Shows
GovCon Coffee & IssuesEp 19: The Ins and Outs of TeamingIn this episode, Carroll and Mike delve into the issue of teaming in federal contracting and help clear up the confusion many contractors have around this topic. They explore the various teaming arrangements, including prime/subcontractor relationships and joint ventures, and how they can be used to win federal contracts. They also discuss how the SBA's Mentor-Protege program provides a little-known ethical loophole in the regulations that savvy small business contractors leverage to gain massive support and a competitive edge when teaming up with large contractors.2023-04-171h 24GovCon Coffee & IssuesEp 18: Tips for Getting Financing for Your ContractsThis episode is all about access to capital. How do you get the money you need to finance your contracts without getting yourself in trouble with shady lenders or ruthless investors? In this episode, Carroll and Mike host two guests -- Christa Williams, VP of Government Contracting at Bank of America and Isaac Ellesworth, Vice President of Republic Capital Access -- who share their best tips for getting the financing you need for your contracts when you need it.2023-03-111h 07GovCon Coffee & IssuesEp 17: Small Disadvantaged Businesses: Opportunities and ConfusionIn this episode, Carroll and Mike welcome back Govology Faculty Instructor and Legal Analyst Steven Koprince. Together, they discuss the historic opportunities for small disadvantaged businesses and help contractors determine whether they meet the criteria to claim small disadvantaged status. 2022-11-221h 04GovCon Coffee & IssuesEp 16: The SBA's Proposed Changes to the 8(a) Program: Consequences for ALL CertificationsIn this episode, Carroll and Michael host Mr. Steven Koprince, retired attorney and Govology Legal Analyst, to discuss the consequences of the SBA's proposed changes to the 8(a) business development program. These proposed rule changes contain certain language that will affect almost every certification program. The two mentioned the most are 8(a) and WOSB.2022-10-2147 minGovCon Coffee & IssuesEp 15: How to Capture Expiring Funds & Sole Source ContractsIn this episode, Carroll and Michael host Mr. Jeff Cuskey who recently presented a webinar on Govology, titled "Strategies to Capture Expiring Funds & Sole Source Contracts." They discuss key takeaways from the webinar and share some tips and strategies on the subject gathered from many years of experience in the government marketplace.2022-09-0154 minGovCon Coffee & IssuesEp 14: What's the Deal With CMMC?In this episode, Carroll and Michael welcome Aliahu "Alli" Bey and Adam Austin from Haight Bey & Associates LLC - a successful small business defense contractor. During the show, Carroll, Michael, Alli, and Adam address some of the top issues small businesses face when trying to meet CMMC requirements. They also discuss various clauses related to cybersecurity and the protection of classified information.2022-08-1453 minGovCon Coffee & IssuesEp 13: Procurement ReadinessIn this episode, Carroll and Michael discuss the issue of how many small businesses are not truly ready to win opportunities in the government marketplace. They also provide a practical definition of what it means to be "procurement ready," but more importantly, what it means to be "opportunity ready" and how to get there.2022-08-0930 minGovCon Coffee & IssuesEp 12: DUNS Transition to UEIHave you heard the news? On April 4, 2022, the Federal government transitioned from DUNS numbers to Unique Entity Identifiers (UEI). As a result, vendors will no longer have to obtain or maintain a DUNS number before registering in the System for Award Management (SAM). So, is your DUNS number useless now? Should you get rid of it? Find out why Carroll and Michael think you may want to hold on to your DUNS number.2022-08-0928 minGovCon Coffee & IssuesEp 11: Unsolicited ProposalsIn this episode, Carroll and Michael explore the effectiveness of unsolicited proposals. They welcome a guest, Jutta Bangs from Tennessee PTAC, who shares a client success story demonstrating that unsolicited proposals may indirectly help you win a government contract.2022-08-0931 minGovCon Coffee & IssuesEp 10: How to Win Your First Government ContractThe main message of this episode is that there is no one cookie-cutter way to win a government contract. Many factors determine the best approach to selling to government agencies. In this episode, Carroll and Michael discuss these factors while sharing examples from their experience of working with small business contractors.2022-08-0945 min
