Clovia Hamilton's Blog: How To Plan Strategically To Market To Government Agencies

9/27/2010 Clovia Hamilton's Blog
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How to Plan Strategically to Market to Government Agencies

September 17, 2010 by cloviahamilton
The purpose of obtaining a Government Contracting Strategic Plan is to target your efforts to create interest in
your company. Like private industry buyers, government buyers buy from people they know like and trust.
Government buyers cannot buy from your company if they do not know that your firm exists. To gain visibility, it
is important to target your efforts rather than take a shotgun approach.
You can create interest in your company to increase sales by marketing your business with advertising,
promoting, publicizing, and engaging in public relations. A strategic marketing plan should outline what you will
do; where you will do it; what you will say; and how to match your marketing and messaging to the way your
customer already thinks and operates.
First, you should build the foundation of the Strategic Government Contracting Marketing Plan by asking
yourself:
1. What do you provide of value?

2. Who are your target government agencies?
3. What do your target care about and need?
4. Where do you find your targets?
5. Who influences your target?
6. How do your target agencies want to engage?
With respect to what you provide of value, ask yourself:

1. What do you want to sell to the government? What products? What services?
2. Next, look up your product and services codes in the classification systems used by government agencies.
Product and service codes can be found in the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS);
National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP); and Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) by
conducting key word searches.
With regard to who your targets will be, identify a few government agencies to target. You can start at home with
the city, county, and state your business is located in. Then venture out into other counties and the cities in those
counties in your region. Next, if you choose, you can expand into other regions in your state and eventually into
adjacent states.
A strategic marketing plan need not be complex. It can simply be a list of federal, state, county and city agencies
that need what you sell. You will need to identify the players in these agencies that you plan to contact by email,
mail and phone to request face to face meetings. Your list should include:
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1. Contracting Officers and Specialists
2. Contract Compliance Officers and Small Business Liaisons
3. Influencers such as End Users (Department Heads, Project Managers)
4. Influencers such as Elected Officials, Legislators
5. Winning Prime contractors
You can find these individuals by using Google Unclesam and conducting key word searches. Your goal will be
to find government agency websites. The contracting and small business staff may be in the contracting,
procurement, purchasing, or finance department web pages. You can also pick off contact information from bid
solicitations and contract award notices for work related to the products and services you sell. To find end users
and elected officials, you will need to venture onto their web pages.
Create a Contacts Relations Management (CRM) database. You can use Microsoft Excel or Access; or
purchase a more robust software program.
With regard to how your targets want to engage, you may be asked:
1. to submit information by email or fax;

2. to attend a Vendor Outreach Session or Trade Fair;
3. to present your capabilities before a panel of agency representatives.
The key is to have a strategy so as to not waste your precious, valuable time and energy. You need to be
organized and prepared.
Have the following marketing items at hand:
1. Website
2. Capability Statement
3. Trifold Brochures
4. Business Cards
5. Promotional Items (eg Calendars, Pens, Envelope Opener)
When you meet with government buyers and influences, ask “Do you have any requirements that are a good fit
with what my company sells?” and “What are your needs?” Deflate the focus on how great you are, and shift the
focus on how you can help the players achieve their goals.
Marketing will grow your business! So, NEVER, NEVER stop marketing!!
By Clovia Hamilton, President, Lemongrass Consulting, Inc., www.lemongrassplanning.com

(@lemongrassplans)
Clovia founded Lemongrass Consulting in 2005 with 25 years of government work experience and serves as a
procurement counselor in the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC). Lemongrass Consulting
provides strategic planning solutions including government contracting strategic marketing plans.
Tags: Lemongrass Consulting, strategic planning, government contracting, small business, lemongrassplans,
marketing, Clovia Hamilton
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
Go Solo or No Go Solo?
September 7, 2010 by cloviahamilton
I am not sure if I am a serial entrepreneur. I have had three businesses. Years ago I teamed with a partner to sew
clothes. When I launched my strategic planning firm and law office in 2005, I grappled with whether or not to
partner again. I met with 3 or 4 people and decided to go solo after I realized that I would be the one doing most
of the work. My sewing partner worked hard, but we had a lousy business model. We really needed to let go of
our love for sewing and focus on marketing and sales. We should have hired seamstresses. With labor intensive
work, you will burn out fast.
Whether you go solo or make the “no go solo” decision, it is best to get as many hands on deck as you can
afford. I counsel and network with a lot of small businesses and they all struggle with where to find funds to hire
professional help. Well, you have to play the hand you are dealt. Try family, friends, neighbors, retirees,
commission only professionals, and student interns. In order to guard your cash flow, try to get folks to agree to
work with you with the understanding that they will get paid when you get paid.
Also, whether you decide to go solo or not, be sure to target your marketing effort. Although it is certainly fine to
respond to any opportunity, in order to get the most “bang for your bucks” in terms of time, you need to target.
Decide whether you will target men or women; people of certain color or cultural backgrounds; people within
certain geographic locations; people that are engaged in business in certain industries; and businesses that are at a
certain success level so as to not waste your time.
A friend recently told me that she enjoys the INC 5000 list of firms for prospecting. I have found that business
trade journals and magazines are good sources for prospects. With respect to B2B sales, I have also found that I
have more success in certain technology industries with businesses that are no longer startup but not quite midsize
– still small.
No matter if you go solo or not, you need to be tech savvy beyond the bare minimum – or hire someone who is.
Years ago, my son set up my social media sites and turned them over to me. Using Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin,
and Constant Contact was outside of my comfort zone, so I did not use them. The accounts just sat there
stagnant. When my son went to college in combination with the down economy, I had to increase my networking
in an affordable way. So, I had to learn. Social media marketing is great because you really can do it as a solo
operation if you are organized and have a strategy. My strategy is to micro blog daily, blog weekly, and send out
newsletters monthly. I chose a consistent theme targeted toward the importance of strategic planning. That’s my
routine. With patience and consistency, it has been easy to build a great support network.
If I had to make a choice between “going solo” or “not going solo” in a startup, I would choose to not go solo. I
would be the solo leader that I am. But, I would be sure to have a team helping me from day one. The rationale
is plain and simple. You can get a lot more done with a team than you can alone.
For women owned small businesses, and in particular single moms, it may be difficult to let go of doing the
creative work. It is very hard to wear the marketing hat, sales hat, and be the labor. Put plain and simple, you
can expand a lot faster if you delegate this work. Get as many hands on deck as possible. It is best to do this
before hanging your shingle because once you are well on your way, it is harder to stop and look for help.
Without the discipline to really manage your time, you may find yourself delegating the search and hire to
someone else.
I watched the all day marathon of the show Hoarders and was awe struck by hard difficult it was for these
people to let go. But, a similar strong hold can be found in many small business owners that really need to begin
to find help, delegate and let go.
Tags: small business, solo entrepreneur, start up

