Tag: government contracting

Learn How Your Small Business Can Sell To the Government
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I’ve written a few blogs on becoming an 8(a) certified small business so we can compete in the  government’s marketplace. Just recently the Small Business Administration (SBA) shared a video on how small business owners can learn how to sell their products or services to the federal government.

The SBA has a Size Standards Tool (http://sba.gov/size-standard-tool)you can use to determine if you qualify as a small business. Before you use the tool, you may want to find the NAICS codes that apply to your area of expertise and business profession. NAICS means, North American Industry Classification System, which is the standard used by Federal statistics agencies in classifying business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing and publishing statistical data related to the US business economy. http://www.census.gov/eos/www/naics/index.html

A couple of other links mentioned in the video to assist small businesses are:

http://sam.gov (System for Award Management)

http://sba.gov/contracting

http://sba.gov/gcclassroom

However, one of the major themes that run through our experiences is networking. Just as any organization, the federal government is a group of people. As the saying goes, “People do business with people,” not with a business. So, make the calls, forge the relationships and work them.

You don’t have to be a large company to sell your products and services to the federal government. You just need to learn how and get to know the right people.

What is a D-U-N-S Number?
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The SBA is a useful resource for small businesses. If there is an office in your area, please take advantage of their services. If meeting face-to-face is difficult, peruse the information they have available online.

Before you can bid on government proposals, you need to obtain a Dun & Bradstreet, or D-U-N-S, Number. This is a unique nine-digit identification number for each physical location of your business. D-U-N-S Number assignment is free for all businesses required to register with the federal government for contracts or grants.

What do I need to get my D-U-N-S Number?

When registering for your D-U-N-S Number, you will need the following on hand:

  • Legal name
  • Headquarters name and address for your business
  • Doing Business As (DBA) or other name by which your business is commonly recognized
  • Physical address, city, state and ZIP Code
  • Mailing address (if separate from headquarters and/or physical address)
  • Telephone number
  • Contact name and title
  • Number of employees at your physical location
  • Whether you are a Home-Based Business

How do I get my D-U-N-S Number?

Good news! Getting your D-U-N-S Number is easy. Visit D-U-N-S Request Service to obtain more detailed instructions on applying for your D-U-N-S Number.

Also, see the FAQs for obtaining a D-U-N-S Number and visit Central Contractor Registrations (CCR).

For more information about the D-U-N-S Number, click here for a downloadable document.