Government contracting is explicitly not a get-rich-quick path, and no one can promise when your first win will come — the program is not legally allowed to predict it. Timing depends on what agencies in your area actually need, your industry, and how prepared and compliant you are.
A few realistic expectations:
Registration comes first. You cannot bid at all until you are in the systems, so being registered and bidding is the critical first milestone.
After your SAM registration completes, be patient. Awards do not come instantly just because you are registered; the period after registration is for consistent bidding, positioning, and relationship building.
Even after an award, start dates and payment can take months, so keep your existing business running rather than depending on contracting for your bills early on.
Give the process at least a full fiscal cycle before judging results.
The upside: once you deliver reliably, contracting officers prefer returning to known vendors rather than running new competitions, especially for smaller purchases.