HBCU Host Communities Should Outsource More

August 29, 2010 by cloviahamilton
The past few weeks have been exciting. My mom was born and raised in Tuskegee, Alabama. I still have family
there. In December 2009, I helped the City of Tuskegee and Tuskegee University with a forum to discuss the
revitalization of the City of Tuskegee. We all agreed that a revitalized Tuskegee would improve the local
economy and increase the University’s ability to recruit and retain high quality students and faculty members.
Unfortunately, many Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are located in host communities
which suffer from blight and economic depression.
Tuskegee’s Mayor Omar Neal and other locally based participants gave a vision for a revitalized City of
Tuskegee. The vision focused on education, health care, public safety, and job creation. Some of the specific
actions included developing the I-85 interchanges, improving the industrial park, rehabilitating downtown,
implementing a tourism plan, and increasing restaurant and retail options. All local presenters agreed that the
vision should be completed in a strategically planned manner.
Following the local vision presentations, various representatives from state and federal government gave their
reactions to the local vision along with thoughts about potential participation by their agencies. Private sector and
philanthropic entities gave their response to the vision and potential resource assistance as well. These responses
exemplified the need to develop a broad-based coalition to conduct this revitalization effort.
This year, there will be further discussions during the Booker T. Washington Summit in the City of Tuskegee. We
have offered to help with:
Promotion to State and Federal Agencies
Grant writing
Small Business Seminars
Meeting Facilitation
I also work as a small business counselor at the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC) in
Albany, Georgia which is home to the HBCU Albany State University. Over the past few weeks, Georgia Tech
has been working with the City of Albany’s Economic Development Department on a proposition to manage its
Small Business Program. Georgia Tech’s Research Corporation won the contract award and will provide the
following key services:
Create and maintain a comprehensive electronic database of Albany-area businesses
Provide reports
Develop training and technical assistance
Assist the City of Albany to create an electronic database of all upcoming and awarded contract opportunities,
tailored to the interests and capabilities of each business, so they may be manipulated electronically for
notification to relevant Albany-area businesses.
Will participate in local pre-bid and pre-proposal conferences, and will conduct training workshops for SBP
program participants on how to prepare for, attend, and follow-up on such conferences
Create and process Albany Small Business Enterprise (ASBE) certifications
The common denominator is outsourcing. Outsourcing work to consultants is ideal because it is cheaper than
acquiring expertise by hiring full time equivalents and investing in training, health benefits, and retirement benefits.
Outsourcing to consultants is not new for most small towns. Several small towns use consultants for site plan
reviews, construction inspections, code compliance, strategic planning, grant writing, and information technology
services. Sometimes small towns have difficulty finding professional consultants that are willing to work within the
small town’s small budgets. However, the key is to partner small businesses and other universities that can do the
work for less and keep services affordable.
Tags: economic development, HBCU, job creation, outsourcing, rural communities, rural town, small business,
small town
How to put your Business Plan into Actual Use

