One of the most challenging things about starting a new business would have to be securing contracts. It’s really difficult to secure new contracts if no one knows about your business or even trusts your business, for that matter. Actually, this barrier alone can instantly cause some financial struggles, too.
While it’s thrilling to be independent and start a business, there are also some challenges overall. Actually, one of the best ways to secure contracts and make your business successful is through securing bids. Now, not every business needs to do something like this, but at the end of the day, it can be really helpful. But where do you even start?
Why Businesses Need Open Bids
So, not every single business out there needs to secure bids, but it’s a great option out there for certain businesses out there. So, open bids are essential for businesses, especially new ones, because they provide a fair and transparent way to compete for contracts.
Usually, governments, educational institutions, and large corporations often use open bids to ensure they get the best value for their money. Generally speaking, for new businesses, participating in open bids can be a gateway to establishing credibility, building a client base, and generating steady revenue.
Honestly, the only hard part is knowing where to find commercial cleaning contracts opportunities or really whatever services that your business is offering. But overall, it’s a level playing field where your proposal can shine based on merit, not just connections or reputation. While it sure helps to have that trust, this can still massively help.
Where to Find Open Bids
By all means, it’s super intimidating if you’ve never dealt with an open bid before. It can be a little hard to know where to start, let alone where to even find these. But there are a few options:
- Search engines
- Government websites like SAM.gov
- Educational institutions like colleges and local universities
- Networking this includes LinkedIn
- Bid notification services
There might be other places online and offline, too, but it’s best to just use your search engine and look into this.
How to Participate in Open Bids
Once you’ve identified potential bid opportunities, the next step is preparing and submitting your proposal. Now, this might be the challenging part, so you’ll want to keep some of these things in mind!
Read the Bid Document Thoroughly
Seriously, you’re going to have to have a solid understanding of the requirements, deadlines, and criteria. You also need to pay attention to every detail to ensure your proposal meets all specifications.
Prepare Your Proposal
You’re going to have to highlight your business’s strengths and how they align with the client’s needs. But overall, make sure everything is clear, concise, and professional. Include relevant experience, case studies, and testimonials if possible.
Costing
You’ll need to provide a competitive yet realistic bid. Ideally, you’re going to want to just go ahead and break down the costs clearly so the client understands where their money will go.
Follow the Instructions
Now, every business varies in how they do things, and yes, each bid will have specific submission requirements. So you can’t copy and paste the same thing with each bid; it’s not realistic.
Submit on Time
Sure, it’s very obvious, but this still deserves some recognition though. So, late submissions are usually disqualified, no matter how good your proposal is. Aim to submit a day or two before the deadline to avoid last-minute issues.
