We’ve been helping businesses get started with government contracting for years, and not only can we help you with your System for Award Management (SAM) registrations and renewals, we also wanted to share a few tips that might make government contracting a bit easier.
1. Study Government Agencies
There are so many government agencies out there, and all of them will need contractors at some time or other. It is wise to research different agencies and take a look at the types of contracting jobs they typically seem to need. You might find one or two agencies that seem like a solid match for your services. Spend some time learning all you can about these agencies as this will help write better bid proposals.
2. Be Selective With NAICS Codes
NAICS, which stands for North American Industry Classification System, organizes businesses by multiple categories and each code identifies a specific type of business or a type of service. For instance, 23611 is the code for Residential Building Construction while 236210 is the code for Industrial Building Construction. Your business might provide both of the services and many others. When you advertise your business, there is no limit to the number of NAICS codes you can use, but usually it’s best to stick with a few codes that really highlight your main area of expertise.
As a side note, when completing System for Award Management registration, your entry will list NAICS codes that relate to your business. When you are bidding on contracts, you can use the codes listed in your SAM registration, but you also are free to use additional codes if you want. So if your business offerings expand a bit and you now offer additional services, you don’t have to worry about only using the codes listed in SAM.
3. Learn How To Write Successful Bids
You can take a look at previously awarded bids at FBO.gov, which can give you some idea of how to help you craft bid proposals, and it’s also smart to learn everything you can about writing successful bids before you take the plunge into government contracting. Don’t feel like you must start writing bids the minute your System for Award Management registration has been approved.
If your business qualifies as a small business, your first step probably should be to head to the Small Business Administration website at SBA.gov. This site contains tons of helpful guides for new government contractors, including an online course called Government Contracting 101. To see if your business qualifies as a small business, you can use SBA’s Size Standards Tool. If it does qualify, this website is filled with resources to help just about every aspect of managing a small business, including government contracting and subcontracting.
Subcontracting can be an excellent option for anyone new to government contracting, whether their business is small or large. If you are a small business owner and want to search for subcontracting jobs, SBA.gov has a subcontracting network on its website where you can find potential jobs. For businesses small or large, FBO.gov can be a good resource. Not only are you able to search for contracting jobs, this website also provides some information to help get you started with government contracting.
4. Keep System for Award Management Info Up-To-Date
If any of your businesses crucial information changes, it is essential to make sure these changes are made in the System for Award Management database. This includes name changes, address changes, phone number changes and email changes. You always want your contact information to be up-to-date. After all, not only do you want to submit bids to various agencies, representatives of these agencies also search for potential contractors on SAM, so it’s important that your contact information is correct.
5. Finish System for Award Management Renewals Early
Every year, you will need to renew your System for Award Management registration. It is crucial that you don’t wait until the last minute to do so. You will need to start the renewal process at least three months before your expiration date. Otherwise, government agencies will see that your expiration date is fast approaching and will be far less likely to choose your company for jobs.
At Federal Contractor Registry, we can help you with System for Award Management registrations and renewals. The registration process is highly complicated and can take up to 20 hours to complete, so it just makes sense to hire a third-party to handle the process. We’ve handled SAM registrations for small businesses as well as large Fortune 500 companies, and we can help you get started in the world of government contracting.