Business Insights

Every year, the federal government endeavors to award 23 percent of all federal contract dollars to small businesses. For small janitorial and cleaning service providers, it would be a missed opportunity if they did not take advantage of the many government contracts that are available to them.

Getting Certified



Why Certify? Businesses that are certified as minority-owned are subject to different laws and regulations than other businesses, and as such are very different entities from typical enterprises. Unlike a standard business license or registration, a minority-owned business enterprise certification is not required to run a minority-owned business, although certification can provide many benefits for a company - especially in regards to government contracting. 

Opportunities can arrive unexpectedly, via many different avenues, and businesses should always be prepared for these unexpected opportunities. Having a marketing strategy ready for if and when an opportunity knocks will be helpful for you in terms of selling your services and reassuring potential clients that you meet. For example, you may run into the head of a local government agency at your child’s soccer game or at a social gathering with friends. As any salesperson can tell you, one personal face-to-face interaction is worth a thousand online interactions; therefore, being prepared to market your business effectively in an instant will leave a lasting impression on whomever you have the chance to meet.

When searching for government contracts to bid on, small businesses must keep in mind what types of contracts are available within the government-contracting sphere. The two main types of contracts that small businesses will come across are fixed-price and cost-reimbursement contracts. No matter what kind of product or service a business is offering to the government, it’s helpful for small businesses to learn about the various contract types that exist before bidding on any local, state, or federal RFPs.

Note: FedBizOpps is moving to beta.sam.gov. Learn more here about this transition.

The economy of the United States is not as healthy as it was ten years ago.  While it is normal for economies to grow and contract over time, the financial crisis that began in 2008 has been particularly damaging to the American economy and recovery has been sluggish at best.  According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, the national economy decreased by 0.2% in the first quarter of 2015, before reversing course and growing by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Despite the difficulty of current economic conditions however, one thing that remains certain is the necessity of government spending in the public sphere.

Relationships and timing mean everything in business. These two factors can mean the difference between growing your business or missing out on a great opportunity and it’s no different when it comes to bidding on government contracts. The actions you take to make plans and build trust with government agencies is crucial. You need to act SMART to get through the bid process and win contracts!

You may be surprised to hear that federal, state and local governments really do care about what they purchase and how it will affect people and the environment. Over the last 20 years or so, governments have been focusing more on purchasing environmentally friendly and energy-efficient products and services. What does this mean for businesses? For vendors who provide green products or services, it means that it’s a great time to start bidding on government contracts and growing your business as public agencies and individuals become more environmentally conscious.

When you think about California, do you picture sun-drenched beaches, golden deserts, and majestic mountain ranges? Many of us do. California is a state that occupies a unique place in the popular imagination, both for Americans and people around the world.

With just a single phone call to your regional Procurement Outreach Center, you can be on the road to marketing your products or services to the government. The mission of the Procurement Outreach Center is to identify firms that are qualified to sell their goods and/or services to the U.S. Department of Defense and other federal agencies, as well as to state government-administered programs. The ultimate goal of this government procurement resource is to stimulate the local economy, encourage growth and create new jobs in your area.