RISN Creative Marketing

Owner: Jordan Ochoa

Specialist: Chris Bridgewater

Can you share a bit about your company’s background and what motivated you to enter the government contracting space?

One of my superpowers is identifying disconnects within businesses, and we can all agree that government organizations experience a significant amount of this. While I am passionate about supporting small businesses, I also enjoy tackling challenges. To keep my mind sharp and motivated, I sought to help government agencies improve their approach to serving the public.

What challenges did you face when first entering the government contracting sector?

The paperwork was a major hurdle. Like many things in government, there's often a lack of consistency—different websites, portals, and requirements can make it feel overwhelming. Coming from a humble background with no prior government experience, coupled with my ADHD and dyslexia, I faced significant challenges. The odds were definitely not in my favor, but I embraced the learning experience.

What sets your business apart from other companies in the government contracting space? What is your niche?

My niche lies in media and marketing, and what sets us apart is our holistic approach. We don’t just take orders; we evaluate the entire business or agency. It’s crucial to ask why advertising is necessary if the foundational engagement strategies aren’t in place. Our focus is on creating sustainable engagement rather than merely executing campaigns.

How have you leveraged small business certifications (e.g., 8(a), HUBZone, or WOSB) to gain a competitive advantage?  

I haven't had the opportunity to apply for certifications yet, but I am looking forward to applying for the WOSB in November, particularly as a woman in business. This certification will help me further establish credibility and open doors for future opportunities.

What strategies have you implemented to build relationships with government agencies or prime contractors?

Networking and educational events have proven invaluable in connecting me with the right people. These events provide immediate access to key contacts, allowing me to bypass the usual hurdles of navigating secretaries and gatekeepers.

What operational changes did you have to make to adapt to the government’s contracting and procurement process? 

We’ve had to restructure our operations significantly. We now have a dedicated sales team, and I am leading the government division. This involves consistently monitoring procurement portals, keeping track of applied RFPs, and continuously learning about the procurement process.

What advice would you give to other small businesses looking to enter the government contracting space?

Absolutely go for it! Just be aware that some contracts require significant time and financial investment upfront, which was a surprise to me. Start with smaller contracts or reach out to those already awarded contracts to see how you can assist them—this will help you gain valuable experience.

What key resources or networks were instrumental in your success with government contracts?  

Excel has been an invaluable resource for managing tasks, and I owe a lot to my mentor, who is an Excel expert. Scheduling regular meetings with mentors kept me accountable. Additionally, following the RFPs diligently has been crucial—staying on top of them like a hawk.

How has APEX Accelerator been beneficial to your company? 

I struggled for over a year to join SAM.gov, and my progress was inconsistent. APEX helped me navigate the process within weeks, and I am incredibly grateful for their support.

Finally, tell us something about you that’s not on paper.

While my professional passion is media and marketing, my first loves are God, my family, and my animals. Having animals around people is healing, and I encourage everyone to consider getting a pet. They provide comfort during those late-night hours spent at the computer. My family inspires me to stay accountable, and my faith gives me guidance and strength as I navigate the complexities of the procurement process.

https://www.risn.design/

0369 Security Solutions Services LLC

Owner: Burnett Sheppard

Specialist: Nichole Jackson

Can you share a bit about your company’s background and what motivated you to enter the government contracting space? 0369 Security Solutions Services, LLC dba 0369 SSS was founded in the state of AZ in 2013. When this company was founded, I was an active-duty US Marine. The 0369 is the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) which is a small unit infantry leader. When I retired in 2018, I wanted to put to use the leadership skills I gained from my service. I knew very little about the government space. With the same determination that garnered success in the Marine Corps, those attributes went into learning about the contracting world with the government. In addition, the motivation came from achieving the SDVOSB certification. I entered the government contracting space because I felt there was a genuine need and our services fulfilled those needs. 

What challenges did you face when first entering the government contracting sector? 1) I didn’t understand the government sector from a business perspective. 2) 0369 SSS couldn’t readily qualify for business loans. 3) The majority of the time when attending business conferences/meetings, I was the only African American in the room. 4) There was a lack of understanding of requirements and processes as it pertains to licenses and insurance when conducting government work. 5) Lack of understanding of government contracts.

What sets your business apart from other companies in the government contracting space? 0369 SSS takes great strides to be a dependable company that truly cares about our customers' security concerns. 

What is your niche? We are a one-stop shop that brings quality workmanship to all of our customers. 

