Warranty Deed

A Warranty Deed can transfer ownership of property as a Joint Tenancy or Tenancy in Common. 

The grantor warrants that he or she is the lawful owner of the property, that there are no liens on the property, and that he or she will defend the grantee against any lawsuit brought as a result of problems with the title.

A Warranty Deed is generally used arm's length transactions where the grantor and grantee are not family members or friends.

The Warranty Deed is different from the Quitclaim Deed in that the latter does not make any warranties with regard to the title.

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)

If you spend a great deal of time doing business with the Federal government you will certainly run across the term North American Industry Classification System or NAICS.

What is NAICS?
NAICS (pronounced Nakes) was developed by the U.S Office of Management and Budget to be used by Federal statistical agencies in classifying business establishments for the collection, analysis, and publication of statistical data related to the business economy of the U.S. NAICS replaced old Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. It was also developed in cooperation with the statistical agencies of Canada and Mexico to establish a 3-country standard that allows for a high level of comparability in business statistics among the three countries. NAICS is the first economic classification system to be constructed based on a single economic concept.

What is an Establishment?
An establishment is generally a business or industrial unit at a single, physical location that produces or distributes goods or performs services (e.g., store, factory, farm, etc.). An enterprise, on the other hand, may consist of more than one location performing the same or different types of economic activities. Each establishment of that enterprise is assigned a NAICS code based on its own primary activity.

GSA: Federal Business Opportunities

The branch of the GSA known as "Federal Business Opportunities" is the single government point-of-entry for Federal government procurement opportunities over $25,000.

Federal Business Opportunities allows Government buyers to publicize their business opportunities by posting information directly to FedBizOpps via the Internet.

FedBizOpps will allow your business to search, monitor and retrieve federal business opportunities solicited by the entire Federal contracting community.

However, you cannot provide services or products to Federal Business Opportunities unless you first have a contract schedule. For more information about obtaining a GSA Schedule for your business check out these articles: GSA Application Process, GSA Opportunities, Small Business Set-Asides

GSA: Central Contractor Registration

Before you can be awarded a GSA contract schedule you will be required to register with Central Contractor Registration (CCR).

CCR is the primary vendor database for the U.S. Federal Government. As a current or potential federal government vendor you are required to register your business with CCR in order to be awarded contracts by the federal government.

The registration will require you to provide CCR basic information about your business’ procurement procedures and financial viability.

Once registered, you must update or renew your business’ registration at least once per year to maintain an active status.

Once you have registered with CCR, CCR will validate the information you have provided about your business and then electronically share the secure and encrypted data with the federal agencies’ finance offices to facilitate paperless payments through electronic funds transfer (EFT).

GSA CCR also shares the data with federal government procurement and electronic business systems.

Information Need Prior to Registration
Prior to registration you will need to: (1) obtain a DUNS number; (2) if applicable, a DUNS +4 number; (3) obtain a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code; (4) a Federal Tax Identification Number; and (5) a Legal Business Name and Doing Business As Name.

GSA:Temporary Price Reductions

One frequently asked question regarding GSA contracts is “what paperwork does a business need to file to adjust its price list?”

Assuming your business already has a GSA contract, the answer will depend on whether you need to make a price increase or decrease and whether the adjustment is temporary or permanent.

This post deals with temporary price decreases. Future posts will deal with price increases and permanent price decreases.

Temporary Price Decrease
One common scenario justifying a temporary price decrease is when a business overproduces a product and needs to sell the product at a lower price to reduce overhead.

Your GSA contract will allow you to temporarily reduce your prices without filing any paperwork.

To do this, you simply go to the GSA Advantage website and follow the instructions for temporary price decreases.

The process should not take more than five (5) or ten (10) minutes (depending on you computer skills) and will show up online within twenty four (24) hours.

GSA: Procurement Classification Codes

Before you apply for your GSA Schedule Contract you must first determine what classification your product or service falls under. I have included a list of GSA's product and service classification code numbers and descriptions below.

