In recent times, our nation and the world, for that matter, has experienced a high degree of uncertainty in just about every aspect of our lives, especially financial and political. Some institutions we’ve long regarded as “steady as the rock of Gibraltar” have not only lost that steady grip but have even gone away entirely. Who would have wagered, or even imagined, that Merrill Lynch would be sold at garage sale prices to avoid a complete collapse; that Lehman Brothers would be dissolved; that the Yankees would finish third in the American League East?!

Thomas Paine captured it well more than 200 years ago when he said, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” In tough times in our personal and business lives, we seek assurance through institutions and relationships that we can count on being there when all else fails. As business people, we want to do business with customers who do have that steady hand—who need our products and services, can and will pay our bills on time, and, ideally, keep coming back for more. We want stable, secure, and steady customers over the long term. That’s where government contracting comes in.

Regardless of your political party affiliation—if any—and no matter what your view is of big government versus small, one thing you can be certain of is that in difficult economic times, there will be increased spending by governments. The composition of the spending in the second decade of the twenty-first century may be quite different from that of the first decade. The only certainty is that it will be greater in total.

If you’re already a part of the government contracting world, then you’re already on board and this book may teach you some new strategies. If you’re thinking, as many are, “Okay, but how do I take full advantage of the coming wave of government contracts?” then you’ve also come to the right place.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Getting Government Contracts teaches businesses large and small what to do, how to do it, and why do it that way for all aspects of seeking government contracts. The chapters follow a logical sequence of events from identifying a product or service that a government can use and that you can provide, to the details of a successful offering, to the award and execution of a specific contract. Feel free to skip around, though, and read the chapters out of order if you have a specific need and want to zero in on the section most relevant for you.

I’ve organized the chapters into six parts:

Part 1, “What Successful Contractors Know”—To know what succeeds, just look at the successful. Here’s where you can start to determine if investing your company’s scarce time and money to bid on government contracts is likely to result in enough success to justify the investment.

Part 2, “The Government Contracting Landscape”—Before focusing on the trees (opportunities), you need to know the forest (how contracts are awarded).

Part 3, “Choosing Your Targets”—Choosing the right customer and the right opportunity are your simple keys to success.

Part 4, “Kicking Off the Proposal Process”—Getting off to a quick start and sticking to your proposal plan increases the chance your proposal will result in a contract.

Part 5, “Creating a Winning Response by the Volumes”—Winning proposals follow instructions and provide a solution that is not only different from, but also better than, those of your competitors.

Part 6, “Starting and Remaining Strong After You Win (or Lose)”—Holding on to your government contracts is almost as important as getting new contracts. Here’s how.

You’ll come across lots of standard industry vocabulary, so if you see an unfamiliar term or acronyms that look like alphabet soup, look them up in Appendix A. If you want to know more about a particular topic, look for resources for further advice among the people, places, and things listed in Appendix B. Appendixes C, D, and E offer supplementary materials, such as sample documents and documents on training your team.

Along the way, you’ll see sidebars throughout the chapters. These point out special tips, insider information, common pitfalls, and government contracting jargon.

A word of thanks goes to Michelle Tullier for her special role as contributing editor. Her experience with the Complete Idiot’s Guide series, and her broader experience as an author of many books and professional papers, was of exceptional help to me as a rookie in the book-writing business. Her patience and skill, delivered with both precision and clarity, made my creation task much less anxiety-producing than it would have, and should have, been.

Another special thanks to my colleague, Jay Richman, for providing incisive comments and suggestions on the content of the manuscript.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Getting Government Contracts was reviewed by an expert who double-checked the accuracy of what you learn here, to help us ensure that this book gives you everything you need to know about getting government contracts. Special thanks are extended to Jay Richman.

All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be or are suspected of being trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Alpha Books and Penguin Group (USA) Inc. cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.