Finally! Someone Putting Their Money Where Their Mouth Is

Allow me state this not a paid review or post. I am impressed with the sincerity of this organization’s belief in minority business and its ability to assist MWDBE’s. Having written a previous post how most government contract consultants are worthless consultants, I do have an organization that is willing to put its money where its mouth is.

I have a client that won a over $100,000 city contract because the two other bidders did not complete their paperwork properly, leaving them as sole qualified bidders. Going to show how important proper bidding is in government contracting. BTW- I did not help with this particular bid nor did anyone else, they are just that good in-house. A place we all should aspire to be if we want to compete in this arena. Until then, we all could use a hand getting our bid packets (and yes it will be a packet of papers) together.

Government contracting is not for the weak at heart. There are plenty of qualifiers and forgetting to cross one i or dot one t will be enough to disqualify you from competition. There are forms to be completed and attached that you never knew existed. Signatures and notarizations which will be checked and cross-checked. Deposits, or bonding in some cases, will not be waived. Deadlines will not be moved. Ask for a bid packet and you will desire someone to help you. Minority Business Enterprise & Consultant Center (MBECC) assists minority businesses in a number of ways, but my primary excitement is bidding.

What makes MBECC so unique is that it is willing to say- we do not make money unless you do. If they decide to accept you as a client, they will work with you on a bid or project, and take fees of 3% if you win. Now, that is unusual in the consulting world. It places MBECC in a position of being paid for performance. That kind of gravitas I am happy to repeat.

I heard about MBECC at minority chamber luncheon and knew the principal by reputation. He ran a MBDA funded small business development center for many years (see my good-bye to Ron Langston). When he started talking about being a for-profit assistance center I was cynical; thinking he was doing all he could to avoid the word consultant and consulting. However, the turn around came when he talked about the fees for performance. It was sealed when he started talking about his clients from across the nation who want to participate in government bids but lack expertise.

Some of his most profound stories where when he helped develop teaming and joint-venture arrangements to get contracts. This is a wave of the future as more federal contract get bundled, so that those contracts get pushed out of the small business set-side realm. To combat bundling more MWDBE’s will need to get into teaming arrangements to pursue larger contracts.

Find more information at www.okcmbecc.org

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