You can practically hear the announcer saying, “…and down the stretch they come” as we near the end of the 2016 Government Fiscal Year. While some may have taken a portion of Labor Day weekend to relax, it’s all business for government contractors trying to close end of year federal deals.
It’s a pretty crowded field. The usual suspects — Navy, Air Force, Homeland Security — have a long list of projects, but also suiters. Companies that have not already positioned themselves as known potential partners may find it difficult to do so now, especially when many other companies have done that work.
There are myriad other agencies to look at, though. While they may lack the high profile of known names, these federal operations nevertheless have federal dollars and a need to upgrade their IT systems. Independent agencies like the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, or Administrative Office of the US Courts are two places that regularly reach out to industry with IT requirements, whether it be year-end, or any other time. Smaller organizations, like the Federal Energy Regulatory Council, don’t get visited as much by industry, but still have their own CIO, Mittal Desai, who directs all projects.
Similarly, did you know that large parts of the IT operations of the Department of Energy and General Services Administration are run by contractors? This is not only an opportunity for your firm to run an entire system, but to focus on business-to-business relationships so that you can work with those who do. If you can’t beat out an incumbent running a “soup to nuts” project, can you join them and make the project better overall?
The point is that the federal IT market has lots of players. Stick to the ones getting all the press and attention and not only do you miss out on lesser-known opportunities, you’ll be fishing in the same ponds as everyone else. You may land some choice opportunities, but there are smaller ponds with little or no action. A few smaller fish can keep you well fed, especially if they’re easier to obtain.
While it is always vital to do your research to ensure you’re talking about what matters to the potential customer, staying close to tried and true priorities is also a good idea. Cyber security is just as important to those regulating energy prices, for example, as those actually protecting the physical grid. In fact, smaller agencies have sometimes been more willing to move out on adopting newer technology than their larger counterparts. The FCC, for example, is fully embracing cloud solutions.
Smaller federal customers can be loyal, too. Take the time to get to know them and develop proper relationships. You might find that you have a good customer not merely for the end of this fiscal year, but a year-round partner for some time to come.
For all federal customers, resist the urge to cut corners to save time, even if your customer says it’s okay. Remember that contractors always bear a disproportionate burden should problems develop over a corner cut too close. Make sure you don’t sacrifice next year’s business over a “must have” end-of-year project now.
Best of luck for the remainder of the Fiscal Year.
