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SHIPLEY: PHASE 0

A 6-week guided program to set up your business backend, get your books in order, launch payroll, and package your services for commercial buyers — preparing you for Phase II: The SLED Gateway Program.

Logo with FEDCON under WHITE

Who This Is For:

Phase 0 is for founders and teams who are ready to operate like a real business — not just a side hustle.

By the end of this program, you'll be a prime FEDCON lead, with a compliant, functional operation and a clear path to Shipley Phase II

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If you have a:

LLC formed in the last 12 months.

growth icon

If you have:

No employees or revenue yet, but committed to growth.

back office icon

If you have:

Little or no back-office experience.

clean books

If you:

Want clean books, payroll, SOPs, and packaged services before going after SLED/Federal Work.

What You'll Get

Department of Homeland Security
$5,430,000
National Park Service
$875,000
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
$12,780,000
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
$2,150,000
Department of Veterans Affairs
$7,920,000
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
$3,600,000
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
$986,000
General Services Administration (GSA)
$18,240,000
Program Schedule — Shipley Method Connection: Phase 0
6 Weeks
Week Focus Area Session Title Outcomes
1 Entity Infrastructure “You Formed an LLC. Now What?” Understand legal obligations, open a business bank account, and prepare basic internal documentation.
2 Operations & SOPs “Running the Back Office” Build internal processes: document storage, email policies, SOP development, and basic task management tools.
3 Financial Hygiene “Getting Clean Books from Day One” Set up bookkeeping software, categorize expenses, track income, and prepare to work with a CPA or fractional CFO.
4 Payroll & HR Basics “Hiring Legally: W‑2s, 1099s, and Payroll 101” Understand when and how to hire, set up a payroll provider, classify workers properly, and stay compliant with DOL/SBA rules.
5 Commercial Readiness “Your First Dollar: Getting and Serving Clients” Learn how to pursue and deliver on basic commercial accounts, structure deliverables, and invoice professionally.
6 Positioning for Growth “Preparing to Scale: Certifications, Credit, and Capability Statements” Craft your business identity (logo, capability narrative, DSBS profile) and complete a readiness checklist for advanced federal work.

Resources Included: Phase 0 Toolkit

We'll also cover:

Pricing templates

How to run payroll

Writing SOPs

Basic business accounting

Quarterly tax requirements

Avoiding 1099 misclassification (critical compliance step)

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  • Are in your first year of business (brand-new LLC or recently formed)

  • Haven’t hired yet (or only use ad‑hoc contractors)

  • Want guidance on back‑office foundations: bookkeeping, payroll, SOPs, document management

  • Need help packaging and pricing services for commercial buyers

  • Plan to pursue SLED/federal later, but first need a legit operating company

  • Learn best with live instruction + weekly Q&A + checklists

You’ll graduate with:

  • Clean books, payroll ready, core SOPs, and a commercial‑ready offer

  • A readiness checklist that points you toward Phase II: The SLED Gateway Program