Category: In the News

“LobbyIt.com works on a completely different business model than other federal lobbying firms. Rather than locking clients in to yearly contracts, the longest commitment LobbyIt requires is three months. Instead of using an opaque, case-by-case pricing structure (often running into the tens of thousands of dollars per month), LobbyIt.com offers three affordable pricing options, available to everyone. The firm also prides itself on clear, concise deliverables which holds the firm accountable for its results.”

“Kanitra’s company offers contracts starting at $995, month-to-month agreements and prices and other details spelled out on the company’s Web site. The effort, which formally launches Friday after months of preparation, amounts to a bold experiment to remake the idea of Washington lobbying, where fee schedules are opaque and opulence is often viewed as part of the price of doing business.”

“The young lobbyist’s unusual new venture, Lobbyit.com, targets small towns, humble associations and others of modest means that can’t even consider signing the $10,000-a-month retainers required by many top Washington firms.”

“Kanitra’s transformation into fledgling lobbyist mogul came while lobbying for Carfax, the Fairfax-based company that markets vehicle history reports. With his top client’s blessing, Kanitra started to quietly begin laying the foundation for LobbyIt.com.”

“I guess you can call it McLobbying,” said Kanitra, 30, adding that his inspiration comes from such cost-killers as McDonald’s, Wal-Mart and Amazon.com. “Every other industry embraced this kind of model a decade ago or more. The lobbying industry is stagnant and stuck in its ways.”