How have you leveraged small business certifications (e.g., 8(A), HUBZone, or WOSB) to gain a competitive advantage? To date, over 90% of our customers are from the government sector and those customers equate to a 75% SDVOSB set-asides opportunities. We obtained these numbers by being actively involved in day-to-day operations with the SBA and keeping the line of communications open with all of those subcontractors and customers. Also, meeting critical deadlines is important because, from a project management perspective, project completion is tied to a budget. We always strive to be in the green rather than in the red. 

What strategies have you implemented to build relationships with government agencies or prime contractors? 1) I have used the Sam.gov database to contact those entities placing solicitations. In contacting those entities, I have made phone calls, sent emails, and attached Capabilities Statements. 2) We have been strategic in our partnering choices and took advantage of those relationships to position ourselves for those customers to continue to reach out to us when they have a security need. 3) Be dependable. Listen to the customer and make them feel like their problems are heard and will be addressed with the utmost care. An example: there was one customer who called a larger company for services. The phone rang many times with no personal customer service assistant contact made and ended up going through several connections and there was still no solution to the customer. That same customer called 0369 SSS and the phone rang once and was answered. That customer stated to me that they much rather work with us because the level of personalization and attentiveness to their security issues was being addressed immediately. 

What operational changes did you have to make to adapt to the government’s contracting and procurement process? The operational changes made within the company were to implement three positions #1: Project Manager, #2: Human Resource Manager, and #3: Safety Officer. These offices allow the efficiency of bidding on government contracts and proposals to include when awards are made. The offices play a vital role in executing the contract in accordance with the SOW. In addition, the government requires certain vendor databases that must be maintained. Often, training is required to have access to the various vendor payment systems.   

What advice would you give to other small businesses looking to enter the government contracting space? The government sector is an outstanding business vertical. It is vast and equipped with a dynamic expanse of information within the organizations. More times than not, to navigate properly, you need someone with the expertise to assist. With that, please visit the nearest APEX in person and get to know that office and the resources they bring to support your company.     

What key resources or networks were instrumental in your success with government contracts?  Our number one resource that is instrumental in our success is APEX. 80% of our contract awards come from APEX solicitation opportunities that come in our company email daily. 

How APEX Accelerator has been beneficial to your company? I work with Nichole Jackson. She has been with 0369 SSS since the first day meeting her until now. Nichole is responsible for helping us the SDVOSB certification. She assisted me with my 8(a) application. Those emails that are automatically sent based on our NAICS code were created and executed by Nichole. I have sent our Capability Statement to hundreds of government customers and Nichole assisted with that by teaching 0369 SSS how to write a Capability Statement. The benefits received from APEX are outstanding and we wouldn’t be as successful had it not been for this organization.

Finally, tell us something about you that’s not on paper. I thoroughly enjoy servicing people. I now serve in the ministry as a Deacon and Teacher of the Gospel. In addition, I sit on the Board as a volunteer for a nonprofit organization called Transformation Treehouse. In 2023, I volunteered to teach/supervise 12 students in a 5-day Summer camp in Prescott, AZ. I also serve the homeless community by giving and showing love to those who are without and less fortunate.          

https://0369sss.com/

Illicit Use of Chatbots to Write Proposals

By Chris Bridgewater

The use of chatbots such as ChatGPT to write proposals for government contracts is becoming a very popular method. The typical scenario in which these tools are used involves taking the solicitation from SAM.gov, uploading the solicitation to the chatbot interface, and requesting the chatbot create a proposal based on the solicitation. Unfortunately, this process most likely violates CMMC and multiple FAR clauses.

A majority of the attachments and information for SAM.gov solicitations are not publicly available and require an account to view and download the information. Although the information may not have an official designation of CUI, if the data cannot be accessed without logging into SAM.gov, this makes it non-publicly available. In this case, uploading of said data to a third party or external information system is not allowed.

The use of all chatbots for this process may not violate CMMC and FAR Clauses. The violation occurs with the use of chatbots which keep the information and use it to enhance the LLM. Which is how most free versions of AI chatbots function. There are subscription AI chatbots that claim to keep your data yours. However, if the data storage device is not 100% under your control this may violate CMMC requirements and FAR clauses such as 52.204-21. 

Intro to Government Contracting

Date: Oct. 16th, 2024

Time: 1:00 PM

Location: Webinar

This webinar is intended for small business owners who have very little knowledge about government contracting. We will answer questions like: What is government contracting? Does the government buy from small businesses? What does the government buy? Is your business ready for government contracting? And more…

All new Arizona APEX clients must take this training.