Amtower Off-Center

This week on Amtower Off Center, host Mark Amtower is joined by Judy Bradt, CEO of Summit Insight for a wide-ranging discussion on GovCon market conditions, especially those impacting smaller contractors.

Topics discussed include:

• What to do to address the pending size standard changes for small business
• The value of creating an enduring (competitive) advantage, and why that advantage will need to morph as the market changes
• How BD needs to morph and some of the tools it can use
• The power of engagement and building relationships with customers
• The role of thought leadership
• The power of LinkedIn as part of your strategy

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This week on Amtower Off Center, host Mark Amtower is joined by Sharon Heaton, founder and CEO of SB LiftOff, an M&A firm specializing in small government contractors ($10M-$100M).

Topics include:

• A brief discussion of Sharon's book: "Lift Off: 12 Things to Know Before Selling Your Business"
• A deep dive into the proposed SBA size standards
• Elements of a successful transaction
• Is your company really sellable?
• Owner expectations on valuation

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This week on Amtower Off Center, host Mark Amtower is joined by Brenda Crist of Lohfeld Consulting to discuss the new Lohfeld "Insight" book: From Prompts to Proposals: An AI Maturity Model.

Topics include:

• What AI can do vs what humans should do
• Tactical ways to apply AI in proposal development
• Using AI to improve win strategy
• Security guardrails
• Where the greatest ROI from AI comes from

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This week on Amtower Off Center, host Mark Amtower is joined by Neil McDonnell, founder and president of the GovCon Chamber of Commerce, a small contractor SME and advisor.

Topics addressed include:

• Why subcontracting should precede prime contracting for small contractors until they reach a certain income level
• The value of strategic relationships in GovCon
• Why Neil only works Fed, not SLED, and why he encourages newbies and small contractors to focus on a single point of entry (office or operating division)
• The value of LinkedIn for sharing info, building relationships and getting on the radar

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This week on Amtower Off Center, host Mark Amtower is joined by Ross Wilkers, senior staff Reporter for Washington Technology. They discuss the recently released WT Top 100 contractors.

Topics include:

• 11 new companies made the list for 2026
• Many were heavily focused on defense and law enforcement
• The outlier was first timer Lancer Information Solutions, an SDVOSB focused 100% on civilian agencies
• One woman-led company, Intuitive Research and Technology Corp came in at #81
• Despite the OneGov initiative, the VAR/VAD community was well represented with Carahsoft at #25, ThunderCat at #43, DLT at #87 and CDW-G at #90. 
• Wilker's article on SBAs Small Biz scorecard.

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This week on Amtower Off Center, host Mark Amtower is joined by Shauna Weatherly, president of FedSubK and a former federal acquisition professional.

Topics discussed include:

• The current market climate, especially issues impacting small contractors
• The problems facing companies with various set-aside status
• Focusing on emphasizing your core capabilities, not yout set-aside status
• Compliance issues like the CMMC approaching deadline
• Growth strategies for small contractors
• The power of storytelling and social media

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This week on Amtower Off Center, host Mark Amtower interviews Kevin Plexico, executive vice president of Deltek. The interview focuses on Deltek's 17th annual Clarity study which covers a multitude of issues in the government contracting arena. 

Issues discussed include:

• The impact of AI across the GovCon community and the investments contractors are making in AI
• The overall impact of DOGE, especially on small contractors
• Adapting to the new procurement regulations and the flexibility for contracting officers
• Diversification as a growth strategy
• Top issues for BD professionals

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This week on Amtower Off Center, host Mark Amtower interviews Katie Helwig, self-proclaimed OASIS+ nerd and founder/president of Mild Red LLC.

The discussion focuses on the multiple changes on the proposal and bidding side of the market. 

Topics include

• LPTA and HTRO methods of procurement, where each fits and why/when you need one of the other
• Understanding that you need to influence before the RFQ goes out
• The need for differentiated visibility, defining your area of expertise in terms that resonate with the customer
• Operating in an environment with 40% fewer contracting officers and why that makes visibility, being known, more important

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For the first show of year 19 for Amtower Off Center, host Mark Amtower is joined by Shauna Weatherly of FedSubK for a candid discussion about the small business environment in GovCon.

Topics include:

• 8(a) audits and the materials required by SBA, which resulted in the initial suspension of 1,000 companies
• Reduction of the percentage for set-asides, especially SD Bs
• Some tactics for small contractor survival
• A quick update on the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul

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This week on Amtower Off Center, host Mark Amtower is joined by Karl Feldman, managing partner of Hinge Marketing, to discuss the findings of the annual Hinge High Growth Study.

Topics discussed include tactics used by high growth companies such as:

• Research to determine best marketing & BD tools and tactics
• Conferences and other live networking venues
• The role of social networking and LinkedIn
• Developing SMEs and thought leadership
• Why smaller firms need to pay attention to marketing metrics

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