GSA Consultants
We are GSA Consultants with a 98% success rate.
Since 2006 we've worked on over 600 GSA Contracts — and we do one thing only: GSA Schedules. Below, the honest comparison between doing it yourself and hiring a consultant, what a good firm should do for you, and how to avoid the bad apples.
The honest comparison
Hire a GSA Schedule Consultant, or do it yourself?
Some things are best to outsource, and some are not. Let's compare your options. Do you have someone on staff with GSA Contract experience? If not, there are some pretty compelling reasons to outsource.
~90% chance of rejection
The GSA is very happy to reject your offer package if even one small issue is found. The days of getting a phone call from your Contracting Officer to clear something up are long gone — you're expected to read their mind before submission.
Going without a consultant is an absolute guarantee to face multiple rejections. Most companies give up eventually, and that is what the GSA seems to want.
Time = money
In the time you're handling rejections and resubmitting, a consultant could have gotten you into the GSA Schedule program months or years earlier. That means potentially hundreds of lost GSA opportunities are not landing in your inbox.
Experience saves you trouble
With an experienced firm you get all GSA terms and conditions configured to your benefit, and you're represented during negotiations — ending up with better discount terms.
This is a 20-year contract. Many terms are nearly impossible to adjust after award.
Training and compliance
Consider what happens after award. Do you want support to stay compliant? A trusted consultant a phone call away? Help to add offerings or increase your prices? If you answered "yes", go with a consultant from the beginning.
If you're still considering DIY
What doing it yourself actually costs
No problem — here's an honest Return on Investment run-down if you're considering handling your GSA Contract in-house.
The in-house math
- Employee hours on the GSA project152 hrs
- Salary assumption (conservative)~$56k/yr
- Effective hourly cost~$39/hr
And that's the optimistic version. It doesn't include losses from inexperience — costly mistakes, or failing to negotiate one more percentage point in the GSA Discount, can cost thousands. That alone could have paid for a consultant.
An employee with little or no GSA experience will also stretch the timeline, which means missing a good number of opportunities. Intangible, but real.
Before you decide either way
Find out if you'd even qualify — in 60 seconds.
Four questions, no email required. If GSA isn't a fit for your business, we'll tell you straight.
No email needed · Instant answer
Selecting a firm
What a GSA Consulting firm should do for you
If you've opted to use a GSA Contract specialist, good for you. You're likely going to Google a few options and compare their prices and services — that's the right thing to do. First, here's the bar they should clear. If they fall short in any of these ways, their solution isn't up to par.
Matching the scope of your past performance with the GSA categories takes experience. This is an important first step.
There are 20 to 30 documents in a normal GSA offer package. This is the #1 reason to use a consultant. The firm should have an organized process and handle everything they can on your behalf.
After the documents are prepared and QC'd, the company should submit for you. If you are required to submit, they may be on the GSA's banned list.
Handling the process after submission is where an experienced consultant matters. An inexperienced firm can do great damage — many GSA terms are set in stone.
Any firm worth their salt will register your company, then prepare and upload your catalog file to get you live in the GSA systems ASAP.
Make sure the firm will be an ongoing source of support for your contract maintenance.
Bonus advice: most GSA Consulting firms that offer other related services (8(a) certification, proposal writing, marketing) are not very good at any of them. GSA Focus only offers GSA Schedule services — which is why we're always up to speed on the program. If we offered other services, we'd be mediocre across the board.
Researching and comparing
What GSA consulting actually costs
There's a great range in how GSA Contract Consultants price their services — you could see anywhere from $3,000 to $15,000. As with most things, you get what you pay for. But it's also worth noting that the most expensive is definitely not going to bring you the best value.
I've come across DC-based consulting firms that charge on the high end just because their rent and overhead are so great. That doesn't bring you value. These same companies will be using your company to train recent college grads to handle your GSA offer — so it will be slow and riddled with errors, and during clarifications and negotiations you will not be in very capable hands.
Also on this topic: some firms offer their services at a flat rate, and others require a percentage of your GSA sales.
Our pricing is flat, public, and on one page.
No percentage of your sales, no surprises. See the exact number for your situation — Standard, Simplified or Specialized.
Due diligence
There are some very bad apples in this industry
Here are a few pointers to make sure you select the right GSA Consulting company for your business.
Any company can post stock photos with testimonials they wrote themselves. Ask for references and actually call or email a sampling.
Research what others say. Start with BBB — if there's a group of dissatisfied customers, their rating takes a hit. Then try LinkedIn and Facebook: does the company page look reputable, and are there a few employees?
If there's no address or phone number, it may be a dummy company. A few predatory GSA Consulting firms are still out there.
It is vitally important to ask the salesperson whether they complete the process themselves or white-label it. Do you really want to pay an extra $2,000 handling fee? And ask whether you'll work alongside the president of the company — like at GSA Focus — or be handed off to an intern.
GSA Focus
Our approach
GSA Focus is a full-service GSA Schedule Consultancy. Our experienced team has worked on over 600 GSA Contracts. We bring results in the form of quicker review times, competitive advantages, and beneficial negotiated terms and pricing.
Between 75 and 90% of GSA offers are rejected. In response to a rapid increase in submissions, the GSA has raised the bar on quality — so using a consultant has become vital for small businesses. Spare yourself the frustration and learning curve, and trust GSA Focus to do it for you.
We focus 100% on GSA Consultant services — from getting your contract to maintaining it with modifications to add, delete, or increase prices. We're a long-term partner in keeping your GSA Contract competitive and compliant.
Our GSA Consulting Services
Trustworthy GSA Consultants
You work with the president. Not an intern.
GSA Focus has been offering experienced GSA consulting since 2006, with a success rate of 98%. We guarantee that you will have a GSA Contract in the end.
We focus 100% on one service: GSA Contract Services — so we're always up on the shifts in documents, compliance, and legislation that affect your contract. Our internal procedures are built to streamline the process while maintaining accuracy.
Josh Ladick · President, GSA Focus
FAQs
GSA Consulting questions, answered
What are the benefits of getting a GSA Contract?
How much does it cost to get on a GSA Schedule?
How do you get a GSA contract?
How long does it take to get a GSA Schedule?
Ready when you are
Not sure if a consultant is worth it for you?
That's exactly what the free call answers. 20 minutes: your eligibility, your timeline, and a realistic first-year sales estimate — before you commit to anything.