Get the GovClose Certification: https://www.govclose.com/sales-certification

Our students learn the government contracting skills to :

1. Start their own consulting business that can earn up to $400k as a "solopreneur" advising businesses that sell to the government.

2. Land high paying sales executive jobs with companies in the public sector.

3. Increase government contracting revenue for companies selling to the US government.

How can veterans turn military experience into a six-figure career or a business generating $35,000 a month? Government contracting offers three different paths to explore, whether you're leaving the military, already retired, or looking for another source of income.

In this video, you'll learn how your military background can help companies win government contracts, why some paths generate revenue faster than others, and how to choose between income potential, independence, and a steady paycheck.

We discuss earnings examples, high-paying federal sales jobs, and the approximately $3.1 million in average annual federal contract revenue per small business receiving prime awards in FY2025.

You'll also learn how to use veteran networking to find clients, career opportunities, and mentors, and why Sources Sought notices and service-disabled veteran-owned small business opportunities matter. Hal Fischer, author of The Connected Veteran, shares practical ways to build those relationships. Real veterans share how they've put these paths to work.

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RESOURCES MENTIONED

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SAM.gov — https://sam.gov

USAspending.gov — https://www.usaspending.gov

GovClose — https://www.govclose.com

SBA FY2025 Small Business Contracting Results — https://legacy.sba.gov/article/2026/06/25/sba-releases-fy25-scorecard-small-business-contracting

The Connected Veteran — https://connectedveteran.com

Hal Fischer on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/halfischer

The Civvie — https://thecivvie.com

RFP Easy — https://www.rfpeasy.app

Alexandra Tati / Avechos — https://avechos.com

Alexandra on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandratati

Financial 9 Line by Gene Redding — https://www.abebooks.com/products/isbn/9798997680800

Jobs & Full Job Descriptions:

Crossing Hurdles — Client Executive (Former Military Officer), Remote — https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/4485702361/

Verily — Account Executive, DoW, Remote — https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=d45f1ffbe0d0738e

LinkedIn: Account Executive Defense Jobs — https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/search/?keywords=account%20executive%20defense&f_SAL=f_SA_id_226001%3A272015

Indeed: Account Executive, Military Jobs — https://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=account+executive%2C+military&l=United+States

#veteransday #veterans

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ABOUT RICK HOWARD

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Rick Howard is a retired USAF Lieutenant Colonel and former DoD acquisitions officer who managed over $82 billion in federal contracts. He is the founder of GovClose and the DoD Contract Academy, with 400+ graduates working as government contract consultants, federal account executives, and business owners winning federal contracts.

Rick Howard expresses his opinions as a former government contracting officer and presents public data on government contracts that he analyzes. GovClose makes no guarantees whatsoever about federal spending data or government contracts.

Government contracting data changes constantly, and we make no claims of perfection when presenting data. All data can be looked at from different angles, and it is up to the viewer to do their own research, their own data analysis, and decide if government contracting is for them.

Disclaimer: This video reflects Rick Howard's personal opinions and independent analysis of publicly available government data. It does not represent an official position, endorsement, or statement of the U.S. Air Force or the Department of Defense.