I wrote my own for my firm Lemongrass Consulting. I read books and figured out the sales forecast; and
financial expenses and revenue projections. When my firm became Small Business Administration (SBA) 8a
certified, I wrote our SBA Form 1010c Business Plan.
I am a strategic planner and AICP certified city planner. In the 1990s, I actually worked as a city planner
managing transportation improvement programs, capital improvement programs, and comprehensive
development plans. These are mega project oriented plans. I coordinated the City of Atlanta’s 1997
Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) and its accompanying Capital Improvement Program (CIP)
representing 400 projects valued at $3.6 Billion. I also managed the Georgia Department of Transportation
(GDOT) Transportation [Environmental] Enhancement Activities (TEA) program was 90 proposed projects
valued at $62 Million.
What I learned as a city planner is that plans can be extremely pie in the sky. They can be pretty elaborate wish
lists to appease political constituents. These types of plans rarely get implemented because there will never be
enough money to fund the proposed projects.
As a business owner, I learned that plans need to be much more realistic and broken down into doable action
items that result in real return on investment (ROI) and generate real revenue so that real paychecks can be
drawn.
Here are some tips:
(1) Your sales forecast is just that – a forecast. It is not carved in stone and will likely not match actual sales.
Start with reasonable assumptions and adjust as reality sets in. Your actual sales may be less. This is usually the
case. However, you may have great fortune and your actual sales may surpass your forecasted sales.
(2) If after regular, periodic, scheduled reviews, your actual sales are significantly lower than your forecasted,
desired sales, then you may want to reengineer your business model, get sales coaching help, or take some other
course of action to increase sales.
(3) Start ups should start with short term business plans which depicts your sales goals and anticipated expenses
in short quarterly increments of 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months.
(4) For the purpose of having a long term vision, create a 3 or 5 year vision with annual sales goals and
anticipated expenses.
(5) The business plan goals should be used to influence your operational decisions as you conduct business from
day to day.
Here is how No. 5 would work. You would simply put a summary of your business plan sales forecast and
anticipated budgeted expenses on your desk as a daily constant reminder of where to drive your ship. Take this
summary financial operating plan and gage your actual performance against it. For example, if you need to decide
whether or not to spend money to hire a staff person or consultant; or to order certain equipment or supplies,
then look over at your business plan first. Ask yourself whether the proposed expense is in alignment with your
plan. Ask yourself whether taking on this particular new consulting project or product sales order will catapult
you any closer to your sales and profit goals.
Some may argue that business plans should not be the focus of your operations. I beg to differ. I think the plan
needs to be right in front of you. In my opinion, it is akin to a simple daily “things to do” list. For example, on any
given day you may list out that you need to go to the post office, to the office supply store, to a few meetings,
send some emails, do some data entries, etc. This is your road map. If you were able to get it all done, you
would have a sense of accomplishment.
A business plan is no different. You look over at your business plan and you let it guide and drive your business
decisions so that you can achieve real results.
Another thing I learned as a city planner is that it is important to get buy-in. In order to decide whether or not to
include a project in a CDP and its accompanying CIP, city planning professionals hold public meetings to get
feedback. Business owners should also get input from individuals they may need buy-in from. Internally, they
should make sure the business leadership team has an opportunity to comment on budget and sales projections.
This may be a great way to get a dose of reality from differing perspectives. Externally, business owners can turn
to nonprofit organizations or other consultants that help small businesses and have dealt with bankers that loan to
small businesses.
Cash is Queen! If you are starting a business, you may want to save first. I heard and read two different schools
of thoughts when I first started years ago. Some advocate that you do not need money to get started and to
make money. That may prove true for some. But, I can tell you there are very real expenses if you want to go
about being in business the right, professional way: phone, fax, website hosting, graphics design, office supplies,
domain name registration, taxes. The taxes can crush you.
This leads us to the second school of thought which is save first. I have heard that it is best to save 3 months, 6
months or 1 year of your business operating expenses before you launch. The idea is to not be dependent on
sales at all. But rather, have savings to invest in your business venture.
If I could do it over, I would have saved extensively while building my network of relationships and client base.
Of course, hindsight is 20:20.
I was in the City of Atlanta’s Watershed Department Small Business Development Program. The accounting
trainer advised us to bank our customer payments and cut ourselves pay checks. But, she advised that we should
put our pay checks away in a drawer and forget about them. This will build up cash in your business bank
account and help you to earn creditability so that you can later get lines of credit and loans. Well, what if you
were a single mom? What if you actually need to cash that pay check? I am a single mom and this tactic would
have never worked for me.
If you make it without planning ahead and implementing your plans, you are probably making it on pure luck. We
have all heard people state that business success is 90% luck. Well, it really does not have to be. We can choose
to draft and work a plan, or we choose to leave our futures in the hand of Lady Luck.
Clovia Hamilton, President Lemongrass Consulting
www.lemongrassplanning.com
@lemongrassplans
Tags: business plan, operating plan, financial plan, sales forecast, cash flow, cash is king, cash is queen, business
startup, startup business
Posted in small business, strategic planning | Leave a Comment »
How to go Grassroots with Sales: Sure we can Talk!

