I.
Marketing to Consumers
If you’re marketing products
or services to general consumers, you need two things to "get
noticed" and location, location, location!
You
“get noticed” through your multiple-part marketing
program, which includes direct mail, event sponsorship, phonebook
ads, local radio promotions, etc. Your location is important,
because you need to be within easy reach of your target customer
base. Even if your customers won’t be visiting your shop
or office, it’s still important to be in the same area
code. Why? Because customers like to support local businesses.
For
more information on increasing sales to general consumers,
including promotions, advertising and public relations, visit
this site:
J.
Marketing Through The Prince William Regional Chamber of Commerce
Join and become active in the Regional Chamber of Commerce.
There’s no substitute. Chamber members become your clients
and provide you with referrals. Also, the Chamber helps you
to become acquainted with a wide array of civic organizations
and community leaders. The path to success is through the Regional
Chamber.
Don’t
stop here! Become involved with other local organizations
and business groups.
K.
Marketing to Local Government - Check out Prince William
County’s site:
Other
local sites in the region. These sites do more than provide
information on solicitations: they often contain names, email
addresses and phone numbers of program managers and purchasing
office staffers. People you need to meet! And some of them
offer information on current contracts, their award amounts,
and the company with the winning bid.
L.
Marketing to The Commonwealth of Virginia - Virginia has
undertaken a major support effort for business, particularly
small business and it’s all on line.
Start here: Through
eVA you can register to become a vendor to the Commonwealth
of Virginia. You’ll learn about bid openings across the
state and have access to business resources.
Virginia
Small Business Development Centers
Sponsored
by Virginia Department of Business Assistance, these centers
offer support, information and training. Prince William
County is served by the Lord Fairfax Community College SBDC
at FAUQUIER. Check out their courses, which included marketing:
For
information about the Lord Fairfax Community College SBDC,
visit:
M.
Marketing to the Federal Government
You
can’t market to the federal government without first obtaining
a DUNS number and a Central Contractor Registration [CCR] number.
You’ll also need your Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN),
sometimes called a Federal ID Number (FIN). These numbers are
almost always required when submitting a response to a government
solicitation.
To
obtain a DUNS Number:
To
obtain your CCR:
You’ll
need still more numbers, called "commodity codes."
The federal government has categorized everything it buys.
Until recently, these codes were referred to as "SIC
Codes" (Standard Industrial Classification Codes). Now,
they’re called "NAICS" (North American Industry
Classification System codes). You can find out what the codes
are for your business or service at this site:
The
number of federal procurement sites can be overwhelming. The
official site is EPS.GOV.
Check out the site’s Home Page; you’ll find links
to other useful information. Don’t overlook checking
out agency sites that also list open IFBs, RFP, RFIs and RFPs.
The
key to federal marketing like all effective marketing is setting
up a meeting with the right person in the purchasing office,
plus meeting with someone in the agency’s Small Business
Office. You can usually find out who to see by visiting the
agency’s website and searching for the Small Business
Office. Most agency sites have a wealth of information. In
fact, some even have lists of open agency solicitations on
their sites.
To
get started, use Google
or a similar search engine to locate the agency’s web
site. Once you’ve opened the site, do a site search for
the Small Business Office and Purchasing. You want to connect
with both departments. For more information, visit:
FARS,
DFARS and the Rules and Regs
If
you’re considering making a bid to a federal solicitation,
you’ll usually find lists of citations for federal regulations.
It’s important to know what they mean, and they are seldom
spelled out in solicitations. These sites have the answers:
N.
Writing Proposals
Marketing to government agencies, as well as to numerous
business clients, requires formal proposals. Successful proposals
are clearly and concisely written usually in a particular linguistic
style; woven into the text are the “win” themes and
marketing strategies for the opportunity. Proposals do more
than offer pricing data, technical information and a company’s
track record they present an image of the bidder. A poorly conceived
or poorly written proposal, even if priced right, can be a loser.
For
information on how to prepare and write a proposal, check these
sites:
O.
Creating
Your Marketing Materials
With today’s do-it-yourself software packages like Microsoft
Publisher, it may seem easy, more convenient and less costly
to create your own marketing materials. However, if you want
your materials to look and read professionally – leave
it to the pros. It’s money well spent. You’ll find
several capable marketing, communication and design firms in
the Prince William Regional Chamber of Commerce.
If
you decide you really want to venture down the do-it-yourself
road, here are two self-help sources for creating print materials.
Creating
a website is not like creating print materials. The following
site offers some rules for developing effective web pages.
P. Benefitting from the Small Business Administration
The Small Business Administration (SBA) is America's small
business resource. Its website provides a wealth of information.
Locate
potential teaming partners and solicitations through Pro-Net,
the SBA’s Procurement Marketing and Access Network. It’s
important to register with Pro-Net if you are serious about
marketing to the federal agencies. Visit:
Check
out the SBA’s Training Module Workbook for “Marketing
Your Business For Success.” Study the course and make sure
you can answer the questions at the end as they relate to your
business venture.
Visit:
The
SBA’s Virginia Women’s Business Center, is a program
of the south Fairfax Regional Business Partnership, Inc., with
support from the Fairfax County Office for Women and George
Mason University’s Mason Enterprise Center. It hosts events,
supports networking, and provides assistance and training in
all aspects of starting a business – including marketing.
For more information, contact or visit:
Women’s
Business Center of Northern Virginia
6521
Arlington Blvd., #204
Falls Church, Va 22042
Get
Map Here
703-534-6220
www.wbcnova.org/
www.sba.gov/womeninbusiness/wbcs.html
Prince
William County is served by the SBA’s Richmond office.
The
SBA’s local resource partner is the Flory Small Business
Center where you will find excellent resources, many of
which can be checked out, and a knowledgeable staff is ready
to assist you. The Flory Center is located located at:
10311
Sudley Manor Drive
Manassas, Virginia 20109
Get
Map Here
703.335.2500
You’ll
find more than resources, you’ll find a knowledgeable
staff ready to assist you.
Q.
Receiving Assistance from Retired Business Executives
For one-on-one help from retired executives, contact this
group. SCORE is a national nonprofit association with 10,500
volunteer members and 389 chapters throughout the United States
and its territories. SCORE is a resource partner with the
U.S. Small Business Administration.
Contact
the Greater Prince William County SCORE organization Chapter
0530:
8963
Center St
Manassas, VA 20110
Get
Map Here
Phone: (703) 368-4813
Fax: (703) 368-4733
R.
Additional Referenced Sites