Re: Dodge Reports?

[Robert L Bass <sales@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> These services are useful if you don't have the
> time or resources to research on your own.
> They are really for convenience.

Hmm.  Size-wise, your company and mine are at opposite ends of
the spectrum.  I know you get lots of work from government bids
because I see who wins the contracts (it's public information).
I assume you guys have a team of people working on government
RFQs, no?

We spent about two weeks getting all the online forms filled in
and several days attending SBA classes.  That was three years
ago.  I get e-mail literally every working day from various
government and military opportunities.  I respond to less than
10% of them because I'm usually too busy handling website sales.

IMO it is well worth the time and effort, even for a small
business operator, to get registered.  Besides, even if you use a
3rd party lead service to get the RFQs, you still need to be
registered before you can even submit a quote.

> To the op:
>
> The bid n'n chase market is a tough one.  You'll
> likely find the federal nut a tough one to crack as
> well.  Post-911, there are numerous companies
> that do nothing but chase government security
> work...

Agree and disagree, sort of.  It's a pain getting started doing
federal contracts, but once you've handled a few successfully,
you're more likely to win more.  I'm sure you know that there is
a certain amount of discretion beyond price in granting most
government contracts.

Interestingly, we often take small government orders, typically
less than $5,000, over the phone.  The same is true of military
purchases.  Almost every military buyer has a Visa card and the
discretion to use it without formal bids on small purchases.
This is a lucrative area since the buyers often come back for
other things once they've had a good experience with a provider.

> For larger projects, the small guys will likely never get
> past the pre-qual...

100% true.

Regards,
Robert L Bass
www.BassBurglarAlarms.com



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Regards,
Robert L Bass
http://www.bassburglaralarms.com