Now that you have just been awarded a GSA Schedule--what's next? Preparing your GSA Schedule offer was no small feat, but it was only the beginning. As a GSA Schedule contract holder, you have important sales and compliance responsibilities throughout the life of your contract. We know it can be overwhelming to make sense of all the rules and regulations you need to follow now, so we'll just start small with the most important steps you need to take. To help get your company off on the right path, here are the top 5 things to do after you are awarded a GSA Schedule.

GSA Advantage!, an online shopping platform for government buyers, acts much like Amazon. A government buyer can hop onto the site, type in a keyword for what they need or browse by several categories, and electronically purchase products in just a few clicks. But what happens next? We talk a lot about how important it is as a GSA contractor to maximize your product listings on GSA Advantage! and keep it updated, but once a buyer chooses one of your items, it’s just as important to know how to handle the backend of the orders.

When it comes to traveling, whether it’s for a vacation, visiting family, or for work, expenses can pile up. Luckily, for GSA Schedule contract holders, several costs associated with traveling under your contract are covered by Joint Travel Regulations (JTRs). Joint Travel Regulations establish travel and transportation allowances. Depending on the agency you are performing the work under, JTRs could also be referred to as Federal Travel Regulations (FTRs), which are similar in nature. Here’s what you need to know about Joint Travel Regulations and when they apply to you.

If you are looking into getting a GSA Schedule contract, you’re probably excited about the prospect of selling to government customers, but also wary of some of the less favorable elements of government contracting, like processing times and regulatory requirements. While having a GSA contract does not free you of all the burdens of federal government contracting, it does mean that you can take care of the pricing and terms from the outset so that future contracting is streamlined.

So you have decided to get a GSA Schedule—what’s next? While having a GSA Schedule will certainly be very beneficial for your company, it’s quite an undertaking. A lot of prospective and current GSA contractors decide to hire a consultant to handle their GSA Schedule contract acquisition and maintenance. Should you consider hiring one too?

A GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract is no doubt a great business opportunity—not only does it open doors to a huge pool of government agencies, but the ability to sell directly to the largest buyer of goods and services in the world at pre-negotiated rates and shorter lead times is not something you can find in the commercial market. However, it’s not without effort. If you are interested in becoming a GSA contractor, or if you have recently been awarded a contract, it’s important you are aware of the requirements it takes to maintain a GSA Schedule contract. One of the main requirements is identifying what a GSA sale is and reporting it regularly to GSA. Several clients have come to us wondering what constitutes a GSA sale, so we have created a blog with everything you need to know.