• Link to Facebook
  • Link to Youtube
  • Link to X
  • Link to LinkedIn
  • Link to Flickr
  • Link to Slideshare
  • Link to Rss this site
  • Donate
  • Subscribe
SBDC Tampa Bay
  • Home
  • Solutions
    • Certifications
      • Business Certifications
      • Minority-Owned Business
      • Woman-Owned Business
      • Veteran-Owned Business
    • Consulting & Training
      • Training
      • Training Calendar
      • Consulting
      • Schedule a Consultant
      • Consultación
    • Business Solutions
      • Growth Acceleration
      • Government Contracting
      • International Trade
      • Starting Your Business
      • Disaster Preparedness
      • Student Teams
      • Financing Your Business
  • Resources
    • Business Resources
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Insights
    • Blog
    • Media Inquiries
  • About Us
    • Mission / Vision
    • Consultants
    • Meet the Staff
    • Meet Our Clients
    • Partners / Affiliates
  • Training
    • Training Calendar
    • On-Demand Training
  • Results
    • Success Stories
    • Economic Impact
  • Locations
    • Tampa
    • Hernando County
    • Highlands, Hardee, DeSoto
    • Hillsborough
    • Manatee
    • Pasco County
    • Pinellas County
    • Polk County
    • Sarasota
  • Contact
  • Request a Consultant
  • Click to open the search input field Click to open the search input field Search
  • Menu Menu
Blog

The Importance of Client-Contractor Relationships

Blog, Business Essentials, Featured News, Growing Your Business

The Importance of Client-Contractor Relationships

by Yanina Rosario | April 16, 2019

Many business owners may think they know their clients well after doing a standard Clients Needs Analysis or a Marketing Mix Analysis, but how much insight do these types of evaluations actually offer?

I recently attended a special presentation for prime and sub-contractors at a local hospital. The seminar focused on the importance of really knowing who the contractors are. Listening to the representatives talk about who they are, what they believe in and what their special needs are, got me thinking about the importance of really knowing your client.

The speeches repeatedly emphasized that sub-contractor employees and prime contractor employees are essentially an extension of the hospital’s team. Therefore, they will all be held to the same high standards of work and performance expected of the medical and administrative staff. Because hospitals run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, these contractors should expect to be on call 24/7 as well. They should always consider the following:

  • Is there a special clearance needed to access the property at any time of the day?
  • When is your work expected to take place on a 24/7 site? Can you meet this expectation?
  • Do you know if you can store equipment and materials on-site?
  • Is there an on-site location for you to dispose equipment and materials?
  • Will you need to use different materials in order to perform in a hospital environment?
  • Are there special processes you must follow in a hospital environment?

These are important questions that may not be addressed in the Request for Proposals (RFP) or pre-bid meetings. Yet, the contractor must be fully aware, as any limitations or special expectations may represent additional costs to the business and this expense must be included in the project budget.

How does this apply to you and your approach with clients? As a supplier to your industry, you are an extension of that business’ team. This is where expectations, perhaps unwritten expectations, come into play and your experience can make a difference. Consider the following:

  • Have you worked in a similar environment before?
  • Do you have a good relationship with the prime contractor and the project manager?
  • Do you feel comfortable asking questions and sharing concerns?
  • Is your team the correct team to perform this work because they have experience or know how to follow strict rules?
  • Does the prime contractor provide sub-contractor training to help understand the environment and culture of the industry?
  • Do their core values match your core values?

Sticking with the hospital example, the representative said, “When you see patients and their families here, they may be having the worse day of their life.” You must always be aware of your surroundings and the people in them. This means that all vendors performing contracts, particularly in active hospital areas, must maintain the environment and patient culture the hospital has.

Really understanding your client is much more than winning a bid or getting on a vendor list. Take your time to learn what the people performance expectations are. Learn what the day to day is like and take a walk in their shoes. Building strong, open relationships and making your clients’ culture part of your own during the project, are important factors to successfully performing your work.

Author

Yanina Rosario

Yanina Rosario

Certification Consultants, Consultants, Rosario, Tampa

Associate Director, NASBITE Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP), Associate Business Continuity Professional (ABCP), Florida SBDC at USF, Tampa

Specialty: Women/Minority/Veteran Certification

Yanina Rosario is an associate director and business consultant for the Florida SBDC at USF. Rosario provides business owners with one-on-one expertise for optimizing business performance through marketing, strategic business planning, and business certification. She also teaches the Women/Minority/Disabled Veteran-Owned Certification seminar.

As associate director for the center, Rosario is responsible for outreach. This involves educating the community, establishing strategic partnerships and working on special projects.

Rosario’s expertise comes from more than 23 years in economic development, guiding pre-venture and well-established business owners through procurement, licensing, planning, marketing and financing. She’s helped clients secure more than $5.5 million in small business loans.

Read more
https://enwqtxc9es4.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/YaninaRosario_2025WEB-e1742403810452.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&ssl=1 1024 1024 admin /wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Locked-Host-Logos-Horizontal-USF-Small-e1728920602651.png admin2020-11-28 20:57:172025-05-29 16:18:04Yanina Rosario
Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on X
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share by Mail
https://enwqtxc9es4.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/client-contractor-relationships.png?strip=all&lossy=1&ssl=1 370 700 admin /wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Locked-Host-Logos-Horizontal-USF-Small-e1728920602651.png admin2019-04-16 15:05:092022-01-01 22:22:46The Importance of Client-Contractor Relationships

Categories

  • Business Essentials
  • Business Plans
  • Buying a Business
  • Certifications
  • COVID-19
  • Crowdfunding
  • Disaster Preparedness
  • Economic Development
  • Finance
  • Government Contracting
  • Growing Your Business
  • Healthcare
  • Human Resources
  • International Trade
  • Marketing
  • Press Releases
  • Radio and Podcast
  • Starting a Business
  • Success Stories
  • Success Stories Videos
  • Tech Commercialization/Tech Transfer
  • Veteran
  • Web and Social Media
Subscribe to Newsletter

Contact Us

Regional Office Contact Info

USF CONNECT
3802 Spectrum Blvd., Suite 201
Tampa, FL 33612

813-396-2700

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Florida SBDC Network

The Florida SBDC at the University of South Florida is a member of the Florida SBDC Network, a statewide partnership program nationally accredited by the Association of America’s SBDCs and funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Department of Defense, State of Florida, and other private and public partners, with the University of West Florida serving as the network’s lead host institution. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for limited English proficient individuals.

Logos

Business Assistance

USFMuma

State Designated as Florida’s Principal Provider of Business Assistance [§ 288.01, Fla. Stat.]

© Florida SBDC at USF | contact webmaster
Link to: Be an Innovator, Not Just an Inventor Link to: Be an Innovator, Not Just an Inventor Be an Innovator, Not Just an InventorBe an Innovator, Not Just an Inventor Link to: Ashley Bell, Keynote Speaker at 2019 Business Awards Celebration Luncheon Link to: Ashley Bell, Keynote Speaker at 2019 Business Awards Celebration Luncheon Ashley BellAshley Bell, Keynote Speaker at 2019 Business Awards Celebration Luncheon
Scroll to top Scroll to top Scroll to top
  • Get Answers