hiring one that is specific to this industry and to federal proposals.

3) Give yourself time

With all the time and money invested into created proposals, you want to make sure you give yourself enough time to review, edit, and perfect.

In addition, Namvar advises allotting time for a hard copy response in case something goes wrong electronically.

Missing a deadline is not an option.

“If you do miss a deadline, even by a minute, the government typically will throw you out and you don’t want to waste all that time and money for having a late submission.”

4) Have Accountability Check-Ins

Throughout the life of the proposal, you want to have daily accountability check-ins with your team. This way, you know the proposal is going in the right direction. Also, little problems or concerns can be addressed quickly without turning into larger issues.

Following these 4 steps will assist you in having a smoother proposal writing experience. It will also assure you are putting your best foot forward. After all, you want to make sure you are submitting the best proposal you have to offer.

On our next post, Jennifer Namvar will take us a little into a Capture Manager’s World and how small businesses can benefit from this insider knowledge.

To hear more, join the GOVCON GIANTS Podcast Community available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Play, Stitcher, and iHeart.

To learn more about Government Contracting, subscribe to the GOVCON GIANTS YouTube Channel.

Inside With Robert Wink—Contract Specialist With USACE and Former FEMA Contracting Officer

Posted on May 18, 2020 by Linette Genao

Although all agencies have similarities, they are also all unique. Robert Wink, published author and CEO of Integrity Lion Acquisitions, provided us insight on how different working with two agencies can actually be.

Wink is adamant about helping entrepreneurs learn the process and how to do the work in federal contracting quickly, effectively, and without wasting time, Wink opened up about his experiences working with FEMA after a large natural disaster and how the rules are not the same as many of the federal agencies.

BACKGROUND

Wink comes with vast experience working within the government. He retired from the US Army with multiple deployments to Iraq, was a Contracting Officer with FEMA and is currently a Contracting Specialist with the US Army Corps of Engineers.

Wink is also the author of two books: “Small Business Starting Guide to Federal Government Contracts and Searching for Solicitations” and “Secrets to Noncompetitive Government Contracts.”

INSIDE WITH ROBERT WINK

1. Get familiar with the industry or the agency you are going into Or Working With

From an insider perspective and as a contracting officer, working for FEMA and also the US Army Corps of Engineers, we learn from Wink that they require very different things from their contracting officers and allot their spending very differently. This is important for those wanting to work for the agencies or those looking to work with a specific industry or agency.

“Absolutely, because even at the Army, I was at the Mission Installation Contracting Command and we were very heavy on small businesses. Went to FEMA, man FEMA. That was a … FEMA is a whole different animal when it comes to Contracting. What I mean by that, and I’ll stick with the small business side. When I would bring up, “Hey, what’s our small business goals?” You got that deer in the headlight look… I think in the two years, the couple, and the month… couple weeks I was there, not one time did we ever talk small business goals.”

2. Natural Disasters Change The Rules

It’s important to note that rules change. Especially during natural disasters like Hurricane Harvey.

“During your disaster, the disaster have a local area set aside…So during those disasters, those Presidential declared disasters, we were supposed to…and within the first 150 days, we can contract to anybody, because it’s a disaster. It’s a go. But, during that time, we have to start moving and transitioning to local area set asides. So, we have to compete.”

3. Contract Specialist and Contract Officers Are Not The Same

Using the following example, Robert Wink explains how Contracting Specialist are like paralegals. Whereas, Contracting Officers are like lawyers—reviewing, making decisions and even arguing on your behalf to the government.

“I try to explain it the simplest way of explaining it is this way. You have your Attorney, who’s the one that approves everything and can negotiate on behalf of whoever they’re representing. That’s your Attorney. Now, the person that does the leg work and all the hard-core work. I mean, you’ll get into the weeds, and looking at the laws, and policies, and regulation. Even though the Attorney does that, it’s your Paralegals at the end of the day.”

4. People Will Sell You Anything If You Let Them

Be aware of companies with a government title in their name to give people the false appearance as though they are representing the government. Then, in very, very small fine print at the bottom, they state, “We are not a Government agency.”

