If your company is suffering from the economic recession, you should consider the government market. The value of New Jersey government business is estimated at about $5 billion. With the federal stimulus money, this number will increase greatly. Now is the time to get involved in this
relatively untapped sector of the overall economy.

More and more New Jersey firms have made selling their products and services to the government a major part of their overall business strategy. That's because there are over 2 000 separate government entities in the state that are purchasing items from large and small New Jersey businesses. These items include everything from staples to office furniture to heavy machinery to computer services.

Very few are aware that the state of New Jersey makes it a goal to purchase 25 percent of its products and services from the small business market - this is called the set-aside program. New Jersey defines a small business as one with annual revenues of $12 million or less and with
100 or less employees.

If your firm is not currently pursuing government business, it would be wise to reconsider, especially as a result of the federal stimulus dollars that will be flowing into the state very soon. New Jersey's state and local governments will be procuring the new contracts via their normal purchasing systems. Therefore you should get your firm registered with the appropriate agencies so that you can become aware of these many new opportunities that will soon be here.

Once interested, how does one go about bidding on state contracts? First, you must register your company with the appropriate state contracting agencies. Then, you must understand where to learn about the many bids
being offered by the state and locals.

Many bids are advertised in the legal sections of news papers, and instructions on how to obtain the bidding documents are provided. Once you are registered for a state contract, you will be able to sell your products to over 2,000 New Jersey government agencies. Today, many agencies, including the state of New Jersey, are using the Internet to solicit bids. This has made it much simpler to stay abreast of opportunities available in your area of business.

For example, in mid-March of this year, the state Treasury Department solicited 38 separate bids. The combined value of these contracts was more than $100 million. To give you an idea of the types of contracts being solicited, here is a partial list of some of the items sought: IT services, training, laboratory analysis, food, clothing, corrugated boxes, appliances, metals, trucks, printing and furniture.

There are a wide variety of contract opportunities available. You might find great financial rewards if you take the time and become involved in the state procurement process.

The overall process is not as complicated as it seems. And more competition for the state's business will, result in lower prices paid by the state. Ultimately, that could mean lower taxes for all New Jerseyans.