All year, I have been connecting with like business minds out on Twitter, Linked and Facebook. I know there
are folks out there with 5 to 10,000 followers. I am proud of approaching 1,000 out on each platform. It takes
work.
Usually when folks ask me to talk by phone, I immediately think I don’t have time for that and I will limit my
correspondence to email. I also assume that they are going to try to sell me something that I do not need or want.
However, this week when someone asked I thought “why not? What would be the harm?”
Sure we can Talk!
Most of my connections are in the business of selling products and services. So am I. So, why not find out more
about each connection that is willing to share. If I do not want to buy from them, I don’t have to. There’s no gun
to my head.
I can check them out and tell others in my network about what they are selling. I can ask my new friend to do
the same for me.
To survive this down economy, we need to make time to get back to grass roots. In 1912, Senator Albert
Jeremiah Beveridge of Indiana, was quoted stating that the Progressive Party had “come from the grass roots. It
has grown from the soil of people’s hard necessities.”(Posted on Wikipedia courtesy of Eigen’s Political &
Historical Quotations “Beveridge, Albert J.”. 2006-05-20).
We need to plant seeds and grow roots in the soil of our hard necessities. These are tough times we live in!
I like the term “Lemongrassroots”. Lemongrass because it’s an herb that used to relieve stress, stimulate, refresh,
invigorate, energize and relax. Combine that approach with good old fashion grassroots tactics, and you are
cooking with steam!
Here are some good old school grassroots movement tactics used by activists and political campaigners that are
trying to sell others on ideas…trying to convince, persuade, influence, organize, lobby:
1. mobilize letter-writing, phone-calling, and emailing campaigns (…hmm sales campaigns)
2. host meetings or parties
3. put up posters (we do this online now with our Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin profiles)
4. talk to folks on the street (get out into coffee houses, trade meetings)
5. gather signatures for petitions (akin to getting followers on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin)
6. set up information tables (have exhibits at trade shows)
7. raise money from many small donors for political advertising or campaigns (why not sell online and rsise your
revenue?)
8. organize large demonstrations (demonstrate what you can do by giving away free articles and ebooks)
9. ask individuals to submit opinions to media outlets and government officials (ask for testimonials and
comments)
10. hold get out the vote activities (this reminds me of simply asking your followers to tell others about you)
With respect to sales, I have bought services that were not originally on my shopping list. For example, I saw a
Facebook ad by Moriah Diamond for a tweetimage and facebook badge. I checked out my connection’s
website, liked what I saw, and placed an order. It turns out, she is a great graphics designer and I have a new
graphics design supplier to turn to.
Here are two (2) more important reasons to take the conversation offline:
1. This person could be a great teaming partner.
2. This person could need to buy your services or products.
If you do not carve out the time “offline” to talk to folks you meet “online”, you will miss out on some great
opportunities. Here are some time management tips:
1. When you are a solo or small operation, market during the day and work on your client’s tasks in the
afternoon and evening.
2. Set parameters on phone calls with prospects. Set certain days, certain time blocks – and always schedule the
calls.
Here is a neat example of time management and meeting parameter setting that I received from a small business
liaison at a military base:
“If you would like to meet with me or set-up a telephonic conference call please provide two dates and times of
your choosing beginning with the week of 09 Aug 10 based on the following guidelines:
(1) No meetings/conference calls on Friday

(2) All meetings/conference calls will be one hour in duration beginning in the morning at 9 and ending at 11
(3) Afternoon meetings/conference calls begin at 1:30 and end at 3.”
Use the Linkedin or Facebook email features and request phone conversations or accept offers to talk offline. Of
course this example will not fit in a 140 character Twitter message. So, in the Twitter instance, get the prospect’s
email address and send this type of response by email.
Let’s get our very own “lemongrassroots movements” going and prosper!
Tags: facebook, grassroots, Lemongrass Consulting, lemongrass planning, lemongrassplans, Linkedin, sales,
twitter
How to ask for work online

I have only asked for leads once. I got some good feedback. My outreach resulted in 7 new clients. Getting
timely cooperation was another story – a project management story. Nevertheless, I moved on to try other
strategies.
Well, when my work (and cash flow) got really low, my coaches all pushed me to ask for work. On the one
hand you do not want to come across as begging. On the other hand, in this economy, everyone is looking out
for themselves – survival of the fittest. In between those two extremes, you have to share with others what you
can do well that will help them.
(1) Never stop Marketing. Business owners need to consistently ask – not just a one time launch. The key word
is “consistency”. We also need to assess and evaluate how we ask. We need professional, well thought out sales
copy.
Getting work on Linkedin was discussed in one of the groups I belong to. I studied the feedback. As you can
imagine, there was a lot of interest in the topic. There were 80 comments when I peeked in. But only two (2)
people admitted to getting work on Linkedin. Neither of the 2 divulged “how” they actually got the work. I went
further and asked them to share samples of their sales copy. One gave some valuable insight.
I have several really close, good friends who will not divulge their sales copy – they wont say how they actually
approach prospects, what they say that’s persuasive and convincing. The way to see it is to follow them online
and pretend to be a customer. Following how others do it and emulating them is actually a great way to learn
sales.
But what is up with the fact that folks are reluctant to share how they do it? Perhaps, for the sake of competition,
we should not give away how we do business. But, givers gain. I think folks using social media should share what
has worked for us.
So, how do you ask? What are examples of what you can post or email to connections that are not too sale-sy?
One of my connections recently told me how she has taken her blog advice and compiled a book and she sales it
for $99 including a one hour consulting session.
(2) Sale or don’t sale online? Hard or soft? I have read that you should not sale at all on social media platforms. I
do not agree with that. I think as part of sharing, we should share our expertise and share the fact that we help
others for a fee.
I have also read that women give away too much how to advice – we give away the farm – whereas men do not
share as much. Well, I think we should share our know how. That is what makes us absolutely marvelous! We
nurture! We share! …but we have to be careful not to give away so much for so little that we struggle financially.
When I started my firm, I hated the sales part the most. I loved the work, but hated sales. Ever since I was a kid,
I did not like it when folks cold called our house. I did not like until I had to start doing it to get face to face
appointments. I still rely heavily on email. Online, I absolutely hate the hard sales. I drop connections that only
post sales and discounts on their products and services. This “BUY NOW” blatant, in my face, approach is a
real turn off.
(3) Learning Sales is Learning Relationship Building. Well, at the end of the day, we each need to learn “how” to
sale! This means, we have to learn “how” to build relationships. It takes strategy, planning, and execution. Folks
want to know what problems they may have and how you can solve their problem or challenge.
To convince them that you know how and that you are the one they should hire, use testimonials to promote
yourself. I routinely give references to folks on Linkedin and I have received them in return.
With consistent online presence and soft ask-offers of professional advice and assistance, the sales will follow!
Tags: Linkedin, Social Media, sales how to, online sales

