I get asked some version of these questions every single week. So I decided to answer all of them in one place. Grab your cup of tea :)
If you have been lurking in my world for a while, or you just found me last Tuesday on TikTok or Instagram this post is for you.
I built a seven-figure environmental services business through government contracting. I started with zero experience, cold emailed government buyers, and landed my first contract with the California Highway Patrol for $4,100. That first win led to 36k in 20 days.
Now I teach small business owners how to do the same thing.
Over the years I have collected every question people are afraid to ask out loud. The ones you scour Youtube for. The ones you feel embarrassed to raise on a call. The ones that make you feel like everyone else figured something out that you missed. The ones Chatgpt will answer with generic outdated info.
Here are 25 of the most common questions I get, answered the way I would answer them if you and I were sitting across from each other right now.
1. Do I need a specific type of business to get government contracts?
No. The government buys from all kinds of businesses. Cleaning companies, IT firms, staffing agencies, landscapers, writers, trainers, caterers, consultants, trucking companies, you name it. If a government agency uses it, someone is getting paid to provide it. The question is not whether your type of business qualifies. The question is whether you know how to get in front of the right buyers.
2. Do I need to be certified as a small business, minority-owned, or woman-owned business first?
You do not need a certification to start, but certifications are absolutely a benefit and they give you a real advantage. At the federal level, certifications like WOSB (Woman-Owned Small Business), 8(a), HUBZone, and SDVOSB unlock set-aside contracts that are reserved specifically for businesses with those designations. That means less competition and contracts you would not otherwise have access to. At the state and local level, many agencies have their own diverse supplier programs and set-asides for certified minority-owned, woman-owned, and disadvantaged businesses. Some states have their own certification process and others accept federal certifications. The advantage is real at every level of government. That said, the government also buys from general small businesses every single day with no certification required. I always tell people to start selling now and pursue certifications in parallel. Do not let the certification process become the reason you never start, but do not sleep on them either. They are a tool, and smart business owners use every tool available.
3. How much money do I need to start pursuing government contracts?
Honestly, very little. Your biggest investment is time, not money. You need a registered business, a federal, state and local registration which are free, and the willingness to show up consistently. Many micro-purchase contracts require no formal bidding process at all. A government buyer can simply decide to buy from you the same way you would decide to buy something on Amazon.
4. What is SAM.gov and do I really need to register?
SAM.gov is the System for Award Management. Think of it as the federal government's official vendor database. If you want to get paid by a federal agency, you need to be registered there. The registration is free and takes about one to two weeks to activate. There is no reason to pay someone to do it for you. One thing that trips a lot of people up is assuming that SAM.gov covers everything. It does not. SAM.gov is strictly for federal contracting. State and local governments have their own separate vendor registration portals, and they are completely independent from SAM. So if you want to pursue contracts with your state, your county, or your city, you will need to register directly on their procurement portal. The good news is those registrations are usually free and faster than SAM. You do not need SAM to go after state and local work, and having SAM does not automatically get you into any state or local system. They are separate, and you will want to get set up in all.
5. What is a micro-purchase and why do you talk about it so much?
A micro-purchase is any government purchase under $15,000. At this threshold, the buying process is incredibly simple. The contracting officer does not have to advertise the opportunity, get multiple quotes, or go through a formal competitive process. They can just buy from you. At every level, the principle is the same. Small purchases move fast, require less paperwork, and give you a real shot at winning without going up against a field of established competitors. This is where I tell every beginner to start, because the barrier to entry is low and you can get your first win fast regardless of whether you are targeting federal, state, or local agencies.
6. Is the government contracting market really that big?
The federal government alone spends over $700 billion a year on contracts. That does not include state and local government spending, which adds hundreds of billions more. There is more than enough business to go around. The problem is not the size of the market. The problem is that most small business owners do not know how to access it.
7. What if my business is brand new with no track record?
You can still win contracts. The government has specific programs designed to give small and new businesses access to opportunities. Micro-purchases are a great starting point because buyers have more flexibility. Being new does not disqualify you. Not showing up does.
8. Do I need a special license or contractor number to sell to the government?
You need a CAGE code and a UEI number, both of which you get automatically when you register on SAM.gov. That is it for most general contracting. Depending on your industry, you may need specific licenses or clearances, but for the vast majority of service-based businesses, your business formation and registration is your entry point.
9. How do I find government buyers to contact?
This is one of my favorite topics because most people think finding buyers is the hard part. It is not. The information is publicly available. You just have to know where to look.
