Reality Check # 1
• What do the Iditarod race sled dogs and
Government contractors have in common?
© 2015 | All Rights Reserved | Aronson LLC | www.aronsonllc.com
| www.aronsonllc.com/blogs | Slide: 1

Reality Check # 2
• Large contractors subcontract to small businesses because they have to not because they need to!
© 2015 | All Rights Reserved | Aronson LLC | www.aronsonllc.com
| www.aronsonllc.com/blogs | Slide: 2

How to Become a “Preferred Subcontractor”
Understand what motivates prime contractors
• The only true mission statement:
• Provide owner(s) with a rate of return on their investment better than they can receive by investing their resources elsewhere. We do this by
– Winning business &
– Performing the business we win profitably.
• A preferred subcontractor will support one or both of these missions
© 2015 | All Rights Reserved | Aronson LLC | www.aronsonllc.com
| www.aronsonllc.com/blogs | Slide: 3

How to Become a “Preferred Subcontractor”
Be a good prime contractor
• Corporate experience
• Past performance references
• Relationships with key agency executives
© 2015 | All Rights Reserved | Aronson LLC | www.aronsonllc.com
| www.aronsonllc.com/blogs | Slide: 4

How to Become a “Preferred Subcontractor”
Other attributes of preferred subcontractors
• Competitive prices
• Strategic hires
• Quid pro quo, you let us bid with you, we will let you bid with us.
• Help with the proposal
• Handle staffing surges
• Ethical
• Adequate business systems, especially accounting
© 2015 | All Rights Reserved | Aronson LLC | www.aronsonllc.com
| www.aronsonllc.com/blogs | Slide: 5

How to Become a “Preferred Subcontractor”
Things not to do
• Don’t depend on your small business status
• Be more than just staff augmentation
• Don’t be all things to all people, develop a niche
© 2015 | All Rights Reserved | Aronson LLC | www.aronsonllc.com
| www.aronsonllc.com/blogs | Slide: 6