Happy (almost) new year!  Take a deep breath and realize that the reward for a good FY’22 is the opportunity to make an even better FY’23.  A key part of that is ensuring that networking and market knowledge remain current.   While there may not ever be a “preseason” in government business, this is the best time of year to get the foundational experience and knowledge needed to ensure continued success.  Every association or other major organization has a conference or show this fall.  Most are focused on specific areas, such as the Army Association of the USA (AUSA) convention or the ACT-IAC event for the federal information technology community.  Find at least two events that make the most sense for your business activities and attend.  Choose events not only for their training content.  Almost all events are in-person this year, giving many contractors their first opportunity to network on a broad scale in over two years.  Whether connecting or reconnecting, relationship development remains a key to federal business success.  Companies shouldn’t neglect internal training, either.  Required training on topics such as gift giving, ethics, and basic compliance requirements is an established best practice.  As we’ve said before, these steps don’t always prevent bad things from happening, but they can mitigate the most negative outcomes by showing that your company is serious about being a good business partner.  Keep records of each training agenda and the attendance for each session.  Importantly, ensure that sales officials are included, not just the “choir” of contract management and compliance officials.  Staying ahead of trends and continuing good business hygiene practices will help ensure that your company remains competitive.  The Virgin Islands are better in January, anyway.