Companies looking to grow or pursue opportunities in Pennsylvania may need to understand more than the business opportunity itself. Legislative activity, regulatory issues, government decision-making, procurement, funding and economic development can all become part of the picture, depending on what the company is trying to accomplish.

Pennsylvania can present a real opportunity for a corporation. The difficult part is not always identifying it. Sometimes the challenge is understanding what sits around it.

A company may be looking at a government contract, watching legislation that could affect its business, dealing with a regulatory matter or pursuing an opportunity tied to economic development. Those situations do not call for the same approach.

That is the practical question behind how corporations should approach Pennsylvania market access. At Malady & Wooten, we work with clients navigating Pennsylvania’s government and public affairs environment, helping them address the issues connected to what they are trying to achieve.

First, Get Specific About the Opportunity

“Pennsylvania market access” can mean a lot of things. For one company, it may involve public procurement. For another, it could be a legislative or regulatory issue standing in the way of a business objective. Sometimes the focus is economic development or appropriations.

We need to know what the company is trying to accomplish before deciding how to approach it.

A useful starting point is to ask:

• What is the business objective?
• What government activity could affect it?
• Is legislation or regulation involved?
• Does the opportunity involve procurement or public funding?
• Who is responsible for the decisions connected to the issue?

Those answers help narrow the path. Without them, outreach can become a series of conversations without a clear purpose.

Pennsylvania Government Is Not One Conversation

There is no single route through Pennsylvania government. The right approach depends on the issue. A matter involving proposed legislation may require attention to the General Assembly. A regulatory concern may involve a different audience altogether. 

Procurement and economic development opportunities bring their own set of considerations. That is why how corporations should approach Pennsylvania market access should not start with a list of contacts. We first need to understand the issue and where decisions connected to it are being made.

At Malady & Wooten, our work includes direct lobbying, strategic planning, legislative and regulatory monitoring, procurement assistance, economic development and appropriations. Different client goals can call for different combinations of those services.

Pay Attention Before the Issue Lands on Your Desk

Government activity does not wait for a company’s internal planning cycle. Legislation moves through the process. Regulations develop. Issues that seem distant can become relevant quickly. That is where monitoring matters.

At Malady & Wooten, we follow legislative and regulatory developments for clients whose businesses or objectives may be affected. The point is not simply to pass along an update. We look at what is happening and how it relates to the client’s particular interests.

For corporations operating in Pennsylvania or looking at new opportunities here, keeping an eye on relevant developments can be more useful than reacting after decisions have already begun to take shape.

A Meeting Is Not a Strategy

Access matters, but access by itself does not answer the bigger question. Before approaching legislators, agencies or other government decision-makers, a corporation should have a clear understanding of the issue it wants to discuss.

We begin with the client’s objective and the circumstances around it. From there, the approach may involve direct lobbying, strategic planning or monitoring activity that could affect the issue.

Preparation matters here. We need to know:

• What the company wants to accomplish
• What government action or decision is relevant
• Who is involved in that process
• What information or perspective needs to be communicated

The conversation should have a reason for happening.

How Corporations Should Approach Pennsylvania Market Access

The approach should follow the opportunity rather than the other way around. A corporation may begin by identifying the business objective, then looking at the government issues connected to it. 

From there, we can determine what is happening legislatively or regulatorily, whether procurement or funding is relevant and which parts of Pennsylvania government may affect the outcome.

This is the core of how corporations should approach Pennsylvania market access. The process is not identical for every business because the underlying issues are not identical either.

A company pursuing a public-sector opportunity will have different questions from one following a regulatory matter. Trying to treat both situations the same can send the effort in the wrong direction.

Public Opportunities Bring Their Own Set of Questions

Some corporations are not simply looking at the Pennsylvania market in a traditional commercial sense. Their opportunity may involve doing business with government.

Malady & Wooten provides procurement assistance for clients pursuing those opportunities. Economic development and appropriations may also be relevant when a project involves public investment or funding. The important part is understanding what kind of opportunity is on the table.

A procurement matter should be approached as procurement. A legislative issue should be understood within the legislative process. Lumping every government-related opportunity into one general strategy can overlook the details that matter.

Keep Government Activity Connected to the Business

Government relations work should make sense in the context of what the company is trying to do. A regulatory development may affect operations. Legislation could influence a planned investment. A procurement opportunity may become part of a larger expansion effort.

For Pennsylvania market access, the government side and the business side often need to be considered together.

At Malady & Wooten, we work with clients on government and public affairs matters tied to their specific objectives. Our role may involve helping clients understand the environment around an issue, monitoring developments, engaging directly with decision-makers or assisting with procurement, economic development, and appropriations.

Start With the Issue, Not the Rolodex

Knowing the right people can matter. Knowing why the issue matters and where the decision sits matters too.

That is the real point behind how corporations should approach Pennsylvania market access. Before reaching out, we need to understand the opportunity, the government activity connected to it, and what the company is trying to move forward.

At Malady & Wooten, LLP, we help clients work through Pennsylvania government and public affairs issues with their individual goals in mind.

The next opportunity may not need more noise around it. It may need a clearer path through Pennsylvania.

FAQs

What does Pennsylvania market access involve for corporations?

It can involve different government-related issues depending on the company’s objective, including legislation, regulation, public procurement, economic development or appropriations.

Why should corporations monitor Pennsylvania legislation and regulations?

Legislative and regulatory developments can affect a company’s business interests or planned activities. Monitoring relevant activity helps companies stay informed about changes connected to their objectives.

Can Malady & Wooten assist with government procurement?

Yes. We provide procurement assistance in Pennsylvania as part of our government relations and public affairs services.

Does every company need the same approach to Pennsylvania market access?

No. The approach should depend on what the corporation is trying to accomplish and the specific government, legislative, regulatory, procurement, or funding issues involved.

What services does Malady & Wooten provide?

We provide strategic planning, direct lobbying, legislative and regulatory monitoring, procurement assistance, economic development and appropriations services.