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| An 8a Certification if used correctly can take a business from just getting by or struggling to a highly profitable business enterprise. The key is having a plan for marketing your business ready before you apply for 8a status so that your firm takes full advantage of the 9 year pre-graduation period. |
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| Form 1010c must be completed by all new 8a certified firms as part of the application. The firm may not bid on governmental contracts until the firm’s local SBA mentor has approved the business plan. It is also critical that this business plan be constructed looking at the overall business picture because an incorrectly structured plan could lead to early graduation for the firm. SBA8a Elite Services does not like to see individuals use up 6 months of eligibility going over multiple renditions with their SBA Mentor. Therefore as part of our fee we complete form 1010c for all applicants. We do this because we want firms that we represent to get maximum use being 8a certified. |
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| Yearly annual reviews are required for all 8a certified firms. Failure to complete an annual review will result in early termination from the program. It is critical that a business protect its 8a status by making certain the firm does not become terminated from the 8a program or early graduated due the lack of a comprehensive annual review plan. This is an additional service and our oversight will help mitigate the risk of early graduation for having a firm that is being to successful within the 8a program. |
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| We recommend that your firm having looked into the GSA Schedule requirements for your given industry before you apply for 8(a) certification. Therefore you can get your firm placed upon a GSA Schedule at the first available moment once your firm gains its 8a certification. |
Milestones a business needs to achieve before it can be placed upon most GSA Schedules
Typical GSA Schedule Requirements :- |
- 2 years in business
- 6 references all providing positive feedback to through D&B’s Open Ratings
- $100,000 minimum in annual revenue prior year
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In years 8 and 9 winning a long-term government contracts is critical for the firm because the firm only needs the use of 8a status for the award of the contract. Once the firm has the contract 8a certification will no longer be a contractual condition. Therefore finding a 5-10 year contract for bid can extend your certification by up to a full 19 years if executed correctly. Often these types of contracts are available in areas such as food service, maintenance, security and custodial contracts. Proper planning at every step of the 8a process is critical for getting the most out of your sba certification. |