The Government as a Rich Business Client

Negotiating is the name of the game: Just because you quote the government agency a price, that doesn't mean it's what it will pay. Expect to negotiate and, in many cases, renegotiate, says Salacuse, who is also the Henry J. Braker professor of commercial law at the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at Tufts University. "Government feels they have the right to renegotiate. Something changes. Politics change. There is also a feeling that because the government is there to defend the public interest, they are not ordinary contractors. They are there to do the public's business and that gives them special powers."

Where to start? Head to your local Procurement Technical Assistance Center for a chat with the staff. Its job is to help companies figure out if they should be pitching to the government and how to do it properly. The advice is free or at a low cost. For a listing, click here.

Another good resource is a Small Business Development Center, says Loines. "It provides management assistance to current and prospective small-business owners. SBDCs offer one-stop assistance to individuals and small businesses by providing a variety of information and guidance in central and easily accessible branch locations."

Also don't forget to reach out to the SBA. It not only administers several programs that help the federal government buy from small businesses, it also provides free advice like the Opening Doors to Federal Government Contracting Opportunities brochure, and several online courses.

If you're looking for even more help, there are consultants who specialize in government contracting and work on an hourly basis (expect to pay about $250 per hour) or on a project-by-project basis (starting at $10,000).