Last few weeks I've been working with a potential subcontractor on a government contract opportunity, and it reminded me of one of the biggest lessons I've learned over the years: Government contracts are not the same as commercial sales. In the commercial world, companies often focus on maximizing profit margins on individual customers or projects. Pricing can be adjusted through ongoing discussions, negotiations, and relationship building. Government contracting works differently. Government agencies are spending taxpayer dollars and are expected to demonstrate value, fairness, and fiscal responsibility. While experience, qualifications, and technical capabilities are important, pricing often becomes a major factor when multiple qualified companies can perform the work. I've experienced this firsthand. We've competed against much larger organizations, including companies we actually purchase products from. The first time I saw their names listed as competitors, I assumed we had little chance of winning. What I learned was that government contracting isn't always about being the biggest company. It's often about being responsive, compliant, understanding the requirements, and submitting a competitive bid. We've also lost contracts where pricing was the deciding factor. One opportunity taught us a valuable lesson about pricing strategy. We adjusted our approach, worked more closely with our team, and ultimately won the next contract. The lesson? 💡 You can make a larger margin on a contract you lose... or a reasonable margin on a contract you win and perform successfully for years. Many government contracts provide: ✅ Multi-year revenue ✅ Strong past performance references ✅ Opportunities for renewals ✅ Lower customer acquisition costs ✅ Additional contract opportunities There are never guarantees in government contracting, but understanding the difference between commercial pricing and government pricing can make a significant difference in your competitiveness. What lessons have you learned from winning—or losing—business opportunities? I'd love to hear your thoughts. 🚀

One of the biggest misconceptions about government contracting is that you need to be a large company to participate. That's simply not true. Government agencies purchase products and services from businesses of all sizes every day. Federal, state, county, city, school districts, and other public agencies buy everything from medical equipment and technology to consulting, training, maintenance, transportation, customer service, and administrative support. Many people assume government contracting is only for large corporations. While companies such as Amazon, Tesla, Microsoft, and others have government customers and contracts, opportunities also exist for small businesses willing to learn the process. One of the most important lessons we've learned: Don't disqualify yourself before the government does. Many contracts are specifically designed for small businesses, and some of the most successful contractors started with just a few employees and a willingness to learn. We also discussed: ✅ Why government pricing is often different from commercial pricing ✅ The importance of market research before submitting a bid ✅ Reviewing incumbent contracts and historical awards ✅ The difference between a "shotgun" approach (many bids) and a "sniper" approach (targeted opportunities) ✅ How AI tools can help evaluate solicitations, identify key requirements, and save time ✅ Why teaming partners and subcontractors can help small businesses compete and grow One of the biggest lessons from our own experience is this: Winning a contract is only the beginning. Many people focus on the award. Experienced contractors focus on performance. The real work starts after the contract is awarded: • Customer communication• Scheduling• Compliance• Documentation• Deliverables• Project management• Problem solving• Invoicing• Performance reporting The government doesn't pay you because you won. The government pays you because you perform. Performance builds reputation. Performance creates past performance.

May 30, 2026 Replay of open government contract discussion!

Thank you to Diane and Silas for jumping on our very first Caregivers & Gov Contracts Hub Live Q&A discussion today 😊 Really enjoyed the conversation around healthcare, caregiving, entrepreneurship, government contracts, and building through the lessons and challenges along the way. Excited to continue growing and learning together. More discussions coming soon! 😊

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