Do Business with the U.S. Government

Due to the tough economic times your traditional customers may be cutting back, but there is one potential customer that is primed for a buying spree—the United States Government.

As a U.S. small business you can take advantage of several government programs designed to help businesses like yours win government contracts—if you’re willing to tackle the paperwork and red tape required. Use the following resources to learn about doing business with the government, registering your business, and bidding on contracts.

Business.gov: Business.gov, the official business link to the U.S. Government, is managed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in a partnership with 21 other federal agencies. This partnership, known as Business Gateway, is a Presidential E-government initiative that provides a single access point to government services and information to help the nation’s businesses with their operations. Be sure to check out the Small Business Guides section.

Central Contractor Registration Database: If you want to do business with the government, then you need to have your company listed in the CCR (Central Contractor Registration) database. The SBA has provided step-by-step instructions for registering, and getting your business included in the PRO-Net supplement which collects and maintains specific information about and pertaining to small businesses. It also provides help on searching for government business opportunities.

Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU): The OSDBU was created as part of the Small Business act to ensure that small and disadvantage businesses are provided equal access to government contracts. Find out if you qualify as a small or disadvantages business, and find out how the OSDBU can help you bid on government jobs