Now that you've targeted your market and determined which segment of the government is the right customer for you, selling to the government is much like selling to any private company. You have to know who the most likely customer is and then you need to figure out a way to sell to them.

Where do I start?
First, you have to register your company with the government as an available vendor and then you have to monitor opportunities that may be appropriate for your business. All businesses must register with CCR, and there are additional registrations for DOD and some departments and agencies.

• Central Contractor Registration (CCR): Any business that wants to do business with the government must register on the CCR. Go to: http://www.ccr.gov/.
  
• Business On-line Representations and Certifications (ORCA): If you want to sell to the Department of Defense, you also must register on their new online registry, ORCA. ORCA is an E-Government initiative that has been developed to replace the paper-based Representations and Certifications (Reps and Certs) process. Previously, vendors and contractors had to submit Reps and Certs for each individual large purchase contract award solicitation response. Now, using ORCA , a contractor can enter their Reps and Certs information once for use on all Federal contracts. Go to: http://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/ebiz/orca.html.
  
• Federal Department and Agency Registration: Some federal departments and agencies have their own contractor databases. You must contact each department or agency you want to do business with to determine if they have a separate contractor registry database.

Monitoring Opportunities

Once you’re registered, you’ll want to monitor opportunities to sell to the government. You can check on individual agency Web sites for procurement opportunities and also you can sign up for email announcements through the Federal Business Opportunity Web site (FedBizOpps).

• Departments and Agencies: Check each agency’s Web site for procurement listings.
  
• FedBizOpps: Want to receive procurement announcements directly to your email address? Then register for GSA's free multi-agency electronic posting service for solicitations, requirements, awards and other acquisition-related documents. When registering for this service, remember that if you elect to receive all procurement notices, you will receive more than 600 email messages per month. You may want to narrow your interests when you register. To register, go to: http://www.eps.gov/
  

Additional Information for Getting Started

The Guide to Federal Contracting for Women, developed by the U.S. Small Business Administration, is a one-stop information portal covering various aspects of federal procurement. Topics and resources include: contract basics, understanding contract guidelines and rules, how to find contract opportunities, contract marketing 101, all about "size standards" and special government programs that may help. Go to: http://www.sba.gov/training/womentoolkit.html

General Information

• State Small Business Resource Guide: http://www.womenbiz.gov/resource_directory.pdf
• Information on Regulations: http://www.arnet.gov/far/
• A list of Procurement Center Representatives (PCR): http://www.womenbiz.gov/procurement_reps.html
• A list of Procurement Training Assistance Centers (PTAC): http://www.dla.mil/db/procurem.htm
• Calendar of Procurement Events: http://www.womenbiz.gov/calendar.html
• Information on Mentor Protégé Programs: http://www.womenbiz.gov/infow-osb.html

Small Business Administration - www.sba.gov

• Information on SBA's Certification Programs: http://www.womenbiz.gov/certifications.html
• Information on SBA's Small Business Development Centers: http://www.sba.gov/sbdc/
• Information on Women's Business Centers: http://www.onlinewbc.gov/

U.S. General Service Administration - www.gsa.gov

• Information on GSA's Federal Supply Service: http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?contentType=GSA_OVERVIEW&contentId=11173
• Forms you need to get for working with GSA: http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?contentId=13323&contentType=GSA_OVERVIEW
• Information on Smart Pay Card: http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/channelView.do?pageTypeId=8199&channelPage=%2Fep%2Fchannel%2FgsaOverview.jsp&channelId=-13497

Other

• Information on government agencies' Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBUs): http://www.osdbu.gov/Listofmembers.htm

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