Inadequate resources, poor market strategy, competition, contract regulation, and disparate performance outcomes are issues small business owners face while competing for government contracts. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the market orientation-business performance relationship and the influence of market factors among veteran-owned small businesses competing for government contracts in the United States. A survey with adapted MARKOR and Government Regulation Lassez-Faire scales was administered to 203 veteran-owned small business owners. Resource-advantage theory served as the theoretical foundation for this study. The results of the multiple linear regression were significant, suggesting that market orientation relates to firm performance and total contract revenue. However, the regression models had a poor fit, with R-² values ranging from .019 to .094, suggesting that significant results of this study lacked the power to conclude predictive accuracy. Market orientation did not significantly relate to contract bid to win rate and number of years in the government market. The PROCESS moderation analysis provided mixed results for market factors' influence on the market orientation relationship with business performance outcomes. Study participants were market-oriented, with few seeing corresponding success. The introduction of new variables is necessary to make future models useful. Implications for positive social change include guidance for better-fitting models, ones that will inform the efforts to improve the survivability of small businesses in the B2G market. Veteran-owned small business owners should not waste resources on market orientation as a sole strategic focus for capturing and winning government contracts.