By Joyce Bosc Small businesses with big aspirations often look to government for sales opportunities, but the size of that government-sales undertaking can be overwhelming. Yes, smaller jobs may be sold to government through a simple purchase order, but true success in getting government business takes more. To become established as a trusted government contractor, your company must be prepared for a resource-intensive process that might take as long as two years. The commitment is big, but the successes can be even bigger. There are no real shortcuts to becoming a government contractor. However, an understanding of available government support services and tools can make navigating the process simpler and more efficient. An emerging type of service provider for aspiring contractors is the business development consultant. Often retired from government or from established contracting firms, many consultants offer proposal writing, training and capture management planning to anticipate government sales needs...