March 8, 2019 marks the 109th annual observance of International Women’s Day (IWD). On top of that, March is also recognized in the U.S. as Women’s History Month. So in the spirit of IWD and Women's History Month, let's talk about the various certifications and resources that are exclusively available for female entrepreneurs. Mainly, we'll be talking about the Woman-Owned Business Certification and the Woman-Owned Small Business Set-Aside.
Editor's Note: This post was originally published in February 2019 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness as of January 2024.
This is your guide to unlocking a wider range of opportunities and increasing your cash flow from federal contracting.
After reading this, you’ll have everything you need to write a winning capabilities statement.
Let’s go.
You're probably familiar with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). It's pretty much the rule book for federal contracting on both sides of the table. If you're looking to set up shop with the Department of Defense (DoD), you're going to want to get familiar with a supplement of FAR called DFARS and learn how to maintain DFARS compliance.
Government contracting is a long-term business investment. Your decisions today can affect where you are five, ten, or even twenty years from now.
Turning over one small rock can potentially reveal a whole load of opportunities for your business. So in this post, 'the rock' we're going to help you turn over is DIBBS and working with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA).
Not all contracts are the same. And no, we're not talking about what's actually being purchased. We're talking about how the contract itself functions and how you get paid. There are different types of government contracts for different purposes. You can learn about them by digging through the dense government language of FAR Part 16 or...you can use this simple guide written in plain English.
This article was originally written in 2016 and has been thoroughly updated to reflect the current qualifications and guidelines for GSA contracts as of August 2023.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) earlier this year published a list of steps owners of small businesses can take to increase their chances of winning a government contract.
The SBA suggests owners of small businesses:
NCAGE Content Updated July 10, 2019
Are you a foreign entity looking to do business with the U.S. federal government? Then it's time that you get familiar with the NCAGE code. Without it, you will not be able to compete or bid on contracts with the U.S. federal government. So in this post, we're going to cover:
- What does it stand for?
- Why are they required?
- How do you get an NCAGE code?
In some ways, marketing to the federal government is just like marketing to other businesses: You have to find out who is buying your product or service, and then reach out to them directly. Luckily, there are two largely underutilized, yet extremely effective resources which can help you do just this.
