Tag: business

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

Posted on 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.

Narjis Ali & Eric Coffie “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 7 With Charles Jones—Baltimore Powerhouse Commissaries

Posted on 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 5th year. Don’t give up! If you can stick it out and maintain to your 5th year, that becomes your turning point. At the 5th 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.

 

DBE vs. MBE vs. Federal Contracts: Which is better?

Posted on by Linette Genao

While there are opportunities in DBE, MBE, and Federal Contracts, one may have questions as to which route is best to take. By diving into and comparing the three, we will see which one is ultimately the best choice for small businesses.

  1. Program Funding

MBE supports local and municipalities. This means the local city would be the one providing the funds. The bad part is, they occasionally have issues with paying people. We’re not talking about a week or two weeks late, but a month or two months plus! The DBE is not as likely to have these issues but if the market crashes (which it has), this affects how they are able to pay the contractors. Federal contracts on the other hand, are backed by funding. You will not get a contract by the federal government unless the funding is already there.

No pay, maybe pay, guaranteed pay? I don’t think there’s another question to ask.

Winner: Federal Contracts

 

  1. Prime Mindset

As a small business, you will most likely be working as a sub-contractor with a prime. At the local level with MBE, you are not really protected. Why? They do not blacklist or remove primes who treat others poorly, unfairly or fail to pay others. This is both careless and reckless, as they do not govern how they should operate and treat businesses, especially small businesses. At the DBE level, they are more mindful. Working with larger firms, they are more conscious, but they can still avoid paying you. At the federal level, they do not want to lose money. These are their bread and butter contracts. Therefore, they will not jeopardize this by not having people paid. If the prime doesn’t pay their subcontractor, they will be marked negatively.

Winner: Federal Contracts

 

  1. Company Size

At the state and local level, goals are about 5 million or less. In the federal arena, at 10k employees or $33.5 million, you’re considered a small business. That’s almost a ten-fold potential for your company to grow into before you reach the mid or large size business brackets!

Winner: Federal Contracts

 

  1. Teams

Teams are integral in business. Most businesses start off small with 1 or 2 people doing the work. Meaning a few companies will have to work together to accomplish a task. At the local level, they do not support teams. When two companies attempt to work together, they call it “co-collusion.” You will actually have to sign to say you while not be working with others to complete the tasks! The DBE doesn’t support teams either. They aren’t so up front about it, but they expect you and your employees to complete the task. Where with the federal government, working together or with your competition is the norm. The most important part for them is getting the task done, regardless of the number of companies needed to join together to make it happen.

Teamwork makes the dreamwork? 

Winner: Federal Contracts

table

  1. Contract Rules

Both MBE and DBE’s rules vary and differ from county-to-county or state-to-state. On the other hand, the federal government entails the entire US, meaning they use the same set of rules, the FAR or DFARS. No matter where you go, you follow the same rules.

Winner: Federal Contracts

 

  1. Source Selection

The MBE and DBE go with the low bidder, even if they know the contractor cannot perform because that is their policy. The federal government is a little bit smarter and tends to learn from both theirs and other’s mistakes. Instead, they go with the lowest responsive bidder. Taking this route means they can throw out the bids that are deemed “non-responsive” and go with the next lowest bidder. They will continue this process if necessary until they find the someone that can complete the job. If they can’t, they throw away the entire job and start over. Quality matters.

Winner: Federal Contracts

 

  1. Growth Potential

Here we will dive into the DBE, MBE, and Federal Contracts growth potential. The MBE and the DBE allows you up to your set goal. For example, if you say 5 million, then you’re capped at 5 million. Whereas with federal government, the sky’s the limit. Therefore, your growth is unlimited.

Winner: Federal Contracts

 

  1. Business Development

Business development is last on the list. When you want to succeed, you want to learn and you want to grow. Both, MBE and DBE do not provide you these opportunities like the federal government does. They have programs, small classes and workshops, but they are ineffective and are not reaching their targeted goals. Whereas at the federal level, there are formal business development programs to help you improve and grow. There are even agencies designed to help small businesses win contracts, like the 8a program. Overall, the knowledge and assistance you receive is invaluable.

Winner: Federal Contracts

table 2

After 8 different topics and analyzing and comparing DBE, MBE, and Federal Contracts, I think you know who the winner is—federal contracts! We can easily say federal contracts blow the others out of the water. They are overall the most effective and trustworthy choice of the three.

 

If you want to learn more about the differences, advantages and disadvantages between the three, watch the video below. If you want to learn more about federal contracting, visit our YouTube Channel.

6 Reasons to Form Your Corporation Today!

Posted on by Eric Coffie

Want to do business with the government, but don’t have a business yet? Well, in this blog, let me tell you why you need one. These are the reasons to form your corporation today!

ALMOST FREE

Here in Florida, when you were to actually go to sunbiz.org and register your company, it’s just $125.00. 

It might be less than or more than that dollar amount in your state, but regardless, it will not exceed a thousand dollar.

In that sense, I even think that that amount is free, considering that there are thousands of contracts in the government marketplace worth thousands and millions of dollars.

GET THE CLOCK STARTED

Most government agencies, whether they’re local or federal, are always looking for a company’s history. These also include banks and other financial institutions.

So, it is best to register your company now because you can already go ahead, get the clock moving, and take that direction.

This way, if you are ready to become a prime and you need any types of credit lines or if you want to borrow money for some of your suppliers, then you already have the history and past performance. 

START MAKING MONEY

Once you get to form your corporation, you can already start making money by being a consultant or a subcontractor to a large prime who’s already doing the type of work in your area and the type of work that you want to do. 

The only thing to consider is that you already know the product and services that you want to offer.

TAKE THE 1ST STEP

If you don’t know what your products and services are yet, it’s okay because you can start learning by researching the marketplace and finding out where the opportunities are afterwards. 

“That’s exactly how I got started back in 2007, with no relationships, no connections, and no money. I simply jumped in, head first, and I started learning about the market, and learning about the opportunities, and then I became a consultant to a much larger prime, and then started working the marketplace.”

TAX BENEFITS

By forming a corporation, you can start spending pre-tax versus after tax dollars, and if you decide to take the route that I took, which is becoming a consultant, now you can start dispensing everything through your business.

PERSONAL INCOME

One in three small businesses generate $100,000 a year in personal household income. That puts you in the top 10% of people nationwide for earning potential.

So why wait? Start your corporation right now!

RESOURCES

Again, no reason to just wait for something to happen, the baby boomers are already retiring and we already understand that 80% of all contacts go to the incumbent, so it is best to create the road on our own. 

With this in mind, let me help you become an incumbent and achieve your goal and your lifetime dream of earning all that you can in the federal marketplace.

Join us here at GovCon Giants by visiting our website and other social media platforms or check the new GovCon Edu where you learn everything about government contracting!

You can also check these resources below to learn more about the topic above:

6 Reasons To Form your Corporation TODAY! Government Contracting 101

https://youtu.be/NpoNXwhZDuw

https://govcongiants1.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/6-Reasons-To-Form-your-Corporation-TODAY-Government-Contracting-101.pdf