Differentiators are often the most difficult aspects of a company to talk about. What is it that sets one company apart from another? By attending the GovWin webinar “Differentiators that Matter for 2013” companies can learn to more clearly define their business in the eyes of decision makers within the federal government marketplace.
Hosted by Gloria Larkin, TargetGov President and Founder, the webinar and will go over changes in the marketplace and detail aspects that will help your business stand out.
Webinar Highlights:
• Top differentiators in FY 2013
• Identifying organizational differentiators
• Focused lead approach
• Relating differentiators to targeted opportunities
• Leveraging resources used by primes
• Best practices in completing business profiles.
Who should attend?
• New and Experienced Contractors
• Proposal Writers
• Business Developers
• Administrators
• Capture Managers
This webinar will help businesses clearly define themselves for the federal government, increasing that company’s chances at getting real face time with a decision maker. Quality differentiators can mean the difference between success and struggle.
Click here for more information and to register.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Now What? Success in 2013 Demands Attitude Change
By Gloria Larkin
This year’s crystal ball still holds a few surprises, however, for the most part the theme in federal contracting is a solid “do more with less”. The challenges not only involve the obvious budget trimming “do more with less money” but the even more critical theme, “do more with fewer people”.
Deltek, a federal data research and services firm, predicts that over 23% of federal contracting and acquisition-related government employees will retire in the next 18-24 months, and a full 50% in the next five years. This critically affects businesses doing work for the federal government (including military bases and intelligence agencies) because these are the decision-makers for purchasing and procurement.
Conflicting Trend Snapshot
Visualize this: in the year 2000, the federal government had spent $230 billion with contractors. At that point in time, there were over 100,000 contracting and acquisition employees handing that $230 billion in contracts. Eleven years later, in 2011, spending had ballooned to $550 billion. The shocker is that the contracting and acquisition staff had not expanded during that incredible spending increase, but rather significantly shrank during those eleven years, to just about 80,000 people.
Now, the baby boomers in federal contracting and acquisition will continue to retire in accelerating numbers, further decimating the existing knowledge and relationship base.
First the Bad News
Those companies who had a lock on contracts should find this evolution troubling, because the good old boy network is disappearing. Additional bad news is that those people who are leaving had 20 to 30 years of experience with the rules, regulations and legal issues. The few new hires have a very steep learning curve to assimilate the 2,000 pages of the Federal Acquisition Regulations along with the thousands of ever-changing rules and regulations affecting purchasing and procurement.
Good News
For those companies with truly efficient and cost-effective processes or products, or proven experience in the commercial markets this is a very good time to aggressively enter the federal marketplace. With the aforementioned retirements in progress, new connections and relationships can be initiated and strengthened. Yes, competition will be extraordinarily tough; therefore investing the time and effort in learning the unique factors and processes in the federal marketplace can pay off handsomely. Businesses entering the federal market will find a unique window of opportunity during this time only if they research and embrace the federal purchasing and procurement process while bringing in fresh ideas.
Experienced Contractors
The firms large and small who have seen success in the federal space in the past ten years will only hold onto market share if they shake off the stale business development and capture practices and instead embrace new communication, differentiation and marketing strategies that appeal to the remaining federal decision-makers.
This year’s crystal ball still holds a few surprises, however, for the most part the theme in federal contracting is a solid “do more with less”. The challenges not only involve the obvious budget trimming “do more with less money” but the even more critical theme, “do more with fewer people”.
Deltek, a federal data research and services firm, predicts that over 23% of federal contracting and acquisition-related government employees will retire in the next 18-24 months, and a full 50% in the next five years. This critically affects businesses doing work for the federal government (including military bases and intelligence agencies) because these are the decision-makers for purchasing and procurement.
