In today’s business environment being the first seen is often the difference between making the sale and never getting the chance. In the federal space determining where federal buyers go to conduct their market research helps all of us know who is getting “first look”! 

I have put together the following analysis of the five most important factors a federal buyer cares about in the market research process when they are deciding where to “look first.”

-Are the firms currently federal vendors, meaning they are signed up and want to do business with the federal government?

-Does the use of this particular tool provide the federal buyer with the ability to look for a specific product or services, rather than a broad industry match? 

-Does the firm possess a federal contracting vehicle which allows a federal buyer to easily make a purchase from the vendor?

-Is there a published price for the product or service so the federal buyer can make a quick assessment of the value proposition of the vendor?

-Has the firm been pre-vetted by a federal agency? 

During analysis, only the GSA Schedule System achieved five stars in all these categories. In fact, the next best method would be Sam.gov with three stars, and then Amazon and Fpds.gov both a distant third with two stars. 

See how they all compare to one another in the table below:

With GSA Schedules and GSA Advantage being the prime sources for federal market research means that GSA Schedule holders get “first look” advantage. This “first look” advantage is likely one of the reasons that the 12,000 Small businesses with a GSA Schedule averaged over $1MM per year in sales from their GSA Schedule alone.

If you have interest about how a GSA Schedule can exacerbate your firm’s business development potential whether standalone, or coupled with an 8(a) Certification, I always recommend contacting an industry expert such as Advance GSA or ez8a. Neither charge for an initial consultation.