We're here to talk about this world of no-bid contracts. Often what'll happen is there are companies that'll reach out to you and say, hey, we wanna put you on the GSA schedule. Hey, we have these no-bid contracts for you.
So often once you get your cage code, you're going to start getting all of these solicitations. This is something that comes up a lot is this whole notion that there are these contracts that are like behind closed doors and you got it you got to have some kind of password for and they're just going to give them to you let me break this down i have been in this space as an asian reverse since i was like 10 i can't think of any time where an agency was just like hey kizzy we we just want to give you this contract here take this contract never Never has that happened. Here is what really happened.
There is a thing called the GSA schedule. Okay. And so a lot of people like to say, oh, you need to get on the GSA schedule, get on the GSA schedule.
I think it came up recently where somebody was like, get on the GSA schedule, Kizzy, I'm trying to get on the GSA schedule. And I was like, whoa, like this is, this is a lot. Like, let's, let's break this down because it's important that you. understand what you're bidding on.
You understand what a GSA schedule is. You understand all of these things so you don't end up in a situation where you're like, oh, that's what I got. Because that happened. I remember a gentleman reached out to me.
He and his wife were, I think, expecting their first child or just had their first child. He won his first contract and he was so excited. He was like, oh my God, Dr. Parks, it's a million dollars. It's a million dollars. He didn't talk like that.
And I was like, okay. He said, but they're not spending a million dollars. I said, well, tell me more about this. He's like, oh, it's for like shipping with the army. I said, okay.
And I looked at the contract. It instantly anew. It was like a as needed basis.
You don't need the AC guy to come over every day. I mean, unless, you know, that's your friend, but you don't need that. So what the army actually purchased was the ability to spend a million dollars over the course of several years.
But on average, they were spending maybe 20 to 30,000 a year, which is still amazing. But he went in thinking, oh, I'm gonna get a million dollars. I got all this free help from my SBA.
You know, we got this new child. This is amazing. And he was very perplexed. Like he was in shock because that's not at all what the contract was. And it wasn't going to be that.
And he was actually losing money on it. And so I go over all of these things to save you the time and energy and the heartbreak so you don't end up like this. So what I'm doing right now is I am logging into eBuy. So one of the things out there is people will say, yeah, get a GSA schedule, get a GSA schedule. You're going to make all this money.
I mean, I guess. And then when they call me, they'll say, oh, we want to help you government. Like a guy literally called me today and he's like.
We want to help you, Kizzy. Government contracting is hard. And I was like, whatever. I'll go with your spiel. Okay, so I want to say a couple things as we do this together.
Okay, one, I do have my VPN on because I live in Mexico. Number two, there may be times where the screen goes black. So just be patient with me. You're going to see ads.
Be patient with me, okay? So that's all I ask for. I'm not going to do a ton of screen sharing, but enough. So the thing about the GSA schedule, as you can see on the screen, is your schedules are listed.
So that's our STARS 3. This is our MAS schedule for training. And if you are clear on what I just shared, let me know. Just make sure you're clear. We're clear.
Okay. So you can see there's messages. Hello, Kizzy.
You can see I'm not like, this is not some weird screen thing. I download in a line. What happens is we have a schedule.
I actually took me. three companies in almost five years. Eventually we got on. So it took receipts.
It took showing that we had some past performance from private sector government. They just want to make sure you can do the work. Why?
Because they get a cut of the sale and it's they fit by having companies that the government wants to work with. That's how this operates. So we spent all this time and energy we got on here.
Because a very important thing happened, and that is my mentor showed me the GSA schedule. 2017 to 2018, she said, Kizzy, we do about it. million a year.
You need to get on this schedule. And she said, this is what it looks like. She said, Kizzy, it automatically populates the opportunity. She said, these are the only opportunities you can bid on because they're based on your NAICS code.
So I'm sharing this information with all of you here. These are it. It happens to be fourth quarter, whether you're watching live, you're watching a replay or you're watching years from now.
So if this were October 10th, there may only be two. And while this is the training NAICS code, and maybe you're a diversity and inclusion trainer, you can still bid on leadership, SAP, financial, civilian leadership, suicide prevention. You can bid on any one of these. It's just this is it. Those are the only options.
What's great about this is only vendors who applied for the GSA schedule. can see this information and bid. Now, did you notice? I didn't say no bid.
