BUSINESS  -  5 MIN READ

The Boring Business Most People Don't Even Know Exists.

We Had No Idea What We Were Doing. But Still Made $20,000 From Our First Contract.

 By Sarah Hayes - US Government Contractor
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML
Matt found it at 11pm on a Tuesday, watching YouTube.

We both worked full time. Between Matt's business and my job, we kept busy and paid the bills. But there was always that feeling, like we were stuck on a hamster wheel, that we were one bad month away from disaster, or maybe even one good idea away from a completely different life. We just hadn't found that idea yet.

That night, while I was already asleep, Matt saw a video about government contracting come up in his feed.

He almost scrolled past it, because it sounded, well, really boring. But something made him watch it.

An hour later he was still awake, and by morning he couldn't wait to show me.

"Sarah, you need to see this."

He showed me a list of open contracts on a free, public government website called SAM.gov. There were thousands of them. Contracts for landscaping, office supplies, IT services, consulting, logistics.
 If you go to SAM.gov right now and type in basic keywords like "janitorial", "landscaping", or "snow removal", you will see the scale of this. In fact, a recent search returned 948,544 open contracts. Almost a million opportunities, right there in plain sight. Every single one of them needs a supplier.
But that wasn't the crazy part. The crazy part was the law attached to them. 

By law, written into the Small Business Act, a massive percentage of these contracts must be awarded to small businesses.

Every year, the US Government spends $682 Billion on goods and services. And they are legally required to give a protected slice of that pie to everyday small business owners.

Then he showed me videos from other people who had already figured this out. Everyday people, just like us.

We spent that entire weekend going down the rabbit hole. We couldn't believe what we were looking at. Billions of dollars in open contracts, small businesses legally entitled to bid, and nobody we knew even knew this existed.
"Wait," Matt said, looking at a contract for basic logistics. "Do you actually have to do the work yourself?"

That was the million-dollar question. We dug deeper. We read the regulations. We looked at how the big government contractors operate.

And we realized something that changed everything.

You don't have to do the work. The government does not care if you mow the lawn, deliver the supplies, or write the code yourself. They just care that the job gets done to their standard, on time, and on budget.

This is the core of what we now call the Middleman Method.

It works in four simple steps:
  • You find an open contract on SAM.gov that the government needs fulfilled.
  • ​You find a reliable subcontractor who can actually do the work.
  • ​You submit a proposal to the government, pricing the bid higher than what the subcontractor will charge you.
  • You win the contract, the subcontractor does the work, and you keep the margin in between.
No storefront. No inventory. No employees on day one. No prior experience required in the industry you are bidding on.

A lot of people ask: "Is this actually helping anyone, or are you just taking a cut?"

It is a fair question. Here is the honest answer.

The government posts thousands of contracts every single day on SAM.gov. Most of them never get filled. Not because the work isn't needed. Because the businesses that could do the work, the landscapers, the IT firms, the logistics companies, are too busy running their operations to spend time searching government databases and writing formal proposals.

The middleman solves that problem. You find the contract. You find the business that can do it. You put the two together. The government gets the work done. The subcontractor gets a job they wouldn't have found on their own. You get paid for making the connection.

That is not a loophole. That is exactly how the system was designed to work.
Here are a few real contracts from SAM.gov

This is the kind of work the government needs done every single day.
  • $1,180,000 — Annual Restriping Services, Gig Harbor, WA. (Painting parking lot lines.)
  • $75,000 — Indoor Range Cleaning, Cape Coral, FL. (Vacuum-based cleaning. The government provided the equipment.)
  • $145,600 — Supply of Potable Water, Fort Hunter Liggett CA.
  • $21,785 — Janitorial Services for a Federal Dispatch Center, Woodbridge, VA.
These are not special contracts. They are not won by large corporations with armies of lawyers. They are won by small, ordinary businesses.

Here's a screenshot of the Fort Hunter Liggett Water Supply contract.

Does This Actually Work For Regular People?

When we first started, we wondered the same thing. Was this only for business experts? What if you already had a full-time job? What if you were terrible at paperwork?

Then we saw who was actually winning these contracts.

Take the $145,000 bulk water contract at Fort Hunter Liggett in California. The Army needed potable water delivered and grey water removed from the base. The contract was awarded to Hermes Services LLC, a small California company. They are not a water company. They do not own water trucks. They are a middleman. They found the contract, found a company that could do the work, submitted a proposal, and won. The government paid them $145,000. 

Here's another one for Janitorial Services at Beaver Lake, in Arkansas for $155,000. Won by an LLC based in Florida.
There are thousands of examples, contracts getting awarded every single day.

We started testing it. We registered an LLC, which took about a week. Then we registered on SAM.gov. We found some contracts that looked manageable and started bidding.

We did not win the first one. Or the second. Or the third. We bid on five contracts before we won anything. Each one taught us something we did not know before.

Our first win was an IT support contract. Matt had contacts from his previous business who he knew could do the work. He approached them, got a quote, priced the bid above it, submitted the proposal, and won. 