“There’s companies out there that take the same information in my book. I know a couple in Florida. They will charge people anywhere from $400.00 up to $5,000.00 to enroll them in SAM.gov. It’s free, it’s unbelievable… it’s embarrassing…” states Wink.

What you are being charged for, ultimately is free. Be aware.

5. State Objectives Differ from Performance Work Statements

“So a Performance Work Statement is a, ‘I need you to complete this. I don’t care how you complete it, but there’s a measurement. So you have to provide this document and you have to perform this type of work. But, we’re going to measure your process along the way.’ What the Statement of Objectives is, ‘Hey, I need you to do janitor work on this five thousand square foot building, two hundred rooms, you tell me how you’re going to do it. You develop those metrics.’”

6. Read The Solicitations

Wink advises small businesses, where hiring a lawyer or Consultant to dissect solicitations for you is not an option, to simply read.

“So what I tell everybody to do is, as soon as you see something that you think you can do, read that Performance Work Statement, or that Statement Objective, or the structure. Whatever the Government’s attempting or trying to purchase.”

After reading it, Robert Wink advises asking yourself whether or not you can achieve what they are asking.

Ask yourself, “Can you do it?”

Don’t waste time. You need to know if your set aside can even do it before you spend hours analyzing the solicitation.

7. Pricing Is More of An Art Than A Science

Always take into account what the risk is when deciding how you mark up a job. Also, when you’re bidding a job, bid it so that you can make profit for yourself. Don’t worry about what the other person is bidding, because if you try and play and numbers game, they could have missed something, and you could end up costing you money.

“Account for all risks and to make profit. You never go into a project to lose money, unless it’s to keep your business afloat. It’s either not working or taking a little bit of loss just to keep the doors open. And employment. But, that’s a business decision.”

To hear more, join the GOVCON GIANTS Podcast Community available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Play, Stitcher, and iHeart.

To learn more about government contracting subscribe to the GOVCON GIANTS YouTube Channel.

Top 5—”Launching a NASA Award Winning IT Security Company” With Narjis Ali

Posted on April 27, 2020 by Linette Genao

Temporarily leaving her family behind, Narjis Ali, the president and CEO of Sure Secure Solutions, packed her bags and moved from Pakistan to the U.S. to start her life over again.

Skilled in software programming and development architecture, she was a natural entrepreneur throughout her life, even introducing computer education in Pakistan for the first time. With a little push from her son-in-law, she decided to push forward and begin her business in the U.S.

I said, “Why not where I’ve moved now and made my country here in the U.S. I can also start business. It was just the fear of the unknown I suppose that made me take a few years to start it off, but once I was there, I was like, yeah, let’s roll.”

BACKGROUND

Sure Secure Solutions is an 8(a), Woman-Owned and Information Technology Security Company founded in 2004. The company’s core capabilities include Cloud Computing, Cyber Security, Web Application Development, Data Analytics, Content Management, Information Management IT Security.

Her drive and work ethic has led to a number of awards dating back to 2012 and most recently the 2019 NASA Small Business Industry Award – NSSC Prime Contractor of the Year. In addition, the 2016 Small Business Administration of the Year Award, NASA Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year both in 2016 and 2017 and many more.

TOP 5

1. Dig Your Feet Into the Ground and Stand Through The Tough Times

Ali immigrated alone leaving her family, including three children, back home. One by one, they made their way to the U.S. However, she recalls the difficulties within that first year and how she pushed though those tough times, serving as encouragement for others to do the same when things become difficult.

“When I was a child I would stand by the seashore and it was not close to where I lived. We used to always visit once in a blue moon, go to a beach. I used to remember standing there and the sand going from under my feet and remembering how it would make me fall and panic, but my mother and my sister were always there with me and my mom would tell me to hold my sister’s hand and just stand there and dig my feet deep into the ground and just stand. Right? That is what made me. Even when I came here. I went through some hardships, but I stood through that and I realized that if you work hard and your intent is good and you’re honest about things, things do have a way of working out. It worked out for me.”

2. Be Patient and Seek Information

“I feel that today I can just hold somebody’s hand and say, ‘Don’t do that.’ ”

Ali discusses how resources and mentorship are key so you don’t waste yours or others time and money. She encourages entrepreneurs to hone into their path and where you want to take your company and educating yourself on the path to get there.

