GovCon M&A Talk

Sharon Heaton⁠, the founder of sbLiftOff and a leading small business, growth strategies, and M&A SME, talks with Mark Amtower of Amtower & Company.
Topics covered:
● Why trying to be everything to everyone can hurt your GovCon company
● Do you own a company — or do you have a job?
● Why relationships ARE marketing in GovCon
● Why “the riches are in the niches”
● What being “findable” has to do with building a more valuable company
 
To connect with Mark, visit him LinkedIn page ⁠here⁠.To learn more about Amtower & Company, visit them on LinkedIn ⁠here⁠.
To connect with Sharon Heaton, visit her LinkedIn page here.To follow and learn more about sbLiftOff, check them out here.

Sharon Heaton⁠, the founder of sbLiftOff and a leading small business, growth strategies, and M&A SME, talks with Jon Williams of PilieroMazza about bombshell SBA size standard proposed changes.
Topics covered:
● Proposed rule, not yet adopted
● If adopted, this would be a massive change
● Benefits include increased number of buyers for small businesses
● Challenges include smaller businesses having to compete with companies 10X their size
● Potential impact on mentor-protégé relationships
 
To connect with Jon, visit his LinkedIn page ⁠here⁠.To learn more about PilieroMazza, visit their webpage ⁠here⁠.
To connect with Sharon Heaton, visit her LinkedIn page here.To follow and learn more about sbLiftOff, check them out here.

Sharon Heaton⁠, the founder of sbLiftOff and a leading small business, growth strategies, and M&A SME, talks with Paula Smithers of sbLiftOff.
Topics covered:
● Running a small business like a big business 
● Numbers can surprise you
● The big life impact of M&A
● Why a good M&A advisor positively impacts employees, customers AND owners
To connect with Paula, visit her LinkedIn page ⁠here⁠.To learn more about sbLiftOff, visit their webpage ⁠here⁠.
To connect with Sharon Heaton, visit her LinkedIn page here.To follow and learn more about sbLiftOff, check them out here.

Sharon Heaton⁠, the founder of sbLiftOff and a leading small business, growth strategies, and M&A SME, talks with Elizabeth Shea of TreeFork Strategies.
Topics covered:
● De-risking your business
● Reducing owner dependency in stages
● Communication plans for M&A inflection points
● Why hiring an investment banker for your deal puts more money in your pocket
To connect with Elizabeth, visit her LinkedIn page ⁠here⁠.To learn more about TreeFork Strategies, visit their webpage ⁠here⁠.
To connect with Sharon Heaton, visit her LinkedIn page here.To follow and learn more about sbLiftOff, check them out here.

Sharon Heaton⁠, the founder of sbLiftOff and a leading small business, growth strategies, and M&A SME, talks with Christine Williamson of Cohn Reznick about the 2026 GAUGE REPORT.
Topics covered:
● Only 3% of GovCon companies surveyed automate their capture● How a consistent capture process adds value to a transaction● Average net profit margins were materially below 10%● 42% of pipeline opportunities come from teaming partners
Download a copy of the GAUGE Report by clicking here.
To connect with Christine, visit her LinkedIn page ⁠here⁠.To learn more about Cohn Reznick, visit their webpage ⁠here⁠.
To connect with Sharon Heaton, visit her LinkedIn page here.To follow and learn more about sbLiftOff, check them out here.

Sharon Heaton⁠, the founder of sbLiftOff and a leading small business, growth strategies, and M&A SME, talks with Meghan Gifford about lessons from Octo.
Topics covered:● Integration tips gleaned after four Octo acquisitions● Never underestimate the impact of uncertainty – avoid mystery● How IBM integrated Octo into its federal business● Why owners experience “the crisis after the sale”
To connect with Meghan, visit her LinkedIn page ⁠here⁠.
To connect with Sharon Heaton, visit her LinkedIn page here.To follow and learn more about sbLiftOff, check them out here.

Sharon Heaton⁠, the founder of sbLiftOff and a leading small business, growth strategies, and M&A SME, talks with Venu Ayala about his Zen transaction:
Topics covered:
● Bootstrapping with zero capital
● Recovering from contract losses
● Closing a deal before the SBA’s Jan 17, 2026 deadline
● Selling, becoming a wholly owned subsidiary and freedom 
 
To connect with Venu, visit her LinkedIn page ⁠here⁠.To learn more about ZEN STRATEGICS, visit their webpage ⁠here⁠.
To connect with Sharon Heaton, visit her LinkedIn page here.To follow and learn more about sbLiftOff, check them out here.

Sharon Heaton⁠, the founder of sbLiftOff and a leading small business, growth strategies, and M&A SME, talks with Kate Troendle, Managing Director of KippsDeSanto & Co..
Topics covered:
● What’s next for aerospace, technology and defense
● Impacts of DOGE, tariffs and Administration procurement priorities on buyer certainty 
● Defense tech “comes roaring back”
● Not using AI? You’re “behind the 8 ball”
To connect with Kate, visit her LinkedIn page ⁠here⁠.To learn more about KippsDeSanto & Co., visit their webpage ⁠here⁠.
To connect with Sharon Heaton, visit her LinkedIn page here.To follow and learn more about sbLiftOff, check them out here.

Sharon Heaton⁠, the founder of sbLiftOff and a leading small business, growth strategies, and M&A SME, talks with Sam Le, formerly of the SBA:
Topics covered:
● What’s next for the remaining 3,400 8(a)s
● FAR overhaul and impact of Rule of 2
● Using Mentor-Protégé joint ventures effectively
● Small Business Set-Asides Momentum and Strength
To connect with Sam, visit his LinkedIn page ⁠here⁠.To learn more about Sam Le Law, visit their webpage ⁠here⁠.
To connect with Sharon Heaton, visit her LinkedIn page here.To follow and learn more about sbLiftOff, check them out here.

Sharon Heaton⁠, the founder of sbLiftOff and a leading small business, growth strategies, and M&A SME, talks with Dyson Richards of Foxstead, a private investment firm.
Topics covered:
● From the start of the computer era to the GovCon AI era
● Why founders in GovCon need strategic capital
● Patience among thoughtful private equity
● Growing by knowing defense needs
To connect with Dyson, visit his LinkedIn page ⁠here⁠.To learn more about Foxstead, visit their webpage ⁠here⁠.
To connect with Sharon Heaton, visit her LinkedIn page here.To follow and learn more about sbLiftOff, check them out here.