GSA PBS Small Business Conference

GSA luncheon: Janis, Frankl, Fife share stories, tips
from New York Real Estate Scene By GreenPearl
Photos By: Mark Becker

May 27th, 2009 ·

Above: Andy Frankl, IBEX Construction; Lenore Janis, PWC President; Daisy Gallagher, Gallagher & Gallagher; William Fife, The Fife Group

PWC President Lenore Janis recounted to a packed GSA audience at the Together Building Change Conference at the Marriott Marquis May 27th the story of the progress women and other minorities had made in the industry. She recalled 1943 transportation magazine that advised managers that “girls” needed to take breaks to “freshen up” in order to maintain their productivity.

The conference was aimed at small and disadvantaged businesses to help them to learn more about government contracting opportunities. Among the highlights of the meeting were discussions of the intricacies of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, The Green Initiative, Capital Projects, Small Projects, subcontracting opportunities and how to submit a bid.

Janis then fast-forwarded to 1978, when President Carter signed the laws that implemented participation by minority owned businesses…minority referring to their numbers in the business community, she advised. It was in those years that she and 11 others formed the Professional Women in Construction. which became co-ed in 1985.

Above: William Fife, The Fife Group
Andy Frankl then spoke. He advises that like the name of his company IBEX, one had to be able to live on difficult terrain in these times (an Ibex is a mountain goat).

He noted that there was a lot of work available through the GSA, due to its size. It has 340 million SF of space in its portfolio, which houses all branches of the federal government.

His told the crowd that he had 4 principles, and advised them to apply them in their own businesses:

1 Product differentiation. It’s important to clearly state how you are different from your competition.
2 Have best employees possible.
3 Never give up; take care of your client to bitter end. He told a story about fixing a loading dock for a customer…even though he’d built it years earlier for a different owner of the building. But it got him, he said, a client for life.
4 It’s not enough to do great work–you have to make sure people hear about it, especially through networking.

Times are tough now and facing challenge of our lives, he observed. “But in perspective…my folks are holocaust survivors…” he said, noting that from adversity comes innovation and fresh thinking…”if you are energetic and persistent and keep clients interests foremost,” he recommended, “good things will happen to you.”

Above: Lenore Janis, PWC President

Bill Fife talked about years in the business and stressed that, “One of the things I have seen is the change from when I came into it (the business) forty-two years ago. One of those changes, which he focused on was networking. His advice to be a better networker included:

1 Have an elevator speech. What would you say in one elevator ride with a potential client that made sense and was a differentiator? “Everybody in this room needs an elevator speech that helps explain why you are different and can add value,” he said.

2. Be involved in professional organizations…and don’t just be “a bump on a log,” but head up committees and do other things that get you noticed.

3. Remember that networking is not a one night stand but a continuing relationship…He has recently gotten on linked in and reconnected with colleagues from decades ago. “it’s absolutely amazing,” he said.

4. Practice FUBB…”follow up beyond belief.” If you had the opportunity to meet someone today, write down what you talked about and what you promised and deliver it tomorrow.

5. Make a practice of ensuring that you and others use best practices. Take advantage of lessons learned. He criticised the industry for not using enough peer-review groups to ensure that those with like tasks share their knowledge more broadly.