“You have to first identify where you’re going, what your skills are, what you want to focus on and then just zoom in there. It’ll take you much less time if you do a handful of opportunities that you think you want to go after rather than just go after anything and everything that says 8(a) in it.”

3. Relationships are golden

Unless you have the money, you will have to find a few partners to come up with the equity to set up the infrastructure. Relationships are golden in order for this to work and be successful.

Not just relationships with the customers you’re selling a product or service to but as Ali states, “Customers in the way of the environment. That allows you to be there and create those relationships with coworkers, colleagues, other companies, and the customer.”

This is how former astronaut, John Mike Lounge became one of Ali’s first business partners when she was just getting started. He was introduced to her by a mutual friend. Meeting and working with Lounge, led to her fascination with NASA, allowed her to get NASA, and become the 2016 and 2017 award winner for NASA.

“By the end of it when we were paying the bill. He was like, ‘Okay, I’m sold. I’m your partner.’ I’m like, What?”

4. Don’t Put All Your Eggs In One Basket

Learning the hard way, Narjis Ali advises not to put all your eggs in one basket. Instead, first build a strong team and then divide and conquer. This will lead to the most success.

“It’s not about winning. It’s all about getting a team that will win. Whether you have a prime role or a sub role. One is survival. The other is to win and make money…You have to make your name. You have to get money for it and you have to be able to take different roles in different opportunities…We spread out, we team work and we look for teaming opportunities that offer us a swim-lane where we’ve got really strong qualifications and then we shine there.”

5. Filter out very quickly where you want to focus

“Stop bidding on everything that looks it’s in your domain. It needs to be in your domain, but it also needs to have a familiarity with the customer environment,” states Ali.

She advises mastering 1 or 2 companies and building the trust and relationships instead of going after all that you can.

“It’s better to focus on a few agencies and be persistent and get to know that very well. Know the gaps and try entrepreneurand be at places where you can get to know the small business office.”

NARJIS ALI

As a leader, Narjis Ali is focused on helping others and assuring those around her continue to grow.

“The most important thing was that we want to take people that matter, to places that matter…I think that means the world to me. When I see people that we’ve been trying to grow, grow and go to places.”

Narjis’ story is truly inspiring and motivating. With such great advice, she leaves listeners and readers with a humbling message.

“I have to become the medium of receiving and then giving. That’s my life story. I listen, I hear, I see. I love and I know that I’m only the medium. So, I hope I can pass on whatever I get and model for someone else, somewhere.” – Narjis Ali

To hear more, join the GOVCON GIANTS Podcast Community available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Stitcher, Google Play and iHeart.

To learn more about government contracting subscribe to the GOVCON GIANTS YouTube Channel.

TOP 5—”Building A World Class Construction From Faith” With Patricia Bonilla

Posted on April 20, 2020 by Linette Genao

Patricia Bonilla attributes many of her successes to one thing—faith.

From the beautiful island of Dominican Republic, Patricia Bonilla went after her dreams and created “Lunacon.” The company founded in Miami, FL., now has 5 office locations including Puerto Rico and serves more than 300 customers worldwide. Having been recognized for a number of awards including 2014 SBA State of Florida Minority Owned Small Business Person of the Year and 2015 Government Contractor of the Year, Bonilla continues to be a powerhouse in the industry.

TOP 5

1. Follow your dreams and have faith

During the recession, as a single-mother with 3 children, Patricia Bonilla acted on faith. She had to decide whether to leave her then comfortable job, to follow her dreams of having her own business. Therefore, with over 17 years of experience in government work, she quit and started her own company, proving a little faith is sometimes all you need.

2. Prepare before the opportunity opens

Many times during the conversation, Bonilla speaks on how she prepared before the doors opened. Before the opportunities came, she hired staff, using Starbucks as her office since their garage wasn’t very promising. Within a month, she hired 25 people, which prepared her in advance for the work she was about to receive.

3. Invest in yourself

“Some people don’t understand the value of investing in marketing and networking,” stated Bonilla.

