Tag Archives: Gloria Larkin

Thank You, Live Oak Bank & GMU!

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I am back in Kansas after a whirlwind trip to Washington, DC where I was part of a fantastic governing contracting event sponsored by Live Oak Bank and George Mason  University.  My panel focused on the legal and practical issues that companies face when they grow out of their small business size standards–an important topic that doesn’t get nearly as much attention as it should.

Many thanks to Jackie Robinson-Burnette, Erin Andrew, Tess Mackey, Jerry McGinn and everyone else who planned and coordinated this event.  Thanks also to my fellow panelists, Gloria Larkin and Rosetta Rodwell–and to everyone who asked questions and stuck around afterwards to chat–for a great discussion about government contracts. And a big thank you to the chefs at Ray’s the Steaks, where I had dinner for the first time in about six years.  Tasty as ever!

Next on my travel agenda: New Orleans, where I’ll be attending the 2018 National Veterans Small Business Engagement and SAME Small Business Conference.  Hope to see you there!

GovCon Voices: What the Government Wants, What It Really Really Wants

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According to USASpending.gov, the government spent $472,158,562,285 last year through contracting for services and products with large and small companies nationwide. This was a $34 billion increase over the previous year, and 2017 is anticipating another increase, especially in Department of Defense spending. None of the noted totals include entitlements, grants or non-contract obligations.

The real questions most contractors ask are what does the government really want, and how does it decide who wins what contract?

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