With just a few short weeks of activity left in the current year, the last opportunity to meet this year’s goals has arrived, and is soon to pass. As a business owner, if you have any doubts as to how this year is going to work out, then you undoubtedly have identified areas for improvement within your business to work on in the New Year. In a dynamic economic system rife with motion and change, maintaining the ability to forecast, plan and execute change on a continuing basis is fundamental to success.

One area to consider is whether to open new markets in 2025. Building business volume through controlled expansion is a time-proven strategy for building stability and prosperity into business operations. When looking at areas to expand into, vast market expansion opportunities exist in contracting with governments. Contracting opportunities are found in many areas, providing both goods and services to large markets for those businesses able to execute their operations and have the ability to manage contracts. The opportunities are with numerous agencies of governments, so any impression that ‘government’ is a monolithic beast impossible to understand or work effectively with is not the case. It does require contractors who are willing to invest some time and energy into understanding the systems used by the governments to procure goods and services from the private sector. But a business does not need to ‘go it alone’ to try and figure out how to work with an agency.

Where to go for help.

Assistance with understanding government contracting and for registering as an eligible business is provided through the Apex Accelerator in Oregon. Serving the State through its offices in Springfield, the Apex Accelerator connects to many service providers throughout Oregon as a technical assistance provider in partnership with the local business development resources. The list of services delivered through the Apex Accelerator include:

• Assisting businesses register to in the SAM (System for Award Management) System in order to be recognized as a contractor with the Federal and State governments;
• Advising businesses as to how to connect with opportunities available for bid, how to research which company received specific bids and how to list your business to be visible to contracting officers;
• Helping businesses develop ‘Capability Statements’ to illustrate the specific strengths and attributes of your business;
• Assist in discovering where likely needs come from to align a search for opportunities to bid, and
• Assist a business certify as an Emerging Small Business, Minority-owned, Woman-owned or Service-disabled Veteran Business for set-aside bid opportunities.

The best value for a business is to have regular business advising from the SOU SBDC to develop the business structure, planning, operations and finance coupled with the specific assistance from the Apex Accelerator to correctly set-up the business in the government systems. A lot of substantial development can be accomplished without much cost in this manner, saving time, money and energy for managing a business that is interested in working with the opportunities provided by governments.

This sounds good, but what is the downside?

Fear of what is not known can stop a person from looking into opportunity. Don’t let fear rule the day if you have an interest in government contracting.

One common comment after a successful SAM Registration we have heard from a client business in the region: “I CAN do that, even though I am a small business”.

What examples can I give you?

One example is there are many businesses registered for wildland fire fighting with an agreement from the Forest Service that if a contractor is called, a contract is in effect. In this manner, a contractor can roll when the need arises with knowledge that they will be paid.

Idle equipment can be put on a contingent contract to be activated with a phone call.

Right now, the State Prison System needs roofing contractors. An additional burden of passing a security check is required, but there are not enough roofers competing for contracts at the moment.

The Forest Service has regular contract opportunities for janitorial service to campgrounds, and the Corps of Engineers has numerous contracts for the parks along waterways throughout the West.

Will I be paid?

This is a common concern and in some cases, payments are delayed for various reasons. There are ways to work around roadblocks and delays in advance of submitting an invoice, and the Apex Accelerator can assist in that process.

In some cases, the contractor needs to have reserve funds available for cash flow reasons. The SBDC business advisers can help you quantify the amounts and timing of the cash needs.

One local contractor reports that the IPP System has done wonders for his company with receiving payment for invoices submitted. This report is the inspiration for the article you are reading. From the IPP website https://www.ipp.gov/about, one learns that: IPP is a web-based system that provides one integrated, secure system to simplify the management of vendor invoices. It is offered at no charge to federal agencies and their vendors.

How do I connect?

The SOU SBDC regularly works with, and connects, client businesses that are wanting to contract with governments. They stand ready to assist you with your development needs. SOU SBDC: 541-552-8300.

Two opportunities to connect with the Apex Accelerator are coming up in Southern Oregon. In May, the Apex Accelerator will be present, sponsored by the SOU SBDC in Medford.

A second opportunity exists in August in Medford, when the Apex Accelerator comes to town with a number of other State agencies and local agencies that are looking for contractors as part of Connect2Oregon.

In both cases, a draft Capabilities Statement is requested so that it can be reviewed on site during the events by Apex Accelerator employees.

Give the SOU SBDC a call to talk with an adviser to prep for these opportunities.

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Marshall Doak is the Director of the Southern Oregon University Small Business Development Center and a supporter of innovation and the community that forms around innovation in the economy. In private practice as owner of Managed Successions, LLC, he develops and manages projects for public and private organizations for specific goal achievement success, including advising businesses wanting to transfer ownership and retain the value created over time. He can be reached through: mdoak06@gmail.com or 541-646-4126.