Practical guidance for federal contractors.
Straight talk on winning and performing government contracts. No jargon for its own sake, and no theory. Everything here comes from the government side of the table, written by people who evaluated the proposals and administered the contracts that followed.
What a contracts department actually costs
The salary is the smallest number in the decision. Here is the whole of it, built from federal wage data rather than from a brochure.
Why a strong representative still needs contract administration support
Administering a contract is a different job from running one. Your representative keeps the first. The second is where capable firms quietly lose money and their next award.
How small businesses build past performance from a standing start
The single biggest hurdle for new federal contractors, and practical ways to clear it.
Reading a solicitation: what actually matters first
Where to look before you decide whether a contract is worth bidding.
Cash flow while you perform: what every new contractor should know
Assignment of claims, progress payments, and financing options that keep you solvent between invoices.
Which FAR governs your contract right now
The acquisition rulebook is being rewritten one part at a time, and most of it is in force through agency deviations rather than the FAR you can look up.