Margarita Howard’s Key Strategies for HX5’s Government Contracts

In government contracting, Margarita Howard, the sole owner and CEO/president of HX5, has implemented strategies that have driven the company’s success. With operations in 34 states and 90 government locations, HX5 is a key provider of professional services to federal agencies, including the Department of Defense and NASA.

Securing prime government contracts requires thorough research and strong relationship-building. “Business development activities like researching to identify the specific needs and priorities of the various government agencies and departments that procure professional services relevant to what we do are of utmost importance,” Margarita Howard says. Understanding client needs helps the company submit winning proposals and perform successfully on awarded programs.

Networking plays a crucial role in HX5’s strategy. “We are always looking to build our relationships with the government and other prime contractors within the government contracting community,” says Howard. “We attend industry events, networking functions, and government-sponsored outreach programs as they allow us to establish new connections and stay informed about upcoming opportunities within the sectors we operate and support.” These activities provide valuable insights that inform the proposal writing process.

A fundamental differentiator for HX5 is its ability to articulate a unique value proposition. Howard explains, “We try to always highlight our expertise, past performance, certifications, and other specialized capabilities that we feel align with the government’s opportunity-specific requirements and objectives.”

Companies that focus on developing thorough and compelling proposals and ensuring all elements of the solicitation are meticulously addressed succeed, which is why HX5 focuses on investment in proposal development.

“The proposal must demonstrate a deep understanding of the client’s needs, propose innovative solutions, and showcase the company’s ability to deliver value. We’ve invested heavily over the years in the strategic business development area as it’s a critical necessity for any firm that wants to be successful at competing,” says Margarita Howard.

“Also, we always do our best to highlight our past performance and relevant qualifications to demonstrate our track record of success and capability to perform on government contracts.”

She advises those seeking to secure government contracts: “You must always leverage your respective past performance examples, client testimonials of outstanding performances, etc., to strengthen your credibility and, accordingly, your competitiveness.”

HX5: Navigating the Process of Obtaining Prime Government Contracts

Margarita Howard acknowledges the intricacies involved in securing prime government contracts. “Obtaining prime government contracts can often be a complex, time-consuming, and very competitive process,” she notes. HX5’s approach involves deeply understanding customer needs and building relationships with key stakeholders.

The company is vigilant about identifying opportunities. “Most of the time, government contracts are often posted on various industry specific platforms like GovWin and others. You need to ensure you’re regularly monitoring these sites for opportunities that align with the business’ capabilities and expertise,” Howard explains.

Once an opportunity is identified, HX5’s process is exacting. “We have to carefully review the solicitation documents to understand the requirements and evaluation criteria,” says Howard. “We then have to prepare a comprehensive bid (proposal) that addresses all the specified requirements and demonstrates our ability to perform the work successfully at competitive prices. It’s also absolutely necessary to ensure you submit your bid before the deadline and follow all instructions provided in the solicitation.”

Postaward performance is equally important. “You have to ensure you perform the work successfully in order to be considered for future work. Once we’ve been awarded a prime contract, it’s crucial to stay compliant with all contractual requirements, regulations, and reporting obligations, and we ensure we have the best teams in place to do this,” Margarita Howard points out.

“One thing we do, whether we win or lose a contract competition, is seek feedback from the contracting officer to understand how we can improve our proposals and increase our competitiveness in future opportunities. We try to continuously assess our performance, refine our strategies, and invest in professional development education so our employees are able to always stay ahead in performance.”

Margarita Howard: Overcoming Challenges in Securing Contracts

Howard says, “There are always substantive challenges a company has to face in order to secure government contracts.” These challenges include intense competition, complex regulations, and significant upfront investments.

She adds, “To overcome this challenge, we’ve had to differentiate ourselves by highlighting our unique capabilities, our successful past performances, and the overall value proposition we can provide for our customers.”

Dealing with complex regulations has required significant investment. “We’ve had to invest heavily in time and money to navigate the complexities of these regulations and compliance requirements and have on many occasions had to hire legal or regulatory experts to assist in understanding and ensuring we’re always in adherence,” Howard says.

As a small business starting up, HX5 faced financial and personnel limitations. Margarita Howard recalls, “We were able to overcome these obstacles by prioritizing the opportunities we decided to go after, and we built strong and lasting subcontracting relationships with other companies. We also worked closely with the [Small Business Administration] utilizing various SBA resources designed to support small businesses starting up.”

Howard continues, “The government procurement processes are often lengthy and change often, which can lead to delays in contract awards and payments. We learned this very early on and had to quickly develop realistic timelines and budget projections and establish contingency plans to manage cash flow and other operational challenges during what ended up often being extended procurement periods.”

Recognizing the importance of past performance, HX5 strategically sought out subcontracting opportunities early on. “One thing we did early on was pursue subcontracting opportunities that allowed the company to gain valuable experience and references, and we invested in certifications and system infrastructure that was relevant to our industry,” Howard shares.

Perhaps most critically, HX5 prioritized its proposal writing capabilities. “We invested heavily early on in a professional proposal team that consisted of very experienced proposal managers and writers, who had years of experience working with subject matter experts, developing comprehensive and persuasive proposals,” Margarita Howard says.