April, 2024 - ThomasRooney.Com

Diagram illustrating three pressures on Federal small business contracting: budget execution (leadership), mission delivery (program managers), and compliance with small business goals—highlighting hidden challenges in federal contracts.

Federal Small Business Contracting Now: Hidden Challenges

If you follow federal small business contracting news, the past few weeks have produced several developments aimed at strengthening small-business participation. The government is tightening oversight of the 8(a) Business Development Program, emphasizing competition over sole-source awards, and encouraging greater participation by veteran-owned businesses. On paper, those changes make sense. They...

Federal Small Business Contracting Now: Hidden Challenges

Two people in business suits shake hands in an office setting, taking a clear approach to business with a cityscape visible through the window in the background.

Business and Politics: Make Your Approach Clear

Ah, business and politics can be a rollercoaster ride for many companies. A few years ago, many companies spoke confidently about values. You saw it in annual reports, hiring initiatives, leadership statements, and public messaging. Diversity, equity,...

A group of professionally dressed business people stand in a hallway, smiling and extending their arms in a welcoming gesture toward two individuals entering, reflecting a spirit of teaming and collaboration.

Government Contracting Teaming: It's Helpful To All Involved

There’s a persistent belief in government contracting that teaming exists mainly as a box‑checking exercise — a way for large companies to satisfy small business requirements without meaningfully changing how they operate. That belief is understandable....

A man in a suit stands at a podium on a stage. Large text on the wall next to him reads, "I promise," highlighting his commitment to transparent procurement and honoring contracts.

Contracts as Promises: Secrets of Procurement

Most people think government contracts exist to buy things.In reality, contracts as promises explain government buying far better than procurement manuals ever will. A government contract is rarely just a transaction. It’s a public signal — a visible...

Business and Politics: Can Be A Risky Blend On Bottom Line

Scroll through LinkedIn long enough, and you’ll see it happen: the joining of business and politics. A thoughtful business post starts strong…Then it swerves into politics.Then the comments light up.And suddenly, whatever insight the post was supposed...

A row of empty desks with microphones is illuminated by overhead spotlights in a dimly lit conference or press room, setting the stage for some real Political Theater.

Theatrics on the Hill: Political Theater and Its Real Impact

Every so often, a news story stops being a story and turns into political theater. It doesn’t start with a breakthrough. It starts with timing. A document request here. A hearing announcement there. Then the cycle kicks in — headlines multiply, panels...

A man in a suit stands by a large window, looking out at a city skyline during sunset—a quiet moment of career reflection as city lights begin to twinkle in the distance.

December Career Reflection: What Happens Now?

Every year, December creates something rare in the working world—space. Projects slow down. Meetings get postponed. Performance reviews are either complete or pending. During this pause, many professionals find themselves in the middle of a December career...

Government Contracting: How to Prep Your Small Business

When you’re preparing your small business for government contracting, the first thing you learn is that details matter — sometimes more than the work itself. Before a prime contractor ever sees your capabilities, meets you on a call, or reads a proposal,...

A dining table set for a meal with plates, glassware, small pumpkins, and a large autumn-themed floral centerpiece offers a fresh take on Thanksgiving, all bathed in warm natural light.

A New Perspective This Thanksgiving

A new perspective is what I seek this Thanksgiving. Each year around this time, I slow down just a notch—not because life gets easier, but because Thanksgiving quietly, insistently asks us to pause and look backward, inward, and around. This year, that...

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