Marketing, conferences and events are all tools Bonilla used to invest in herself and back into her company. She continued seeking knowledge in order to propel her company forward and put their name out there.

4. Keep Going!

“When you’re about to give up and you’re really at the burst of giving up, this is when your blessings are about to come.”

These are words from Bonilla that we can attest to. When you feel like giving up, keep moving forward. You never know what lies at your next step.

5. No one is responsible for your growth but yourself

Instead of conforming, Bonilla decided to be part of the change. As she states, “Nobody’s responsible for your growth, but yourself.”

Being a woman in a male-dominated industry, she could’ve let a number of barriers affect her but she didn’t.

“I try not to look at this stuff…When I worked for a company in Miami, they.. you didn’t see a woman more than a project manager. You didn’t see any in the leadership. You didn’t see a woman. You know that, that was it. So when I realized that, it was time for me to go.”

Was it easy? Probably not. This is why it’s important to also manage your growth and success by finding something that grounds you.

For Bonilla this includes faith, meditation and fitness. “So what would I say…without my peace, my emotional sanity, I can’t really do much and inspire the people around me,” says Bonilla.

Inevitably, the challenges will come and there will be times where you want to give up. Therefore, learning how to manage your mental stability through these tougher times and having something that grounds you and keeps the peace is key.

These 5 tips are tools you can use to grow not only yourself but also your business if you’re willing to put in the work.

Are you willing to put in the work?

If there is a country that allows you to get to wherever you want to get to, whether it’s good or bad is this one. If you were willing to work and, you know, work hard cause I think you have to work, and, go through that process and be honest to the process. You can get to wherever you want to be and everyone including those that don’t look like you, will give you a chance. If you have that desire. Well just believe that you can do it. That’s the only job we have. Believe it. – Patricia Bonilla

To learn more from our guest speakers, join the GOVCON GIANTS Podcast Community available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRADIO, and Google Podcasts.

To learn more about government contracting subscribe to the GOVCON GIANTS YouTube Channel.

TOP 7 With Charles Jones—Baltimore Powerhouse Commissaries

Posted on April 15, 2020 by Linette Genao

Back in August 2019, Charles Jones, President and CEO of C&S Jones Group, LLC. joined us on the GOVCON GIANTS PODCAST. With hard work and perseverance, he was able to build his business. We were honored to have Jones as a guest and give our audience some advice on how to continue to meet your HUBZone requirements while growing your business. We also touched on his win percentage to stay ahead of the curve and continue growing, his favorite books, training recommendations, and much more.

BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE

Charles Jones runs a minority-owned business based in the Baltimore Metro Area, conducting work for the U.S. government in five separate states in three different time zones. CEO of C&S Jones Group, LLC is a certified full-service government contractor dedicated to improving all areas of government and business operations, streamlining processes and cost reduction.

TOP 7

EVERY COLLEGE IS A HUB ZONE

As Mr. Jones stated, “This is $1 million that I’m giving you right here…College students, even ivy league colleges are considered HUBZones because the students that reside there, their income is below the threshold, to be considered a low-income area.”

Therefore, it’s a win-win. By doing this, students get experience and get prepared for their future business or career success. In turn, the company gets the benefit of maintain their size standard.

DON’T GIVE UP!

Most companies give up before the 5^th year. Don’t give up! If you can stick it out and maintain to your 5^th year, that becomes your turning point. At the 5^th year, doors begin to open, and you begin to propel forward in new ways. As Reginald F. Lewis said and Jones quotes, “Keep going no matter what.”

HOW TO GET A MENTOR

When looking for a mentor, Jones advises looking at what you bring into the relationship as a mentee. Looking at it from these lens, evens the playing field and allows you to know what you can bring into the relationship and what you have to offer in return for their mentorship.

CONTINUE LEARNING EVERYDAY

The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and his local paper, the Baltimore Sun, are three tools Jones uses to keep his learning going. As an avid reader he loves to educate himself and states, “If you’re not looking for new ideas and seeing what’s coming down the pipeline, you may miss some harvest.”

