Every day, thousands of new businesses try and fail to break into the world of federal contracting. While contracting can be a very lucrative market, it is notoriously difficult to break into. One of the biggest problems facing new vendors is past performance - or a lack thereof.

A component of success in federal contracting is the cultivation of past performance. Like a resume for a job applicant, your past performance is a record of past contract awards and how well you completed them. Much like the job market, having no past performance experience can make it very difficult for new contractors to win their first contract - past performance is one of the most important criteria purchasing officers consider when evaluating contract bids.

There are many reasons why agencies prefer to work with experienced contractors with a history of past performance. Having worked past contracts not only means a contractor is more likely to provide the quality work necessary - it also means they're more likely to be familiar with federal contracting rules, regulations and procedures. Purchasing officers feel they can trust an experienced vendor more to complete all work on time and to charge fair rates. Past performance records also mean that agencies can check references to corroborate what the vendor reports about past projects.

So if purchasing officers don't want to award contracts to new vendors, how do new vendors get contracts? Besides bidding for prime contracts and crossing their fingers, there are a number of ways to build past performance. Subcontracting and teaming are viable options to help build past performance and can help businesses adjust to the rules and procedures in federal contracting. Another easy way to start doing business with the federal government is through Simplified Acquisition Program and micro purchases. These kinds of acquisitions are low enough in value that purchasing officers do not need to follow formal bidding procedures. In some cases, the agency will make two or three phone calls for quotes from small businesses and make the purchase on the spot with a credit card. Don't be fooled though - any purchase under the simplified acquisition threshold of $150,000 qualifies for this program - and depending upon the industry, the threshold may even be higher!

In order to help both new and established vendors take advantage of these opportunities, US Federal Contractor Registration has created the Simplified Acquisition Program. This package includes everything necessary to start working with the federal government as soon as possible. The Simplified Acquisition Program provides System for Award Management registration, a seven page website in the standard Federal Government format, branded domain name and hosting, search engine optimization, customized official government profile, monthly email bid notification and contract support. This program has already generated millions of dollars in additional revenue for thousands of small businesses.

US Federal Contractor Registration is the world's largest third party registration firm that offers assistance with everything from System for Award Management (SAM) to GSA Schedules. US Federal Contractor Registration testimonials and reviews are second to none, having registered over 65,000 businesses in System for Award Management.