Client Success Stories
How we helped Tiddalik Services become ‘Gov Ready’
How we helped TOBi achieve incredible results and win government contracts
We didn’t ask for a testimonial - this client just sent one!
Suremploy were so happy with our work, they sent us this video - completely unsolicited! Thomas had just debriefed Victor and Tom from Suremploy, and handed over their Government Engagement Plan. A few hours after the handover, we received an email from Victor with a link to the video below. Were we chuffed? Absolutely. Even more so because we never actually asked Suremploy for any testimonial. They just loved what we’d done for them and decided to send us a thank-you video.
Helping ‘Say it Now’ Speak to Government
Having an immediate impact…
“We engaged Gov Ready in early July and were lucky enough to have Thomas Pollock help us with a GEP. The insights that we gained have had an immediate impact and we now have a clear plan moving forward to win more government business, great experience – thank you Thomas and team!”
Douglas Gregory
Director
Promotion Products
And another one..
The Cairns Chamber of Commerce were extremely satisfied with the presentation delivered by Tom to the Cairns business community. Tom was highly engaging and facilitated an interactive workshop that held the attention of all in attendance. He was very approachable and created a welcoming environment where the participants felt comfortable to ask questions. The content was delivered in a clear, easy to understand manner and he provided simple tips and advices that businesses could immediately implement in their own organisations. I cannot recommend Tom highly enough to any business who is wanting to start tendering (or being more successful with their tendering) for government and big business contracts.
Patricia O’Neill
Chief Executive Officer
Cairns Chamber of Commerce
Achieving ‘Gov Ready’ Goals
I am delighted to provide a glowing endorsement for Gov Ready based on their exceptional work for Colorcorp. Their dedication, expertise, and commitment to excellence have been invaluable throughout our engagement.
Gov Ready's team demonstrated a deep understanding of our unique needs and challenges in the government sector. They worked tirelessly to ensure that our requirements were met effectively and efficiently, providing us with robust solutions and practical guidance.
Moreover, their professionalism and responsiveness were outstanding. The Gov Ready team was always available to address our concerns, answer our questions, and provide timely support whenever needed. Their level of dedication and customer-centric approach exceeded our expectations.
I would highly recommend Gov Ready to any organisation seeking top-notch solutions and exceptional service. They are a trusted partner who goes above and beyond to deliver tangible results and ensure compliance success.
Thank you, Gov Ready, for your exceptional work and unwavering commitment to helping us achieve our "Gov Ready" goals.
Mark James
Chief Executive Officer
Colorcorp
Filling the Gaps with a Clear Government Strategy
When I started working with Trades 30 years ago, I knew my big picture would be to run a successful business of my own. 20 years ago when I started BusinessSight, my goal was to create the most compressive training program for Trades and Builders in Australia. Well, happily, we surpassed that years ago!
We have some pretty big goals for education and training in the Trades and Building Space moving forward, and one of those is to diversify my business into the Government sector – problem was I didn’t really understand how to engage with Government – what they look for in their small business partners, how to be an attractive supplier for Government, where to go and what to do.
Thankfully, we found Gov Ready! We now have the support of Gov Ready to make this a reality. Working with Thomas has helped fill in the gaps with a clearly defined Government strategy, create connections inside Government circles, and provide a roadmap of what to do next & how.
I can safely say this will be a key part to realising our Big Picture. Thanks Gov Ready!
Miles Primrose
Founder BusinessSight
Rapid Impact for Rapid Platform
Winning government business takes time, but we love hearing when our support helps clients with quick wins! Here’s some feedback from a new client, Rapid Platform, who has seen an immediate and tangible impact from working with us.
“Recently, we were shortlisted for a tender opportunity with Advance Queensland.
While we were ecstatic to be shortlisted for the contract, however, unfortunately we didn’t win it. We had already engaged Gov Ready to deliver a custom Government Engagement Plan for Rapid Platform which they were working on, so I contacted Thomas for some advice. Thomas was very responsive and explained you don’t win them all, but there are things we could do which would really help us in winning future opportunities with Government. So he advised me to set up a ‘debrief’ with the department, and gave me specific step by step things I should do to arrange this. This advice gave me much more confidence going into the debrief, that I wasn’t stumbling round in the dark on my own, but had an expert in my corner guiding the way.
Following Thomas’s recommendation, we organised a face-to-face debrief with the State Government contact, to discuss the areas we did well but more importantly areas that we could have improved for next time. True to Thomas’s advice, the feedback we received from the debrief was so valuable for Rapid, and gave me another contact who was happy to help us on our journey to work with Government. We now understand what Government valued about our submission, areas that needed a bit more work, as well as some pointed advice on how to make our next submission stand out even more and give us a much-needed edge that we previously were completely unaware of.
