Comments on: RIP RFP – Why Startups Should Never Complete A Request For Proposal – Especially One Issued By The Government http://www.infochachkie.com/rip-rfp/ Entrepreneur infoChackies for business success Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:37:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: UncleSaul http://www.infochachkie.com/rip-rfp/comment-page-1/#comment-1468 UncleSaul Mon, 11 May 2009 01:15:56 +0000 http://www.infochachkie.com/?p=515#comment-1468 Mika, Good point. I also received feedback from an environmental consulting firm who noted that the Gov't is their ONLY customer. Certainly, you must consider the specific markets you serve. However, as you note, you can still be clever regarding the manner in which you select which RFP's to pursue and how to best position your company. Thanks for your input. John Mika,

Good point. I also received feedback from an environmental consulting firm who noted that the Gov’t is their ONLY customer.

Certainly, you must consider the specific markets you serve. However, as you note, you can still be clever regarding the manner in which you select which RFP’s to pursue and how to best position your company.

Thanks for your input.

John

]]> By: -mika- http://www.infochachkie.com/rip-rfp/comment-page-1/#comment-1465 -mika- Thu, 07 May 2009 07:46:06 +0000 http://www.infochachkie.com/?p=515#comment-1465 I think that the advice on RFPs depends on the marketplace. After all, you have to sell what they want and HOW they want it. In Finland and in other Nordic countries government expenses are over 50% of the GDP. In the software market, this means that most of the demand comes from government + BDCs. To stay in business, you have to comply with RFPs but there is still some room to position yourself. You can target the "departmental" market where rules are less strict than in the "enterprise" market. The only viable alternative to entering the RFP process is to sell retail SaaS-offering for SMEs. I think that the advice on RFPs depends on the marketplace. After all, you have to sell what they want and HOW they want it.

In Finland and in other Nordic countries government expenses are over 50% of the GDP. In the software market, this means that most of the demand comes from government + BDCs. To stay in business, you have to comply with RFPs but there is still some room to position yourself. You can target the “departmental” market where rules are less strict than in the “enterprise” market.

The only viable alternative to entering the RFP process is to sell retail SaaS-offering for SMEs.

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