We still have to bid. We still have to bid on these. I don't just click. Oh, they want groundwater and well-designed training course. Okay, I'm going to give it to you.
No, that's not how it works. There's a solicitation. They want to pass performance survey.
The screen looks a little different. And you can see they have set asides here too. I want it very clear.
I have never come across anything in my life where they're just like, there's always been something I've had to give. A PowerPoint presentation, a price quote, a formal present. There's always been something. Want you to walk away as you watch this live that while the GSA schedule is amazing, and there's opportunities here, you still have to make the most of these opportunities.
You have to. And then also for those of you in diversity, if the president changes, they're going to probably ban it again. So you better get your diversity in now.
This one is of interest in instructor designer support services. The only thing is it's for SAPR, sexual assault prevention and response. And I'm not a fan of supporting. this program and let me tell you why before you're like what? I don't like to support controversial programs where they could use us as a scapegoat.
I'm very familiar with SAPR and maybe there are those of you here who maybe you were involved in SAPR but it's not something I would bid on but it's here. It's what's nice about it is it basically looks like this might just be a staffing gig. Yeah it looks like it is based on this. If it's staffing you maybe, but otherwise, it's not really something we would go after. So in this area, while the NAICS code is 611-430, the type of training varies from mental health, SAPR, groundwater, federal writing course.
We've done those kind of courses before. Federal acquisition certification training, diversity finance, suicide prevention training. It runs the gamut.
So only us on this schedule can bid on these opportunities. You can see the different messages that you have. You can see our price quotes. I think this is the one we won, this one. Sometimes they don't update it properly.
And also one thing about the GSA schedule. is sometimes they'll pay you on credit card. Our very first GSA win, I think it was under $3,500 because I just wanted a win.
Sometimes you just need that in life. If you can relate to that, you just need a win to boost your confidence. And so we ended up winning and the agency called. I remember I was like, who is this, hello? And they're like, hi, I'm looking for Dr. Parks.
We're here to pay with a credit card. And I was like, pay with a credit card? And this was one of the rare times where they wanted to pay early.
So it's not very common that they do it, but they have with us. Actually, they paid us early. An agency did with something.
Winnerswaybook.com, winnerswaybook.com, proposalthatwins.com is $447. You get a ton of content. It's the greatest thing I've ever created in my life. I respond to the questions. We're going to do monthly lives.
I love that. How do you sign up for GSA? Well, one of the ways that we paid a company to sign up, I know one of my former students, he was part of some kind of beta program.
And that's again, proposal that wins.com, proposal that wins.com. So one of the things is I firmly believe you should hire somebody. for your GSA schedule.
It was so elaborate the very first time we submitted. They kicked it all back and said, sorry, we had tech problems. You can go to their website, like gsa.gov. Doesn't it take two years and 20K to get on a GSA schedule?
Not really. It seems like they're very eager to bring on small businesses. Because think about it, pretty much any of us I mean, a lot of us could bid on those training opportunities.
How is it any different finding a groundwater well trainer than it is finding a roofer? And so they don't want to put small businesses at a disadvantage just because they may not have certain experiences. Somebody over here didn't even realize that GSA emailed me our cage code for our 8A joint venture in July. You know, stuff happens.
I'm here to give you value, to help you with manifesting, to help you make money, to help you achieve all of your amazing personal, financial, family, professional goals through my content, products and services, and just through what I do. Here's a quick recap. Number one, there's no such thing as something you don't bid on.
You have to bid. You have to give a price goal. You have to give something.
If a company says, hey, I have a no bid contract for you. Thank them, wish them the best, and just know that that's not how it works. I showed the GSA schedule so you can see what it looks like.
The fact that you have to apply to get in there. You don't have to have two years of experience and necessarily have the kind of revenue that you see. A lot of the requirements have been changed, okay? What do these things give you?
GSA schedule, a set-aside. like small business, 8A, HubZone. What does it give you?
It shrinks your competition. That's what it does. On that GSA schedule, we were awarded a million dollar contract with Fish and Wildlife. We were just recently awarded a contract.
I think it was a little under 30,000 on the GSA schedule with USDA FNS. Thank you so much for y'all being here. I love and adore each and every one of you. Keep bidding. Check out proposalthatwins.com winnerswaybook.com.
If you want one-on-one coaching, send me an email. If you want one-on-one coaching, I love and adore you. Everything is possible. Y'all.