Malcolm Whichard, known as Mr. Purchase Order, shares how entrepreneurs can turn side hustles into government contracts. He and Taryell Simmons debunk bidding myths, explain his Three B's of buying, bidding, and building together, and share tips on registering with supplier portals, reading every line item, and using AI to write proposals.
Welcome to another inspiring episode of the Rise Urban Nation podcast with host Taryell Simmons. In this episode, we sit down with Malcolm Whichard, widely celebrated as Mr. Purchase Order, to unpack how entrepreneurs can transform side hustles into lucrative government contracts. Tune in to discover actionable strategies for navigating public procurement, leveraging artificial intelligence, and building generational wealth through institutional contracting.
Malcolm shares how saving an electrical contracting firm launched his twenty-year career across supplier and public procurement sectors.
The revelation that less than five percent of over half a billion dollars in managed municipal awards reached minority-owned prime contractors.
Debunking the myth of the mandatory two-year operational waiting period for bidding on public solicitations.
How a home-care business owner transitioned from delivering groceries to securing a four-million-dollar multi-year municipal contract.
The concept of the Three B's—buy together, bid together, and build together—as a blueprint for scaling small businesses into prime contractors.
Procurement Foundations: Understanding the inner workings of government solicitation reviews from the perspective of a former public purchasing officer.
Bidding Demystification: Overcoming regulatory misconceptions and immediately positioning generalized business entities for municipal and federal opportunities.
The Three B's: Strategic teaming and joint ventures that empower independent trades to collectively compete for major commercial and public awards.
AI Proposal Acceleration: Utilizing automated agent workflows and language models to draft comprehensive, compliant bid responses in record time.
Contract Management Discipline: Ensuring meticulous document notarization, strict adherence to line-item requirements, and sustainable post-award execution.
Establish a versatile, generalized business name to avoid restricting your enterprise to a single service niche.
Register across free municipal, county, and state supplier portals to receive direct solicitation notifications via email.
Read every solicitation line item thoroughly to prevent procedural disqualifications over missing notarizations or mismatched specifications.
Deploy affordable artificial intelligence tools to handle research, proposal drafting, and internal administrative workflows.
Malcolm Whichard, known professionally as Mr. Purchase Order, is a certified purchasing officer, best-selling author, and government contracting strategist. With over two decades of experience spanning both sides of the procurement table, he has guided minority-owned businesses to win millions of dollars in lucrative contracts. Connect with his training programs, masterclasses, and publications at https://www.mrpurchaseorder.com.
Taryell Simmons: Welcome back to the Rise Urban Nation podcast, a platform where we unite, uplift, and ignite Black and Pan-African entrepreneurs who are shaping culture and building legacy. I am your host, Taryell Simmons, and today's guest is changing the game in government contracting and wealth building for the culture. If you have ever wondered how to turn your side hustle into signed contracts and secure mailbox money without unnecessary risk, lean into this episode with Malcolm Whichard, better known as Mr. Purchase Order. He is a government contracting expert, entrepreneur, best-selling author, and AI alchemist who has helped minority-owned businesses secure over five million dollars in government contracts. Welcome to the Rise Urban Nation podcast, brother.
Malcolm Whichard: I appreciate you having me. It is great to be here and spread the word.
Taryell Simmons: I know you are currently in Philadelphia launching something big. Tell us about what is happening in Philly.
Malcolm Whichard: I decided to take the show on the road. After hosting workshops across different locations, people outside the city kept reaching out, so I started the Big Bidness Tour starting in my hometown of Philadelphia.
Taryell Simmons: Let us start from the beginning. How did you first get into procurement and supplier diversity?
Malcolm Whichard: It came out of desperation over twenty years ago. I was working for an electrical contractor who was facing financial trouble and preparing to lay off staff. I stepped into his office and offered to bring revenue in exchange for two months of employment. I bid on a contract with the City of Philadelphia and won. That bridged the company into the contracting space. A few years later, I transitioned to the government side as a contracting and procurement officer, managing solicitation teams and reviewing proposals. Over my career, I approved upwards of half a billion dollars in contract awards, yet less than five percent went to Black and Brown primes. Seeing small businesses lose awards over minor paperwork mistakes inspired me to build a framework that makes proposals undeniable. My very first client won a 1.9 million dollar contract, and we maintain an eighty-five percent win rate.
Taryell Simmons: What is one of the most important things small business owners misunderstand about government procurement?
Malcolm Whichard: Do not believe the hype that you must be in business for two years before pursuing government contracts or minority business certifications. There is no mandatory waiting period. You can establish a business today and bid immediately. My first client had a trucking business for only sixty days before securing a 1.9 million dollar landscaping contract.
Taryell Simmons: How would an entrepreneur in media or podcasting approach government procurement?
Malcolm Whichard: Local municipalities, county boards, and city councils record their monthly meetings and require external audio and video production services. If you already possess recording and editing equipment, you can package those exact services for municipalities. The government purchases everything from media production to bologna.
Taryell Simmons: What about payment terms and upfront capital? Is the payment process excessively slow?
Malcolm Whichard: The government always pays. While net-thirty terms are standard, payment is guaranteed. Furthermore, contractors can request upfront kickoff costs, travel expenses, room, and board, particularly for project-based contracts or specialized software deployments.
Taryell Simmons: What are the biggest hurdles Black entrepreneurs face when entering this arena?
Malcolm Whichard: Building trust and shifting the mindset. Many people assume lucrative opportunities are too good to be true. When you move past skepticism and verify records, the potential is clear. We must also focus on the Three B's: buy together, bid together, and build together. When an electrician, plumber, HVAC specialist, and carpenter combine forces, they become a full-service construction enterprise capable of winning multi-million dollar projects.
Taryell Simmons: What common mistake causes entrepreneurs to lose bids?
Malcolm Whichard: Failing to read submission instructions carefully. Procurement officers use strict compliance checks to eliminate incomplete bids. Missing a single notarized document or mandatory attachment can disqualify an otherwise competitive proposal.
Taryell Simmons: How has artificial intelligence transformed government contracting and operations?
Malcolm Whichard: AI enables entrepreneurs to produce comprehensive thirty-to-forty-page proposals in less than an hour. By building dedicated AI agents for marketing, ad copy, web design, and legal review, small businesses can operate like full-scale corporations for a fraction of the cost. Technology levels the playing field.
Taryell Simmons: Where can our listeners connect with you and access your masterclasses and books?
Malcolm Whichard: You can find everything at https://www.mrpurchaseorder.com and follow @mrpurchaseorder across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for updates on the Big Bidness Tour, books, and upcoming masterclasses.
Taryell Simmons: Thank you, Malcolm, for sharing these invaluable gems. Make sure to check out his resources, share this episode with three entrepreneurs, and subscribe to the Rise Urban Nation podcast.
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