The contract was for around $70,000. The subcontractor did the work for $50,000. We kept the $20,000 difference. We did not lift a finger to do the actual work.
Three and a half years later, we have now secured 24 contracts. 

We have taken every step, every rule, every process we use to find contracts, hire subcontractors, and keep the margin. And put it all into a 96-page plain-English playbook called Government Contracting Made Simple.

Inside the playbook, you will learn:

  • ​How to register your business correctly so you are eligible to bid on federal contracts.
  • ​How to navigate SAM.gov and find the most profitable middleman contracts.
  • ​The exact process we use to find and hire reliable subcontractors to do the work.
  • ​How to price your bids so you win the contract and keep a healthy profit margin.
Government Contracting Made Simple eBook
We are not asking for $1,000. We priced the entire 96-page playbook at just $9.95.

Why? Because we want to make this accessible to anyone who is willing to do the boring, unglamorous work required to build something real.
We've had a lot of great feedback from readers since we published this. Here's what people are saying...
"I have been searching for something like this for some time and this is exactly the right fit. What stood out to me is the simplicity of the Middleman Method. It looks very doable and I am excited for what's next."   Jennifer G., verified buyer
"The SAM.gov section is extremely informative. I am registered. The information was timely. Common sense things one doesn't think about. You don't know what you don't know."   Charlene F., Verified buyer
"This is by far the most comprehensible, practical course on government contracts."   Andre H., verified buyer
Who This Is Actually For

Before we go any further, let's be clear about who this works for. This is for the person who is tired of the 9 to 5 grind. The person who knows they are capable of more than their current job allows, but doesn't want to risk their life savings on a trendy internet business that might disappear tomorrow.

If you are looking for a get-rich-quick scheme, stop reading now. This takes effort, focus, and persistence. But if you are willing to learn the rules of the game, the US Government is the best client you will ever have.

If you have read this far, you already know this is different. You understand that real wealth is built by providing a necessary service in a massive, established market.

Every day you don't know this system exists is another day the government is handing out contracts to someone else. They are spending the money regardless. The only question is whether you are going to claim your share.


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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need any prior experience in government contracting?
No. The entire point of the Middleman Method is that you are the connector, not the expert. You don't need to know how to mow a lawn to manage a landscaping contract. You don't need to be an IT professional to manage an IT services contract. You find the subcontractor who has the expertise. You manage the relationship. The ebook walks you through how to do that from scratch.
How much time does this actually take?
Most people spend around 5 to 10 hours a week while they are learning the system, finding opportunities, and submitting their first proposals. Once you have your first contract running, the ongoing management is significantly lighter. This is not a passive income scheme that runs itself, but it is designed to be manageable alongside a full-time job or existing business.
What does it actually cost to get started beyond the $9.95?
SAM.gov registration is completely free. Business registration costs vary by state but is typically between $50 and $150 as a one-time fee. Beyond that, there are no required tools, software subscriptions, or ongoing costs to start bidding on contracts. The ebook covers every step of the setup process in plain English.
Is this legal?
Completely. The US Government's procurement system is specifically designed to work with prime contractors who use subcontractors to deliver the work. It is not a loophole. It is how the system was built to function. The government wants the job done. They don't care who does it, as long as it meets their standard.
Do I need to register a business or an LLC first?
Yes, and the ebook covers this step by step. You will need a registered business entity and a SAM.gov registration before you can bid on federal contracts. Both are straightforward processes and the ebook walks you through exactly what to do and in what order.
Do I need to be a US citizen to do this?
You do not need to be a US citizen to own a business that bids on US government contracts, but your business must be legally registered to operate in the United States, and you must obtain the proper identification numbers (like an EIN) to register on SAM.gov.
How long does it take to win a first contract?
It varies. Some people win their first contract within a few months. Others take longer. It depends on how many opportunities you bid on, how competitive your pricing is, and how well your proposals are written. The ebook gives you the tools to do all three well. What we can tell you is that the person who taught us took three years to figure it out on his own. We landed our first contract in a fraction of that time because we had a roadmap. Now you have the same roadmap.
Why is the ebook only $9.95?
Because we want as many people as possible to have access to this information. The government contracting opportunity is large enough that more participants don't meaningfully reduce anyone's chances. We priced it to be a no-brainer decision, not a significant financial commitment.
Can I do this if I currently work for the government or law enforcement?
Yes, you can, Private citizens who work in government roles can legally own private businesses and bid on contracts. Unless your particular position has special security implications, you should be good to go.
What if I buy it and it's not for me?
If you read the ebook and decide government contracting isn't the right fit for your situation, email us and we will refund your $9.95. No questions asked. We would rather you make the right decision for yourself than feel stuck with something that doesn't serve you.
Still reading? Here's the short version: the US Government spends $682 Billion every year on goods and services. By law, small businesses are entitled to a protected share of that budget. Most people don't know this exists. We wrote a 96-page guide explaining exactly how to claim your share, without doing the work yourself. It's $9.95. Click the button.
Please Note: Results mentioned are not typical. Government contracting involves effort, time, and no guarantee of income. This guide is for educational purposes only. Testimonials are from real customers and reflect their individual experiences. Your results may vary.
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