“The best time to align with CMMC? Yesterday. The second-best time? Today.”
At Markon, achieving CMMC Level 2 wasn’t just a compliance exercise; it was a strategic shift. For small businesses in the federal market, like many of the small business participants in Markon's Partner Program , the path to CMMC can feel overwhelming. However, the truth is that it’s a golden opportunity to future-proof your business and elevate your position as a trusted teaming partner.
We’re sharing the lessons we learned, not just to tell our story, but to support yours.
Build a Security-First Culture
“Cybersecurity isn’t a product, it’s a habit.”
One of the first and biggest hurdles we encountered was cultural alignment. CMMC is often perceived as an IT function, but real progress comes when the entire organization understands that secure operations are a shared responsibility.
At Markon, we knew from the beginning that securing tools and writing policies wouldn’t be enough. Instead, we focused on building a security-first mindset into our company culture. That meant going beyond policy rollouts – we talked about CMMC during multiple all-hands meetings, portfolio reviews, M&A integration info sessions, and even at company social events.
Most teammates want to do the right thing. But if compliance feels like it disrupts their workflow, resistance builds. To counter this, we created user-friendly materials like one-page infographics linking CMMC activities to client trust. We translated technical requirements into “what it means for your day-to-day.” Once people understood it wasn’t as disruptive as it seemed and had time to adjust, it quickly shifted from “new and scary” to simply “the way things are.”
For small businesses, this is a powerful advantage. A security-first culture is not just compliance, it’s a trust accelerator.
Be Strategic with Tools
“Perfect is the enemy of progress.”
Compliance platforms promise a lot – automation, dashboards, scoring. But many fall short on what really matters: assessor compatibility, data portability, and long-term flexibility.
We evaluated a range of tools and learned a critical lesson. One promising platform turned out to be owned by an auditor’s parent company – a conflict of interest that immediately disqualified it. Others locked data into proprietary formats, making it difficult to switch providers later. That’s not a minor inconvenience. It’s a risk to your audit readiness and long-term agility.
Many tools on the market today simply aren’t certified, or even certifiable, for long-term use in CMMC environments. Some are run by consultants who offer bundled services, which can create “one-way door” scenarios where your data enters but never easily exits.
Small businesses must be strategic: choose tools that serve your roadmap, not someone else’s bottom line. Compatibility, transparency, and flexibility should always outweigh flashy features.
Navigating Consultants and C3PAOs
“If someone promises miracles, read the fine print.”
The market for CMMC consultants, Registered Practitioner Organizations (RPOs), and C3PAOs is still in flux. Pricing models vary dramatically – some charge hourly, others flat-rate, and many offer multi-year packages without clear deliverables.
We spoke with dozens of vendors and quickly found that some leaned on fear-based marketing: “You won’t win another contract without us.” Others claimed they had the “inside track” on enforcement dates, none of which aligned with government announcements.
Our best advice? Ask the tough questions:
- What’s included in your quote?
- What’s your timeline for getting us ready?
- Can you provide a breakdown of deliverables?
Every vendor or contractor interaction is also an opportunity to learn. If an auditor unintentionally mentions a software, it’s probably worth checking out. If a vendor says, “Unlike company X, our company does Y,” maybe it’s worth taking a look at those guys too. Every piece of information is a gift.
Treat these relationships like strategic hires. The right vendor should be a long-term partner who builds capacity—not just a one-time fix.
Communicate Relentlessly
“If you feel like you’re repeating yourself, good – you’re finally being heard.”
At Markon, internal communication was critical to sustaining momentum. We launched “CMMC Wednesdays,” a standing meeting with leadership and technical teams to track progress, surface roadblocks, and keep alignment across the company.
If weekly meetings aren’t feasible, try monthly updates or a dedicated Slack channel. The key is consistency—no one should ever be surprised by the compliance roadmap.
Even without full-time IT and/or security teams, small businesses can adopt the same rhythm: set regular check-ins, document your roadmap, and build shared accountability.
Understanding What's at Stake
“Compliance is a moving target. Know when your shot will count.”
One of the smartest things we did was bring our business development and capture teams into the CMMC planning process. They helped map upcoming proposals and client conversations to compliance milestones.
In one case, we discovered that a key client would require CMMC Level 2 for a fiscal year 2026 contract. That gave us a clear deadline, allowing us to work backward from there.
If you’re a small business pursuing subcontracts or direct awards, now’s the time to:
- Ask contracting officers about CMMC plans
- Track pre-solicitation notices
- Coordinate with your primes to understand their expectations
CMMC will not hit everyone at once – but it will hit. Better to plan proactively than to scramble reactively.
Think of GCC High as a Milestone, Not a Roadblock
“It’s not a cloud migration; it’s a patience test.
Microsoft GCC High is an essential part of many CMMC compliance strategies. But be warned: the process isn’t fast, easy, or clear.
Markon ran into several common pain points. Pricing isn’t publicly available. Many vendors think they can support GCC High, only to later discover that they can’t. And Microsoft doesn’t differentiate its partner network between GCC Low and High, which creates confusion.
Our advice to small businesses? Don’t treat GCC High as a future problem. Ask vendors now about their experience. Plan for longer onboarding timelines than you think. And document everything.
Make the Budget Work for You
“Every dollar should earn its keep.”
Building a sustainable CMMC program requires deliberate financial planning. At Markon, we added a dedicated CMMC line item to our annual budget to cover software, consulting, internal labor, and training.
This not only kept leadership aligned, but it also gave us visibility into where we were over- or under-investing. It also surfaced opportunities to trim waste elsewhere: licenses we no longer used, equipment that no longer met compliance standards, and inefficient policies ripe for modernization.
For small businesses, CMMC isn’t just a new cost center, it’s a trigger to clean house, tighten operations, and reallocate spend in smarter ways.
Reframe Compliance as a Growth Driver
“Sometimes the stick comes wrapped like a carrot.”
CMMC forced us to do things we had long known we should do: modernize legacy systems, formalize IT controls, and rethink our approach to access and identity management.
In that sense, it became a gift. A catalyst. A reason to finally prioritize things that had lingered on the back burner.
For small businesses, the same holds true. CMMC is your opportunity to stand out in a competitive field. If you can show that you take cybersecurity seriously, that you understand federal compliance, and that you’re ready to deliver securely, you become more than a subcontractor. You become a trusted partner.
Let’s Grow Stronger, Together
At Markon, we believe in building partnerships that last – and that includes helping small businesses level up. We’ve been through the CMMC process, and we’re committed to helping our partners avoid the pitfalls and accelerate their success.
Join Markon’s Small Business Partner Program today and explore collaboration opportunities that help reduce compliance friction and grow your federal footprint.
Join Markon’s Partner Program - together we can advance what matters.
