The Pocket Small Business Owner's Guide to Working with the Government

Book excerpt: The Pocket Small Business Owner’s Guide to Working with the Government is a thorough mentor that explains how to find, secure, and succeed with government contracts. Designed for any business eager to expand into the governmental arena, it also covers special small business opportunities for companies in areas with chronically high unemployment and for companies run by minorities, women, veterans, and disabled veterans. Cutting through the red tape, this careful guide also informs the reader as to the legal and financial pitfalls that must be avoided when doing business with the government. Coverage includes: Where do you find government procurement needs? How do you register to qualify for special opportunities given to companies owned by women, minorities, veterans, and other special groups? How do you prepare bids, offers, or proposals? What are the various types of government contracts? When can you negotiate with the government, and what’s the best way to do it? What types of free government grants and loans are available? What regulations govern your hiring regulations, payrolls, contracts, and other dealings with employees? What is the best way to settle disputes? This book covers all of the most up-to-date regulations that affect business owners and entrepreneurs today, and helps them to navigate such issues as foreign trade agreements and the timely submission of bids. It also discusses how owners can team together, proper and improper business practices, and how to handle controversies over who gets a contract and disputes about contracts that have already been awarded. All in all, this is a unique and definitive source for anyone seeking to sell to the government. Allworth Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, publishes a broad range of books on the visual and performing arts, with emphasis on the business of art. Our titles cover subjects such as graphic design, theater, branding, fine art, photography, interior design, writing, acting, film, how to start careers, business and legal forms, business practices, and more. While we don't aspire to publish a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are deeply committed to quality books that help creative professionals succeed and thrive. We often publish in areas overlooked by other publishers and welcome the author whose expertise can help our audience of readers.