Allen Monadi

GovCon, procurement policy & startup rules in plain English. Class A contractor in VA, DC & MD. Founder, NearProx & USLaw Group. DBA; Law & Policy PhD student.

[Allen Monadi @Allen_Monadi]

I've run a licensed construction company in Northern Virginia since 2012, and since 2018 I've helped small businesses get ready to bid on public work. I'm also a Law & Policy doctoral student at Liberty University. Here I post about government contracting rules and startup policy (taxes, funding, regulation) in plain English. If that's your world, follow along and tell me what you'd like explained.

[Allen Monadi @Allen_Monadi]

Your week ahead: dates for contractors and founders in Virginia, DC and Maryland, plus two federal ones.

→ Tue, Oct 27: TEDCO's Entrepreneur Expo in Baltimore, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Workshops and live pitches for Maryland founders.
→ Wed, Oct 28: Virginia's eVA team teaches "Generating Leads using eVA" online, 10 a.m. to noon. It runs again Nov 10.
→ Wed, Oct 28: a small business roundtable with DC's Department of General Services at Fort Myer Construction, 3 to 5 p.m.
→ Wed, Oct 28: the Department of War's first FY27 SBIR/STTR release opens. Proposals are due Nov 25.
→ Thu, Oct 29: Maryland's Board of Public Works meets at 9 a.m. It approves most state contracts over $200,000, and its agenda lists each winner and amount. One item: about $1.5 million to replace heating and cooling systems at Morgan State University.
→ Fri, Oct 30, noon: applications close for VIPC's $50,000 Launch Grant for early-stage Virginia startups.
→ Mon, Nov 2: third-quarter Form 941 is due, since Oct 31 is a Saturday. If you deposited all the tax on time, you have until Nov 10.

My take: some of the best market research in public contracting is free. Read a few award agendas before you chase a new market.

Which of these is on your calendar?

General information, not tax or legal advice.

#GovCon #Startups

[Allen Monadi @Allen_Monadi]

@Entrepreneur The tax side most side hustlers miss: once you net $400 or more in a year, you owe self-employment tax, 15.3% on most of it, and you may need quarterly estimated payments to avoid a penalty.

[Allen Monadi @Allen_Monadi]

@IRSsmallbiz Worth adding: file on time even if you can't pay. The late-filing penalty is 5% of the unpaid tax per month, 10 times the 0.5% late-payment penalty, so filing first and then setting up a plan usually costs far less.

[Allen Monadi @Allen_Monadi]

@SBA_Kelly A detail founders should know: the 20% deduction (Section 199A) is only for owners of pass-throughs like LLCs and S corps, not C corporations. A startup raising venture money is usually a C corp, and its tax break is QSBS: up to 100% of the gain tax-free after 5 years.

[Allen Monadi @Allen_Monadi]

@NFIB One option worth covering for small teams hiring remotely: employers in E-Verify good standing can examine I-9 documents remotely by reviewing copies, holding a live video call and keeping clear copies on file.

[Allen Monadi @Allen_Monadi]

@a16z As a Virginia master electrician, I'd add: equipment is one bottleneck, and the people who install it are another. BLS projects about 72,700 electrician openings a year through 2035, so faster apprenticeships and state license reciprocity matter too.

[Allen Monadi @Allen_Monadi]

@SBA_Kelly @POTUS Filings are step one: Census counted 534,947 business applications in September but projects only about 29,000 will have payroll within a year. Making the first hire simpler, from payroll tax setup to state registration, would turn more of those filings into jobs.

[Allen Monadi @Allen_Monadi]

@a16z Worth separating book from tax. For U.S. tax, computers are 5-year property, and 100% bonus depreciation is now permanent for property acquired after Jan. 19, 2025, so a profitable startup can often deduct its GPUs in year one, whatever its books say.

[Allen Monadi @Allen_Monadi]

A startup of about 13 people just won up to $35M from the Pentagon, via an "other transaction" deal outside the FAR.

