If you’re a corporate owner of a racial or gender minority, then you can use your position to take advantage of the Federal Acquisitions Streamlining Act of 1994. 

 This means every federal agency has to give at least 5% of its contracts to women-owned firms.  That’s 5% of $200 billion a year, or $10 billion.  If you’re female, in a racial minority, or disabled, you qualify for Small Disadvantaged Business (SBD) status and can you can compete for contracts without having to bid as competitively.

 You’ll have the advantage of the status that incorporation brings with it and you can align yourself with the federal government or state agency. 

Civilian companies, such as Coco-Cola, Texas Instruments, IBM, and even Wal-Mart also have outreach programs that find minority and women-owned companies to do business with.