Not many government contractors would attempt to build a house by themselves.  The skills required for plumbing, electrical work, and even preparing a lot so that the house doesn’t flood all required specialized talents.  Few individuals possess all of the required skills themselves. Yet, these same people will frequently enter the government market with a do-it-yourself approach that offers little chance for sustainable success.  It can be difficult to succeed in the federal market even with a good strategic plan and the allocation of necessary resources.  Developing a market presence, developing useful partnerships with other companies, and building trust in solutions that other federal agencies haven’t used are all daunting tasks, but ones that are essential to laying a foundation for long-term success.  These tasks frequently require resources and expertise.  If companies don’t have this expertise, they must consider working with those that do.  This is especially true when competing against companies that have made the necessary investments.  It’s very difficult to get a meeting with a federal prospect if no one knows who you are, but they’ve heard about your competitor.   These just aren’t our views.  Successful federal contractor executives we’ve spoken with over the years all say the same thing:  Growing federal business is not a “go it alone” exercise.  Few companies can succeed on a shoe-string budget with only one foot in the federal market.  Committing to the market means committing the resources required to grow.  No one would start their weekend projects without being prepared with the necessary tools and plans.  New federal contractors should follow this example and be prepared to invest time and resources accordingly.