Finding the Perfect Government Partner for Your Business

If you're looking for new business, a government contract might be the sweetest deal you could land. These contracts are lucrative and can offer a stable source of income in a down economy. The government is required to award 23 percent of its contracts to small businesses—so why shouldn't you get a piece of that pie?

The hardest part is getting your foot in the door. That's where the nonprofit organization, Business Matchmaking, comes in. The organization holds events to educate small business owners and connect them to potential customers via speed-dating style. Small business owners attend events where they circulate around assigned tables, meeting with procurement officers for 20 minutes each in hopes of finding the right "match." "The idea is that we can put the business owner in front of someone interested in his product or service," former SBA administrator Hector Barreto told CNN. "At the end of the day, no one can guarantee a contract, but the buyers can inform the business how to try for it."

Does it work? Based on data from surveys filled out by past attendees, organizers estimate that $7 billion to $8 billion in contracts have been procured in the past three years from connections made at the networking events. To learn more about how to find and land government contracts, check out this MyBusiness article.