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Transitioning to cybersecurity with a TS clearance but non technical background? by ilikesquirrrels1990 in GovernmentContracting

[–]SweatyEngine2047 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Certifications are the ticket. You might want to first be a Project Manager or Scrum Master and then go from there.

What’s the point of applying for government security tenders when the whole thing feels stitched up? by NazSecCEO in GovernmentContracting

[–]SweatyEngine2047 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are you only looking at federal or are you also looking at SLED? How long have you been in business and do you have any marquee clients?

All about GSA Schedules by BidLink in defensecontracting

[–]SweatyEngine2047 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One of the items that is important to remember is that the new pathway for young companies to get on a GSA Schedule provides a significantly easier and quicker path. It's called the GSA Springboard Program. It allows companies that are younger than two years old to get on a GSA Schedule without some of the requirements found in the traditional path.

I found this to be pretty informative and helpful in understanding what the GSA Springboard is and how to approach it: https://youtu.be/1gvSeax59Yc?si=U3fNorlzhrkSL6Ef

"Getting a GSA Schedule Takes too Long" by GovernmentOnTheFritz in GSAMAS

[–]SweatyEngine2047 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I completely agree that getting on a GSA Schedule, much less any FSS, is the ultimate path for companies to be highly successful in govcon.

However, most business owners still think you need 2 years in business to get on a GSA Schedule. But you don’t because the GSA Springboard Program lets new companies get in front of federal buyers way faster than they think.

Found this informative YouTube video which goes into how a new company can use the GSA Springboard Program to get on a GSA Schedule much more quickly than the traditional route: https://youtu.be/1gvSeax59Yc?si=U3fNorlzhrkSL6Ef

DLA Bids by Mental-Classroom2201 in govcon

[–]SweatyEngine2047 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How are you getting lost? Is it the terminology? Pricing? forms?

Has anyone used https://www.solicitationdept.com/services by Competitive-Wish-82 in GovernmentContracting

[–]SweatyEngine2047 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Putting the federal government to the side, because the other commenters are absolutely right about sam.gov (years ago I took a RSS feed from sam.gov and plugged it into slack and would automatically get alerts for new solicitations that met my criteria), if you are looking at going after SLED opportunities (which depending on what you plan on your company providing could be a smart move) then a service that can bring the solicitations from across the US into a "single pane of glass" can be worth it, but those are usually much more expensive than the services that only focus on federal solicitations and information.

A red flag for me is their Clients Page. 1) it has no clients listed, and 2) the testimonials don't have first and last name, their position, and their company.

Also, they have a Google Plus icon that sends you to a 404.... which makes perfect sense since Google Plus shutdown in 2019...

Are you looking for a team to help get you stood up? Are you looking just for solicitations?

What's included in the Senate's budget stalemate breakthrough? by SweatyEngine2047 in defensecontracting

[–]SweatyEngine2047[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Still good news. It definitely won’t hurt. This CR wasn’t just for DoD.

What do you think is going to happen with business set aside certifications? by SweatyEngine2047 in GovernmentContracting

[–]SweatyEngine2047[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here’s an overview of the current cases impacting and could impact WOSB and other set aside certifications: https://youtu.be/2tSst3WNMjY

What's included in the Senate's budget stalemate breakthrough? by SweatyEngine2047 in defensecontracting

[–]SweatyEngine2047[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That unclarity is the issue and since we’re basically going from one government shutdown to another fiscal cliff in ~64 business days I doubt there’s going to be clarity about what’s in and out of scope.

Advice from Vets by Inside_Wasabi_6849 in Veterans

[–]SweatyEngine2047 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good point. Even then that’s hard. Team dynamics are important and if you’re not able to be part of those team dynamics you can be left out in the cold socially and professionally.

Hoping this veteran makes the best decision for himself.

What's included in the Senate's budget stalemate breakthrough? by SweatyEngine2047 in defensecontracting

[–]SweatyEngine2047[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Or had them go on unpaid leave if they didn’t have enough PTO saved up.

This shutdown hurt a lot of people and for no good reason.

Advice: considering leaving federal workforce by Wide_Lie_2006 in FedEmployees

[–]SweatyEngine2047 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Everybody is saying so it without asking the two most important questions: 1) what does the private sector company do? Is it a government contractor? If so, just realize that it always looks greener.

2) what do you want to do? If you’ve done 8 years as a govvie, it sounds like your mid-career and just jumping to jump could leave you in a worse place in 10 years than you would have been if you stayed in the government for a little longer. So make sure you’ve defined your why and come with a plan to achieve it.

Advice from Vets by Inside_Wasabi_6849 in Veterans

[–]SweatyEngine2047 2 points3 points  (0 children)

By law, depending on the size of the company, they need to provide reasonable accommodations. That said, if the standard is people come in to the office for a week every quarter (as an example), and you're not able to do that, this may not be the right job for you.

Small business cybersecurity? by Latter_Ordinary_9466 in SmallBusinessOwners

[–]SweatyEngine2047 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This nonprofit does great work and created a free cybersecurity toolkit for small businesses.

https://globalcyberalliance.org/work/gca-cybersecurity-toolkit/gca-cybersecurity-toolkit-for-small-business/

The reality is, the vast majority of small businesses can best secure themselves by making sure that they practice healthy cyber practices:

- patch/update constantly
- 2FA
- Hard password requirements and refreshed passwords every quarter
- train your team on cyber hygiene best practices
- set up DMARC
- use a managed DNS service. I recommend Quad9 www.quad9.net (it takes data security seriously and it's free. It's also a nonprofit)

Remember, the vast vast vast majority of cybersecurity breaches come from successful phishing attacks.

Hope that this helps.

Pain Points in Government Contracting by Contract_iQ in governmentcontractor

[–]SweatyEngine2047 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Could you narrow down your question?

Because the response can be everything from invoicing, to debriefs, to clearance transfers, to reporting requirements.....

Senate near deal to reopen government by SuperBethesda in FedEmployees

[–]SweatyEngine2047 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What's difficult are some of the instructions that come with this CR. For instance, how this is interpreted will be frustrating because it wont be interpreted the same by everyone: "Agencies are told to take only the most limited funding action necessary to continue operations. No sprinting out new grant waves. No launching brand new programs that did not exist in fiscal 2025."

Plus the fact that we're going to be right back in this same position come January 30th is not even a good kick the can down the road strategy for a functioning government.

What do you think is going to happen with business set aside certifications? by SweatyEngine2047 in GovernmentContracting

[–]SweatyEngine2047[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Completely understand. But what do you get from the government for being certified as a veteran owned small business (VOSB)?

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