Winning Contracts is Just the Start: Mastering MWBE Retention

Scaling Your Business with Compliance, Strategy & Storytelling

Winning the Contract Isn’t the Finish Line—It’s the Starting Point

For many minority- and women-owned business enterprises (MWBE), securing a government contract feels like the ultimate milestone. But at Table SALT Group, we’ve seen time and again: getting the contract is just the beginning. 

The real success lies in what you do with the opportunity. 

From working with 100+ veteran entrepreneurs across Texas during the Veteran Business Resiliency Accelerator to engaging at the New Year New Vision and Her Legacy Her Future events and the From Heritage to Hustle webinar series, we’ve uncovered a consistent theme: 

Capacity matters—but accountability is the key to contract renewal.

Here’s how impact-driven strategies can keep your business at the table and set you up for long-term success in government contracting. 

Lesson #1: Deliver Results, Not Just Promises 

Government agencies seek diverse, dependable partners—not just businesses with polished proposals. To retain contracts, MWBE firms must prove impact beyond initial expectations. 

Real Story:

A minority-owned firm leveraged KPI tracking and impact reporting to grow from a subcontractor to a prime contractor within two years. 

Action Tip: 

Create an internal performance dashboard that directly links outcomes to the agency’s mission. 

Lesson #2: Use Storytelling as a Business Retention Strategy 

Your data speaks volumes—but your narrative humanizes your success. Whether in quarterly reports or informal communications, storytelling builds relationships that differentiate you from competitors. 

From Heritage to Hustle Insight: 

Dr. Tanisha Lemelle emphasized that storytelling shapes policy-level impact—not just funding access. MWBE success stories help reinforce credibility and client relationships. 

Action Tip: 

For every milestone you hit, write a two-sentence case study highlighting your impact beyond the numbers. 

Lesson #3: Impact = Innovation + Intention

Government contracting is shifting toward outcome-based accountability—asking not just “How much revenue did you generate?” but “How are you transforming communities?” 

New Year New Vision Event Takeaway: 

Attendees explored visioning and goal-setting techniques, learning that strategy and planning must reflect community data, ethics, and transparency. 

Action Tip: 

Align your services with an impact framework, such as Black to the Future: Lessons from Black Wall Street for Community and Economic Prosperity—Table SALT Group’s proprietary legacy-driven results model. 

Building Capacity with Accountability 

Winning contracts isn’t enough. Sustaining them requires strategy. 

At Table SALT Group, we help MWBEs: 

• Design impact dashboards for performance tracking 
• Translate results into compliance-ready narratives 
• Connect with peer networks for capacity building through the SALT Shaker Network 

Next Steps: Build Your Legacy, Not Just a Business

Check out the From Heritage to Hustle Resource Hub → Watch the 4-part webinar series and downloadable resource guides.

Join the Diverse Lit Dialogues Book Club → Explore Black to the Future: Lessons from Black Wall Street in depth with other readers.

Subscribe to the SALT Shaker Network → Access MWBE-specific workshops and resources 

Final Thought: 

A contract is a doorway—but impact is the key that keeps it open.
— Dr. LaRachelle Samuel-Smith