Conflicting Trend Snapshot
Visualize this: in the year 2000, the federal government had spent $230 billion with contractors. At that point in time, there were over 100,000 contracting and acquisition employees handing that $230 billion in contracts. Eleven years later, in 2011, spending had ballooned to $550 billion. The shocker is that the contracting and acquisition staff had not expanded during that incredible spending increase, but rather significantly shrank during those eleven years, to just about 80,000 people.
Now, the baby boomers in federal contracting and acquisition will continue to retire in accelerating numbers, further decimating the existing knowledge and relationship base.
First the Bad News
Those companies who had a lock on contracts should find this evolution troubling, because the good old boy network is disappearing. Additional bad news is that those people who are leaving had 20 to 30 years of experience with the rules, regulations and legal issues. The few new hires have a very steep learning curve to assimilate the 2,000 pages of the Federal Acquisition Regulations along with the thousands of ever-changing rules and regulations affecting purchasing and procurement.
Good News
For those companies with truly efficient and cost-effective processes or products, or proven experience in the commercial markets this is a very good time to aggressively enter the federal marketplace. With the aforementioned retirements in progress, new connections and relationships can be initiated and strengthened. Yes, competition will be extraordinarily tough; therefore investing the time and effort in learning the unique factors and processes in the federal marketplace can pay off handsomely. Businesses entering the federal market will find a unique window of opportunity during this time only if they research and embrace the federal purchasing and procurement process while bringing in fresh ideas.
Experienced Contractors
The firms large and small who have seen success in the federal space in the past ten years will only hold onto market share if they shake off the stale business development and capture practices and instead embrace new communication, differentiation and marketing strategies that appeal to the remaining federal decision-makers.
Tuesday, December 04, 2012
A Message from TargetGov President Gloria Larkin
Dear friends, colleagues, clients and family,
Just like you, I am buried in...everything. It is all good and I love what we do to help the world be a better place. As we rocket into December towards the end of 2012, one cannot help but look back and take stock of goals, accomplishments, challenges and triumphs.
We all share many challenges: financial, leadership, family, community and business. Some of our own making and others foist upon us by others.
Our measure is how we reacted; did we look forward for solutions, demand accountability, step up with suggestions and plan to shoulder the burden with other like-minded people? Yes these are very serious times, but have we also nurtured our sense of humor, and given away a few hugs when they were least expected?
At the core of these thoughts for me this year is a man who was easy to like and whom I grew to respect through the years. When I heard the news that Michael Bowlds, president of Mountaintop Marketing, passed away after a brief battle with lung cancer, I was floored and saddened. Years ago Michael reached out to me, we shared ideas, participated in events and even though we could be considered competitors, he was always open, gracious and professional. My life is much better for having known him, and my sincere condolences go to his wife, baby and son, and of course, his business colleagues as well.
My personal summary of this year is that I have much for which to be grateful. And my prayer is that I always recognize the riches not just in my mind's eye but also where it really matters, in my heart.
Thank you for making me who I am today, and I hope that tomorrow makes me someone of which you can be proud.
Here's to your success and all the riches your heart can hold!
Gloria Larkin,
President of TargetGov
Just like you, I am buried in...everything. It is all good and I love what we do to help the world be a better place. As we rocket into December towards the end of 2012, one cannot help but look back and take stock of goals, accomplishments, challenges and triumphs.
We all share many challenges: financial, leadership, family, community and business. Some of our own making and others foist upon us by others.
Our measure is how we reacted; did we look forward for solutions, demand accountability, step up with suggestions and plan to shoulder the burden with other like-minded people? Yes these are very serious times, but have we also nurtured our sense of humor, and given away a few hugs when they were least expected?
At the core of these thoughts for me this year is a man who was easy to like and whom I grew to respect through the years. When I heard the news that Michael Bowlds, president of Mountaintop Marketing, passed away after a brief battle with lung cancer, I was floored and saddened. Years ago Michael reached out to me, we shared ideas, participated in events and even though we could be considered competitors, he was always open, gracious and professional. My life is much better for having known him, and my sincere condolences go to his wife, baby and son, and of course, his business colleagues as well.
