If you’ve spent any time researching government contracting, you’ve probably heard the same certifications come up repeatedly: And if you’re like most small business owners, you’ve probably wondered: “Which certification actually matters most right now?”“Do I even qualify?”“Is certification really worth the effort in 2026?” Those are important questions because the certification landscape has changed […]
Small business owners are wired to be independent. That is part of what makes them dangerous in the best possible way. They build, sell, fix, install, manage, repair, transport, protect, clean, code, consult, and deliver. They figure things out. They make payroll. They solve problems without needing a committee to tell them where the fire […]
Federal contracting has always had a tension built into it. On one side, agencies need flexibility. Not every requirement is clean, simple, or easy to price. Some projects evolve. Some involve uncertainty. Some require technical discovery before anyone can confidently define the final outcome. On the other side, the government wants predictability. It wants to […]
One of the biggest questions small businesses ask when pursuing government contracts is surprisingly simple: “What should we charge?” Price too high, and you may lose the opportunity immediately.Price too low, and you risk hurting your margins, creating performance issues, or making your company look inexperienced. For many contractors, pricing feels like guesswork. And honestly, […]
If you’ve spent any time pursuing government contracts, you’ve probably asked yourself some version of this question: “Why aren’t we winning?” Most people assume the answer comes down to pricing, proposal quality, or competition. And while those factors matter, they’re usually not the real issue. In most cases, contractors lose the opportunity long before they […]
If you’ve spent any time around federal contracting lately, you’ve probably felt it. More competition. More complexity. More waiting. That’s exactly why more small businesses are starting to look elsewhere. State, local, and education contracting—commonly referred to as SLED—is quickly becoming one of the most practical ways to get traction in the government marketplace. Not […]
If you are a small business in government contracting, you have probably noticed that the market is shifting. Not just a little, either. In 2026, federal buying is moving toward more centralized purchasing, more standardized terms, and more emphasis on efficiency. GSA’s OneGov strategy is a major part of that shift. At its core, OneGov […]
Government contractors have a new clause to watch closely, and this is not one of those “maybe someday” policy changes. FAR 52.222-90, titled Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors, is now live. That means new solicitations and contracts over the micro-purchase threshold must include it, and existing contracts that meet the same criteria are already […]
For a long time, the “FAR overhaul” sounded like one of those government policy stories that seemed important in theory but easy to ignore in real life. A lot of small business contractors probably heard about it and thought something like, “Okay, neat. Let me know when it actually affects a solicitation.” That moment is […]
Pricing can make or break a bid. Not the flashy part. Not the capability statement. Not the polished formatting. Pricing. And for a lot of small businesses, that is exactly where the stress kicks in. You know the work. You know your team. You know what it takes to perform. But when it is time […]