GSA Schedules are used all across America. I analyzed the largest 100 metro areas and found that only a tiny fraction of small businesses take advantage of this opportunity. Fewer than 0.1% of small businesses hold a GSA Schedule Contract.

Major Market Examples: Almost Zero Small Business GSA Footprint:

Chicago: 234,000 small businesses, 74 GSA vendors, 0.03% participation

Dallas-Fort Worth: 207,600 small businesses, 41 GSA vendors, 0.02% participation

Los Angeles: 321,600 small businesses, 50 GSA vendors, 0.02% participation

New York: 496,000 small businesses, 98 GSA vendors, 0.02% participation

Major Revenue Wins: Large rewards for small percentage of Firms that Engage GSA

Knoxville, TN — $4,037,885 average

Bridgeport-Stamford, CT — $2,880,000 average

Nashville, TN — $2,556,500 average

Tampa, FL — $1,902,368 average

Washington, DC Metro — $1,803,919 average

Colorado Springs — $2,318,750 average

Most mid-tier Federal markets average $500,000 to $1.5M per vendor, with low local competition.

Why So Few Businesses Are On GSA

Most small businesses believe: “It’s too complicated;” “It takes too long;” “You need federal past performance;” “Only defense contractors win.”

None of that is true. The barrier to entry isn’t capability. It’s understanding the system.

The Competitive Advantage of a GSA Schedule

A GSA Schedule gives you:

-Direct access to federal buyers

-A pre-negotiated contract vehicle

-Eligibility for sole-source awards (if certified)

-Simplified acquisition process for agencies

-A credibility boost in state & local markets

And most importantly: You’re in a marketplace where 99.9% of your local competitors are absent.

The Untapped Markets

There are many metro markets with near-zero participation, Bakersfield — 0.00%, Buffalo — 0.00%, New Orleans — 0.00%, Stockton — 0.00%, Toledo — 0.00%, Worcester — 0.00%

These are wide-open federal sales territories.

The Question Is Not “Can You Win?”

The question is: Should you be in a market that your competitors aren’t entering? If 0.1% of small businesses in your city are on GSA… That means the federal government is buying from someone else. Below is the table for the top 100 markets in the US in alphabetical order so you can see how well GSA Contract Holders are doing.

If fewer than 0.1% of small businesses in your metro area are on GSA, the real question is: Why aren’t you?

The federal government is already buying in your market, with lots of room to buy more — the only question is whether they are buying from you or your competitors.

I always recommend contacting an industry expert such as Advance GSA to explore if your business qualifies for a GSA Schedule. Let’s position you where 99.9% of your competition is absent. Advance GSA does not charge for an initial consultation.