GovCon Coffee & IssuesEp9: Common Certification Hurdles (and How to Avoid Them)In this episode, Carroll and Michael discuss the common hurdles small businesses face when going for any of the federal small business certifications. These include the fate of self-certification, the issues of ownership and control, the risk of misrepresentation, and more. In addition to breaking down each obstacle, Carroll and Michael offer valuable recommendations to help you go through the certification process without any hiccups. 2021-12-2957 minGovCon Coffee & IssuesEp 8: Infrastructure BillThe wait is finally over! On November 15th, 2021, the long-awaited "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" became law. This legislation is exciting news for many contractors operating in various industries that will see a significant uptick in spending across the board. In this episode, Carroll and Michael break down the 1000-page document, revealing some interesting surprises.2021-11-3038 minGovCon Coffee & IssuesEp 7: How to Find OpportunitiesIn this episode, Carroll and Michael address a common issue that many new small business contractors face - finding the right opportunities for their business. They talk about different ways the federal government procures products and services and suggest tried-and-true strategies for finding these opportunities. 2021-11-3051 minGovCon Coffee & IssuesEp 6: COVID Vaccine MandateCarroll and Michael invited Steven Koprince, now retired govcon attorney and the founder of Koprince, McCall, Pottroff LLC, to explain the federal government's COVID-19 mandate in terms people can understand. Although the mandate situation is still evolving, this episode offers valuable insights into what a government contractor should expect in the near future. Additional resources: A First Look at the Government Contractor Vaccine Mandate (blog article) and What Government Contractors Should Know About the Vaccine Mandate (Govology e-course).2021-11-301h 14GovCon Coffee & IssuesEp 5: Deceptive and Misleading InformationIn this episode, Carroll and Michael share examples of deceptive and misleading information, which unfortunately is plentiful in the government marketplace. But how do you know who to trust? Here are a few tips:
Check the domain of the website claiming to be a government site - is it .gov or .com? Some websites will make you believe they are official government sites, but only a government website will have a .gov extension at the end of its domain name (e.g., sam.gov).
Not all companies (.com websites) are bad - many provide valuable services. Also, sometimes f...2021-11-3046 minGovCon Coffee & IssuesEp 4: Getting Involved in the Government Marketplace for the Wrong ReasonsIn this episode, Carroll and Michael address the issue of getting involved in government contracting for the wrong reasons. Carroll identified two main reasons - 1. because you have a certification and 2. it's all about the money - the U.S. government is the biggest buyer, and you want a piece of the action. Michael mentioned one more common reason - someone told you it was a good idea. But, unfortunately, you got bad advice from a third party who is not even in the government market. However, most of the conversation focused on using certification as the main reason...2021-10-0532 minGovCon Coffee & IssuesEp 3: Where to StartIn this episode, Carroll and Michael discuss the importance of doing market research before jumping into government contracting and even after being a government contractor for a while. This issue plagues not only newbies but also seasoned contractors, who may have done their homework a decade ago. However, the market is ever-changing. Carroll's advice: become a govcon detective. Use various tools and sources of information to pull data to have a more complete and accurate story. Michael looks at it differently. Drawing from his experience as a former licensed private investigator and a trained analyst in the military, Michael...2021-10-0446 minGovCon Coffee & IssuesEp 2: Gaining ClarityIn this episode, Carroll and Michael go back to the basics - i.e., gaining clarity. They ask an essential question: Why do you want to enter the government marketplace, and why now? They note that many small business owners are experts in their craft but have no training in being a business owner. “They dive in and start swimming...but when they come up for air, they feel like they are drowning.” Without clarity, you lack clarity. So, regardless of how many years you’ve been in business, step back and ask yourself, “Where am I going, and why am I...2021-09-1530 minGovCon Coffee & IssuesEp 1: Coffee & Issues for Government Contractors: What, Why, HowFor their first episode, Michael and Carroll talk about their backgrounds, their WHY for this podcast, and how you can get the most value from this show. Carroll and Michael are both from Louisiana and served in the military before getting involved in government contracting. Their goal for this podcast is to simplify government contracting because, as Michael said, "It's not hard; you just have to learn it." The key is to get foundational stuff under your belt, and once you start executing your plan, some things become automatic. Unlike other podcasts, GovCon Coffee & Issues is an interactive show...2021-08-2438 min
GovCon Coffee & IssuesGovology - Coming SoonToday I'm excited to announce the launch of our Govology On The Go podcast. We spent the last five years building an outstanding online education platform that has helped thousands of aspiring and seasoned government contracting professionals learn the ins and outs of doing business with government agencies.
Most of the training on our platform runs about 60 to 90 minutes per topic area. We wanted to have a way to give you a summary of each of our course topics and to make it a little more mobile.
Our podcast guest will include some of the...2020-10-0601 min