Small businesses do reasonably well within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area because of the vast amounts of contract dollars set aside for the region. However, the abundance of contract opportunities is offset by the level of competition. The Washington area is home to the very largest prime contractors and small businesses are playing in their backyard. Small businesses hoping to do business near the Beltway must learn to play nice with the large primes or they run the risk of being shut out of the market.

Many small businesses emerge and prosper by staying close to home where the competition is not as intense. There are countless federal facilities located throughout the U.S. and overseas. Such facilities include military bases, research centers, Veterans Administration and military hospitals, and regional offices of various federal agencies. Take a peek at your local blue page telephone directory or peruse the federal agency web sites for contact information. Federal facilities located outside of the Beltway prefer, for political and social reasons, to work with local companies. Local businesses are also perceived by federal officials to be more cognizant of delivering value. It is not uncommon for a small business owner to meet an end user from a local federal facility at a social occasion or at a networking event. He or she can then turn the contact into a relationship and ultimately a sale.

The contracting offices for various federal installations are located in places that will amaze you. In fact, such an office may be located down the street from you.