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Get your business ready · Guide 01 of 13

Choose your starting point

Find the buyer and route that fit your business.

About 4 minutesFederal · State & local · SubcontractingLook up a term

What you’ll leave with

One service, one target buyer and a sensible first step.

The essentials

Start with work you already do well.

Write down a specific service or product you can deliver today, where you can deliver it, and a project that proves it. ‘We provide business solutions’ is too broad to guide a useful search.

Choose the buyer before collecting registrations.

A federal agency, a school district and a prime contractor can buy similar work through different processes. Research a few purchases like yours. Look at scope, delivery locations and the types of firms doing the work—not just award values.

Make room to perform, not just to bid.

Check who would do the work, what equipment or partners you would need, and how you would cover costs before payment. A small-looking contract can still stretch a small team.

Three ways to sell to government

Federal prime

Your company → Federal agency

Research SAM.gov notices and the agency’s buying process. Check federal registration and the specific solicitation.

State & local

Your company → Public buyer

Start with the state, city, school or other buyer’s official procurement page. Registration and bid rules vary.

Subcontracting

Your company → Prime contractor

Offer a defined piece of work to another contractor. Confirm onboarding, scope, payment and contract obligations.

What to do next

  1. 1

    Write your first target.

    Use this sentence: We deliver [specific work] for [type of buyer] in [location], supported by [relevant example].

  2. 2

    Review three real purchases.

    Use official notices or award records. Note the buyer, buying method, recurring requirements and a reason you would—or would not—fit. A past award is research, not a live invitation to bid.

  3. 3

    Pick one route for the next two weeks.

    Choose federal prime work, a particular state/local buyer, or a defined service for a prime contractor. Set aside time to learn that route before adding more.

Worked example · Fictional business

A print shop chooses a job it can finish

Juniper Print is a fictional three-person shop. It produces signs and installs them locally. The owner sees a large nationwide print-and-distribution contract and a smaller request for replacement signs at nearby public buildings.

Look at the work behind the dollar amount.

The nationwide job requires shipping, inventory, and installation in places Juniper does not serve. Hiring an unknown delivery network after winning would be a major change to the business.

Check the smaller job properly.

Local signs fit the shop’s equipment and crew. The owner still checks materials, mounting requirements, quantities, access hours, and whether installation needs qualifications the shop does not hold.

Choose the next step.

Juniper researches the local buyer’s process and reviews the sign job. It keeps national distribution off its first-bid list. For now, that is a useful boundary rather than a missed opportunity.

The practical move: Start with a job you can explain from production through delivery. Expand the search once the business has the capacity or a well-understood team to support more.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Registering in dozens of portals before finding a buyer who purchases your work.
  • Assuming a GSA Schedule is required for every federal sale. It is one buying route, not the universal starting point.
  • Treating subcontracting as an escape from requirements. Review the proposed subcontract, payment terms and obligations passed down by the prime.

One useful next step

Write your target sentence. Then check the registration requirements for that route.

Official sources & further help

Reviewed September 9, 2026. Practical examples and worksheets are Bid Rigor’s own. Check current requirements with the buyer; agency-specific rules or deviations may apply.