Madison Services Group, Inc.

Who We Are & How We Work

Madison Services Group, Inc. is a woman-owned government relations business specializing in the small business and entrepreneurial sector with offices in Washington, DC and Virginia. We work with associations, non-profit organizations, and corporations to assist them in developing and executing strategic plans centered on top-tier advocacy.

Our approach is collaborative and our expertise based on our intimate knowledge of public policy. Our relationships run deep and our knowledge of the legislative and regulatory processes is unparalleled. We strive to ensure that organizations who work with us achieve desired outcomes and build their voice in Washington DC.

Capabilities

ADVOCACY

With a broad range of subject matter expertise and experience, our team is focused on developing advocacy strategies that will produce results. Using our understanding of the legislative and regulatory processes, we proactively engage key players in Congress and the Executive branch to create opportunities for action. MSGI acts as the organization’s policy voice, offering a turnkey policy team. Learn more about how we can make a difference for your organization with top-tier advocacy

GROWTH & EXPANSION

Most important to your business or association's success is the essential need to focus on the future. We can assist you by developing and implementing growth strategies that fit your goals and objectives. By providing direction and vision, Madison Services Group can help your organization reach new levels of growth and success.

OUTREACH ACTIVITIES

In some instances, legislative issues have a more far-reaching effect than simply how your business runs; they can affect how Americans live. In cases like these, the best way of affecting change and influence is by developing grass-roots activities through cooperative efforts of local businesses and associations to ensure that messages and issues are heard in those districts throughout the country where it matters most. Madison Services Group provides an array of outreach activities for its clients including initiatives and programs proposed by Congress.

PROCUREMENT ACTIVITIES

A critical part of developing business with the government requires a comprehensive understanding of the federal landscape. Building on experience working with agencies and developing program's to help small businesses succeed in government contracting, MSGI has developed its Next Win Services to work with individual companies. Learn more here.

LEGISLATIVE EXPERTISE

PROCUREMENT

Due to MSGI’s work with Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), the SBA implemented the long-awaited Women Owned Small Business Procurement Program (WOSB). This program allows contracting officers to restrict bids for federal contracts to women-owned businesses in 364 NAICS codes. MSGI is dedicated to expanding contracting opportunities for all small businesses. Our work on the HUBZone program has resulted in a modernization and expansion of the program. In addition, we are spearheading an effort for midsize companies who have outgrown their SBA small size standard but are small compared to the corporate giants they must compete with in the federal space.

SMALL BUSINESS

Small business is the cornerstone of our expertise. Our team is devoted to helping organizations and small businesses grow by providing policy expertise and legislative strategy. Policy decisions made at the federal level affect every aspect of profitable businesses and successful organizations. We provide a voice in Washington on their behalf.

TAX REFORM

Tax policy and compliance is at the core of all businesses, regardless of their size or formation. The current tax code treats them differently, thus leading to disparities with respect to tax treatment. For example, the maximum tax rate for pass-through entities that comprise 90% of all businesses, can be taxed rate of up to 39.6%. MSGI is generating grass roots support for tax reform to correct inequities in the tax code that hamper small business growth.

ACCESS TO CAPITAL

Access to capital is a major challenge that continues to plague the small business community. Since 2008, small businesses have seen a dramatic decrease in their ability to obtain both working capital and growth capital, especially women and minority business owners. Women receive only 4% of all commercial loans. The White House and the Congress have been working to find solutions, such as investment tax incentives and providing loan guarantees backed by the Small Business Administration (SBA). Since angel investment is an important source of capital for many small businesses, we continue to advocate for tax incentives for angel investors and seek to educate small businesses about access to nontraditional sources of capital.

AFFORDABLE & ACCESSIBLE HEALTHCARE

Small businesses face higher administrative and premium costs for health insurance. This puts entrepreneurs at an inherent disadvantage, as health insurance is an important benefit to attract and retain employees. Congress and the Administration should implement the healthcare reforms that support the more than 35 million workers employed by small businesses. Our advocacy is centered around ensuring small businesses have access to plans and reasonable prices.

Our Team

Ann Sullivan

Ann Sullivan is the President and Founder of Madison Services Group, a woman-owned company that provides government relations and federal business development services. She brings many years of government relations experience in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives, serving in key advisory roles. Ms. Sullivan works with the United States Congress and the Administration to garner national attention for the small business community.

Her expertise includes business development programs, government procurement, healthcare, export development, and tax issues affecting small businesses.

Ann currently leads the policy teams for the largest national association of women business owners and women in business, Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, the HUBZone Contractors National Council, the California Association for Micro Enterprise Opportunity (CAMEO), as well as the national voice for microbusiness, the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO). She has also led the formation of the National Migraine Coalition, a women’s health group and a small business advisory council for a Fortune 100 company.

MSGI specializes in outreach to the small business community with an emphasis on women-owned and minority businesses. Ann is recognized as the driving force behind implementation of the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contract Program and has been a featured keynote speaker and moderator on many procurement panels nationwide.

Ms. Sullivan is part of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and received the Enterprising Women of the Year Award from Enterprising Women Magazine, and was honored by Professional Women in Advocacy for Excellence in a Federal Issue Campaign. Ann is also the recipient of three prestigious Stevie® Awards for Women in Business, receiving the top honor in the categories of Lifetime Achievement —Business, Woman of the Year— Business Services, and Communications or PR Campaign of the Year—Public Affairs. She was chosen by Small Business Trends as a Top 100 Small Business Influencer, and the Sunlight Foundation named her as one of Washington’s four “perfectly bipartisan lobbyists.”

Elizabeth Sullivan

Elizabeth Sullivan is a Director of Government Relations at Madison Services Group focusing on federal procurement, small business and education policy. Her expertise in government contracting includes shaping federal acquisition policy on Capitol Hill and analyzing federal procurement data to position companies to win federal contracts. She is vice-chair of the Mistaken Identity Foundation and a member of the DC Teach for America Alumni Board. Elizabeth is a graduate of James Madison University, and holds a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education. Prior to Joining Madison Services Group, Elizabeth was a Teach for America corps member in Chicago, IL.

Jennifer White

Jennifer White is Legislative Counsel at MSGI focusing on tax, lending, and healthcare policy, in addition to appropriations and regulatory issues. Jennifer earned her J.D. from Charleston School of Law in Charleston, SC, where she served as a teaching assistant for the Department of Legal Research and Writing, and completed her undergraduate work at the University of Tennessee and East Tennessee State University. Prior to joining Madison Services Group, Jennifer served as the Government Affairs Manager for the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) and as a Congressional Intern for Congressman Phil Roe (R-TN). She is President of the Charleston Law D.C. Alumni Chapter.

Kristie Arslan

Kristie Arslan has over 15 years of experience working with business associations and nonprofits to develop and implement data-driven strategies to assist them in achieving their organizational goals. As the former Executive Director for Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) and President & CEO of the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE), Kristie has taken the lead on the development and implementation of strategies for membership and sponsorship growth, creation of educational programming for stakeholders, and public policy efforts to increase the awareness of issues facing small business and to impact legislation and regulation. Kristie has spent years providing critical insight to media and policy makers into the issues affecting our nation’s small businesses and women-owned firms. She has been quoted and published in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Politico, Roll Call, The Hill and CQ Weekly while having appeared on MSNBC, FOX, CNBC and C-SPAN. Kristie also blogs for the Huffington Post.