Women small business owners and “Shopping” for new hires

July 18, 2010 by cloviahamilton
In 2008, I won a Sams Club Entrepreneurship award through the Count Me In program. Part of the award
package included free attendance to the Count Me In Leadership Institute at the Office Depot headquarters in
Boca Raton last year. I heard Nell Merlino, Executive Director of the Count Me In program, speak about the
need for women owned small businesses to hire.
This year, there have been several articles published related to this topic:
The Work Life Balancing Act, Cindy Krischer Goodman, Miami Herald, September 29, 2009
Women Business Owners: It’s time to be called ‘boss’ by Rhonda Abrams, USA Today, March 12, 2010
Want to Grow, Hire Some Help by Eve Gumpel, WomenEntrepreneur, March 15, 2010
Why are Women-Owned Firms Smaller Than Men-Owned Ones by Sharon G. Hadary, The Wall Street
Journal, May 17, 2010
Nell Merlino on What Holds Women Entrepreneurs Back by Karen E. Klein, Bloomberg Businessweek, July
2, 2010
However, I have yet to read and learn what is at the core of the problem. Why are women small business
owners less reluctant to hire than men? What is it about us? I think if we can reflect on why we are not hiring,
perhaps we would be more inclined to hire.
There is a more pressing reason why women business owners should get on the band wagon. A 2002 study by
Richard DeMartino and Robert Barbato entitled “Differences between women and men MBA entrepreneurs:
exploring family flexibility and wealth creation as career motivators” (Journal of Business Venturing, Rochester
Institute of Technology) cited that women-owned businesses make up 40% of all businesses and women
continue to start businesses at twice the rate of men.
The Kauffman Foundation released July 2010 study findings by Dr. Tim Kane that concluded that when it comes
to creating new jobs, startup companies are the source. The study is entitled “The Importance of Startups in Job
Creation and Job Destruction”. We can look at it this way – if women did not start new businesses, women
would not contribute to the very source of new job creation.
Mark Levit, Managing Partner of Partners & Levit Advertising and a Professor of Marketing at New York
University wrote an article entitled “The Difference between Men and Women” with a focus on how marketers
can strategize to appeal to women. Well, why not look at these differences and apply them to the question of
why women are business owners are reluctant to hire. Here goes…
Mark Levit cited a University of Wisconsin study which found that:
Women notice and recall 70% more detail in their environments than do men.
This may explain why it might take women longer to come around to hiring. Perhaps women business owners are
too detailed oriented and get bogged down in the details. They would then be slower to hire.
Men tend to see life as a series of contests they must conquer to maintain personal status.
Perhaps women small business owners are less competitive and less interested in boosting their personal status.
Women business owners may be motivated less by competition and more by creating a nurturing environment –
rather than expanding and profiting more. DeMartino and Barbato found that a higher proportion of women
become entrepreneurs in order to balance work and family and a higher proportion of men do so to seek wealth
creation and personal economic advancement.
Women have a greater affinity for shopping.
Perhaps women business owners should think of hiring as shopping for help. If women business owners looked
at hiring as a shopping extravaganza, then maybe hiring would be a more pleasurable experience.
Women take pride in their ability to shop skillfully, prudently, and well. Women tend to evaluate the pros and
cons of every purchase. Men make impulse purchases. No coupons. No lists.
Mark Levit cited British psychologist David Lewis’ study which explained the nature-over-nurture concept that
prehistoric women are “homebound gatherers of roots, nuts, and berries, rather than roaming hunters of game”.
Now, we are back to the dilemma of getting bogged down in details. It takes more time to be more skillfully,
prudently, and well. Perhaps women business owners put off hiring until they are able to be trained in how to
properly hire and protect themselves and the work environment they nurture. Are women business owners less
likely to just place an ad, interview, and hire? Are they less likely to know how to do this skillfully? What about
time? Is the time consumption the problem?
Women want to feel cherished, whereas men want to feel needed.
Perhaps it is the prospect of having to reject poor candidates or having to fire poor performers that prevents
women business owners from hiring.
When men shop, it’s usually for themselves, when women shop it’s for themselves and their families.
Sharon Hadary advocates that women owned firms need to be taught – esp. by other women leaders – to think
big from the start. There needs to be a change in the women business owners’ mindset. In 2008, Dr. Susan L.
Reid wrote an article entitled the “Similarities and Differences between How men and Women Excel in
Business”. Dr. Reid wrote that one mistake women entrepreneurs make is that they make excuses. Another
mistake cited by Reid is that “too many women have a mindset of scarcity when it comes to their businesses.
They believe they lack time, money is scarce, and there aren’t enough customers.”
Having the Right Mindset – Heed to Nike and Just do it!
Remember the 1998 Nike Just Do it ad campaign? ALL women businesses need that competitive, can do
attitude.
If women were to take clues from the male mindset, women business owners would:
View their businesses as more like a contest or competition …grit down, compete, be passionate, be
determined, and just do it!
View from a mindset of plenty – there is plenty of time, customers, and help.
Not over evaluate and get bogged down in details. I will have a quick strategic plan for hiring (list of tasks to
delegate, job description, job ad, job interviews) and hire by set deadlines. I will just do it!
In a very unscientific humorous HubPages article entitled “The Differences Between Men and Women”, Ryan
Kett jokingly wrote that “Women take 20 minutes to choose food from a takeaway menu, Men will take 1
minute.”
It is time for women small business owners to get help. If cash flow is a concern, hire volunteers. No excuses!
Just do it!
Here are some daily affirmations for women business owners:

o There is plenty of time. I will manage my time. I will just do it!
o There are plenty of customer prospects. I will go prospecting daily. I will just do it!
o There is plenty of help and if I cannot afford them now, I will hire on commission or hire volunteers! I will just
do it!
o I will shop for new hires. I will just do it!
o It is ok to be motivated to grow my business and create wealth because with more wealth, I will have more
flexibility to balance work and family.
Tags: Cindy Krischer Goodman, Count Me In, differences between men and women, Dr. Susan L. Reid, Eve
Gumpel, hiring, job creation, Karen E. Klein, Kauffman Foundation, Mark Levit, Nell Merlino, Office Depot,
Rhonda Abrams, ryankett, Sharon Hadary, Susan Reid, women business owners, women entrepreneurs, women
owned small businesses, WOSB
Mad Men on Advertising