Get the GovClose Certification: https://www.govclose.com/sales-certificationOur students learn the government contracting skills to :1. Start their own consulting business that can earn up to $400k as a "solopreneur" advising businesses that sell to the government.2. Land high paying sales executive jobs with companies in the public sector.3. Increase government contracting revenue for companies selling to the US government.Watch Next: More ways to find AI government contracting opportunities: https://youtu.be/nkeswSR54gsCould one of these five AI businesses be your path to a million-dollar government contract? The October 2026 research in this video covers 84 reported AI-related contract awards. Small businesses won 40 of those awards, representing approximately $80 million in obligated funding.But winning AI government contracts takes more than having a great product or submitting proposals. You need to understand which problems agencies are paying to solve, who buys what you sell, and how to position your business before the solicitation comes out.In this video, you'll discover five AI business opportunities backed by real federal contract awards, see how much small businesses are winning, and learn a four-step process for pursuing government contracts. You'll learn how to research awards on USAspending.gov, identify government buyers, find AI contract opportunities on SAM.gov, and recognize potential barriers such as contract vehicles and set-aside requirements. You'll also follow a real Sources Sought example to see how to respond with relevant capabilities and past performance, pursue meetings with government buyers, and compete before the RFP is released. Whether you're starting an AI business or growing an established company, these steps will help you identify opportunities worth pursuing.––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––RESOURCES MENTIONED––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––SAM.gov — https://sam.govUSAspending.gov — https://www.usaspending.govGovClose — https://www.govclose.comSBIR.gov — https://www.sbir.govDefense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (DSIP) — https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/submissions/loginCarahsoft — https://www.carahsoft.comDVIDS — https://www.dvidshub.netB-roll credit: Publicly available, public-domain footage sourced from DVIDS featuring military personnel and businesses supporting the military. Use of this footage does not imply U.S. government endorsement.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––ABOUT RICK HOWARD––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Rick Howard is a retired USAF Lieutenant Colonel and former DoD acquisitions officer who managed over $82 billion in federal contracts. He is the founder of GovClose and the DoD Contract Academy, with 400+ graduates working as government contract consultants, federal account executives, and business owners winning federal contracts.Rick Howard expresses his opinions as a former government contracting officer and presents public data on government contracts that he analyzes. GovClose makes no guarantees whatsoever about federal spending data or government contracts.Government contracting data changes constantly, and we make no claims of perfection when presenting data. All data can be looked at from different angles, and it is up to the viewer to do their own research, their own data analysis, and decide if government contracting is for them.Disclaimer: This video reflects Rick Howard's personal opinions and independent analysis of publicly available government data. It does not represent an official position, endorsement, or statement of the U.S. Air Force or the Department of Defense.

Can you build a million-dollar business providing laundry and dry cleaning services to the US government?

Get the GovClose Certification: https://www.govclose.com/sales-certificationOur students learn the government contracting skills to :1. Start their own consulting business that can earn up to $400k as a "solopreneur" advising businesses that sell to the government.2. Land high paying sales executive jobs with companies in the public sector.3. Increase government contracting revenue for companies selling to the US government.

The federal spending data reviewed in this video shows $152.7 million in fiscal year 2025 obligations for these services. In this analysis, the top 10% of businesses averaged approximately $2.6 million in annual federal contract obligations—a monthly equivalent of more than $222,000. But the gap between the top contractors and everyone else is enormous. Choosing the right niche, finding the agencies buying your services, and knowing how to approach an opportunity can make a difference. service you probably wouldn't expect.In this video, you'll discover 5 government contracting business niches within laundry and dry cleaning, from options an existing local business could pursue to specialized services requiring advanced capabilities. You'll learn how to research federal spending on USAspending.gov, identify agencies awarding contracts to small businesses, and find opportunities on SAM.gov using industry codes. You'll also see an overlooked step in the sales process that can help you get ahead of competitors before bidding begins, plus why building commercial experience matters before pursuing your first government contract.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––RESOURCES MENTIONED––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––SAM.gov — https://sam.govUSAspending.gov — https://www.usaspending.govGovClose — https://www.govclose.comU.S. Census Bureau (NAICS Codes) — https://www.census.govMilitary Footage: https://www.dvidshub.net––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––ABOUT RICK HOWARD––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Rick Howard is a retired USAF Lieutenant Colonel and former DoD acquisitions officer who managed over $82 billion in federal contracts. He is the founder of GovClose and the DoD Contract Academy, with 400+ graduates working as government contract consultants, federal account executives, and business owners winning federal contracts.Rick Howard expresses his opinions as a former government contracting officer and presents public data on government contracts that he analyzes. GovClose makes no guarantees whatsoever about federal spending data or government contracts.Government contracting data changes constantly, and we make no claims of perfection when presenting data. All data can be looked at from different angles, and it is up to the viewer to do their own research, their own data analysis, and decide if government contracting is for them.Disclaimer: This video reflects Rick Howard's personal opinions and independent analysis of publicly available government data. It does not represent an official position, endorsement, or statement of the U.S. Air Force or the Department of Defense.