In my state, (Georgia)you don't. I did a lot of business with both the
Federal and State governments. It was a business less than a year old.

But, you need to do your research to do business with the government,
especially the Federal gov. For instance, Congress passed the "Prompt Payment
Act" in 1987 (I think that was the year) that guarantees you will be paid for
your work promptly.

To take advantage of this, you simply type "Submitted under The Prompt
Payment Act of 1987" on your invoice. It is also critical that you give terms
and a discount. My terms were 1/4% 10/net 30. If you are not paid within the
discount, heads will roll! LOL!

There is also "sole sourcing" that is important. For instance, we used a
polyurethane paint on our product. I heard the term "aliphatic" and sold the
contracting officer on that and he made my company the sole source for the
product/project. That meant no competition, no bidding and a negotiated
contract. I used that over and over again with several companies I worked
for.

Dealing with the government is different but not that much different. It's
just learning how to do it. The Federal government can be your biggest and
best customer.

But, be sure your product or service can stand close scrutiny and that you
can always deliver on time. They do put a "drop dead" clause in their
contracts for delivery date. If you don't deliver as promised, they simply
tell you to "drop dead" and will cancel your contract.

Hi, Here's what you need to know about your eligibility for government contracting. These resources will help get you started with the process of selling to the government: this section devoted to the topic and this blog post. Best of luck!