If a competed prototype works, production can follow with no new competition.

My take: it's the startup door into defense.

Not legal advice. #Startups #GovCon

[Allen Monadi @Allen_Monadi]

As a U.S. citizen and small business owner, I have a real concern. Asylum exists to protect people in genuine danger, and it must stay that way. But when someone flies from the Middle East to Brazil, pays smugglers thousands of dollars, and crosses through many safe countries before claiming asylum at our border, that isn't fleeing danger. It's an abuse of our legal system, and it hurts the people who truly need protection. The 'first safe country' principle deserves a serious review in U.S. law.

@realDonaldTrump @POTUS @DHSgov @USCIS @StateDept @SecRubio @CBP @ICEgov @HouseJudiciary @SenJudiciary

#Immigration #AsylumReform #RuleOfLaw #BorderSecurity #SafeThirdCountry #ImmigrationReform

[Allen Monadi @Allen_Monadi]

Major U.S. visa crackdown: The administration is reportedly preparing to revoke up to 200,000 B1/B2 visas held by individuals who sought asylum after entering as temporary visitors. Similar scrutiny of F-1 student visas could follow. Entering on a temporary visa with a pre-existing intent to seek asylum may raise serious misrepresentation or fraud concerns.

@StateDept @DHSgov @USCIS
#USImmigration #VisaNews #B1B2 #F1Visa #Asylum #ImmigrationNews #USVisa

[Allen Monadi @Allen_Monadi]

@MercedesBenz, @MercedesBenzUSA, @MBChantilly,

This wasn't just about a $639 service bill on a Mercedes with only 4,344 miles. It was about a lack of pricing transparency.

Based on what was communicated to me during check-in, I understood that the service would cost approximately $69.

I was then sent a digital authorization to my phone. The text was so small that it was not reasonably readable on the screen, and I was simply asked to sign with my fingerprint. The total charges were not clearly explained before I authorized the work.

Only after the service was completed did I learn the final bill was $639.

I immediately objected and explained that this amount was excessive. The only response I received was: "We're sorry."

Consumers have the right to clear pricing and meaningful disclosure before authorizing repairs. Digital authorizations should be presented in a format that is easy to read and understand not in tiny text on a phone screen.

Based on this experience, our family's next vehicle will definitely be American-made and from an American brand.

#MercedesBenz #MBChantilly #PricingTransparency #ConsumerRights #CustomerExperience

[Allen Monadi @Allen_Monadi]

A sincere thank you to @pwcdanica and her team for their responsiveness, professionalism, and commitment to helping constituents.

Over the past few months, I needed assistance with several administrative matters, and each time their office responded quickly and helped ensure everything was resolved in a remarkably short timeframe.

As a small business owner, I truly appreciate public servants who make government more responsive, accessible, and effective.

Thank you for your service to our community.

#DanicaRoem #Virginia #VirginiaSenate #SmallBusiness #PublicService #CommunityLeadership #HaymarketVA #PrinceWilliamCounty

[Allen Monadi @Allen_Monadi]

To our policymakers, law enforcement leaders, and platform operators:

Illegal immigrants can create accounts on platforms like Facebook and Nextdoor with little more than an email address and phone number, then advertise services directly to the public without meaningful identity verification.

This creates unfair competition for licensed, insured, tax-paying businesses and may expose consumers to significant risks.

We urge stronger identity verification requirements for service providers on social media and neighborhood platforms. Consumers deserve to know who they are hiring, and legitimate businesses deserve a fair marketplace.

