For a small business owner, becoming a government contractor can be a good source of income. Every year, government agencies spend billions of dollars on purchases. To become a government contractor, a person must go through a relatively simple process. It’s usually a simple process to submit paperwork and meet with decision-makers. Gaining the trust of a government agency and securing the first opportunity are often the most difficult tasks.
A person who wants to work for the government must have something to sell. This could be a product like zippers or printing paper, or a service like window cleaning or commercial cleaning. Once a person has something to sell, he can look into which government agencies might be interested in purchasing it. With this information, he can contact the small business specialist, or someone with a similar title, at the agency with which he wishes to work.
A person who wants to work for the government often schedules a meeting with the agency’s small business specialist. If the small business specialist is not available, the prospective government contractor may learn who he should contact to pitch his product or service during this meeting. He can then contact the person in charge and work on proving why the government should award him a contract.
Local and national governments frequently post open contracts on their websites. A person who wants to work for the government can bid on them in this case. In most cases, a prospective government contractor submits a proposal and then waits to hear whether or not his bid was accepted. However, some government agencies can take months to make a decision, so expect a long wait.
A person who wants to work for the government can sometimes increase his chances of success by forming a partnership with another company. The two companies may have a better chance of landing a larger contract if they work together. Others may work as subcontractors for companies that have large government contracts. This gives them the opportunity to make money without being solely responsible for a large contract. Additionally, future opportunities to work with the larger company may arise as a result of this.
Certain contracts are reserved for minorities and women by some governments. In order to win one of these contracts, minority and woman-owned businesses frequently need to obtain special certification. Small business assistance organizations may be able to point entrepreneurs in the right direction for certification. Many even offer assistance with proposal writing and learning about government contracts.