U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION “ A great business plan can impress potential investors and pave the way for your business’s success. Use these four key questions to guide you as you create yours. “ ______________________________________________________________________________ “Every successful business starts with a solid business plan. A business plan is a foundational document that lays out who you are as a company and where you are headed. It not only helps you set a

“SMALLTOFEDS” By Ken Larson “ There are no industry average indirect rates in federal government contracting because there are wide swings due to many factors. Company indirect rates are managed based on the competition, the market and the funding availability of the customer.” ______________________________________________________________________________ “Previous discussions at ‘ Smalltofeds ‘ have addressed FAR and CAS Compliant business systems for small enterprises under

NATIONAL DEFENSE MAGAZINE By Ryan Heidorn “ The first 100 days of CMMC were never meant to be dramatic. The signal lies not in what happened immediately, but what is now unavoidable. In its first year, expect imperfect translation, conservative interpretation and inconsistent execution. These are not signs of failure; they are signs that CMMC has moved from policy theory into operational reality.” _______________________________________________________________________________

“SMALLTOFEDS” By Ken larson “The CDRL is a register of the deliverable data items. Each data item has a discrete numeric identifier, a data item description (DID) number and a delivery schedule to the customer. Although it is unusual to negotiate separate pricing for contract data, your negotiated contract and resulting budget baseline must contain the resources to prepare and submit contractually required data items.” ________________________________________________________

Finding active and historical solicitations ideal for your company, what agency has offered them and who was awarded subsequent contracts is vital market research for a small business government contractor. That information determines market targets, companies that may be open to industry teaming, where to request FOIA data to illuminate contract and award structures and other vital useful information. “ FEDSPEND.COM ” “Free Government Contract Databases USASpending.gov —

View And Search The Wall of Faces By Ken Larson Vietnam was not a declared war. It was a setup by the Military Industrial Complex – an incursion developed by the “Best and the Brightest” in the Pentagon. It cost money, treasure and lives while making billions for corporations. Like Vietnam, recent events involving war “Interventions” in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Ukraine demonstrate the incredibly out of control nature of the Military Industrial Complex, the underlyi

Vermillion River Valley - Hastings, Minnesota https://www.flickr.com/photos/odysseyof_armaments/53661241962/in/dateposted-public/

“FEDERAL TIMES” By Molly Weisner “The quasi-judicial agency that protects federal employment rights that affirms veterans who work in the government are protected from retaliation for speaking out against discrimination. The Merit Systems Protection Board affirmed that federal employees who are veterans are protected from workplace harassment specifically under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act’ s anti-retaliation provision. This landmark law has

“SMALLTOFEDS” By SCORE and MicroMentor Counselor Ken Larson “Small Business Federal Government Contracting Smalltofeds is a FREE web site, developed exclusively for small businesses that wish to succeed in selling to the federal government.” _______________________________________________________________________________ “There are over 100 agencies or “Departments” in the federal government. Each of these agencies has a statutory obligation to contract from small business

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE “DEFENSE ACQUISITION UNIVERSITY (DAU) By Matthew Cawley, U.S. Navy Assistant Program Manager, Small Unmanned Surface Vehicles – PMS 420 “A firsthand account of employing innovative thinking and lessons learned to successfully overcome a significant Defense Acquisition System hurdle in the urgent acquisition of small, unmanned surface vehicles (sUSVs)” _________________________________________________________________________________ “The defense acquisi

“ WASHINGTON TECHNOLOGY” By Joyce Bosc “Early positioning can make the difference between being one of many bidders to being the preferred partner. For successful government contractors, the positioning work begins 12, 18, or even 24 months earlier.” _______________________________________________________________________________ “For government contractors, the contract award announcement is the visible finish line. What’s less visible is the positioning work that began 12, 1

“SMALLTOFEDS” By Ken Larson “A good rule of thumb is to consider every proposal as if it were under TINA compliance whether or not you must submit a “Certificate of Current Cost and Pricing” under TINA. This will keep your business system sharp, your ethics and standards high and your past performance record clean.” _______________________________________________________________________________ “ THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH DEFECTIVE PRICING We have previously discussed at th

“GOVCONWIRE” By Edward Tuorinsky “ How can businesses like yours proactively manage transformation? It requires a fundamental shift in company culture—and small steps will take you there. To transform from the company you are today to the company you want (or need!) to be, you’ll need to avoid common transformation mistakes, prioritize opportunities for transformation, and become proactive. See if any of these missteps sound familiar and consider the tips to fix them. “...

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following article in “Task and Purpose” from a few years ago by Jeff Schogol, although a bit risqué, is an apt description of the annual event I witnessed for 36 years on the inside of the Military Industrial Complex and among the nations largest defense contractors. At times those of us who know the venue well appreciate a lighter view of it. I found Jeff’s talent for knowledgeably creating that view delightful and along the lines of the legendary HBO Mov

“SMALLTOFEDS” By Ken Larson “Someone or something one day attracts your attention with the suggestion that the federal government may be in the market for your skills, products or services. Here are the paths to explore the main registration avenues available to your small business.” ________________________________________________________________________________ “You have worked hard establishing your small business in the commercial market; or you have succeeded in your pro

“DEFENSE NEWS” By Megan Eckstein “ The Vanilla Unmanned business line is owned by Platform Aerospace, a small company located outside Naval Air Station Patuxent River in southern Maryland. The Vanilla UAV was originally designed and built for the sole purpose of breaking world records which it did , with a demonstrated five-plus-day flight in 2017. Platform Aerospace wants to turn it into a must-have asset for the Navy and Marine Corps, as well as other domestic and indu

“SMALLTOFEDS” By Ken Larson “Blogging approaches can be developed as marketing brochures for multiple roles, communicated in a vast array of venues and promoted in the media ladder, But one must open people’s eyes and “Make” them understand what is offered and how it can benefit them.” ________________________________________________________________________________ “In the current business climate of high technology and Internet communications, very few small enterprises suc

“NATIONAL DEFENSE MAGAZINE” By Jere Glover “With an allocation of only 3.65 percent of federal extramural research funding, there is a wealth of objective, data-driven evidence to support the success of the SBIR and STTR program at the Defense Department over the 40-plus years of its existence.” ________________________________________________________________________________ A recent article in National Defense reported on a white paper released by the Greg and Camille Ba

Image: . wikipedia.org “SMALLTOFEDS” By Ken Larson “ Prudently used, an Earned Value Management approach gives insight into the dynamics of physical accomplishment driving project status, as opposed to plan versus actual cost tracking, which reports only that money is being spent. “ _________________________________________________________________________________ “Recently a question regarding project management prompted me to recommend a simple application of an Earned...