@DHSgov @ICEgov @USCIS @TheJusticeDept @AGPamBondi @FBI @Nextdoor @Meta

#ConsumerProtection #SmallBusiness #LicensedContractors #Immigration #Nextdoor #Facebook #Virginia

[Allen Monadi @Allen_Monadi]

@realDonaldTrump
@ICEgov
@AGVirginia
@GovernorVA
@DPORVirginia
Mr. President, I’m a legal Virginia contractor & American citizen. I paid thousands for licenses, insurance & bonds, and pay taxes every year. Illegal immigrants are flooding our state with unlicensed construction & landscaping, low prices, wrapped trucks, Facebook ads, and no insurance. They’re destroying legal businesses like mine and endangering public safety. Enforce the laws NOW. Protect American workers! #AmericaFirst #StopIllegalContractors #Virginia

[Allen Monadi @Allen_Monadi]

@FairfaxCountyPD @PWCPolice

A question about transparency in police hiring:

If an applicant is a U.S. citizen, has no criminal record, passes multiple stages of the hiring process, and is later told only that they are "not qualified" after a polygraph or background investigation, shouldn't there be more transparency?

Applicants invest significant time and effort in testing, interviews, background packets, and investigations. A generic rejection without meaningful explanation raises concerns about accountability, consistency, and fairness.

No agency should be expected to disclose sensitive investigative methods. However, applicants deserve to understand whether a decision was based on integrity concerns, background issues, employment history, suitability standards, or another objective factor.

Transparency builds public trust.

I respectfully encourage Virginia law enforcement agencies to review their hiring communication practices and provide greater clarity whenever legally possible.

#FairfaxCounty #PrinceWilliamCounty #PoliceRecruiting #Transparency #Accountability #PublicTrust #Virginia

[Allen Monadi @Allen_Monadi]

@realDonaldTrump
@GovernorVA
@AGVirginia
@DPORVirginia
@ICEgov
@VirginiaStatePolice
@VASenateNews
@VAHouse
As an American citizen and Virginia resident, I spent thousands of dollars to get all required contractor licenses, insurance, and bonds. I pay taxes every year and follow the law.Yet illegal immigrants are openly operating unlicensed contracting businesses with wrapped work trucks, big banners, and heavy Facebook ads taking construction and landscaping jobs at much lower prices. This is unfair competition, dangerous for public safety, and completely illegal. It destroys legal small businesses like mine.Why is this allowed? Enforce the laws! Protect licensed contractors, consumers, and American workers.Stop the unlicensed illegal contractors now.#Virginia #StopUnlicensedContractors #FairCompetition #ConsumerProtection #AmericaFirst

[Allen Monadi @Allen_Monadi]

.@GovernorVA @JasonMiyaresVA @VirginiaOAG @DPORVirginia @VAStatePolice @VAHouse @VASenateNews

Virginia has a serious enforcement problem.

Licensed contractors spend thousands of dollars on education, exams, insurance, bonds, permits, taxes, and regulatory compliance. We are subject to inspections, complaints, audits, and disciplinary action.

Meanwhile, many vehicles across Virginia openly advertise remodeling, roofing, electrical, plumbing, painting, and construction services without displaying any contractor license information. Consumers often assume these businesses are legitimate simply because they have professional logos, wrapped vehicles, websites, and social media advertising.

If a contractor license is required by law, then operating without one should not be treated as a minor issue. It is a consumer protection issue.

When unlicensed operators perform work, homeowners may face:
• Fraud and abandoned projects
• Property damage
• Electrical fires and safety hazards
• Plumbing failures and water damage
• No insurance coverage
• Little accountability when problems occur
• Difficulty recovering losses
Virginia already has licensing laws. The challenge is enforcement and public awareness.
I respectfully urge DPOR, law enforcement agencies, Commonwealth's Attorneys, and state leaders to:
✓ Increase enforcement against unlicensed contracting
✓ Educate consumers on how to verify contractor licenses
✓ Require greater transparency in contractor advertising
✓ Launch public awareness campaigns about the risks of hiring unlicensed operators
✓ Protect licensed professionals who invest significant time and money to comply with Virginia law
The purpose of licensing is not paperwork. The purpose is protecting Virginia homeowners and supporting honest businesses that follow the law.
#Virginia #DPOR #ConsumerProtection #Contractors #SmallBusiness #PublicSafety #HomeImprovement #VirginiaBusiness