Selling to Schools and Government: The Decisions That Matter
Selling to public sector buyers, who purchase through procurement processes rather than ordinary checkout.
Marcus Adeyemi
Where most projects go wrong
The usual mistakes:
- Card-only checkout for institutional buyers
- No accessibility documentation
- Quotes handled ad hoc by email
- Ignoring tax exemption processes
What good looks like instead
- Support purchase orders and invoicing
- Publish accessibility conformance information
- Provide formal quotes from the site
- Document tax exemption handling
- Assign staff who understand procurement
Why it matters
Public buyers need quotes, purchase orders and compliance documentation that consumer checkout does not provide.
The specs that matter
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Purchase orders | public buyers often pay against invoices, not cards |
| Accessibility | procurement may require accessibility conformance information |
| Quotes | formal quotations are part of the process |
| Contracts | some purchases run through existing contract vehicles |
Knowing when to hand it over
Tip: Bring in help when public sector sales grow.
Where this comes from
- Section508.gov — Buy accessible products and services
- U.S. Small Business Administration — Government contracting
The figures and practices above come from the sources listed.
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Where to go next
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