I watched a Mad Men marathon July 4th weekend. I had to prepare for the new episodes that begin July 25th.
This was a must do. I love this drama as much as I loved Law and Order; and the Sopranos.
Well, I took notes whenever the advertising team actually worked on ad copy. Here is what I learned:
Advertising is based on one thing – i.e. happiness!

o Freedom from fear
o Whatever you are doing, it’s ok – and you are ok
o Mad Men Example #1 – instead of revealing that cigarettes are poisonous, state that cigarettes are toasted
tobacco leaves (say whatever you want)
o Mad Men Example #2 – instead of revealing how dangerous it might be to travel to Israel, exploit a land of
exotic luxury
Ads create want!
You know I studied civil engineering and law. I also learned city planning on the job and became a certified city
planner. I have three (3) degrees but I do not have a MBA. So, I am no advertising or marketing expert if being
an expert requires college degrees, licenses, or certificates. As with most small business owners, we wear all of
the hats until we can hire the credentials. So, I have had to learn advertisement, promotion, marketing, public
relations, and sales – and more importantly, the difference between them all. What has always been fascinating to
me is that there are MBAs and PhDs in businesses that were not trained in these subject areas in a practical way.
They were taught theory; and some learned via case studies. But, you only really learn when you have to actually
do it!
Well, although I do not have a MBA, I do own a neat little book called The Portable MBA Desk Reference. I
dusted it off and read the sections on Advertising. Here, I reflect on what the Portable MBA teaches and
compare that text to what I have experienced as a small business owner over the past five (5) years:
(1) Advertising is the promotion of an idea, a product, or a service by an identified sponsor or organization that
pays to have the message printed or broadcast by the mass media, including television, radio, newspapers,
magazines, direct mail, telemarketing, billboards, transit cards, and the Internet.
Well, as a small business owner, there was absolutely no money for print or broadcast by the mass media other
than the Internet. Mass mailing cost a minimum of nearly $0.50 per piece of mail. So, to mail 100 letters a week
costs $50 per week or $200 per month. Back in 2005, I also hung a shingle for a law office. I paid for
Martindale and other paid directories. It was VERY expensive! My phone did not ring once. It was hard earned
money flushed down the toilet.
Unless there is cash flow, this nominal sum could crush a small business. Start ups absolutely need to take
advantage of free advertising sources on the Internet (microblog on Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Youtube, etc).
Macro blogs (e.g. using WordPress) and the conversion of blogs into published articles, teleseminars, webinars,
and ebooks are also helpful ways to advertise in a frugal way. These activities help small businesses position
themselves as experts. These activities need to be viewed as ad campaigns and they need to be taken just as
seriously.
(2) An advertising agency is a company specializing in the production of advertising campaigns and strategies to
help clients target and promote their products and services. There are three types: full service (advertising, public
relations, marketing research, promotion, media buying, and publicity), specialty service, and in-house.
Well, few startups can afford a full service or specialty service advertising agency. They have to handle their own
ads in-house. Further, the small business owner has to either learn how to advertise or hire help. I learned
“some” advertising by studying what others were doing. I select what I like and I mimic it. Just take notice and
replicate what you can afford!
(3) Advertising frequency is the number of times during a specified period that a member of a targeted audience
is exposed to an advertisement – in popular magazines, television, radio ads. Frequent advertising can strengthen
brand loyalty and help drive them to a product or service.
Well, I had to learn how to “get out there”. I am old enough to remember entering into the big, black hole called
the Internet back in the 90s. I remember a group of us at work saying: “she is going to go in there” with
excitement and astonishment. Well, I felt the same way about going into Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin
worlds.
Social media is a great free way to achieve advertising frequency. The hard sell is not recommended. But, the
soft sales of just letting the masses know what your passion is recommended. My passion is planning. I post
famous quotes about the importance of strategic planning (vision, mission, goals, taking action). I am my firm’s
brand and I am building brand loyalty.
As a planner, I realize the importance of creating ad campaigns. As a business woman, I realize that people buy
from others that trust and like. Social media is a great way to share information, and to become trusted and liked.
It is also a great way to use word of mouth advertising where satisfied customers refer products or services to
prospects.
(4) Behavioral segmentation is the subdivision of the market according to consumer behavior variables such as
their status, brand loyalty, product usage, benefits sought, lifestyle, social class, and economic standing. Markets
can be divided by age, gender, income, and geography. None of this gives marketers insight into consumer
motivation. Consumers look for benefits and they make their choices on the basis of a single value which vary
depending on the product.
This is loaded. My interpretation of all of this is that put simply, the market research cannot predict consumer gut
reaction to what you are selling. In consulting, we are selling our talent and who we are as people – our individual
images or the corporation’s image. The benefits would be our ability to impart what we know and who we know
onto our clients. The key value is our ability to get the job done on time and within budget. With respect to
promoting image, our charitable work is also very important.
Nevertheless, as a planner, I do believe in strategic marketing plans. This is actually one of the services we offer.
We offer a strategic marketing plan for government contracting. It is important not to shot gun the approach – but
rather, to laser target which agencies may be best to market to.
(5) Point of purchase advertising uses eye catching displays near the location where customers pay for a product
in an attempt to trigger impulse buying.
Here, I would have recommend that small businesses invest money and hire professionals if necessary for
professional graphic design. Even for banner ads online which are posted in locations where our prospects visit –
hire a professional graphic designer to achieve a great first impression.
In conclusion, small businesses need to be frugal and maximize the use of online social media for advertising. But,
they need to be sure to follow Donald Draper’s advice and be positive, create happiness, and create want! Also,
point out the pain and fear of pain – but be sure to point out that your product or services can alleviate the fear of
pain.
Tags: ad campaign, ads, advertising, advertising campaign, Mad Men, Portable MBA, small business
advertisement
Posted in government contracting, marketing, small business, social media, strategic planning | Leave a Comment
»
How to Get the Most out of Conferences

