ANSWER:  9.6x Excited!  

ANALYSIS

At last count, there were 27,323 EDWOSB (Economically Disadvantaged Woman-Owned Small Businesses) firms and 42,915 WOSBs (Woman-Owned Small Businesses) firms signed up as federal contractors for a total of 70,238 firms.  

Total federal sales for EDWOSB + WOSB firms in 2021 was $30.7B. This gives an average federal sales figure of $438,267 per firm. This number looks strong overall, but I decided to look at what effect ED/WOSB certification holders that were also GSA Schedule Contract holders had on the overall numbers. 

If we separate out the WOSB firms from the WOSB firms with GSA Schedules, we get the following results.

Once the two are separated, the results are that WOSB firms with a GSA Schedule are producing on average $3.35 MM per year in federal sales, and the non-GSA Schedule firms are producing $347K.

There is a litany of factors for this near ten-fold increase in sales:  

1.The GSA Schedule firms are far more visible via GSA Advantage, GSA eBuy and GSA eLibrary.

2.WOSB/GSA firms have an easier time making the initial sales within an agency, and therefore obtain repeat business from non-GSA contract sources.

3.WOSB/GSA firms come across as more credible suppliers because they went through the GSA vetting process.

For eligible WOSB firms, obtaining a GSA Schedule can be the single most important marketing activity one can undertake for your small business. If you need assistance exploring a GSA Schedule and/or exacerbating your federal certification(s), I always recommend contacting an industry expert such as Advance GSA or ez8a. Neither charge for an initial consultation.