Looking for your customer? Use these free resources!
B2C
- https://www.pewresearch.org/
- https://www.census.gov
- https://www.bls.gov
- https://www.livingfacts.org/
- https://trends.google.com/trends/
- https://www.google.com/
- https://www.facebook.com/business/
- insights/tools/audience-insights
- https://www.pickfu.com/
B2B
- https://www.paychex.com/employment-watch/#!/
- https://adpemploymentreport.com/
- http://www.nfib-sbet.org/
- https://www.yelp.com/
- https://www.trade.gov/export-solutions
- https://www.franchise.org/franchising
- https://smallbiztrends.com/small-business-statistics
- https://nrf.com/retails-impact
B2G
7 Steps for Marketing and Selling to the Government
1.State- Obtain a Dunn & Bradstreet Number https://www.dnb.com/ | Fed- Unique Entity ID through SAM Systems Awards Management https://sam.gov/content/home
- Match your products and services to a North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code. https://www.census.gov/naics/
- To participate in government contracting, you must register your business in the federal government’s System for Award Management (SAM). SAM is a database that government agencies search to find contractors. https://sam.gov/content/home. They also use https://web.sba.gov/pro-net/search/dsp_dsbs.cfm. For information about state contracts, find link to relevant website at: https://www.nigp.org/our-profession/state-and-provinces-procurement-websites
- In order to participate in government contracting, you must comply with all laws and regulations. The federal government’s purchasing process is governed by the Federal Acquisition Regulation. Regulations covering government contracting programs for small businesses are listed in 13 CFR 125. https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far
- Find contracts! Federal business opportunities for contractors are listed at https://sam.gov/content/home . Government agencies are required to use SAM to advertise all contracts over $25,000. Links to state procurement websites can be found at https://www.nigp.org/our-profession/state-and-provinces-procurement-websites
- Consider sub-contracting/ teaming. Here are a few places to start: Subnet (Posted by Federal Contractors): https://eweb1.sba.gov/subnet/client/dsp_Landing.cfm Directory of Federal Contractors (Maintained by SBA): https://www.sba.gov/document/support-directory-federal-government-prime-contractors-subcontracting-plans U.S. Department of Defense: https://business.defense.gov/Acquisition/Subcontracting/Subcontracting-For-Small-Business/
- Talk to small business offices for recommendations on your capabilities statement and certifications. Federal: https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/sba-locations/sba-district-offices
Thinking about Certifications?
Federal
Are you eligible to join the Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB) Program, HUBZone Program, or 8(a) Business Development Program, Disabled Service Veteran? Visit https://certify.sba.gov/
State
List of Available State Certifications – BizCentral USA