Our Federal Government is a wonderful customer. They pay their bills, focus on small businesses requirements and fund research and development for all sorts of projects. So much more could be said, sometimes there are challenges though.

Whether you wear red or blue, follow politics or not, you should be aware of the potential work stoppage looming. As a reminder for those uninitiated, the Executive Branch is authorized by Congress to spend money every 12 months. That approval runs out at midnight on 30 September.

If you have fulfillment contracts (PRODUCTS or SERVICES), you need to pay attention to your contracting funding levels and communicate proactively with your Contracting Officers. Your contract may not be affected at all or you may have your contract employees put on hold.

In years past, Congress may pass Continuing Resolutions (CRs) or complete and approve a full budget. The real implication here is if the government does shutdown, you may not have access to your work locations. Depending on the details of your contract, if your employees are not able to access work locations, you may not be allowed to invoice.

Also note, depending on your specific contract details, if your employees are put on hold, they may NOT receive back pay for the shut down time. Be prepared and keep your employees informed. Recommend staying as proactive as possible when communicating with your Contract Officers, End Users and Employees.