Time for proportional change

Time for proportional change

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Are you ready for change? Here is how it starts for us. The dollars awarded to American small businesses in U.S. federal contracting are disproportionate to the contributions we make to the U.S. Economy.

Based on information published by the Office of Advocacy at the U.S. Small Business Administration (March 2023), small businesses account for:

  • nearly all companies in the U.S. (99.9%)
  • 99.7% of all firms with paid employees
  • Nearly half of all private sector employees (46.4%), and
  • 43.5% of our Nation's Gross Domestic Product - the monetary value of goods and services produced, and ultimately purchased.

Given all of these very significant contributions to the U.S. and world economy, why does our small business community willingly accept a pittance of the dollars in play in federal contracting? Think about it. In 2022, the US GDP was reported at $25.46 trillion dollars. Recent reports indicate American small businesses account for $11.17 trillion of national production. Compare that to $164 billion in contracts awarded to small business in FY 2022 of $700 billion in total dollars awarded. Then understand how much smaller $164 billion gets when you discount the tens of billions won by small business not set-aside or sole sourced to small business, and the nearly ten billion more not even the result of prime contracts (see Department of Energy M&O dollars in the SBA Scorecard report). I'll talk about the double and triple counting of small business dollars another time.

While White House administrations and Congress distract us with shiny objects like "Increasing access to billions of dollars in federal contracts for small businesses" I and my team are committed to helping companies and their people develop a more informed reality in support of their goals, and agency missions. This is not about set-asides or contract ceiling amounts, but real dollars invoiced by, and paid to our small businesses.

American small business makes a substantive impact on the world's biggest economy, but is limited from doing the same with the world's largest customer because of mental and policy-based handcuffs.

Let's dispense with the unhealthy soundtracks in our heads, and rewrite our scripts to achieve outcomes that win for us, win for the Government, and win for our communities across this great nation.

Let's do this.

?

Peace, Health, and No More 23% Distraction,

Go-To-Guy Timberlake

Keith King

Founder and CEO at National Veteran Business Development Council - NVBDC

1 年

Guy, I started Federal contracting in 1999, right after the Veteran contracting law (PL 106-50) was passed. Your numbers tell a part of the story. But, it is a very small part of the Federal contracting business. That is why I and a small group of veteran business owners created the only accepted supplier diversity certification by America's corporations. We have opened a $123 Billion market without all of the Federal contracting pitfalls. I think you and I could help a lot of small businesses including our 2.4 million veteran small businesses. Keith King NVBDC Founder and CEO, 313-446-6885, [email protected], www.nvbdc.org I look forward to talking to you.

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Guy Timberlake

GirlDad | Husband || Ethical Stalking for Government Contractors? Creator | GovCon Growthability? | Top LinkedIn Voice for Business Development | GettingFED? Host | Zero Dollar Winning Successability? | Fedpreneur | ;

1 年

Compared to 1988, the year I came into the world of Federal Contracting, the abilities and capabilities of small business today, are much greater. I believe there is nothing beyond the reach of one or a group of motivated small businesses, and very little they can't achieve in support of the many important missions of our Government. No more sitting back wide-eyed, it's time for the public sector-focused small business community to take action.

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Christopher McKee

Expertise in Federal Market Space

1 年

Guy this article is spot on. Your right about the counting. If you use a recent metric produced by the SBA, most organizations, have a 130+% achievement rate in their goals. Meaning that is they give a $130 dollars to a small business, if they double or triple count. The real number is $65 or $43.30. But again. Small business size standards are restrictive and the fact that the majority of federal contracts are glorified staffing, it amazes me there are not larger contracts for smalls.

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