How to get the most out of conferences
July 5, 2010 by Clovia Hamilton
Lemongrass Consulting advocates strategic planning. I lead this charge and I advocate strategic planning in all
things that we do – including conference attendance.
As a procurement counselor at the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC), I give vendors
notices about upcoming business to government (B2G) conferences routinely. I also give advice on how to
prepare for conferences and for following up after a conference.
Recently Beth Goldstein posted an article “To Get the Most Out of Conferences, Follow Up” in Bloomberg
BusinessWeek’s smallbiz tips. Beth states that the goal is to make solid connections. Beth advocates that
conference attendants should:
Thank the connection

Send the connection an article
Invite the connection to an upcoming event
Send the connection a copy of your newsletter
Introduce the connection to your other connections
The topic of what to do with business cards has been underway in the Linked in Woman 2 Woman Business
Group. Here are some suggestions that I like from this discussion:
Use a virtual assistant to help you add names into a contacts database (Jennifer Dixon)
Write a note about the person, the date, and the event on the business card (Eileen J Kennedy, Nanci
Benefiel)
Follow up with the person you met the next day or within the next few days (Eileen J Kennedy)
Use Microsoft Outlook contacts and sync your Blackberry to Outlook (Eileen J Kennedy)
Scan business cards into your email address book as Vcards (Louise Leduc)
Invite your connections to Linkedin and your newsletter (Diane S Turner)
Keep business cards in clear plastic sheets (Gwen McCauley)
Select a few networking groups that you attend routinely (Nanci Benefiel)
Send the connection a greeting card (Gayle McKearin, Mary Kathryn Ewart, or Send Out Cards per
Nanci Benefiel)
I noted in this discussion the importance of leaving white space on the back of your business card and do not use
glossy card stock that cannot be written on.
I do all of the above – and I sort cards by the first name of the connection and keep the clear plastic sheets in a
binder with alpha dividers A thru Z. I also make copies of cards of potential teaming partners and keep them in
a binder sorted by dividers labeled for each type of potential teaming endeavor we might pursue.
Try to connect with everyone or just a few?
Stephanie Robertson and Diane Turner stated that she usually only has 2-4, or 3-5 people that they connect
with. I have been advised by mentors to set a goal for 3 people. This approach is to promote quality over
quantity.
While the 3 people goal may be productive and may keep you from feeling overwhelmed, I have learned over
the years that you will never know where your next lead, prospect, or referral will come from. So, I try to meet
as many people as possible. I do not devalue anyone. I try to connect with as many folks as possible. This is
not really shotgunning – because out of the batch, I will target a few to follow up with immediately.
By Clovia Hamilton, President
Lemongrass Consulting, Inc.
www.lemongrassplanning.com
Tags: b2g, business cards, conferences, greeting cards, networking, small business, strategic planning
Posted in marketing, small business, strategic planning | Leave a Comment »
Government vs. Corporate Contracting

June 28, 2010 by cloviahamilton
In this economy, businesses need not put all of their eggs in one basket. They should seek public government
contracts and private deals. There are set asides in government contracts for small businesses, woman owned
businesses, veteran owned businesses, and minority owned socially and economically disadvantaged businesses.
In order to be eligible, these businesses have to get registered and certified. Businesses that do not meet these
categories can team with businesses that do in order to take advantage of set asides.
I worked in government for more than 25 years and began the business development journey in 2005. I have
met thousands of business owners. One topic that seems to confuse some business owners is whether their
government business registrations and certifications can be used in corporate contracting. Well, no.
Corporations have supplier diversity programs and look for Women Business Enterprise (WBE) and Minority
Business Enterprise (MBE) certifications which differ from those in federal, state, county and city programs.
Government Contracting
Federal Contracting – No cost to get started!
Step 1) If 51% woman owned, begin to use Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB) and Small Business (SB)
designations for marketing purposes. Put on your website, business cards, brochures, etc now!
These merely require self-certification.
A goal of setting aside 5% of government contracts to WOSB is underway.
There are bid opportunities currently being set aside for SB’s.
Check your small business status with the Small Business Administration using your North American Industry
Classification System (NAICs) codes, annual receipts, and number of employees. Visit:
http://www.sba.gov/contractingopportunities/officials/size/index.html
Determine your NAICs codes at : www.naics.com/search.htm

