The Time and Money you May Save by Hiring a GSA Consultant

What comes next once you decide to purchase a GSA Schedule? Although having a GSA Schedule would undoubtedly be highly advantageous for your business, it is quite a task. Many prospective and current GSA contractors opt to work with a consultant to oversee the acquisition and maintenance of their GSA Schedule contracts. Should you also think about hiring one?

We are aware that consulting can require a significant financial commitment. Selling the concept to your boss or the leadership may also be challenging. Your boss can query why you can't complete the task on your own or why it is worthwhile. Those are good questions, and time and money happen to be the two key advantages of engaging GSA schedule consultants. This blog will help you gain a better understanding of what GSA Schedule consultants do and why they may ultimately save you time and money.

What Do Consultants for GSA Schedules Do?

Think of the GSA Schedule consultants as your advisors. However, they guide you through the GSA Schedule procedure rather than taking you around a museum or the streets of Rome. The GSA Schedule acquisition process and post-award contract maintenance are like entering a foreign nation in that you must learn a completely new language filled with federal contracting terminology.

You will receive assistance from GSA advisors in creating a Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) offer and managing GSA Schedule upkeep for the duration of your contract. A competent consulting firm will educate you throughout the process in addition to assisting you in becoming a successful government contractor so you can choose the best course of action for your business.

When compared to internal staff, GSA schedule consultants have a thorough understanding of the procedure, which facilitates the efficient acquisition and upkeep of Schedules. We have strong opinions on this because we are consultants ourselves, but we also have our own GSA Schedule contract, so we are aware of the amount of effort required to obtain and maintain one.

How to Save Time by Using GSA Schedule Consultants

Some individuals fail to know that obtaining a GSA Schedule entails more than merely completing paperwork. To submit a successful offer, a lot of effort, writing, and planning are required. Because they are unfamiliar with the procedure, we've seen businesses who have been working on their MAS offer for more than a year without success. Additionally, they might not have the time or resources necessary to prepare their offer early. It's simple to quit if you become discouraged and lack the motivation to continue.

How to Save Money by Hiring GSA Schedule Consultants

Once you have your GSA Schedule, you have up to 20 years to use it. It won't be helpful to you if it isn't done correctly when it is awarded. Without understanding how it works, you can choose to go through the procedure alone and winds up with a contract that can't be profitable or that has terms and conditions and rates that are too high for you to afford.

You should be sure you understand what you are agreeing to during the discussions and clarifications process of your Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) offer. Complying is essential to being a successful GSA contractor, and you face the danger of losing compliance if you can't meet the standards.

Are you capable of handling internal GSA Schedule acquisition and maintenance processes?

It is entirely up to you whether to handle contract maintenance after acquisition in-house. Even though the GSA does not mandate that you work with a consultant, you must be ready to handle your GSA Schedule contract like a full-time job.

If you want the job done properly, you'll probably need to hire another person given the time required to obtain and maintain a Schedule. We've witnessed clients attempt to juggle their job with a GSA Schedule, and one of the two has to suffer. It's challenging to juggle everything at once, whether it's forgetting to complete work for your regular job or failing to submit a contract revision. It will undoubtedly be less expensive to hire a consultant than to hire an employee to accomplish the task.

Are You a Good Fit for GSA Consulting?

You may have more specific inquiries about the procedure now that you know necessary to persuade your boss (or even yourself) to think about employing a GSA consultant. Visit our blogs "Hiring GSA Schedule Consultants vs. Acquiring a Schedule On Your Own" and "What to Expect When You Hire a GSA Schedule Consultant" to find out more about GSA schedule consultants and what they do.

We would be pleased to assist you in making the best choice for your business if you are looking to engage GSA Schedule consultants or you simply want to understand more about how consulting works.