Classification Code Numbers and Descriptions

10 -- Weapons
11 -- Nuclear ordnance
12 -- Fire control equipment
13 -- Ammunition & explosives
14 -- Guided missiles
15 -- Aircraft & airframe structural components
16 -- Aircraft components & accessories
17 -- Aircraft launching, landing & ground handling equipment
18 -- Space vehicles
19 -- Ships, small craft, pontoons & floating docks
20 -- Ship and marine equipment
22 -- Railway equipment
23 -- Ground effects vehicles, motor vehicles, trailers & cycles
24 -- Tractors
25 -- Vehicular equipment components
26 -- Tires and tubes
28 -- Engines, turbines & components
29 -- Engine accessories
30 -- Mechanical power transmission equipment
31 -- Bearings
32 -- Woodworking machinery and equipment
34 -- Metalworking machinery
35 -- Service and trade equipment
36 -- Special industry machinery
37 -- Agricultural machinery & equipment
38 -- Construction, mining, excavating & highway maintenance equipment
39 -- Materials handling equipment
40 -- Rope, cable, chain & fittings
41 -- Refrigeration, air-conditioning & air circulating equipment
42 -- Fire fighting, rescue & safety equipment
43 -- Pumps & compressors
44 -- Furnace, steam plant & drying equipment; & nuclear reactors
45 -- Plumbing, heating, & sanitation equipment
46 -- Water purification & sewage treatment equipment
47 -- Pipe, tubing, hose & fittings
48 -- Valves
49 -- Maintenance & repair shop equipment
51 -- Hand tools
52 -- Measuring tools
53 -- Hardware & abrasives
54 -- Prefabricated structures and scaffolding
55 -- Lumber, millwork, plywood & veneer
56 -- Construction & building materials
58 -- Communication, detection, & coherent radiation equipment
59 -- Electrical and electronic equipment components
60 -- Fiber optics materials, components, assemblies & accessories
61 -- Electric wire & power & distribution equipment
62 -- Lighting fixtures & lamps
63 -- Alarm, signal & security detection equipment
65 -- Medical, dental & veterinary equipment & supplies
66 -- Instruments & laboratory equipment
67 -- Photographic equipment
68 -- Chemicals & chemical products
69 -- Training aids & devices
70 -- General purpose information technology equipment
71 -- Furniture
72 -- Household & commercial furnishings & appliances
73 -- Food preparation and serving equipment
74 -- Office machines, text processing systems & visible record equipment
75 -- Office supplies and devices
76 -- Books, maps & other publications
77 -- Musical instruments, phonographs & home-type radios
78 -- Recreational & athletic equipment
79 -- Cleaning equipment and supplies
80 -- Brushes, paints, sealers & adhesives
81 -- Containers, packaging, & packing supplies
83 -- Textiles, leather, furs, apparel & shoe findings, tents & flags
84 -- Clothing, individual equipment & insignia
85 -- Toiletries
87 -- Agricultural supplies
88 -- Live animals
89 -- Subsistence
91 -- Fuels, lubricants, oils & waxes
93 -- Nonmetallic fabricated materials
94 -- Nonmetallic crude materials
95 -- Metal bars, sheets & shapes
96 -- Ores, minerals & their primary products
99 -- Miscellaneous

GSA: What is A DUNS Number?

If you are new to GSA contracting, you may have heard of a Data Universal Numbering System or "DUNS" Number but don't know what it is. The following is an explanation of a DUNS Number in layman's terms:

A Brief History
Some years ago a company called Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) came up with a system for determining the creditworthiness of individual businesses. The system requires a company trying to establish a good credit rating to register with D&B. The registration process requires your company to provide information related to your company's size, location, number of years in business, cash flow, capital, etc.

Your company's information is then placed in D&B's database and the company assigned a DUNS Number. The information you provide regarding your company is used to create a credit profile for the company.

The DUNS Number itself is used by D&B, SBA, GSA CCR and a number of other agencies to identify your company. The number may be aptly analogous to a Federal Employer Identification Number or Social Security Number. Using your DUNS Number, the GSA can review your credit history as reported by D&B.