For federal agencies, start with USASpending.gov. This is where you can search historical purchase records and see exactly what an agency has bought, how much they paid, and who they bought it from. You are looking for contracts that match what your business does. When you find them, you can see the awarding agency, the contracting office, and sometimes the name of the contracting officer who processed the transaction. That person is a direct lead.
For a more direct approach, go to the agency’s website and look for their purchasing or acquisitions office. Most federal agencies publish an agency directory or a small business office contact page. The small business office is specifically there to help vendors like you get connected to the right buyers inside that agency. Use them.
At the state and local level, each state has a procurement or purchasing department, and most counties and cities do too. Go directly to their websites and look for the procurement, purchasing, or contracting department. Many of them publish buyer directories that list which staff member handles which category of goods or services. That is a roadmap. When you find a buyer who handles the type of work you do, you have a name, sometimes an email, and a clear reason to reach out.
Past awarded contracts are public record at the state and local level too. Many procurement portals let you search historical awards. Search for contracts in your category, find the ones that were awarded recently, and look at who issued them. The point of contact on a past award is often the same person still managing that category today.
10. Is cold emailing government buyers actually allowed?
Yes, with one important clarification. You can reach out to a contracting officer or program manager at any time as long as they are not the point of contact listed on an active, open procurement opportunity. If an agency has posted a solicitation and named a specific contracting officer as the POC, you are not supposed to contact them outside of the official channels for that procurement. That is a procurement integrity issue. But outside of an active bid cycle, reaching out to introduce your business is completely appropriate. Contracting officers are professionals doing a job, and part of that job involves knowing what vendors are available. Many of them appreciate it when a vendor reaches out professionally because it saves them time when a requirement comes up and they need to fill it quickly. A clear, confident cold email is one of the most underused tools in this space at every level of government, federal, state, and local.
11. What do I say in a cold email to a government buyer?
Be specific. The most effective outreach emails do not just say “I would love to work with your agency.” They show the buyer that you have done your homework. Before you email, look up what that agency has purchased before using USASpending.gov for federal agencies or the procurement portal for state and local agencies. Then write an email that tells them exactly who you are, what specific product or service you offer, and why it fits their buying pattern. Something like “I noticed your agency regularly purchases facilities maintenance services and I wanted to introduce my company as a local vendor that specializes in exactly that.” One short paragraph. No attachments. No life story. You are not closing a deal in that email. You are opening a door. I teach a specific outreach framework in my Contracting System course that walks you through this step by step, and it works.
12. What is a capabilities statement and do I need one?
A capabilities statement is a one-page document that summarizes your business for a government buyer. It includes what you do, your NAICS codes, certifications, past performance, and contact information. You absolutely need one. It is the government contracting equivalent of a business card, except people actually read it.
13. What are NAICS codes and how do I pick mine?
NAICS codes are industry classification codes that the government uses to categorize what a business does. When you search for opportunities on SAM.gov for federal contracts, opportunities are tagged with NAICS codes. When agencies set aside contracts for small businesses, they use NAICS codes to define who qualifies. You want to register with the codes that accurately reflect what your business does, and you can have more than one. The best way to find your codes is to go to naics.com and use their keyword search tool. Type in what your business does, for example “janitorial services” or “IT consulting” or “landscaping,” and it will pull up the relevant codes. Build your list from there. Keep in mind your state and local portals will use similar commodity codes, but not always NAICS.
14. Can I bid on contracts outside of my state?
Yes, at every level. Federal contracts have no geographic restriction unless the nature of the work physically requires you to be somewhere. I have seen business owners win federal contracts with agencies in completely different states for services that were fully remote. For state and local contracts, you absolutely can pursue work outside your home state, but there is an extra step. Most states require out-of-state businesses to complete a vendor registration and sometimes a foreign business entity registration before they can be awarded a contract. The term “foreign” here just means you are registered in a different state, not that you are from another country. Some states also require you to register your business with their Secretary of State’s office. It is a few extra forms, but it is worth it. Do not let a vendor profile registration stop you from going after a contract that is a perfect fit for your business.
15. How long does it take to win my first contract?
It depends on how consistently you are working the system. Some of my students land their first micro-purchase within 30 to 60 days. Others take a few months. The biggest variable is how much effort you are putting into outreach and positioning. This is not a lottery. It is a system, and systems produce results when you work them.
16. What if I submit a proposal and never hear back?
Follow up. Seriously. One of the biggest differences between people who win and people who do not is follow-through. Send a polite follow-up email. Make a call. Government buyers are busy humans managing a lot of requirements. A professional follow-up is not annoying. It is professional.
