Outsider Perception: All federal business is done within the confines of the Washington Beltway.

Reality: False. More than $250 billion is spent by federal installations and agencies located outside of the nation's capitol.

Lesson: Identify the federal agencies and installations located in your region and sell aggressively to these potential customers.

Background:

Most are unaware that the federal government spends more than $250 billion on projects located outside of the Washington metropolitan area. In fact, the federal government's buying power extends across the United States and even worldwide. Some of this money may be spent at military bases or other government installations in your state. You would be shocked to discover how much federal business is conducted within 100 miles of your office. Federal officials prefer to work with small businesses located near them since doing so is sound policy from a political and practical standpoint.

Small businesses located within the Washington metropolitan area do reasonably well because of the vast amounts of money available for contracts in the region. However, the abundance of contract opportunities is offset by the level of competition. The Washington area is home to the very largest prime contractors and small businesses are playing in their backyard. Small businesses hoping to win federal business near the Beltway must learn to play nice with the large primes or they run the risk of being shut out of the market.

Many small businesses emerge and prosper by staying close to home where the competition is not as intense. There are countless federal facilities located throughout the U.S. and overseas. Such facilities include military bases, research centers, Veterans Administration and military hospitals, and regional offices of various federal agencies. Use your local blue page telephone directory or peruse the federal agency web sites for in an effort to locate contact information.

As previously mentioned, federal facilities located outside of the Beltway prefer, for political and social reasons, to work with local companies. Local businesses are also perceived by federal officials to be more cognizant of delivering value. It is not uncommon for a small business owner to meet an end user from a local federal facility at a social occasion or at a networking event. He or she can then turn the contact into a business relationship and ultimately a sale.

Take out a local map and draw a circle around your office's location. Contact the federal installations located within the circle. Use the following links to help you find local federal sales opportunities:

General all agency searches: USA.gov (the official federal web portal) http://www.usa.gov

For federal offices in your area look at the following:

• Federal Phone Directories
• Peruse the blue pages in local telephone directories
• Locate a military base
• Federal Funded Research and Development Centers
• Veterans Administration Hospitals
• Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) Database
• FederalSpending.org

Installment Series:

Installment 1: The Best Offense is a Good Defense
Installment 2: Make the World's Biggest Customer Your Own
Installment 3: Market Research in the Federal Sector
Installment 4: Become an Insider in the Federal Market
Installment 5: Competition and Price Sensitivity in the Federal Market
Installment 6: Are Federal Bids Wired?
Installment 7: Fundamentals of Federal Contracting
Installment 8: Making a Federal Sale
Installment 9: Closing a Federal Sale
Installment 10: Start with the Credit Card and Quick Buy Markets for Smaller Transactions
Installment 11: Consider Starting as a Subcontractor to a Prime
Installment 12: Selling Directly to Prime Contractors
Installment 13: Pre-approved Government Price Lists
Installment 14: Getting a Pre-approved Federal Price List for Your Company
Installment 15: Small Business Preference Programs
Installment 16: Distinguishing Messages Win in the Federal Market
Installment 17: Selling to Federal Agencies Located in Your Backyard
Installment 18: Getting Started in Federal Sales
Installment 19: Don't Get Caught Up in Red Tape
Installment 20: Steps to Take After Winning Your First Federal Contract 
Installment 21: Learn How to Write Federal Proposals
Installment 22: Prosper in the Federal Market

Fedmarket has been helping companies win government business since 1995. We have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and other trade publications. Our customer testimonials speak to our competence and expertise in helping customers win federal business. We have been singled out by public and private organizations -- including the Small Business Administration and federally-funded Procurement Technical Assistance Centers -- as the most comprehensive government contracting resource in the industry. Our web site's free content includes informative newsletters on GSA Schedules, Proposal Writing and Federal Business Development.

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