Tag: govcon tips

Vicky Mangano: Italy-based Consultant Helping International Companies Do Business with the US!

Posted on by Eric Coffie

Vicky Mangano shares how she learned about the US procurement and how she helps international companies win contracts as an Italy-based Consultant!

BACKGROUND

Vicky Mangano is a consultant based in Italy through her company Mangano International Development. 

She helps international clients in Europe in terms of doing business with the United States government in Italy.

This includes registering their company to translating English contracts to Italian, among others. 

WORKING AS A CONSULTANT IN ITALY

Mangano started working in a construction company that was doing business with the U.S. government. That’s when she got interested in how the US federal procurement works. 

She then continued in getting more qualifications as an expert in the construction industry while also learning about US federal procurement through research. 

After that, she then decided to become a consultant and started researching about what the U.S. government needs near Sicily.

“This is very important to note that… we cannot be improvised overnight. This is hard work… That’s why, if you use the full, to surround ourselves with people… who give us important lessons.”

With this, she looked for Italian-based or any Europe-based companies that are actually ready to work with the U.S. government.

At the first appointment, she usually analyzes if the company is ready and eligible to bid. If not, she provides more information on how the procurement process works.

Then, if they agreed, she helps in making sure that they get the right codes and documents needed in registering as an international company to the U.S. procurement database. 

After that, she then helps in analyzing their market and their target clients while also looking for possible opportunities.

She even translates some of the English solicitations to Italian just to make sure that her clients understand what that specific agency needs and they’ll be able to provide it. 

ADVICE FOR INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES

1. Research everything about the marketplace. 

When Vicky got interested in doing business with the US government, she also found that there’s not much support about this matter in Sicily, Italy. 

So, she researched further and that’s when she bumped into our GovCon Giant videos on YouTube. 

“We needed to have armored open knowledge… That’s very important because you can’t tell anything to the government in terms of good in service, if you don’t know what the federal agency needs and where. You can’t organize anything. You need to know how the government has organized it.”

2. Find the nearest US client. 

While researching how US federal procurement works, you also need to find the nearest US military installation or any US clients near you and see what you can offer to them. 

Remember, the United States has operations across the globe and it’s impossible that you can’t find one in your region. 

For instance, Vicky used EuroNECO to look for RFQs. She also uses this platform to build her customer profile and learn what their clients need. 

“Find opportunity, provide something, and how to deliver it… And when you have completed these pictures, we can create our customer portfolio and start to do business internationally. that’s what I did and what I’m doing.”

3. Get registered as an international company.

To start working with any US government agencies in your region, you need to register first as an international company. 

However, because you’re an international company, consider that the US government asks different requirements and the process may differ from the normal registration process in US-based companies. 

With this, you can check this video that we have on how to register if you are a foreign company. 

RESOURCES

If you want to learn more on how Vicky Mangano learned about the US procurement and how she helps international companies win contracts as a consultant based in Italy, then check the resources below.

You can also visit the GovCon Giant website or the new GovCon Edu where you learn everything about government contracting!

She does business in 🇮🇹 ITALY 🇮🇹 for the U.S!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkUPG26Cbhs

https://govcongiants1.wpengine.com/podcast/2019/09/02/019-2/

Top 10 Industry NAICS codes in 2019

Posted on by Eric Coffie

If you’re a small business owner and you’re wondering why you don’t see federal opportunities for your company, maybe we can help.

Opportunities, oftentimes, don’t come to you, it’s you who finds them. When searching for opportunities, you need to use specific criteria to filter your search, this is where the NAICS codes come in.

Do you know yours? Many businesses use NAICS codes to find upstream suppliers and downstream markets. Government agencies even post-contract bids and offer tax incentives within a given NAICS code.

Before you go out there and start finding business opportunities, get to know first the federal market and the industries that have been successful in winning contracts. If they can do it, you can too!

With this in mind, here’s the Top 10 Industry NAICS codes that prospered in 2019.

1. 336411 

This industry code is on top of the list with a cumulative government spending of almost $50 billion in 2019. This comprises establishments involving aircraft manufacturing. 

They are those who manufacture or assemble complete aircraft. They also develop aircraft prototypes and do aircraft conversions, such as major modifications to systems and complete aircraft overhaul and rebuilding.

2. 541330

Coming in at second place, establishments in this industry provide engineering services. They apply physical laws and principles of engineering in the design, development, and utilization of their machines and systems. 

Businesses under this code may offer the provision of advice, preparation of feasibility studies, and preparation of preliminary and final plans and designs. 

3. 561210 

Services offered by this industry are often overlooked but are necessary for us to function. They are the establishments that offer facilities support services. These businesses provide operating staff to carry out a combination of support activities; but are not involved with or responsible for the core business or activities of the client. 

The mentioned combination of services include janitorial, maintenance, trash disposal, guard and security, mail routing, reception, laundry, and related services to support operations within facilities. 

4. 541512 

This code is for businesses offering computer system design services engaged in planning and designing computer systems that integrate computer hardware, software, and communication technologies. In 2019, this industry is worth about $24 billion in the federal market. 

5. 336611 

At the top five, we have the ship building and repairing industry. They are the people who operate a shipyard, which are fixed facilities with drydocks and fabrication equipment for building ships.

Activities of shipyards include the construction of ships, their repair, conversion, and alteration, the production of prefabricated ship and barge sections, and specialized services, such as ship scaling.

6. 236220 

Under this code are people responsible for the construction of commercial and institutional buildings and related structures, such as stadiums, grain elevators, and indoor swimming facilities. 

General contractors, commercial and institutional building for-sale builders, commercial and institutional building design-build firms, and commercial and institutional building project construction management firms are included in this industry.

7. 541715 

This is for establishments that involve research and experimental development (except nanotechnology and biotechnology research and experimental development) in physical, engineering, and life sciences.

Businesses under this code conduct research and experimental developments in the field of science and mathematics, all essential for economic growth, which is probably why the government invested around $20 billion in this industry.  

8. 541712 

Similar to NAICS code 541715, this code is also for establishments in the research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences engineering and life sciences (except Biotechnology) industry. This code covers a wide spectrum of fields, from biology to chemistry to veterinary.

Note: The NAICS Code 541712, however, is no longer valid. The NAICS Code that should be used instead is 541715. Unless the requirement is dealing with nanotechnology, in that case, code 541713 should be used. 

9. 336414 

This code is for the guided missile and space industry, which manufactures complete guided missiles and space vehicles and/or develops and makes prototypes of guided missiles or space vehicles. 

Although it is second to the last, the government spending on this industry is worth about $19 billion, which is still a huge amount.  

10. 541519 

Last but not the least, with a cumulative government spending of almost $17 billion, we have the industry that provides other computer related services. 

The services offered are all computer related services except those that were provided for by NAICS code 541512 (computer systems designs services).  

RESOURCES

The ranking from this article was taken from usaspending.gov, wherein Industry NAICS codes in 2019 were ranked from highest to lowest, according to the cumulative amount obligated by the government to each respective industry.

To learn more about all things NAICS, you can check out the website here.