Score the World’s Largest Customer at Meet the Buyers Event
- published: 2024/09/03
- contact: NBDC Communications - Nebraska Business Development Center
- phone: 402.554.6256
- email: kjefferson@unomaha.edu
Omaha – “When you’re looking for new customers for your business, you’d be remiss not to look at the biggest customer in the world.” That’s Veronica Doga’s advice to any entrepreneur or business owner. “They need almost every kind of product and service, and they always pay.”
That customer? The United States government.
Veronica Doga is a program director at the Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC), a center of the University of Nebraska at Omaha that offers free business consulting services to any Nebraskan wanting to start or grow a business. Her program, the APEX Accelerator, focuses on helping Nebraska businesses become suppliers to local, state, and federal government customers.
“The government is a great customer, but it takes a special skillset to work with them,” she says. “But we’re a free resource to help you do that and really launch you to success in this marketplace.”
According to Carlos Garzón, an NBDC APEX Accelerator consultant, one of the best ways to dip your toes in is to attend Meet the Buyers, a conference held twice a year where business owners can learn about the process of government contracting and network directly with agency purchasers who are looking for services. The next Meet the Buyers event will be on Sept. 10 in Omaha. NBDC has also had events in Scottsbluff and Lincoln. Individuals can register at nbdc.unomaha.edu/mtb.
“We have more than ten agencies or prime contractors lined up to talk about their current contract opportunities and then to meet directly with attendees,” he says. “We know this conference works – we hear from attendees all the time about how they earned new business or networked with other attendees to team up to bid on a contract together.”
That success is why they keep hosting the event, says Doga. “Not only do attendees love it, but we know that it’s great for agency purchasers, too – they have contracts they need to fulfill, and this is a place for them to connect directly with suppliers.”
Some agencies that will be onsite include the Department of Veteran Affairs, General Services Administration, City of Omaha, Nebraska Department of Transportation, University of Nebraska, and several others.
Current opportunities being presented by the agencies include highway construction projects, and a need for concrete, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, steelwork, site preparation, janitorial services, and many other specialties.
Garzón says even if you can’t make it to Meet the Buyers, it’s still worth meeting with an NBDC APEX Accelerator consultant. His team has helped all kinds of businesses succeed, even outside of the “usual suspects” for government contracting.
“We’ve helped caterers earn contracts for the National Guard. We’ve helped one organization build a stable for wild burros. We’ve even helped a goat grazing operation earn contract opportunities,” he says.
The other piece he wishes business owners understood was that the competition may not be as fierce as they may think. “We see some business owners who won’t throw their hat in the ring because they think it will be a waste of time to bid on a contract they’ll never get – but some contracts have just a couple of other bidders.”
Doga says this is a great time to explore the government market. “There are a lot of projects happening in Nebraska right now – and not enough Nebraska companies for all the work.”
She says she hopes more businesses look at this as a potential way to grow. “Whether we see you at Meet the Buyers or in our office for a consultation, don’t leave revenue on the table – the biggest customer in the world is looking for what you can do.”