When it comes to a GSA contract, there are a variety of different costs that you must plan for. These costs are based on whether you choose to complete your GSA contract fully in-house, with assistance, or through a full-service GSA consultant.
In-House Costs
There are a wide variety of reasons you would want to fulfill your GSA contract in-house.
First, working with an outside company or contractor can sometimes pose a high risk for your company. As times change, more and more scams are starting to emerge, so you need to make sure that you are researching any company that you choose to hire. Outside companies also might not fully finish their work, and might only just complete parts. So, if you find it hard to trust other companies for these reasons, it might be best to complete the work in-house.
Even though it is more difficult and time-consuming to complete in-house, it can potentially save you money. If you pay another company to handle the work, it can cost you a considerable amount of money. When you keep the work in-house, it is always best to designate either one person or a group of specific people to focus on the project. This delegation will give the ability to focus on that project, and that project alone, which will minimize the chance for mistakes to be made.
While keeping it in the house can save you money, it has the potential to cost you a lot more in the long run if you fail to find the right person or group to handle the task. If your designated employee or team is incompetent, their uncertainty can lead to longer hours and increased labor costs. When you factor in the labor costs and other costs, this mistake can quickly put you over budget.
In House total cost: $15,000 and up.
Hiring Assistance
If you decide against in-house fulfillment, there is always the compromise of hiring outside assistance. When it comes to GSA contracts, there might be a variety of different reasons as to why you would request outside assistance. The process is complicated, and any mistake you make can determine if you qualify for the GSA contract.
After all, nine out of ten in-house proposals get rejected after the first submission. The reason for the rejection is mainly caused by the lack of knowledge when putting together the project. By completing the application accurately, you have the potential to grow your business considerably.
Thus, it is wise to seek outside help and contract out professional assistance for completing your GSA contract application. By contracting out your project, you reduce the number of mistakes that may occur. Assistance is helpful because you are hiring a team with prior experience working on a project of this magnitude. They will fully understand what it takes to get your offer accepted, and they will help you every step of the way to make sure that you get the most out of your proposal.
By getting outside assistance, it allows your company to take the people that you were going to put on the project, and make them focus on other business-related needs. This assistance will enable your company to grow, which will open doors for your company to get more opportunities in the future.
When you are starting to compare GSA assistance to doing it in-house, you need to look at it from all angles and consider various factors. These factors will help you choose between hiring professional assistance or doing it completely in-house. These factors are:
Time:
When you factor in the time a project will take, you need to account for your staff’s realistic capabilities and the value of the time they spend working on the project. If they are spending most of their time figuring out what to do, then that time and cost are not worth it. Especially when you compare it to the fact that outside contractors already know what they are doing.
For beginners, it can take up to six months to complete the initial application. Considering that 9 out of 10 get rejected, you have to factor the time it takes to resubmit, which can take another few months. Your main goal should be to get the GSA approved as soon as possible because time wasted is profits that are lost.
Quality:
When it comes to getting approved, the higher quality work that you have, the better. Since 90% of applications get rejected, it goes without saying that you have no room for shoddy quality work. Not to mention that these simple mistakes can cost you thousands of dollars in just your first year.
By completing the process in-house, you are risking the quality, while if you hire outside assistance, they can give you a professional review based on their experience.
Liability:
Just like the government, laws always change, and if you fail to follow these rules, or fail to keep updated on them, you are exposing yourself and your company to many risks and liabilities. You want to reduce as many of these risks as possible. Hiring a professional can help you keep up-to-date and allow you to understand these rules and laws better.
Upkeep:
Even after you get approved, your work is far from over. Just like with anything, there will always be upkeep. Unfortunately, the maintenance can be just as confusing and time-consuming as the initial application process. If you choose to do the process in-house, you need to consider that workers leave, and as they go, they take that knowledge with them. Therefore, you will eventually need to train new workers, which takes time.
By choosing a contract company, you won’t have this issue. Contract companies guarantee that you will be assigned a knowledgeable and capable individual.
Choosing to hire outside assistance will cost you money, but considering that you are getting professional help that could save you money and time, the cost can be well worth it! The cost of hiring outside assistance runs anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000.
Assistance total cost: $3,000-$10,000
Full Service
If you are already going to spend money on getting help, you might want to consider a full-service option. It will cost slightly more, but in the long run, it will be better for you. Hiring a full-service contractor is by far the smoothest and fastest way of getting your contact approved.
If you choose this option, your employees will only have to gather a short list of documents to provide the GSA contract specialist, which means your employees more time focused on other tasks. The specialist will then generate the needed materials and complete everything on your behalf. This option is the best for speed, expertise, time-saving, and reliability.
A full-service provider will typically cost you somewhere between $5,000 and $15,000. Honestly, it’s the best option, especially if you are going to spend up to $10,000 for just assistance in completing the application or over $10,000 to complete it entirely in-house. So, you might as well spend a little extra to get the full-service help. The added benefit is that most full-service consultants guarantee a successful application.
Full service cost: $5,000-$15,000
