FEDBIZ’5 | EPISODE 6: DSBS Incomplete – Don’t Get Excluded

DSBS Incomplete – Don’t Get Excluded

Welcome to our podcast FedBiz 5, where you get informed, get connected and get results.  In our last episode we discussed, “What is the importance of my DSBS?” – (Dynamic Small Business Search). In this episode we will continue discussing the importance of your DSBS, and why it is important to have it complete and optimized so you do not get excluded from government contracting opportunities. 

Your DSBS marketing profile can help separate you from other your competitors. The Small Business Administration (the “SBA”) maintains the DSBS database that government agencies use to find small business contractors for upcoming contracts. Small businesses can also use the DSBS to find other small business to work with or to be found by prime contractors.

The DSBS is important because federal buyers are required to do market research to find small businesses to fulfill federal contracts. This is part of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR 10) that buyers are required to use “commercially available market research methods in order to effectively identify the capabilities of small businesses.”

Many small businesses do not realize the value of their DSBS profile. They do not understand what it is for. They do not know where to find it. They do not know why it is so important.

One consideration to ensure your DSBS is done correctly is to use an experienced professional to complete your registration and sync your SAM information.

Businesses may believe, well SAM and DSBS are free and must be easy to do myself. But, these are the same people that are registered for years just waiting for a phone call or email from a government buyer that never comes.

A good analogy is a small business filing their own tax return. It is free to file a tax return. However, it is advisable that they should pay to use an accountant to ensure their tax filing is done correctly and in full compliance.

Another analogy is if a business has a job opening to be filled and runs an advertisement. For this example, the business gets two applicants. Each applicant is required to complete a five-page application with detailed information to better assess their qualifications. 

Applicant One fills out the application completely and thoroughly. All their skills in detail, their experience, past jobs, references, all of it, every question addressed and answered.

Applicant Two fills out their basic contact information, where they went to school, puts one or two skills down, but did not feel the need to provide details of their experience, or references, or where they worked before. They did not think that was important. Applicant Two left several questions blank and obviously did not apply much effort into the application.

Both applicants return their application. Which do you think will be selected for a call back?

As a business owner, how important it is to be that Applicant One? You want to be that business that the government call back. Do not allow your business to be disqualified for a simple error, omission, or ‘none given’ response that can be easily addressed. Let the government know you are an expert in your field by having your registration completed in a thorough and professional manner.

FedBiz Access’ fulfillment team takes the time to understand the client’s business and asks questions to pull information from the client to ensure their SAM registration and DSBS profile are complete, compliant, optimized, and competitive in the eyes of contracting officials and prime contractors.

This podcast is sponsored by FedBiz Access – https://fedbizaccess.com.  For government contracting made simple, call (888) 299-4498.