Even though a Small Business leverages every relationship and network for business growth, submitting winning proposals remains the largest factor in growing new business. While TechWise Headquarters is fairly small – we are about 15 full-time folks here – our Proposal Operations are “Big Business”, and just about everyone is asked to roll up their sleeves and pitch in, and they do. Most Small Businesses don’t keep proposal capability in-house; they hire in consultants as needed for proposal work. TechWise has a very strong Proposal Team on staff full-time and this team is engaged in proposal work almost continually year-round.

A good proposal does not start with the drop of a draft request for proposal; it starts with a solid response to a sources sought or request for information the Government posts. Over the course of time, as opportunities are tracked and intelligence is gathered, a solid approach for a proposal response is formed. By the time a draft or final request for proposal is released, the proposal effort should be well under way. Of course, that is the best case scenario. TechWise responds to many opportunities that were not long-term tracked and may just appear on our radar. Being flexible and responsive can yield excellent results.

As small as we are, TechWise has evaluated, considered, or responded to over 80 opportunities in 2011. This includes two full-blown large DoD proposal efforts, Task Orders where we are the Prime, Task Orders we support as Subcontractor, and Overseas opportunities. We designate capture managers to continually gather and brief information and intelligence about opportunities and we establish relationships with Teammates selected to pursue opportunities together. These ongoing efforts lead to the fact that we were able to announce multiple new contracts each quarter last year.

At TechWise, everyone gets recruited onto the Proposal Team when needed, and everyone gladly supports proposal efforts. For the technical content, we recruit our Program Managers and employees in the field to write. Our Management and Quality Programs come with strong documentation that we use in our proposals. We keep a comprehensive past performance library that is continually updated and ready for use in proposals. In these Low Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) times, price to win is essential. Our strong Pricing Team hit that price to win many times this year! We have strong in-house technical writing and editing capability. We are a well oiled machine that comes together and takes pride in planning, preparing, and producing winning proposals. Yes, we even produce our own proposals!

Proposal work is not for everyone, and definitely not for the faint at heart. It takes stamina, perseverance, late nights, many pizzas, gallons of coffee, and a Team that works well together, likes one another, and has mutual respect for each other. TechWise’s results for 2011 show that a small business, without the proposal operations ‘machine’ of a large company, can still succeed and persevere as long as everyone pulls together in the same direction with the same goal in mind.

Our CEO Shawnee Huckstep created a TechWise Mentorship Program to provide transition and job assistance services to Service Members retiring from the Colorado Springs Military Community. Our CEO’s intent is to provide our most treasured resource, the American Service Member, with Life after the Military tools to prepare them to successfully enter the civilian sector. TechWise strives to assist Military Personnel with the employment search process, providing empathetic guidance, resources, and support during their transition. TechWise has a great working relationship with the Fort Carson Army Career and Alumni Program (ACAP) Office and is regularly invited to attend the ACAP Employee Panel Seminar. The Employee Panel provides Service Members with ample time to ask questions, network, and not be overwhelmed with transitioning from the Military. After the panel, TechWise holds one-on-one sessions and we invite Service Members to visit TechWise. During a Service Member visit the Corporate Recruiter or a Program Manager provide the Service Member with a tour of our facility and introduce the Service Member to our CEO, CFO, HR, General Manager, and Directors of Operations and Communications. From there the Service Member is invited to have a conversation with one of our Program Managers. All of our Program Mangers are retired Military and provide the Service Member with information about life after the Military. During the session, the Program Manager takes time to discuss salary expectations, resumes, small business versus large business operations, and where the Service Member best feels he/she can fit into the Community. TechWise believes in preparing Veterans to succeed in meaningful jobs in the Colorado Springs Community and we take our Mentorship Program seriously. Our National Economy and Public Welfare depend on our Best Men and Women to be all that they can be even after their Military life. TechWise’s ability to hire seven employees in a matter of days for one of our UAE Contracts was a direct result of our Mentorship Program. Our Mentorship Program allowed TechWise to provide former Service Members with the correct skill set and experience to meet our UAE Customer’s expectations.

This question is not easy to answer. Both have pros and cons. Funding for full-time internal proposal development capabilities has to come out of overhead and can be substantial. But the capability is always available, allowing flexibility and quick decision-making. A small business with internal proposal capability can respond to more sources sought and requests for information faster without other staff having to stop what they are doing to respond. Independent Consultants are usually very skilled professionals who bring with them a wealth of experience. They only need to be paid when they are actually working on a proposal. They often bring with them a lot of intelligence about competition and incumbents. But they might not be available when you need them. They may already have signed up for another proposal or with the competition. There can also be potential OCI concerns. The decision has to be made whether to hire a full-time proposal manager/staff or if to keep several independent consultants on the call list. The risk tradeoffs are full-time staff cost but constant capability that can be channeled to other tasks when no proposal work is done; or independent consultants who are only paid when proposal work is under way, but may not be available when needed or may have conflicts.