DUNS Number Required
If you wish to participate in the GSA Schedules program you are required to have a DUNS Number. You may obtain a DUNS Number by filling out the paperwork yourself and submitting it to D&B.

As a result of obtaining a DUNS Number, you might be included on D&B's marketing list that is sold to other companies. If you do not want your name or company name included on this marketing list, you will need to contact D&B to request your company's name be removed.

GSA: What Is An 8(a) Contractor?

The U.S. General Services Administration, or GSA, is the arm of the federal government that helps federal agencies find and contract with private companies like yours.

The way it works is you get your business registered with the GSA and then the GSA adds your business information to a google-type searchable website that federal agencies use to find suppliers.

Federal agencies are constantly searching this website looking for small businesses that can supply what the agency is looking for. You can also use the website to find potential federal agency customers and market to those customers. But you have to be registered with the GSA first.

8(a) Contractors
One of the GSA's goals is to help small businesses like yours sell to the federal government by leveling the playing field against your larger competitors.

The GSA accomplishes this goal by setting aside a number of federal projects and purchases (called procurements) that can only be performed by what are called "8(a) Contractors." An 8(a) Contractor is a business that is either minority or woman owned (usually at least 51% ownership).

These set asides require all federal agencies to contract with a certain number of 8(a) Contractors each year. The term 8(a) refers to Section 8(a) of the Federal Small Business Act related to assisting minority and woman owned businesses in obtaining federal procurements.

To take advantage of the 8(a) Contractor program, a small business must be registered with the Small Business Administration, as well as the GSA.

This process can be lengthy and difficult if you are not familiar with it and you will likely need assistance with the process.

There is a great deal of paperwork required to obtain 8(a) status, but the reward can be that your business is placed in a relatively small pool of businesses entitled to federal GSA procurement set-asides. An 8(a) Contractor who can meet a procurement need is like gold to a federal contracting agent.

GSA: Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses

Everyone repeat after me: "Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business." Okay, so its not something you would be able to repeat five times real fast.

But to those who own businesses that qualify for the SDVOSB set asides the term can be a lucrative one.

GSA Schedules and Your SDVOSB
Did you know that federal agencies are required to set aside certain funds to be spent specifically on projects performed by Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses?

You may also know that in years past federal agencies were often forced to scramble around looking for SDVOSB's to satisfy the set aside requirements. Often times agencies were unable to meet the set aside requirements and were penalized.

The GSA Multiple Award Schedule is designed to make it easier on federal agencies to find and contract with SDVOSB's and, thereby, avoid being penalized.

How Does A GSA Schedule Help SDVOSB's?
With the growing popularity of the GSA Schedule, a large number of SDVOSB set asides are now awarded through the GSA Schedule process.

This means that those SDVOSB's that have a Schedule Contract are able to take advantage of the monetary set asides while those business that do not have a Schedule are left out.

When a federal agency places an order under a GSA Schedule, the order is credited toward the ordering agency’s small business goals (including service-disabled veteran-owned small business goals).

Other GSA Schedule Set Asides
Federal agencies may receive credit under GSA Schedules when they contract with veteran-owned small businesses, HUBZone small businesses, women-owned small businesses, and small disadvantaged business schedule contractors.

GSA: Contracts Online

One of GSA's goals is to provide its customers (i.e. governmental agencies) immediate online access to specific contract terms and conditions for each contractor and schedule.

In a phrase, "Let's get it out there for all to see."

No longer are contactors able to ignore contract provisions feeling comfortable that most of the agencies can be kept ignorant to the terms of the contract.

Contracts Online
GSA calls its new online contractor/schedule search website, appropriately enough, "Contracts Online."

Contracts Online was developed to provide governmental agencies on hand schedule contract information when performing market research and placing orders. The website makes comparing one contractor/schedule to another fast and simple.

The information contained in Contracts Online can ensure governmental agencies are in compliance with the terms and conditions of the schedule contracts.

Contracts Online is the result of a collaborative effort between GSA and the Department of Defense (DOD). Together GSA and DOD have teamed up to ensure proper use of GSA contracting methods in an effort to help agencies “get it right” when purchasing products and services.