Your Prime Soul Exposed

How To Be Clean and Lean

One of the things that surprises first-time subcontractors is the detailed information the government, and in turn, Prime contractors, want to know about your past projects. This is not the time to be coy: expect to bare your soul. The Primes want the same detail from you, as a subcontractor, that the government demands of them. Here's a checklist to see if you're ready:

• Do have all the information from your past client's identity (including both end customer and, if you were a subcontractor, your prime)?


• Do you have a quick summary of the name and duration of past projects?


• Do you have a short project overview (what was the project objective? What problems did it solve for the client?) and


• Can you provide the value of past projects - both top line and your share of it?

If you answer "no" to the above, you're not ready to meet a Prime. So how to get ready? The most successful companies -- large and small -- prepare Project Summaries and Capability Statements. It's not a matter of money, but a product of thoughtful preparation. In other words, you can use the heavy hitters' tools!

Get examples for how to do it yourself. Check out the Tools on my website, download the templates, and be ready to shine!