Accounts, CAGE, and SAM.gov Setup
Before you can play the game you need credentials: a legal entity, a DUNS/UEI, a CAGE code, and an active SAM.gov registration. This feels like overhead, but it is really your ticket to the arena.
Your LLC should be clean and boring: clear ownership, clear NAICS codes, a professional address, and a bank account dedicated to the business. Imagine a contracting officer glancing at your record—does it look like a real, stable company?
Once SAM is active and DIBBS access is set up, take screenshots of every screen and annotate them. This becomes your internal onboarding guide for future assistants, partners, or VAs.
Mermaid Block — Business Workflow
graph TD
Scan[Scan DIBBS RFQs] --> Filter[Apply Niche Filters]
Filter --> Analyze[Analyze History & Competition]
Analyze --> Decide[Bid / No Bid]
Decide --> Exec[Execute Award]
Exec --> Learn[Capture Lessons & Metrics]
Mermaid Block — Interaction Sequence
sequenceDiagram
participant You as You / LLC
participant DLA as DLA / DIBBS
participant Supp as Supplier / Shop
You->>DLA: Submit Quote (Ch 2)
DLA-->>You: Award / No Award
You->>Supp: Place PO
Supp-->>You: Deliver Parts
You->>DLA: Ship + Invoice
Action List
- Write down one concrete experiment you will run related to this chapter.
- Identify which RFQs, suppliers, or tools you need to test the idea.
- Define a small success metric: a quote submitted, a new supplier found, a script written.
- Schedule a review to capture lessons learned and update your playbook.