• Link to Facebook
  • Link to Youtube
  • Link to X
  • Link to LinkedIn
  • Link to Flickr
  • Link to Slideshare
  • Link to Rss this site
  • Donate
  • Subscribe
SBDC Tampa Bay
  • Home
  • Solutions
    • Certifications
      • Business Certifications
      • Minority-Owned Business
      • Woman-Owned Business
      • Veteran-Owned Business
    • Consulting & Training
      • Training
      • Training Calendar
      • Consulting
      • Schedule a Consultant
      • Consultación
    • Business Solutions
      • Growth Acceleration
      • Government Contracting
      • International Trade
      • Starting Your Business
      • Disaster Preparedness
      • Student Teams
      • Financing Your Business
  • Resources
    • Business Resources
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Insights
    • Blog
    • Media Inquiries
  • About Us
    • Mission / Vision
    • Consultants
    • Meet the Staff
    • Meet Our Clients
    • Partners / Affiliates
  • Training
    • Training Calendar
    • On-Demand Training
  • Results
    • Success Stories
    • Economic Impact
  • Locations
    • Tampa
    • Hernando County
    • Highlands, Hardee, DeSoto
    • Hillsborough
    • Manatee
    • Pasco County
    • Pinellas County
    • Polk County
    • Sarasota
  • Contact
  • Request a Consultant
  • Click to open the search input field Click to open the search input field Search
  • Menu Menu
Blog

7 Tips For Getting Your Business Registered in SAM

Blog, Business Essentials, Featured News, Government Contracting

7 Tips For Getting Your Business Registered in SAM
By Yolanda Goodloe | July 31, 2017

If you know the power behind doing business with the local, state, or federal government, you’ll want your small business to have a piece of that pie. First things first. The government only does business with companies registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database. They buy a large assortment of products and services from small business owners just like you every day. Keep reading for seven steps you can follow to complete the SAM registration process and procure the first of many government contracts that can catapult your business to success and profit.

  1. Go to www.sam.gov and register your business. Registration is free and simple. It’s a small business owner’s best Do-It-Yourself (DIY) project.
  1. If you have questions or run into obstacles, help is only a phone call away. Contact your local Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC). They’ll help you with the registration process and can answer questions about the government purchasing market and what opportunities might be available.
  1. SAM has a quick guide registration resource you can download from their website that will guide you every step of the way.
  1. Check and double check to be sure you have the exact legal name of your company on your SAM paperwork. Look at your Secretary of State registration for accuracy.
  1. Does your business have a DUNS number? If you don’t, you can register for a Data Universal Number System free. You’ll get it in 10 days or less and it’s a necessity for identifying as a small business with the federal government. It’s so important that they’re in the process of instituting a separate DUNS numbering system that’s solely theirs. Make sure you designate yourself as publicly searchable. If the government can’t find you in their search process, they can’t do business with you.
  1. Do you know your North American Industry Classification (NAICS) code? You only need one code for SAM registration, but be sure to grab all the codes you qualify for because NAIC codes are another way government agencies search for small businesses.
  1. At the end of the SAM registration process, the system will give you the option of completing your U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) registration as well. Just do it! SBA registration is directly tied to your SAM registration as part of the Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) portal.

Do not skip the SAM registration process. The government cannot and will not do business with your company without it. Completed SAM and SBA registration allows you to do two important things. First, it lets you take a sneak peek at what keywords your competitors use and what capabilities they list. That knowledge can help you punch up your own registrations and profiles. Second, it makes you eligible to search for bidding opportunities. Take a look at http://www.fbo.gov. That’s where the government posts all requests for bids higher than $25,000. Wouldn’t you love to get in on that small business action? Set aside the necessary time to complete your SAM registration as soon as possible. Your business will thank you.

Author

Yolanda Goodloe

Yolanda Goodloe

Consultants, Cowart, Government Contracting Consultants, Pinellas

Florida APEX Accelerator at Pinellas County Economic Development

Specialty: Procurement

Yolanda Goodloe is a government contracting consultant for the Florida APEX Accelerator at Pinellas County Economic Development, providing assistance to aspiring entrepreneurs and small businesses. She has more than 20 years of experience in public service at the local municipal levels. Yolanda Goodloe previously worked as a human relations specialist for Lee County Government, where she served as the county’s liaison to the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Council. In Broward County, she served as the Equal Opportunity Director for the City of Fort Lauderdale, where she managed the business enterprise programs for capital improvement plans and construction projects through both the Federal Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Authority.

Read more
https://enwqtxc9es4.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/YolandaGoodloe_2025WEB-e1742403748928.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&ssl=1 1024 1024 admin /wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Locked-Host-Logos-Horizontal-USF-Small-e1728920602651.png admin2013-11-12 20:53:172025-05-29 16:10:25Yolanda Goodloe
Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on X
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share by Mail
https://enwqtxc9es4.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/7-Tips.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&ssl=1 370 700 admin /wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Locked-Host-Logos-Horizontal-USF-Small-e1728920602651.png admin2017-08-07 15:39:312022-01-01 22:13:187 Tips For Getting Your Business Registered in SAM

Categories

  • Business Essentials
  • Business Plans
  • Buying a Business
  • Certifications
  • COVID-19
  • Crowdfunding
  • Disaster Preparedness
  • Economic Development
  • Finance
  • Government Contracting
  • Growing Your Business
  • Healthcare
  • Human Resources
  • International Trade
  • Marketing
  • Press Releases
  • Radio and Podcast
  • Starting a Business
  • Success Stories
  • Success Stories Videos
  • Tech Commercialization/Tech Transfer
  • Veteran
  • Web and Social Media
Subscribe to Newsletter

Contact Us

Regional Office Contact Info

USF CONNECT
3802 Spectrum Blvd., Suite 201
Tampa, FL 33612

813-396-2700

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Florida SBDC Network

The Florida SBDC at the University of South Florida is a member of the Florida SBDC Network, a statewide partnership program nationally accredited by the Association of America’s SBDCs and funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Department of Defense, State of Florida, and other private and public partners, with the University of West Florida serving as the network’s headquarters. Full funding disclosure available at www.floridasbdc.org/funding-disclosures/. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for individuals with limited English proficiency.

All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA or other funding partners.

Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities and/or limited English proficiency will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. To request accommodation or language assistance, please contact Nelson Reyes, nreyes@usf.edu, 813.396.2700.

Logos

Business Assistance

USFMuma

State Designated as Florida’s Principal Provider of Business Assistance [§ 288.01, Fla. Stat.]

© Florida SBDC at USF | contact webmaster
Link to: Five Options for Financing a Government Contract Link to: Five Options for Financing a Government Contract Five Options for Financing a Government Contract Link to: Registering in System for Award Management (SAM) and DSBS Link to: Registering in System for Award Management (SAM) and DSBS Registering in system for award managementRegistering in System for Award Management (SAM) and DSBS
Scroll to top Scroll to top Scroll to top
  • Get Answers