432 FBF: Big Money in Government Contracts with Kevin Jans

Today's Flash Back Friday comes from Episode 235, originally published in February 2016. Kevin Jans is the President and Founder of Skyway Acquisition Solutions ("Skyway"). After 16 years as a Department of Defense contracting officer, he founded Skyway to help companies navigate the increasingly complex process of competing for Federal contracts. Kevin built the company on the premise that no one knows the Federal acquisition system better than contracting officers who managed it from the inside. Following this idea, he built a team of experts with actual contracting officer experience. What separates this podcast is the insight that Kevin and Paul bring from having been Contracting Officers (COs). In addition to his hands on experience, Kevin has extensive credentials in the contracting and source selection field. He is an active member of the National Contract Management Association (NCMA), Suncoast Chapter. Kevin also has elite training and development experience in the Federal contract market. He was competitively selected for both the US Air Force's Copper Cap Training Program and the Career Broadener Programs. Both of these targeted Department of Defense training programs are designed to accelerate the experience and knowledge of high-performing professionals in the DOD contracting and acquisition field. He is a Certified Federal Contracts Manager (through NCMA), DOD-Certified in both Contracting and Program Management (through Defense Acquisition University) and he holds a Yellow Belt Certification in Six Sigma. Key Takeaways: [4:27] Kevin's new 80/20 rule [6:21] A few places you can go to find government contracts out there and if you might be a fit [9:02] Getting started and learning the basics of learning to get government contracts [11:04] How to compete for government contracts with small businesses and minority owned businesses [14:07] Comparing the government contract market to the stock market [17:05] How long it takes to get a government contract going [21:09] Exploring the all important topic of how much it costs to get help submitting your government contract proposal [23:54] Looking at what the government's going to look at when they're considering if you'll win the contract Websites Mentioned: www.USASpending.gov www.FederalBusinessOpporunities.gov www.SkywayAcquisition.com www.ContractingOfficerPodcast.com