Big boost

Kevin Jans says there are two types of entrepreneurs: those who chase after a trend with a lot of competition and those who look for something no one else is doing. Jans is the latter.

A former government contracting officer turned consultant, Jans wanted to find something to make his consulting business, St. Petersburg-based Skyway Acquisition Solutions, stand out. In a crowded space of government contract consulting, it can be difficult to find a good customer, and even more difficult to have them find you. “Prospecting was exhausting,” he says.

In 2014, at a Tampa Bay Business Owners presentation on the benefits of podcasting, Jans did a Google search on government contracting. A few podcasts popped up on big picture government agency information. Then he searched for “contracting officer podcast.” When nothing showed up, Jans thought, “Holy crap.” He had his opportunity to find his customers.