In the previous post I gave an example of how I’ve seen people start out being a broker for products to the government. Not all of them have failed, but most don’t last doing broker work alone. The successful companies that start out as a broker quickly expand into A&AS or other contract areas.
There are a lot of training sources available that promise to show you how to get rich being a broker for companies selling to the Government. They don’t all call it being a broker, but that’s what it amounts to in the end. Consider this…if they are making so much money as a parts broker why are they selling the training service at such a high price. I would venture to say that most companies who claim they have got rich selling to the Government and are now offering to teach you how for a fee are making more money from their training programs than they are selling to the Government. Teach people how to get rich quick is a big industry. I have considered jumping into the training market, but I’m afraid the honest real life training I would want to offer would discourage a lot of people new to the defense industry.
Before you start paying for “How to Sell to the Government” training checkout all the free training that is available. The Government wants to support small businesses so they have a lot of free training available. Start with the Apex Accelerator. It used to be called PTAC. I took several of their classes. I have even been a guest speaker at some of their classes. Its good training to learn the basics. Keep in mind, it’s being taught by Government employees most of who have never worked as a defense contractor. They are teaching a lesson plan. So if you don’t feel you learned much from a class you attend, find the same class taught by another instructor. Another source of reading material is Defense Acquisition University (DAU). This is training for Government contracting officers and is not open to everyone, but you can find articles discussing specific contracting topics. I actually found some good information using SCORE when I started my consulting company. It’s worth looking at.
The Government wants your small defense company to be a success, but they are not going to just give you money. Defense is very competitive so you have to do your part and offer something the government needs. Don’t just chase any Government contract you think will make you money. You’ll just end up in trouble and out of business. Focus on your areas of expertise. If you’re not an expert in your area of interest, become an expert.
A lot of people ask about mentors. There is a Government Mentor/Protégé program. Each department of the Government had their own program, but they were finally all consolidated under SBA. As far as I know the program is still out there. However, Joint Ventures (JV) (not an SBA program) has taken the place of the Mentor/Protégé program in most cases because it’s easier to initiate. It’s your responsibility to find your mentor. You can’t just jump up and say I want to be mentored. You have to offer something to your mentor, not just paying a fee. Offer your expertise in exchange for their expertise. Whether your expertise is logistics, engineering, management or whatever, find a company that needs help in your areas of expertise. That’s where you’ll find a good mentor/protégé relationship.
Author: Phil Davidson
I have worked in the Defense Industry as a contractor for over 20 years. I do Business Development for a small aviation company right now, but I have worked as a full-time and part-time consultant over the years. I decided to redesign my website as a place where I can share information about my experience and help companies come together for working together and teaming.