At Federal Contractor Registry, we serve a myriad of clients, from large Fortune 500 clients to small businesses with just a few employees. If you are a small business, we can help simplify the federal contractor registration process, and we also wanted to share some information about the Small Business Administration, a government entity designed specifically to help small businesses succeed.
The Small Business Administration, or SBA, was created by President Eisenhower in the early 1950s, and during the Clinton Administration, the person who heads the SBA was elevated to the rank of a cabinet position. The goals or mission of the SBA is, according to its website, “to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation.”
The SBA website if filled with helpful information for small businesses at any stage, from long-established firms to those just forming their businesses. For those that have completed their federal contractor registration, the SBA has an entire section of its website dedicated to government contracting for small businesses.
In past articles, we’ve outlined that in order to become eligible for government contracting; you must attain a DUNS number and complete your federal contractor registration, or SAM registration. There are many government contracts that are designated or reserved specifically for small businesses, but you have to fit the qualifications of a small business as defined by the SBA. In general, a manufacturing firm with fewer than 500 employees or a non-manufacturing business with average annual receipts of less than $7.5 million will qualify, although there are some exceptions to these rules and some businesses will qualify with more than 500 employees or a higher level of revenue.
For instance, if you qualify as an Electronic Computer Manufacturing firm, your company can employ as many as 1,250 persons and still qualify as a small business while a business identified as a Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesaler qualifies only if the firm employs 100 or fewer persons. To find out if your business qualifies as a small business, you can go to SBA.gov and click on the Federal Contracting section of the website. This provides you with access to the Contracting Guide, which includes all of the basic requirements for government contracting as well as many links to other helpful websites.
The government’s goal is to award at least 23% of all contracting dollars to small businesses. While there are government contracts available for all types of small businesses, you may also qualify for one of SBA’s special designations. For instance, if you qualify as a disadvantaged business, it can be easier to earn a government contract, as the government makes it a point to award a portion of its annual contracting dollars specifically to small disadvantaged businesses.
There also is contracting money set aside specifically for those who qualify as a women-owned small business as well as service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses .The government also sets aside contracting money specifically for small businesses that qualify for the HUBZone program. This program is meant for businesses operating in what are known as Historically Underutilized Business Zones. For instance, if your business is located on an Indian reservation or perhaps in a rural area, it may qualify, but there are plenty of locations in suburban and urban areas that qualify. The SBA website has a link to a map where you can simply enter your business address to see if your area qualifies as a HUBZone.
Once you’ve completed your federal contractor registration, we strongly suggest that you take a look at the SBA’s website. You can find information about whether or not you qualify for special programs, helpful tips regarding how to find and also acquire federal contracts and much more.
If you aren’t quite sure how to complete your federal contractor registration, we can help. We are a third-party registration process and we have completed SAM registration for thousands of satisfied clients. Completing the application process can take 15 or more hours, as it is quite lengthy and complicated. Many people become frustrated with the process and end up missing out on lucrative government contracts. Rather than deal with hassle of federal contractor registration yourself, give us a call today and we will get started on the process for you.