My personal summary of this year is that I have much for which to be grateful. And my prayer is that I always recognize the riches not just in my mind's eye but also where it really matters, in my heart.
Thank you for making me who I am today, and I hope that tomorrow makes me someone of which you can be proud.
Here's to your success and all the riches your heart can hold!
Gloria Larkin,
President of TargetGov
A Webinar Focusing on the Fiscal Cliff from Women Impacting Public Policy
Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) has released a new webinar detailing the fiscal cliff, the consequences of that fiscal cliff, and ways we can avoid it. Ann Sullivan, WIPP Government Relations, hosted the webinar when it aired originally on Tuesday, November 27th. The webinar is now available to listen and see online. Click on the links below to hear the podcast of the webinar and see the slides used in the presentation.
To listen to the audio for the presentation, click here.
To view the slides for the presentation, click here.
The webinar provides participants with an overview of the fiscal cliff, including tax provisions that are going to expire as well as automatic spending cuts and how they will work. It will also provide an update on what Congress and the Executive Branch are doing to avoid the fiscal cliff.
So what will happen if we go over the fiscal cliff? According to the webinar, tax cuts will expire on individual gains, capital gains, dividends, and estate tax rates. These cuts affect approximately 80% of Americans. The payroll tax holiday expires with no renewal planned. Small business tax provisions expire.
Another consequence of the fiscal cliff is known as sequestration. These are automatic spending cuts that will go into effect on January 2, 2013. This will consist of a 9.4% cut to most federal spending with exceptions for Medicaid, benefits for veterans, and pay for military personnel. Sequestration will save $1.2 trillion over ten years, or about $110 billion per year - $55 billion from defense spending and $55 billion from non-defense spending.
How will federal contractors be affected by the fiscal cliff? Current contracts will be unchanged. However, approximately $30 billion in defense cuts could be felt in 2013. It is expected that agencies will bundle more contracts due to the restricted budget. And there is likely going to be a reduction in overall contract awards from here on out.
There have been many proposals to avoid the fiscal cliff. The goal that must be reached in order to avoid this is any combination of spending cuts and increased revenue that reaches $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction over ten years. If this goal cannot be met, the fiscal cliff will be reached and the automatic tax increases and spending cuts will go into place.
To learn more about the fiscal cliff and solutions that have been proposed for it, listen to the presentation.
To listen to the audio for the presentation, click here.
To view the slides for the presentation, click here.
The webinar provides participants with an overview of the fiscal cliff, including tax provisions that are going to expire as well as automatic spending cuts and how they will work. It will also provide an update on what Congress and the Executive Branch are doing to avoid the fiscal cliff.
So what will happen if we go over the fiscal cliff? According to the webinar, tax cuts will expire on individual gains, capital gains, dividends, and estate tax rates. These cuts affect approximately 80% of Americans. The payroll tax holiday expires with no renewal planned. Small business tax provisions expire.
Another consequence of the fiscal cliff is known as sequestration. These are automatic spending cuts that will go into effect on January 2, 2013. This will consist of a 9.4% cut to most federal spending with exceptions for Medicaid, benefits for veterans, and pay for military personnel. Sequestration will save $1.2 trillion over ten years, or about $110 billion per year - $55 billion from defense spending and $55 billion from non-defense spending.
How will federal contractors be affected by the fiscal cliff? Current contracts will be unchanged. However, approximately $30 billion in defense cuts could be felt in 2013. It is expected that agencies will bundle more contracts due to the restricted budget. And there is likely going to be a reduction in overall contract awards from here on out.
There have been many proposals to avoid the fiscal cliff. The goal that must be reached in order to avoid this is any combination of spending cuts and increased revenue that reaches $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction over ten years. If this goal cannot be met, the fiscal cliff will be reached and the automatic tax increases and spending cuts will go into place.
To learn more about the fiscal cliff and solutions that have been proposed for it, listen to the presentation.
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