Some of his recommendations include online classes, online magazines and the following books:

“Soul Food: Fifty-two Principles for Black Entrepreneurial Success” By Doctor Robert Wallace
“Entrepreneurial Finance: Finance and Business Strategies for the Serious Entrepreneur” by Steven Rogers

WAIT

Wait? For what? Well, Jones advises you wait until your company is ready to join the 8a program. In order to receive its full benefits, you want to assure you are prepared and ready to take full advantage. Also, wait to assure you can do what you say you’re going to do. “This is a people business,” states Jones. “They have to like you and trust you…we’re utilizing taxpayers’ dollars, so you definitely want to make sure that you’re doing what you say you’re going to do and delivering because if not you’re out of the game.”

CHECK THOSE CHECKS!

Okay, maybe most of us get direct deposits and this is a digital era so they’re not necessarily “checks,” but checking your payroll is very important as a business owner and having your own company. As Jones states, “you are responsible for its financial health and wellbeing.”

“BE CAREFUL WHO YOU GET IN BED WITH…IN BUSINESS”

An old saying that still holds true. Make sure you listen to your gut and that you can trust the people you are working with. Most importantly, Jones advises that even if you do, “you still have to get it in black and white.” Make sure you have paperwork, so everyone is protected and on the same page.

To conclude, Charles Jones ended with some great advice and encouragement, “If I can you can… Know that there’s ups and downs. It’s a cycle. It is not easy. It’s not going to be easy… Be prepared for the ups and downs and sleepless nights. Have a strategic plan but don’t let that plan become your gospel. Be fluid in everything you do. Have someone to turn to,” for Jones it’s his wife, “and also have alone time during the tough times.”

To learn more from our guest speakers, join the GOVCON GIANTS Podcast Community available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Stitcher, Google Play and iHeart.

To learn more about government contracting subscribe to the GOVCON GIANTS YouTube Channel.

Explaining The Rules For Subcontracting Small Business Contracts

Posted on April 4, 2020 by Linette Genao

Forget the rumors, myths, and misconceptions surrounding getting a contract and subcontracting the entire thing. The short and sweet answer to the ever so popular question, “Can I just sub out the entire contract?” is NO.

Knowing how to play the game and the rules of the game allows you to be successful. This is one of those rules you need to know and be aware of. However, you can get creative with how to abide by this, which is provided in the video below.

But how exactly do you avoid getting in trouble with subbing? Knowing FAR Clause 52.219-4 Limitations on Subcontracting.

First, let’s be clear that this rule only applies if you are the prime contractor. The rule is, as a prime contractor, if you provide a service, you must do 50% of the work. If you provide supplies, other than, “from non-manufacturer of supplies,” you also need to do 50% of the work.

For example, if the government puts out a quote for iPads, this doesn’t apply because you are a “non-manufacturer.” Since most of us aren’t the manufactures, this doesn’t apply. But if the government needed shirts and you’re making shirts for the government, then you’d need to make 50% of the shirts.

The 50% includes services like janitorial transportation, logistics, accounting, legal services and construction. However, construction has its own rules.

CONSTRUCTION

Construction has two criterions. If it’s general construction, which falls under North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 236, you have to self-perform 15% of the work. If it’s specialty construction, which falls under NAICS 238, then 25% of the work is what you have to perform. Specialty trades are air conditioning, electrical, plumbing, etc.

On the other hand, there is general construction or the overall contractor. When you’re given a big project by the government, which has a lot of components, it falls under NAICS 235. This means you only need to complete 15% of the work. In this case, you could sub out the majority of the work.

FIND OUT MORE

As long as you follow these rules and abide by the section that applies to you, you are in the clear.

For complete visual representations and examples on how these percentages can be legally broken down, refer to the video below.

To find out more about government contracting, visit the GOVCON GIANTS YouTube page.

Scoring Government Contracts Without Formal Education or Training

Posted on March 21, 2020 by Linette Genao

It’s 2020. We are lucky to live in time where there are a number of jobs and fields you can go into without formal education or training.

Do you need these in order to succeed in government contracts? Our answer is no. Relationships, motivation and hard work are the key ingredients.

Why don’t you need a formal education? Relationships and the internet my friends. The internet is full of free information. Most of which, isn’t being used to its full potential. This information is what you need in order to do your market research. Find out who is buying what you’re selling, and you are off to a great start.

