The groundwork is done now take the lead
The groundwork is done now take the lead: How using our leads can keep you out of trouble
“Keep you out of trouble” means busy. Busy means you are working, hustling and getting the job done. Progress only comes from consistent and persistent hard work. If you are going to rest on your laurels, be prepared for others to surpass you.
Knowing where to look and find opportunities for your company is half the battle. You can spend your day pouring over countless newspapers, scrolling through websites and scrutinising bulletins or you can let us do that for you. You just have to check your email and work off one website, and you’ll have all the opportunities you need.
The expression is “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”. But since L2B has all the “eggs”, you just need to understand how to make the most of them. The idea being that you hedge your bets. You diversify. You branch out. You create a safety net, of sorts, by garnering work through various avenues. This, of course, depends on the type of work you do and your willingness to be re-active or pro-active.
The re-active approach is your basic tender and Request for Quote (RFQ). When you see a tender out that’s right up your alley; you buy the documents, attend the meeting and hand in the signed tender document on the closing date. Hold thumbs and you get the award. For the RFQ, you receive it and decide whether or not to price. Even a “no”, is better than silence. If you don’t hear back from the main contractor, concerning your prices; approach them for feedback. Who’s prices did they accept? Why? Is it something you can work into your prices and services in the future? If you don’t ask, you will never know.
Being pro-active can get your company name out there way before tenders and RFQs. You would monitor a Project at the earliest stage, so you know what to expect and generally when to expect it and approach those professionals or contractors at the right time. You can monitor tenders, and once awarded, approach the awarded companies. Even earlier than that, you could’ve requested the site attendance register and the electronic Bill of Quantity (BoQ), therefore ensuring you know what items to price and who to approach. You’re not only creating relationships, but you could also be saving yourself time and money. If your products or services are not required in a BoQ; you can move on much quicker. Perhaps you impressed the Architect so early on the project, that your products are specified in the Bill of Quantity (BoQ).
You can advertise your company and products/services on the L2B website, and have companies come to you.
Ensure that your Directory entry is comprehensive and up to date. Allowing other companies to find you and contact you with ease, is extremely important in this day and age.
Be aware of when Supplier Database notices come out, and make sure that your company is registered wherever it needs to be registered. Paperwork is a bane, but it also is vital in being able to tender. The added advantage to being registered on Databases is that it puts your company in a position to be approached directly to quote by the Municipality or Government Department. Not every contract can afford to go out to tender, for a variety of reasons; namely time constraints or emergency work.
Last but not least, talk to us at L2B. If there are discrepancies anywhere, let us know so that we might assist in clarifying. The more we learn about your experiences on our website, or out there tendering; the more we can understand how the information we supply directly affects you. Your success is our aim.
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To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit our Wiki site.
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About Claire Donaldson
I started working at Leads 2 Business in February 2005, and have served as Head of Department of Daily Tenders from 2007 until the present. I oversee both the Daily Tenders South Africa and Africa Departments.
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