.png "Haley Lawrie")
Working with the government can be a profitable venture for you and your company. The federal government is a consistent customer that can help grow your business opportunities. However, a lot of companies do not have the bandwidth to take on all the administrative, pricing, and compliance measures that maintaining a GSA Schedule contract requires. GSA and government contracting as a whole can be a confusing with all the government jargon and regulations you need to follow. This is why a lot of contractors choose to hire a GSA consultant to help them navigate the government marketplace, get their GSA Schedule awarded, and to maintain it for up to 20 years.
We may seem biased as consultants ourselves, but we hold our own GSA Schedule and know just how much work it can be. This also gives us a unique position to dispel any misconceptions you may have about hiring a consultant. So, we put together some myths and truths about what you should expect when you engage with a GSA consultant.
MYTH: Your GSA Consultant Will Take Over Your GSA Schedule Proposal
TRUTH: Your GSA Consultant will work with you and key stakeholders in your company to craft your GSA Proposal
A GSA consultant is not a paper pusher. They will not submit any documents to GSA that you and key folks at your company don’t know about. When working with a government contract consultant on your GSA Schedule proposal, you should expect your consultant to take your company’s information and turn it into various types of documents. You know your company the best and therefore should be involved in all the important decisions. GSA consultants are there to guide you through the process and help you make the best decisions for your company, but you need to provide them with the proper information.
Your consultant will need some the company’s administrative information such as your companies DUNS number, Tax ID, and financial statements from the last two fiscal years. Additionally, you will need to able to identify what types of discounts your company provided to its customers and who receives the best discounts (i.e. resellers, commercial buyers, nonprofits and state and local government, etc.).
Your consultant will be able to take this information and fit it to work with GSA’s requirements and expectations for a proposal. Your consultant will work with you hand-in-hand to make sure that your company is putting their best foot forward for their GSA proposal.
MYTH: Your GSA Consultant Can Guarantee GSA Schedule Award in Just a Few Weeks
Truth: While consultants can help expedite the process, there is no way to guarantee the exact time it will take
First off, there are ways you can expedite your GSA Schedule proposal review and eliminate obstacles throughout the acquisition process, but you should not trust any consulting company that claims they can get you awarded in just a few weeks. Nor should you trust a company that says the GSA Schedule preparation only takes a few hours.
As mentioned above, there is no way to guarantee the exact time it will take to get your GSA Schedule awarded, and GSA Schedule proposal preparation can be a tedious process that cannot be rushed. If it’s rushed, then you run the risk of making mistakes and having to go through the process all over again.
Working with a GSA consultant alone can simply speed up the process because they know exactly what documents need to be submitted and will help you communicate with GSA throughout the clarifications and negotiations process. They can also cut through all the red tape and get straight to the proposal process. But as we know, GSA is a government agency and therefore, we cannot pinpoint exactly how much time it will take for Contracting Officials to review the proposal, reach out and ask questions, and ultimately get the contract awarded.
MYTH: Your GSA Consultant Will Automatically Handle All Your GSA Schedule Compliance Needs
TRUTH: The level of engagement for your GSA consultant will depend on your company’s needs
It’s important to note that the maintenance services your consultant will provide will vary on the terms and conditions agreed upon. Your consultant will be available for email and phone support to answer any and all GSA Schedule contract related questions. They will help create, submit, and sign GSA Schedule contract modifications on eMod for your products/services. They can help with quarterly GSA sales reporting and your Small Business Subcontracting Plan reporting. They will be able to accept and incorporate any Mass Mods released by GSA, including the most recent Mass Mod regarding the COVID vaccine mandate. Your GSA consultant can also help you with any GSA Advantage! catalog and text-file uploads to SIP.
Some companies like to be more hands on so that they understand the process better and that’s perfectly fine. Your GSA consultant can help educate your team on all GSA compliance measures to make you more self-sustaining. After that it’s up to you and your company as to how much is done for you.
MYTH: Your GSA Consultant Can Guarantee Government Business Opportunities
TRUTH: A GSA consultant will teach you how to look for GSA opportunities but will not guarantee them
You should be wary of any organizations that guarantee government business. Your GSA consultant will not go out and get the opportunities for you but some offer services to teach your company how to best market your GSA Schedule so you can seek out opportunities that fit well with your company and contract capabilities. A GSA consultant company that promises short cuts or guaranteed money is likely not what you are looking for. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as “passive income”—especially when it comes to GSA Schedule contracts. Your GSA consultant will provide your company with the right tools for sales and marketing to best help your team win their own GSA opportunities.
Do You Want to Learn More About GSA Schedule Consulting?
When it comes to GSA contracting, you don’t have to know all the answers. GSA consulting provides a bridge for contractors who do not have previous experience in the government contracting field, or the bandwidth to handle it themselves. Contact our sales team to help you and your company cross that bridge.
