If you are a small business that has met with a Procurement Technical Assistance Center consultant to determine whether federal contracting may be right for the business and you have identified some potential contracts to pursue, it is time to put your best foot forward to get in the door.

Goals, goals, goals — we all have them, but did your company hit them last year?

Treasure Coast Business Magazine has consulted the experts and compiled some tips for making your business stronger in 2020, some big moves and some small.

Are you looking to finance a commercial real estate or industrial equipment purchase for your growing small business? If so, a specific type of SBA loan may be right for you.

While small businesses may have been discouraged by the recent government shutdown, you should know that the federal government is the largest buyer in the U.S., spending billions of dollars annually on products and services in construction, R&D, manufacturing, logistics, IT and other industries. Federal agencies also have prime contracting goals for small businesses and set-asides in a variety of categories, such as for women-owned, minority-owned or veteran-owned small businesses.

In Florida, 60,000 Florida companies are exporting $55 billion in goods and services overseas. Small businesses account for 66 percent of all those exports. The exporting process may seem daunting but if you have a product or service with a proven track record in the domestic market, you may be already planning on international expansion.

Researching your market thoroughly is time well spent, and databases can open up a world of information.

The financial statements of the organization are the written record of its operations and its history. The statements can be used as a basis for the planning of its future. Your organization’s financial literacy can be thought of as its ability to “read and understand” the critical financial statements of the organization.

It’s a growing problem: Small businesses are getting in over their heads with debt, often brought on by the use of online lenders that typically charge higher rates and can require shorter payback periods than banks and other alternatives.

Think your business is too small for “HR” processes? Think again. It’s understandable that your growing small business is sharply focused on accelerating sales, managing cash flow and, of course, serving your customers. But with growth comes the need to hire, and with that comes the burden of complying with complex federal, state and local employment laws.