Getting a GSA Schedule for Small Business may seem intimidating, but GSA Contracts streamline the acquisition process for both buyers and sellers. More specifically, GSA Schedule Contracts save the buying agency’s time and money. On the other hand, a GSA Schedule for small businesses means a direct linkage to the huge community of government contractors.
Read on to get a deeper look at GSA Schedule for small businesses.
Starting a business is a big achievement for many entrepreneurs, but maintaining one is the larger challenge. Every industry faces many common challenges, even if they are large companies, especially when they are small.
Client Dependence
When a single client accounts for more than half of a small business’s revenue, the small business is more of an independent contractor than a business owner. Thus, diversifying a company’s client base is critical for growth, but it can be tough, particularly when the client pays on time and in full.
Having a client willing to pay for a product or service on time is a blessing for many small businesses. However, even if they have workers and such, they may still be functioning as subcontractors for a larger company, putting them at a disadvantage in the long run.
As a result, having a diverse client base is often preferable for a business to make up the shortfall when a single client stops subscribing.
Also Check out: 3 Reasons Small Businesses Should Consider a GSA Schedule Consultant
Money Management
Any business must have adequate cash on hand to pay its bills. As a result, small business owners must either be well-financed or generate additional revenue to supplement financial reserves when needed. This issue is why many small businesses begin with the founders having a day job while simultaneously establishing a business. While having a divided focus makes it tough to expand a business, running out of funds makes it impossible to establish a firm.
When money is flowing into the firm, money management becomes even more crucial. While many business owners can handle their accounting and taxes, seeking expert assistance is typically a good idea.
Fatigue
Even the most dedicated employees feel worn out by the long hours, hard effort, and constant pressure to perform. Many business owners, even those who are successful, may even find themselves working far longer hours than their employees. Furthermore, they are afraid that their business may halt if they are not there, so they resist taking time off to recharge.
Fatigue can lead to hasty business judgments, including the urge to shut down the company entirely. Finding a pace that keeps the business running well while not wearing out the owner is an issue that arises early and often in the life of a small business.
Founder Dependence
Only one way a business cannot function without its creator is headed: to failure. Founder dependence affects many organizations and generally gets caused by the founder’s inability to let go of key decisions and responsibilities as the company expands.
Meeting this difficulty should be simple in theory — a business owner simply has to delegate more power to staff or partners. In actuality, although, this is a major roadblock for small business founders because it usually entails compromising on the quality of work done until the individual doing the task gets the hang of it.
Balancing Quality and Growth
Even if a company is not dependent on one person, there comes the point when the costs of expansion appear to equal or even exceed the benefits. A firm must make sacrifices at some time to expand, whether it is a service or a product. Achieving this balance could entail not managing each customer contact individually or not examining each widget.
Between substandard work and an excessive preoccupation with quality, there is a huge middle ground. It is up to the business owner to manage the company’s operations toward a balance that allows for growth without harming the brand.
Small businesses encounter several hurdles, and one of the biggest mistakes a would-be entrepreneur can make is to enter the industry without evaluating both the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Small business owners, in particular, must assess and take serious thought of the benefits and drawbacks of potentially opting for a GSA Schedule Contract.
How Small Businesses Benefit from a GSA Schedule
One of the advantages of having GSA Schedules is that it makes the buying and selling process, typically through the GSA Advantage, easier for buyers and sellers. It eliminates the need for price negotiations because applying for a GSA contract already requires suppliers to disclose their prices to GSA Advantage before they can begin selling.
Furthermore, holding a GSA Schedule Contract means maintaining a long-term commitment to selling to the government, which is an appealing factor, especially for starting small businesses.
A GSA Schedule contract typically lasts five years. However, the GSA can extend this contract for up to three more five-year periods. Small firms can already build a reputation for themselves as a stakeholder for federal agencies during this period, earning them a lot of money and prestige. Every year, about \$45 billion flows through GSA Contracts.
Scope of Growth for GSA Schedule for small business
As per GSA Schedule Contract sales for Fiscal Year 2016, federal buyers spent almost \$32 billion through GSA Schedule Contracts. With huge prime contractors dominating the top 100 lists, it’s natural to wonder how much of the $32 billion goes to small businesses.
Good thing, the scope of growth for small businesses is available, and as follows:
● GSA Schedule for Small Businesses constitutes 82% of GSA contracts.
● $15B worth of GSA Sales for the Fiscal Year 2016 is attributable to GSA Schedule for Small Businesses.
● The Average GSA Sales per Small Business amount to \$1M.
More specifically, here is a breakdown of the Top Sales of GSA Schedule for Small Businesses:
● IT: $6.5B
● Professional Services: $3.7B
● Medical Equipment: $665M
● Security: $650M
● Pharmaceuticals: $620M
● Furniture: $390M
Conclusion
A GSA Schedule for small businesses is a long-term, government-wide contract that allows them to give state, federal, and local governments access to over 11 million commercial supplies, products, and services at competitive prices, typically through the GSA Advantage program. A GSA Schedule Contract can be the watershed moment they might be waiting for to reach new, greater heights for starting small businesses.
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