Let me guess – you’re looking for new customers and don’t know where to turn? Not to worry! There are a lot of portable sanitation contracts available. You just need to know where to look for them so you can place that portable sanitation bid.
When looking to grow your portable sanitation business and find new customers, great places to investigate are your nearest government offices. I’m referring to local, regional, and state government offices and departments.
Why pay special attention to government prospects? Because when it comes to city and county contract work, everyone is on a level playing field. That’s what makes it a good opportunity for new business owners. Government clients are potentially the steady customers who can give you more experience, legitimacy, and customer visibility.
The Bottom Line
As a contractor you need to be aware that you won’t win every portable sanitation bid. Remember, nine out of these ten contracts are won solely off price. While that may not be wonderful, it is if you look at it from this angle; if you’re a smaller business, you may be able to be competitive with much larger companies because of their higher overhead. This means you can bid a smaller amount and still make a profit.
How Do You Find Government-Related Jobs?
So how can you find government jobs?
The secret to finding these jobs is to find the projects requiring bids, and the place to do that is through online research.
Browse the internet and look up all the towns you might be interested in working for. While doing that, be sure to look for county and state websites as well. For each locality or government entity, locate the purchasing page on the website. Bookmark each of those pages in your browser and take the time to save this basic information to a spreadsheet or Word document. Trust me – it will save you time down the road!
Most offices will have vendor information available, and most may have a process for registering with the organization/department as a vendor. Note that these websites are constantly evolving; some entities may post jobs to one site one month and another website the next month. Keep up with the changes.
Making a personal connection with each entity you want to do business with can really help. Look for contact email addresses and/or phone numbers for key people who might be involved in the bidding process. Add that information to your records.
Visit your government “prospect” websites more frequently (even weekly) during bidding periods to make sure you don’t miss a bidding opportunity. Many government bids are posted in the first trimester of the year, but additional opportunities may open up throughout the year.
Don’t Give Up
Getting a government contract takes patience. The wheels of government bureaucracies can turn slowly, so don’t give up if those first few calls don’t get you a quick result. Above all, be persistent. Potential customers need to get to know you, and prices will vary. Just remember that these are beginner contracts and will be some of the lowest priced contracts you will ever win. Keep your bids low at the start and you’ll find yourself with a few contracts under your belt. Experience will help you provide better service and (eventually) higher fees.
Municipal and county government business is a great way to get visibility and more customers and keep your drivers busy. It helps you advertise your new business and pull in higher-paying clients for your portable toilet sanitation business.
Good luck!