STARTING OUT WITHOUT FORMAL EDUCATION OR TRAINING

When you begin in this field, you most likely will not have all that a government contract requires. That’s okay. You don’t need to.

What you can do, is look at the part that you can accomplish and target the person who won the award and try to help them with the contract. That way, you can build your experience and make some money too.

Also, you don’t necessarily have to specialize in anything specific in order to do well. This means, you don’t really need any special certifications or degrees. We actually encourage you not to specialize in anything.

Why?

The government purchases a variety of things. You want to be able to meet the demands of those various things in order to really make money. We believe the best way to do federal contracting is to subcontract others who specialize in the arena you are looking for and hire them out to do the work. If you specialize in one area, you cut yourself the opportunity to access the other parts and fully serve the governments needs. In order to make money effectively, you’ve got to serve their needs.

Whatever the government wants, you supply it. Unlike local and state contracting, to your benefit, the federal government looks for teams to accomplish tasks, not persons. They support joint ventures and partnerships, which allows you to work with others to pursue a particular opportunity— even if it’s beyond your scope and ability. If you build a team or become a part of the team, then you can get the job done without education or formal training.

WHAT ABOUT DISCRIMINATION?

Government contracting is one of the places where your age, sex, gender, race and/or nationality does not play a role.

When you bid on a contract and are submitting your proposal, you are behind a computer screen. You are not face-to-face with anyone and you are not asked these questions. Therefore, you are selected based on what you can demonstrate, your work-ethic, experience, your reliability, your knowledge and your ability to get the job done. Whether that is working as the prime contractor or working as a subcontractor, you can score government contracts without racial or gender biases.

At the end of it all, it doesn’t matter where you come from, what your educational background looks like or what you look like. Scoring government contracts is in your reach if you want it to be.

To learn more about scoring government contracts without formal education or training watch the video below. To learn more about government contracting visit the GOVCON GIANTS YouTube Channel.
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“Evolve or Die?” — Savor Life vs. Make Impact

Posted on March 15, 2020 by Linette Genao

“If nature or anything were perfect, it wouldn’t be evolving.” – Ray Dalio.

Are you evolving on your journey in entrepreneurship or are you allowing the difficulties to crush you?

Evolution can be a personal topic. However, the bottom line is we are all constantly evolving. Evolution is naturally occurring. Nature evolves, we evolve, and hopefully you are evolving in your daily life. In other words, learning and growing. Adapting to the curve balls life throws your way.

As you evolve, you must intentionally choose and learn how to use the difficulties in life to propel and teach you instead of crush you.

“The key is to fail, learn and improve quickly. If you’re constantly learning and improving, your evolutionary process will be ascending. To do it poorly will be descending.” – Ray Dalio.

This is something we should all be reflecting on daily. How to evolve and adapt just as nature does. Learning, growing, analyzing, refocusing and restructuring, in order to turn things around in our lives. If you are an entrepreneur and/or will be working in federal contracting, this is key to the foundation of your business and your well-being.

Things can be great and go amazingly, but they can also go very wrong. Unless you are mentally prepared or aware of how to handle these ups and downs, your journey in this process will be harder than it needs to be.

“Success is not a monetary thing. It’s you doing the best you can with what you have.”- Eric Coffie

In the following video, Founder of GOVCON GIANTS, Eric Coffie, humbly encourages you in the process of entrepreneurship and succeeding in life. As well as, in the process of federal contracting and being fiscally responsible. Expanding and reflecting on Ray Dalio’s book, “Principles,” Coffie explains real-life examples you can relate to and connect with.

“There’s no avoiding pain. Especially if you’re going after ambitious goals. The challenges you face will strengthen you. If you’re not failing, you’re not pushing your limits. If you’re not pushing your limits, you’re not maximizing your potential. Most things in life just are that, they’re just things. The higher you ascend, the more effective you become at working with reality to shape your outcomes towards your goals. What at one point seemed impossible, complex, it then becomes simple.” – Eric Coffie

Watch the video below for a burst of confidence and motivation. Make the choice to light a fire within yourself.