Join me, Rick Howard (Lt Col, Ret.), as I break down everything you need to know about government contracts for small businesses, from what they are, how to find them, and the secrets to winning.

Learn how to leverage set-asides, certifications, and market research to position your business or career in this lucrative space.

Get the GovClose Certification: https://www.govclose.com/sales-certification In the GovClose Certification Program our students learn the government contracting skills to:Start their own consulting business that can earn up to $400k as a "solopreneur" advising businesses that sell to the government.Land high-paying sales executive jobs with companies selling to the government.Chapters:00:00 What Are Small Business Government Contracts?01:00 What Does The Government Buy From Small Businesses?01:45 How Does The SBA Define a Small Business?03:00 What Are Set-Asides & How Do They Work?05:00 Types of Small Business Certifications Explained06:00 Government Goals for Small Business Contracts in FY2509:00 Why So Few Small Businesses Sell To The Government?12:00 How Much Money Do Small Businesses Really Make in Government Contracts?14:00 Why Most Businesses Fail at Government Contracting17:00 How To Find Government Contracts Before Everyone Else19:00 How To Use USAspending.gov To Research Opportunities25:00 Common Mistakes Businesses Make & How To Avoid Them29:00 How Competitive Are Small Business Contracts?33:15 Competitive Research: Analyzing Successful Small Businesses37:00 Who Are The Top Buyers of Small Business Services?44:00 Example: Waste Collection — A Surprising Opportunity49:00 The Opportunity & Decline in Competition in Gov Contracting50:45 How To Register Your Business in SAM.gov54:15 How To Find & Respond to Solicitations on SAM.gov59:00 Why You Should Engage During the Market Research Phase1:02:00 Responding to Sources Sought to Influence Contracts1:07:00 Building a Pipeline & Strategy for Long-Term Success1:08:30 Final Thoughts & How To Join GovCloseKeywords:#governmentcontracts #smallbusiness #smallbusinessgovcon #businesscertifications #set-asides #governmentcontract #samgov #governmentprocurement USAspending.gov guide, how to find government contracts, sources sought explained, SBA small business goals, winning government contracts, government contracting trainingJOIN the GovClose CommunityRING the bell 🔔 on my LinkedIn profile for real-world GovCon insights👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/govclose/#govclose #governmentcontracts #smallbusiness

In this episode, former U.S. Air Force acquisitions officer Rick Howard walks you through a powerful strategy for uncovering pre-solicitation government contract opportunities without ever using SAM.gov. If you're relying solely on SAM, you're already behind.

Rick dives into how to use Acquisition Forecasts, navigate agency procurement portals, and leverage industry days, attendee lists, and contracting office contacts to build a government sales pipeline that extends 3+ years into the future.

🔍 Learn how to:

• Access acquisition forecasts from DoD, DOE, VA, NASA, Army Corps of Engineers, and more

• Find and filter long-range procurement forecasts that few competitors are looking at

• Use attendee lists from industry events for teaming and subcontracting leads

• Identify Sole Source and 8(a) contract opportunities hidden in agency forecasts

• Understand how to reverse engineer an agency’s buying behavior

• Avoid mistakes like submitting blind proposals with no confirmation

Whether you're a consultant, small business, veteran entrepreneur, or federal sales executive, this training will show you where the real leads are hidden—long before RFPs drop.

Resources Mentioned:

• https://govclose.com

• Follow Rick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/govclose

  
  

  #GovernmentContracting #GovCon #SAMgov #FederalSales #SmallBusinessGovCon #PublicSectorSales #ContractOpportunities #GovClose #AcquisitionForecasts #8aContracts #OTAs #DoDContracts #HowToSellToTheGovernment #GovContractingTraining #RickHoward #GovCloseCertification

We're answering all the questions people are asking about GSA.

We cover: GSA Advantage, GSA rates and GSA labor rates, e-library GSA, what is GSA?

We give you the history, talk about GSA schedules, and how to apply for the schedules.

Learn from GSA government officials that I have interviewed and what the GSA catalog looks like.

Learn how to shape deals, work directly with federal agencies, and master category-driven acquisition.👉 https://www.govclose.com

But GSA is often misunderstood.Is it a federal agency, or is it a series of contracts that companies need to sell to the government?

In this live session, we'll be covering what a GSA contract is.

Who is going to need one, and how this messy process works, especially in light of recent presidential executive orders.

Want more federal government contracting tips, news, and live sessions? Follow me on LinkedIn and hit the notification bell. https://www.linkedin.com/in/govclose

#gsa #governmentcontracting #gsaadvantage #gsarate