5 Tips For Small Business Government Contractors

Angie Milakovic shares about contracting opportunities at the 2023 ND Women’s Business Summit.

NDWBC caught up with Kajaer GeoConsulting LLC, a North Dakota Certified Women-Owned Business that offers technical training and data mapping support, providing companies the insights to move their business forward. Kajaer also works in procurement to fill government contracts. We asked the founders Solli Frank and Angie Milakovic to give some tips to ND woman business owners who are interested in government procurement.  

Solli Frank tells how Kajaer GeoConsulting used its Woman-Owned Business Certification to influence its likelihood to be awarded government contracts.

Don’t Pay to Register with Sam.gov.

You can do it on your own. Be aware that upon typing "Sam.gov" into your internet browser, you will encounter many nongovernment-related websites that will offer you help with registering, incorporating, and setting up your business with the state and Sam.gov websites. Our advice is to do your Google and YouTube research and use your community resources like the ND Women's Business Center and APEX (an ND resource that assists businesses in connecting to government contracting opportunities) when you are officially ready to start.  

Research Keywords and Study Databases

Find keywords that relate to your ideal contract situation and search with those words on Sam.gov. to avoid the government-website rabbit hole. Researching is an opportunity to understand what the government is putting out bids for, how you can fill their needs, the types of contracts posted, and who is getting them. We make it a point to go to Sam.Gov daily to learn the terminology and acronyms. We look at in-progress or contract opportunities that have been awarded and research the company that received the award. 

Certify, Certify, Certify

When registering with the state and Federal governments, you will see that certain contracting opportunities can be obtained through various certifications. We immediately recognized that personal credentials opened doors, so we certified our business.  

Use NDWBC’s quick and simple process to certify your business as ND Woman-Owned.

Know What You Want

Whether you want to be the prime on the account or a subcontractor, know what you want and stick to it. When we started, we didn't necessarily want to be the primary contractor, but we found ourselves frustrated when advised to find primes when we were more than capable of acting as the prime, so we waited for the right contracting opportunity. To us, being a subcontractor felt like we looking for a job, which isn't why we started our business.

Support Women-Owned

We should reach out and work with the most talented and resilient professionals. We know that talent and credentials are traditionally recognized, but one of the most overlooked professional skill sets is resiliency. Women support women-owned businesses because they tend to exude resilience. That is what makes us relatable to each other. 

###  

NDWBC is grateful to Solli and Angie for sharing their experience. If you have questions about starting or growing your business or how you can get involved with government procurement, schedule a session with our certified business coaches.