Should you offer executive coaching to government organizations?

Does this sound familiar? “I don’t work with government organizations.” I said that for years until a person I partner with brought me in to do some work with a government organization. I also received a lead, then a coaching engagement from a county government organization. That wasn’t the first time I’d been approached by a government organization, but it was the first time I secured an engagement on my own.

Here are some beliefs surrounding working with the government.

1. There’s so much paperwork.

2. There’s so much bureaucracy.

3. They don’t pay as well.

4. It can take a really long time to secure.

5. It’ll take forever to get paid.

Here’s what I’ve experienced so far.

1. The paperwork isn’t heavy if they’re seeking you out. When they’re doing an RFP, then there may be plenty of paperwork that takes hours to fill out. RFPs may also introduce a lot of competition. But think about how many people who compete with you don’t want to go through the hassle of dealing with all that paperwork. It might be worth it. Furthermore, you’ll probably get better at it as you go.

2. There can be, but as with corporations, there are nimble ones and slow-moving ones. I’ve experienced slowness in working with corporations so this isn’t something that should deter you from working with government organizations. Be curious about their decision-making process and seek to get connected with the senior most people. Working with them directly will usually speed things up. This is also true when working with corporations.

3. I’ve not found this to be the case. Of course, this depends on the budget available for the work they are procuring. One advantage to working with government organizations is that they are usually more transparent about budgets than corporations. So, at least you know what you are bidding for when trying to get the work. I like that.

4. Yes and no. As with item 2, there are fast-moving agencies and slow-moving agencies. You might not know which one you’re dealing with until you get into the mix, but when you’re fortunate enough to work with one who’s nimble, then you’ll be in good shape. The other thing to keep in mind is that once you’re an approved vendor to a government organization, everything’s going to move faster for you.

5. Again, yes and no. I had an occasion where I was waiting for a check for quite a while. I followed up and found out that it was probably lost – it happens sometimes. I was forced to fill out a paper form and mail it back to get another check. There’s the bureaucracy you dread, but I did eventually get paid. With another organization, they paid pretty much according to the schedule, which was net 30. I could share countless stories of chasing payments from small businesses and corporations so this shouldn’t cause you to not want to work with government organizations.

Now here are some ideal aspects of working with government organizations.

1. Once you’re in, you’re in. You may have to work long and hard to get approved, but once you do, it could turn out to be years of work for you.

2. Your contacts are unlikely to turn over frequently. I worked with one corporation where my key contact turned over 3 times in 2 years. This is rarely going to happen with government organizations where turnover happens more slowly. This creates an opportunity for a strong and lasting relationship.

3. They may refer you to other sections of the organization. I have a colleague who has received work from numerous agencies within a city she has served over the years. This can happen with corporations, too, of course.

4. Their payment’s not going to bounce. It’s probably the case that there are people in our field who have done business with companies that go bankrupt and leave them holding the bag. You don’t hear of too many government organizations going belly up.

So, you may want to investigate the opportunities out there for work with local governments. Where to start? You may want to contact your county or city government and ask about such opportunities. You can also check with the SBA to see what information they have. And perhaps SCORE advisors may be informed on how to get such opportunities. Here’s an article from Forbes that may be helpful as well.

Best of luck!

Want to read more business related articles? Read our article “Always Mind Your Business.”

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