Doing Business With the Government: Federal, State, Local & Foreign Government Purchasing Practices for Every Business and Public Institution

According to recent estimates, few U.S. businesses sell to either foreign or U.S. governments (federal, state, or local). Yet, despite very real - and curable - frustrations, government contracting with the private sector is expected to increase well into the 199Os, providing new opportunities for both public and private interests.
Until now, most studies of government contracting have been written from the perspective of the public sector. But Doing Business with Government, a pioneering study of opinion and expertise, is written from the point of view of private enterprise. Based on a survey of nearly 3,300 companies across the United States, this is the first practical analysis of government purchasing to detail the experiences of all types of businesses, large and small, newly formed and well established, minority owned and women owned.
The result is useful, useable information for the public administrator and procurement officer as well as the business owner.
For the entrepreneur: What are the pros and cons of doing business with government? Which governments are the most desirable customers for your business? Who pays in a timely fashion? Whose purchasing practices are rated as good to excellent, and who should be avoided? How can you meet head-on the frustrations and challenges of dealing with government purchasing agencies? What are the procedures for selling to federal, state, local, and foreign governments? How does a business get (and stay on) government vendor lists?
For the public administrator: What are the advantages and disadvantages of governments increased reliance on the private sector? How are government purchasing policies perceived by the business community? What do businesses see as reasons for selling to government? For not selling to government? How can the business community's negative image of government procurement practices be changed? How can the purchasing process be revamped to eliminate wasteful and inefficient practices that cost governments much-needed revenues?