"Battles and Victories from Women-Owned Businesses: Defense Contractors of the Not-So-Weaker Sex"

What do top secret clearance, Libyan dictators, and government contracts have in common -the answer is one woman, Sally Woodward, Partner at Shutts & Bowen, LLP.

If you missed January's TBOWIT's lunch meeting, you missed a fascinating conversation covering a crash course on government contracting, the importance of having knowledgeable consultants & support, and real-life examples from the world of government contracts. A little-known fact that Sally pointed out is that the Tampa Bay area is the 3rd largest federal government contract area in the nation. That's right, the 3rd largest. We would re-cap some of those adventurous stories that Sally told except they are now cloaked in OWIT secrecy & you will need OWIT clearance (This is a joke!).

Sally also explained to the OWIT audience how a "domestic" contract can quickly become international when a company's contract is extended to embassies, bases, or agencies established overseas and, even more complicated, a formerly domestic contract extended to a foreign government under the auspicious of the US federal government. Sally capably and eagerly held our hand thru some of the nuances of government contracting explaining about FARS, the benefits available to women-owned companies, profit margins, government accounting, the fine line between money paid overseas for necessary procedures & to secure a bid (ahem..we mean a bribe -which Sally quickly pointed out is one reason you need wise counsel by your side). Sally covered so much ground that frankly, expert is probably a mild form of praise.

Government contracting requires a lot of up-front work, but can be quite lucrative. It's refreshing to hear about successful women-owned businesses in the Tampa Bay area that are involved in this arena and that we have such a resource in women like Sally who can offer the support and expertise needed to thrive.  Sally started to the TBOWIT year off with a bang! (no pun intended) 

Thank you Sally!

By Christyna Doege