When we started our business my husband and I decided to bid on county projects. Oddly enough, we had a difficult time finding out the process of how to become a vendor. Today, the application is readily available online which makes it super easy to become an approved vendor. In this post, I will outline the steps you need to take to become a vendor for your local government so you can be notified of bidding opportunities.
Applying to be a Vendor is FREE
In the beginning, do not pay for any type of vendor platforms. You can easily find opportunities by a simple google search like, “doing business with …”. Most importantly, there is no charge to sign up as a vendor.
However, there are benefits to signing up with fee-based bid finder companies. These online databases will notify you of regional and state opportunities when they become available. In the same way, when you sign up as a vendor directly through the government, you will be notified via email of any opportunities as soon as they arise. So, when you are just starting out it is essential to keep costs low. Therefore, it is unnecessary to subscribe to an online database platform.
Which Vendors should you apply to work with?
Most certainly, your local area is a good place to start doing business with the government. This includes your surrounding cities, and counties. Service-based businesses often serve clients within a 25-mile radius. Therefore, develop a service plan area and search for clients based on the products or services you provide. For instance, if you provide lawncare find government offices that are in need of that service.
The Application Process
First off, find out your business NAICS (National American Classification Industry System) codes. Once you know your codes it should be easy to streamline the application process. Of course, you need to have all of your business information readily on hand; such as your EIN number.
Next, you should target the government entities you know use your service or product. The best way to find their website is to google search “doing business with …”. This search will direct you to the website page to apply as a vendor. The application itself is pretty easy. Upon completion, you will be notified of bidding opportunities when they are posted.
Even if you are not yet ready to bid on these contracts, sign up. In later posts, I will show you how to check for pre-bid meetings. Pre-bid meetings are networking opportunities and a good way to find out the expectations of the procurement specialist.
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