You Don't Need a Lobbyist Everywhere. You Need One Where It Matters.

Not every business needs a full-time lobbyist or representation in Washington. And certainly not every business needs to spend $100,000 a year on government affairs.

But if your business is materially affected by state policy (and chances are it is), you should at least understand what professional representation costs.

State governments make decisions every year that affect taxes, labor, energy, healthcare, construction, transportation, licensing, environmental compliance, economic development and virtually every other part of the economy.

The businesses most likely to benefit from government affairs aren't necessarily the largest businesses. Smaller businesses are generally far more susceptible to changes beyond their control impacting their bottom line.

A regulation that drives up costs 2% in a specific state may be something a large multinational corporation can absorb without much impact. But that same policy could crush a local small business.

The real number every business owner should consider is $0.

That's what it costs to have no one watching. No one monitoring legislation. No one explaining what is happening. No one building relationships. No one advocating for your interests.

Zero is certainly cheaper than $15,000–$40,000. Until the policy costs you $50,000. Or $100,000. Or $1 million.

A lobbyist isn't an insurance policy, and no lobbyist can guarantee a particular legislative outcome. But professional government affairs gives a business something it otherwise doesn't have: A seat at the table.

And increasingly, that seat is available for far less than most businesses think. You have to decide if your business is important enough to you to have someone advocating for it.

Civalta helps businesses find the right government affairs professional for their needs, without requiring them to build a government affairs department from scratch.

Find your advocate. Make policy work for you.