Military agencies use Federal Supplier Codes (FSC) and Product Service Codes (PSCs). Determine your
FSCs and PSCs at: http://www.outreachsystems.com/resources/tables/pscs/
Step 2) Complete the
Central Contractor’s Registration (CCR) at https://www.bpn.gov/ccr/default.aspx
Step 3) Be sure to complete the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Dynamic Small Business Registration
You will be prompted to enter this registration process at the conclusion of completing the CCR registration.
Step 4) Consider the SBA 8a certification program.
But, bare in mind that few WOSB owned by Caucasians get certified.
You must prove both a social and an economical disadvantage.
Certain races are presumed to be socially disadvantaged (Black American, Native American, Hispanic
American, Asian Pacific American, Subcontinent Asian American).
Must be in business for 2 years
The net worth of the individual claiming disadvantage must be less than $250,000.
Step 5) Consider getting prequalified with the General Service Administration (GSA) by submitting a GSA
schedule contract proposal to the GSA for the products and services that you sell.
Step 6) Check if your business is located in a Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) zone.
Visit http://map.sba.gov/hubzone/init.asp#address to find out if you are in a hub zone.
If so, apply for HUB Zone certification and be eligible for Hubzone set-asides
Step 7) If your business is 51% owned by a veteran or service disabled veteran, you may be eligible for Veteran
Owned Small Business (VOSB) or Service Disable Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) certification.
o Visit http://www.va.gov/vetbiz/index.htm
o Self Certify or get Verified (preferred)
State Contracting
Note: There are no set asides in Georgia other than the US Department of Transportation federal Disadvantaged
Business Enterprise (DBE) program with the Georgia Department of Transportation and MARTA
Step 1) States use the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) product and service codes.
Determine your NIGP codes at:
http://doas.ga.gov/statelocal/spd/procurement/pages/home.aspx
Step 2) Complete vendor registration applications for any city and county that you want to do business in. In
Georgia, it is the Team Georgia Marketplace registration:
https://saofn.state.ga.us/psp/sao/SUPPLIER/ERP/h/?tab=DEFAULT
Local Government Contracting (Counties, Cities)

Step 1) Complete vendor registration applications for any city and county that you want to do business in.
Step 2) Complete small business certification applications for any city and county that you want to do business in.
The designations are Small Business Enterprise (SBE), Female Business Enterprise (FBE), Woman Business
Enterprise (WBE), or Minority Business Enterprise (MBE). In Georgia, there are programs at:
City of Atlanta
Atlanta Public Schools
City of Roswell
City of Savannah
City of Augusta
Fulton County
DeKalb County
Cobb County
Corporate Contracting
Corporate Certifications – Fee based
Step 1) If 51% woman owned, submit a Woman Business Enterprise (WBE) application with the Women’s
Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)
Visit www.wbenc.org
The application fee is $350
They will conduct a site visit
It typically takes 30-90 days
Step 2) If 51% minority owned, submit a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) application with the National
Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) at a state chapter of your choice.
The application fee is $500 in Georgia (GMSDC)
They will conduct a site visit
It typically takes 30-90 days
I urge businesses to get a Strategic Marketing Plan to determine which agencies buy what they sell; which
certifications and registrations to pursue; and to find teaming partners.
Tags: corporate contracting, dbe, fbe, federal contracting, government contracting, hub zone, hubzone, mbe,
nmsdc, procurement, sbe, sdvosb, vosb, wbe, wbenc, WOSB
Posted in government contracting, marketing, small business, strategic planning | Leave a Comment »
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Clovia Hamilton, President Lemongrass Consulting, Inc.
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How to Plan Strategically to Market to Government Agencies
Go Solo or No Go Solo?
HBCU Host Communities Should Outsource More
How to put your Business Plan into Actual Use
How to go Grassroots with Sales: Sure we can Talk!
How to ask for work online
Women small business owners and “Shopping” for new hires
Mad Men on Advertising
How to Get the Most out of Conferences
Government vs. Corporate Contracting
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Clovia Hamilton's Blog: How To Plan Strategically To Market To Government Agencies

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9/27/2010 Clovia Hamilton's Blog

Clovia Hamilton's Blog

How to Plan Strategically to Market to Government Agencies

1. What do you provide of value?

With respect to what you provide of value, ask yourself:

1. to submit information by email or fax;

Have the following marketing items at hand:

By Clovia Hamilton, President, Lemongrass Consulting, Inc., www.lemongrassplanning.com

Tags: small business, solo entrepreneur, start up

HBCU Host Communities Should Outsource More

How to put your Business Plan into Actual Use

Here are some tips:

Clovia Hamilton, President Lemongrass Consulting

How to go Grassroots with Sales: Sure we can Talk!

Sure we can Talk!

(1) No meetings/conference calls on Friday

How to ask for work online

Tags: Linkedin, Social Media, sales how to, online sales

Women small business owners and “Shopping” for new hires

Mark Levit cited a University of Wisconsin study which found that:

Women have a greater affinity for shopping.

Women want to feel cherished, whereas men want to feel needed.

Having the Right Mindset – Heed to Nike and Just do it!

Here are some daily affirmations for women business owners:

Mad Men on Advertising

Advertising is based on one thing – i.e. happiness!

Ads create want!

How to Get the Most out of Conferences

How to get the most out of conferences

July 5, 2010 by Clovia Hamilton

Thank the connection

Try to connect with everyone or just a few?

By Clovia Hamilton, President

Lemongrass Consulting, Inc.

Government vs. Corporate Contracting

Federal Contracting – No cost to get started!

Determine your NAICs codes at : www.naics.com/search.htm

Local Government Contracting (Counties, Cities)

Corporate Certifications – Fee based

Clovia Hamilton, President Lemongrass Consulting, Inc.

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