We are only early in the journey to becoming a supplier to government but working with Gov Ready has already provided us with a lot of value, by helping us to not waste our time and efforts doing things that don’t work. Thomas has guided us in the direction to from their years of experience rather than us wasting our time learning the lessons ourselves. Looking forward to learning even more little gems like getting the most out of a debrief as we learn and become more and more ‘ready’ for government contracts. Thanks Thomas and Gov Ready!!"
This is what makes us smile!
Here’s a heartwarming recount from Thomas Pollock, author of Winning Government Business and Gov Ready founder. It’s about a call from a client in business process consulting.
“Recently, a call came through to my phone at about 6pm on a Friday night. Rarely do I take work calls at that time because that’s family time with my wife and three boys. But this call was from a Gov Ready small business client who we’d helped prepare a submission for one of the larger Queensland Government departments.
This client is pretty small – just three in the company. However, their Managing Director saw Government supply as a real source of revenue to help their business grow in many different ways. They realised the huge potential that Government contracts provided. They just needed some help. Hence why they contacted Gov Ready in the first place.
So I took the call.
A very excited MD then told me that they’d just received notification that they were successful with their submission, and this piece of business worth $200k was theirs! They were understandably ecstatic to receive the news. And happily for them, their quality submission had also opened the door to a second Government opportunity worth in excess of $200k.
This is what makes us smile!
Helping SMEs into Government contracts is the single reason Gov Ready exists. Helping them become a more attractive partner for Government and win Government business is our purpose.”
Client Testimonial - Zenva
“For several years, we’ve been considering whether to spend the time and effort trying to diversify our business and supply Government. Our major problem was we really didn’t understand what Government looked for in its suppliers, nor if we had the capabilities to actually find and supply big or small Government contracts.
Earlier this year I was discussing this with a Board Member of the Australian Computer Society, and he referred me to a company who specialises in building small business capability and helping them become a more attractive partner for Government supply.
I contacted Gov Ready and after completing their Pulse Check and speaking with their founder, Thomas Pollock, it was a very easy decision to have them work with us on building out our capabilities and begin targeting Government opportunities.
Thomas and the Gov Ready team have already helped our company in so many ways – of most value has been the knowledge and understanding of what Government looks for in its suppliers, how to build capability in key areas important to Government, and how to identify and qualify the right opportunities that our business should bid for.
Of equal importance to us is the fact that every recommendation we’ve adopted to help us become a better partner for Government, also makes us a more attractive partner to large private sector opportunities.
I would highly recommend Gov Ready to every business looking to strengthen their business and win Government contracts.”
Pablo Farias Navarro
Founder / CEO
Zenva
Client Testimonial - Urban Metal
“I recently had the privilege of working with Thomas Pollock from Gov Ready. This targeted engagement was extremely insightful, and Thomas didn’t mess around, getting straight to the point with crucial information and advice from a Gov Ready perspective. He quickly identified the business strengths, areas for improvement and ultimately shared knowledge which contributed to a successful contract win. Thank you Thomas!”
Deborah Bauer
Founder & Creative Director
Urban Metal
And more testimonials…
“We met with Thomas from Gov Ready and it was the most valuable meeting we have had in our time in business. Thomas saved us years in researching and learning things the hard way. His knowledge of the government, and how they do business was eye-opening. I researched as much as I could for the last 6 months and registered with all the email alerts I thought we needed, but we were getting nowhere. I am so grateful we found Thomas and Gov Ready. He is also very open to sharing his knowledge. In our meeting, it was evident that he has great relationships with so many different government areas.”
Belinda Donovan, Elite Electrical & Data Solutions
“Thomas gave a great insight into simple mistakes we fall into during the tendering process. I was amazed to hear that 60% of tenders are discarded because of simple omissions. He showed everyone where to look for tendering opportunities and how to manage the personal relationships you will need to develop and grow. In a testament to his relaxed and informative delivery style, half the audience stayed behind after the session to speak with him and ask more questions. I would certainly recommend Thomas to any business group, his experience is invaluable.”
Grant Ferry, Regional Stakeholder Manager, CCIQ
“I attended a workshop facilitated by Thomas on "Winning Government Business". The workshop was invaluable and something I would certainly recommend for any SME. Thomas was a very engaging speaker, sharing advice that would benefit any business with aspirations to provide goods and services to government. If SME Managers hear there's a Thomas Pollock workshop coming up in your area, then clear your diary and be there! You won't regret it.”