17. Is there a lot of competition?
There is competition, but not as much as you think at the micro-purchase and simplified acquisition levels. Most small business owners either do not know about this market or are too intimidated to pursue it. That means the field is less crowded than it looks from the outside. Your competition is not as stiff as you imagine.
18. What if I do not know how to write a formal proposal?
Most beginners do not start with formal proposals. Micro-purchases and many simplified acquisitions just require a quote or a short capability overview. As you grow into larger contracts, proposal writing becomes more involved. But you do not need to learn that on day one. Start with the simple stuff, get wins on the board, and build from there. That said, proposal writing is something I cover regularly in my training material because it does become important as you scale. Understanding how to respond to a solicitation, structure your technical approach, and price your offer competitively is a skill you will want in your toolkit. I make sure my students are not left trying to figure that out on their own when the time comes.
19. Can I get in by becoming a subcontractor?
Yes, and it is a smart strategy especially when you are starting out. At the federal level, larger prime contractors who win big contracts are often required to subcontract a portion of that work to small businesses. They need reliable vendors and they are actively looking for them. Getting on a prime contractor’s approved subcontractor list puts you in line for work without having to win a prime contract yourself. At the state and local level, the same dynamic exists. General contractors and prime vendors regularly need subcontractors to fulfill specific portions of a project. To get in front of these primes, you can search SAM.gov for recent award winners in your industry, find their small business liaisons, and introduce your company. You still get paid, you still build past performance, and you learn how government work operates from the inside. I recommend subcontracting as a complement to your direct outreach, not a replacement for it, but it is a completely legitimate path in.
20. What is past performance and why does everyone keep talking about it?
Past performance is your track record of delivering on contracts. When agencies evaluate vendors, they look at whether you have done similar work before and done it well. When you are new, you do not have any past performance in the government space, which is why starting with micro-purchases is so smart. They give you a chance to build that record quickly without a competitive bid process.
21. Do I need to know someone or have an established relationship to win?
No, and this is one of the biggest myths that keeps people from even trying. Government contracting is not like getting into a private club where someone has to vouch for you. It is a regulated, transparent process specifically designed to give businesses access based on what they offer, not who they know. At the federal level, contracting officers are required to follow procurement regulations that prioritize competition and equal access. At the state and local level, the same principles apply. Now, relationships do matter over time. A buyer who has worked with you before is going to feel more comfortable giving you repeat business. But you do not need a relationship to get started. You start by showing up professionally, reaching out to the right people, and delivering when you get your first opportunity. The relationship comes after the work, not before it. I had no connections when I sent those first cold emails. I built the relationships by doing the work.
22. What is the biggest mistake beginners make?
Waiting. They wait until they feel ready. They wait until the business is bigger. They wait until the website is perfect. They wait until they understand every single acronym. And while they wait, other small business owners are showing up in front of buyers and winning contracts. There is no perfect time. There is only right now.
23. I already tried this and it did not work. What did I do wrong?
Usually one of a few things. You targeted contracts that were too large for where you are starting. You gave up after one or two attempts. You did not follow up. You did not have a clear system, you were just hoping something would happen. Government contracting rewards consistency. If it did not work before, it likely means the approach needs adjustment, not that the opportunity is not there for you.
24. What makes you different from other people teaching government contracting?
I actually did it. I built a real business through government contracts before I ever taught anyone else how to. I know what it feels like to send that first cold email with your heart pounding. I know what a $4,100 contract from the California Highway Patrol feels like when you have never won anything before. I am not teaching theory. I am teaching exactly what I did and what has worked for my students.
25. How do I actually start?
Right here. The Contracting System is my step-by-step course and coaching program that walks you through everything from registration to finding buyers to writing outreach emails to submitting your first quote. It is built for people who are starting from scratch and want a clear path forward without the overwhelm and also for people who have tried before and not been able to make it connect.
You do not need to figure this out alone. You do not need to spend months piecing together information from a hundred different sources. You need a system, and that is exactly what I built.
[Get the Contracting System here for $297.]
If you made it this far, I want you to know something. The government contracting market is not some secret club for people with connections or decades of experience. It is an enormous, underutilized opportunity for small business owners who are willing to learn how it works and show up consistently.
That is all it takes. I promise you that.
See you on the inside.
Erin
Ready to start? The Contracting System gives you everything you need to find buyers, make contact, and win your first contract. [Click here to get started.]
