“SMALLTOFEDS” By Ken Larson “As a volunteer counselor over the last 17 years, I have noted common traits among the most successful small business federal government contractors. The following are 10 of the most prominent traits and tips on how successful small companies developed them.“ _________________________________________________________________________________ “Commercial success before entering government contracting. From maintaining buildings to keeping the light

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE “WASHINGTON TECHNOLOGY” By Jonathan Aberman “Original intelligence,” is the capacity to synthesize context, creativity, and human judgment into something new. This means embracing AI as an assistant, not a competitor, and placing original intelligence at the heart of the value proposition.” _________________________________________________________________________________ “Y Combinator, the influential Silicon Valley startup accelerator, has made it cle

“SMALLTOFEDS” By Ken Larson “Strategic thinking must be applied to structuring a government service contract project management capability in your company. It must involve long term planning and designing a business system as well as establishing rates and factors to bid new work and control it while interfacing with the customer.” ________________________________________________________________________________ “Effective small business project management focuses the resource

“GOVCONWIRE” By Kevin Plexico Deltek Senior Vice President Of Information Solutions “Set-asides remain central to federal procurement, although qualification, certification and competition look very different from even 12 months ago. Firms that balance compliance rigor with proactive market engagement and a diversified growth strategy will be best positioned for sustained success.” __________________________________________________________________________________ “The federal

“SMALLTOFEDS” By Ken Larson “Contractual relationships established directly with the US government or under subcontracts and purchase orders under government contracts with other companies must contain provisions for the protection of intellectual property and proprietary data.“ _______________________________________________________________________________ “RIGHTS IN TECHNICAL DATA AND SOFTWARE The Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation (DFAR) contains the most widely used p

By Ken Larson Having dealt with the funding process in the government contracting industry (both large and small business) for over 40 years, I can discuss with some credibility a major weakness in the huge machine we call the US Federal Government — the one year budget cycle. A huge reason for much of the largess in the National Debt is the fiscal year funding agony in which the US Government is entrenched. Shutdowns, delays and spoon feeding funds to areas as vital as

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“MILITARY TIMES” By Richard Sisk “Transitioning soldiers should ditch the mindset that AI is a job-killing obstacle to overcome and instead think of it as a tool “that can support your transition,” said Dr. Thomas Easterly, know as the Army’s “AI Guy” ________________________________________________________________________________ “For starters, Dr. Thomas Easterly, Director of the Plans, Analysis and Integration Office at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania has recommended that

“Advocacy’s 2026 Congressional District Profiles shares and analyzes the latest economic data to demonstrate the important role small businesses play in 436 congressional districts across the U.S.“ _______________________________________________________________________________ “Readers can find each congressional district’s total number of small employers by industry and the number of workers employed by these businesses. Charts, tables, and maps effectively visualize the dat

Image: purchasinginsight.com “SMALLTOFEDS” By Ken Larson “If a potential for a conflict of interest is real, it is best to make that fact a principal factor in your bid/no bid decision. Your past performance rating will take a major hit if OCI is uncovered after award and you have not made full and open disclosure previously.” _______________________________________________________________________________ “While planning, marketing, teaming, proposing or performing under fede

“WASHINGTON TECHNOLOGY” By Katie Helwig “Organizations that consistently earn customer trust don’t just describe their capabilities. They demonstrate ‘Proof Point Marketing’ – the difference between product-focused marketing and mission-focused marketing.” ________________________________________________________________________________ “A worldwide communications upgrade was postponed during its final stages because of a communications cable. Not the software. Not the instal

Pictorially illustrated, direct links to topics on the Military Industrial Complex, Small Business Federal Government Contracting and Veterans Affairs. (Use toggle feature and click images to access and follow on Pinterest) https://rosecoveredglasses.wordpress.com/2026/07/28/ready-reference-library-military-small-business-and-veterans-affairs/

“SMALLTOFEDS” By Ken Larson “On occasion the government finds it necessary to terminate contractual arrangements with contractors. FAR Sub-part 49.5 governs such actions. There are two common forms of contract termination you should know about and be prepared to manage.” _________________________________________________________________________________ “GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS Certain conditions are usually present when contact termination is on the horizon. These factors range

MILITARY TIMES: By Reuters “After years of work, the Pentagon is on track to pass its first-ever financial audit in 2028, the U.S. Army’s top financial officer told Reuters, a breakthrough for an agency that manages nearly $1 trillion a year but has never been able to fully account for its spending.” _________________________________________________________________________________ “From too many zeros to too few, and even the letter ‘O’ typed in its place, the new systems at

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“MILITARY TIMES” By Natalie Oliverio “Military spouses often navigate challenges that extend well beyond the hiring process. Frequent moves interrupt professional networks. Industries should work together to retain talent across employers when military families relocate. Military spouses have continued building careers even if the employer changes.” ________________________________________________________________________________ “Ninety-six days after arriving at Camp Pendlet

“SMALLTOFEDS’ By Ken Larson “During government shutdowns or other circumstances where the government reserves the right to order a cease work, actions must be taken recognizing receipt of the stop work order and the relationship of the order to resumption of effort, funding constraints, contract terminations and associated business risk.” ______________________________________________________________________________ “PURPOSE The purpose of a stop work order is to immediately

U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION “Nearly 96% of consumers live outside the U.S., and two-thirds of the world’s purchasing power is in foreign countries. If you’re a small business owner, consider exporting your goods to increase your profits, reduce market dependence, and stabilize seasonal sales.” _________________________________________________________________________________ “Benefits of exporting Nearly 96% of consumers live outside the U.S., and two-thirds of the worl

“As part of the review, the department issued a request for information to solicit feedback from defense industrial base companies and assessment organizations on how burdensome CMMC compliance is. “We are going to listen to what the defense industrial base has to say, especially small and innovative companies…..” ______________________________________________________________________________ “DEFENSE SCOOP” By Billy Mitchell “The Department of Defense task force established

“WASHINGTON TECHNOLOGY” By Elizabeth Harr ” The most successful firms distinguish themselves by looking for and seizing these hidden opportunities. Look for similar opportunities to build a sustainable competitive advantage and increase your valuation. “ ______________________________________________________________________________ “In the strategy work we do for professional services firms, we frequently find they have the same core problems. We also find that there are a se