Sharlene Maki, CEO, Roadcraft Driver Education
“I first met Thomas in late 2020 a few weeks prior to hearing him present. At the time, I was impressed by not only Thomas' depth of knowledge and understanding, but his passion for business. This was reinforced when I watched him present to local businesses a few weeks later. The ease with which he was able to convey his years of experience into easy-to-understand concepts, left participants with a sense that they had the tools and the necessary tips to tender successfully for government contracts. I highly recommend Thomas Pollock and his work on government procurement.”
Tim Sayre, Regional Stakeholder Manager, Wide Bay Burnett CCIQ
“Thomas’s insights and knowledge when it comes to helping small businesses open Government revenue streams is clearly evident. He understands what it takes for small businesses to partner with Government, and is able to convey key themes and concepts in very practical and easy-to-understand ways. His presentation to some of our Bundaberg small business community provided real value, with attendees leaving the event more equipped to find and win government business opportunities throughout our region. I’d recommend Thomas and his company to all small to medium businesses looking to do business with any level of government.”
Yale Morgan, President, Bundaberg and District Chamber of Commerce
“Tom’s recent presentation to the Hills and Districts Chamber of Commerce on winning government business was highly engaging and informative. It opened members’ eyes to often unforeseen opportunities to open up government revenue streams. His broader message of creating alliances and partnerships was extremely valuable, irrespective of whether you’re interested in targeting government work or not. Tom’s generosity in helping others to learn about government procurement through his wins and losses was notable. Tom definitely has knowledge and skills that can benefit small and medium businesses owners! Thanks Tom.”
Donna Thistlethwaite, Vice-President, Hills and Districts Chamber of Commerce
“Thomas Pollock’s presentation on Winning Government Business for SMEs was insightful, inspirational – and highly enjoyable! The interactive nature of his presentation had our entire audience engaged, and feedback from attendees was very positive. For some, it opened up a possible revenue stream they’d never considered. For others, it gave them new insights into how they could improve their current practices to improve their chances of securing future opportunities. With the state government making a commitment to assisting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to access and win government business for the supply of goods and services, Thomas’ presentation is a must-see for all small business owners.”"
Rebecca Llewelyn, President, South-East Brisbane Chamber of Commerce
Participant Feedback
Brisbane Economic Development Agency
Winning Government Business Kickstarter Workshop
“Thanks so much for a fantastic day. I really took so much away from it. I loved hearing for the range of speakers, the similar but slightly different approaches created a lot of food for thought and it was great to have such a wide variety of voices from the speakers. I would absolutely recommend the workshop. I think is it a valuable day and I really gained a great insight from it. I hope to see you at some events in the future but initially please let me thank you and everyone who took the time from their day to talk to us, we understand it is time from their schedule also and do appreciate the time.”
Kate Turner, Senior Manager, Markets: Edge2020
“Last Friday I was privileged to be a part of a workshop "Winning Government Business: SME Kickstarter Program" at Brisbane Business Hub organised by Gov Ready’s Thomas Pollock. It was insightful to hear experiences and advice from public and private sector leaders, Ian Nearhos, David Smulders, Tracy Constable, Tim McGrath, and Maree Adshead. Thank you very much.”
Peter Piechota, Technologist, ICT Prism
“A fantastic engaging workshop with Thomas Pollock and his team of presenters - well organised with great practical tips to improve tender success.”
Samantha Bailey-Jensen, Director, Bailey Print Group
“It was a brilliant workshop!! So well-structured and presenters who had obviously prepared specifically with our needs in mind! Thank you so much!”
Vickie Saunders, Founder, TOBI
“This was a great workshop for SMEs looking to work with Government - Thanks Thomas Pollock, David Smulders, Tim McGrath, Maree Adshead, Ian Nearhos and Tracy Constable for insightful presentations!”
Kim Milnes, Marketing Manager, Aitken Legal
“We wrapped up our week at the Brisbane Business Hub last Friday by attending their full-day workshop presented by Thomas Pollock, Gov Ready and the Brisbane Economic Development Agency. I loved hearing from all sides of the table. I gained real-world insight into what Government are looking from SME providers, what could get in our way and the opportunities for us to succeed. The takeaways from the workshop were actionable, insightful and we really appreciated that the information was tailored to SMEs. It's always a plus when the SME community can gather together for events like this because we can all learn from each other's questions and pain points. I would wholeheartedly recommend this workshop to other SMEs who are pursuing Government business. The insights and industry knowledge we gained were invaluable.”
Charlotte Woods, General Manager, The Brand Builders