How the NGLCC is helping diverse firms find success

By Keshia McEntire

Starting a business is a daunting task for most people, but some face additional obstacles when navigating the corporate world. The United States government has initiatives in place to help minority, women and veteran-owned businesses get supplier contracts with big companies and local, state and federal government agencies. As the number of business owners who openly identify as members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community grows, more and more companies are also seeking out LGBT-owned businesses to source products and services from.

If a business is 51 percent LGBT owned and operated, the owners may be eligible to apply for certification by the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). Getting registered as a Certified LGBT Business Enterprise (LGBTBE) allows LGBT business owners the opportunity to compete for contracts in corporate supply chains in the same way as other minority groups.

Jonathan Lovitz, vice president of external affairs at the NGLCC, feels not getting registered is comparable to ignoring free money.

“If you’re an LGBT business owner and not certified, you’re leaving money on the table that could help your business grow and allow you to give back to our community as a role model, job creator and valued success story of an LGBT person achieving the American dream,” Lovitz said.

The NGLCC currently has more than 900 certified LGBTBEs in its database. Over one-third of Fortune 500 companies actively seek out and include NGLCC-certified businesses alongside other minority groups when looking to source contracts. Despite this, many LGBT business owners still do not know the certification exists or how to obtain it.

Two such business owners were Audi Culver and Ivy Siosi, two entrepreneurs who design and craft custom furniture for a variety of clients in Indiana and across the United States. Though they have been business partners for more than four years, they have been partners in life even longer.

“It’s kind of a honed skill for the person you love to be the person you work with, but there is no one I would rather collaborate with. There is no one’s opinion I respect more, even though every date we try to have turns into a business meeting,” Culver said.

The two live and work in Bloomington, Indiana. Their handcrafted creations adorn many local businesses, including Bloomington’s Upland Brewing Co.

“Bloomington is a very accepting community, and we would not be here if we did not feel safe. No matter what, it’s always on our radar to make sure we are in a safe and supportive community and that we can have a business that we don’t feel scared to show who we really are. It’s not only that we are gay, but we are also in an older-male-dominated business. We get old guys that are like, ‘Wow, you made that? That saw is bigger than you are!’ It’s just a little patronizing,” Siosi said.

The couple was unfamiliar with the LGBT business certification, but they both feel it can be beneficial.

“I am not very familiar with it. This is really the first time I’ve looked into or given any thought to that type of certification, but it sounds like obtaining it might be a great networking opportunity,” Culver said.

And the networking opportunities are endless, especially considering that, though NGLCC certification is on a national level, membership is on a local level, and the NGLCC works closely with local chambers, such as The Indianapolis Rainbow Chamber of Commerce. The NGLCC will waive the $400 certification fee for business owners who have joined their local affiliate chamber. The local chambers give entrepreneurs a myriad of opportunities to connect with like-minded business owners.

Lovitz said in addition to the networking possibilities, becoming certified promotes a more inclusive form of diversity.

“In no other community can mentioning that your business partner may also be your spouse cost you your livelihood. Too many of our business owners who are intersectional minorities, for example, gay and Hispanic or trans and African-American, are told to hide their sexual orientation and lead with their visible minority. That is why so much of our advocacy work is done in tandem with our partners in other diverse communities, because when we all do better, we all do better,” Lovitz said.

Noell and Crystal Allen agree that diverse communities need to work together. The couple is passionate about the economic empowerment of all minorities and have dedicated their lives to encouraging others to follow their entrepreneurial dreams. Noell is an attorney with a background in business, while Crystal is a certified public accountant. Driven by a desire to assist small business and entrepreneurs with reaching their goals, the couple founded A Total Solution CPA & Consulting Services in 2005. The company provides services including tax and accounting services, legal advice and business development.

“It was really out of a desire to assist small businesses and entrepreneurs with establishing success. Our intent was to serve our community at large. What our clients appreciate about our team is that we are professionals and knowledgeable. We just happen to be in a lesbian relationship,” Crystal said.

The couple is currently in the process of obtaining LGBT Business Certification from the NGLCC.

“You have to provide documentation showing you are a legit business, but you also have to prove your ‘gayness,’ so to speak. You can do this by showing a marriage certificate or your affiliation with a local gay chamber of commerce,” Noell said.

Noell thinks minority-owned businesses supporting each other is beneficial for all and has advice for corporations considering getting certified.

“The benefits of the certification outweigh any reason not to. Do not let fear of being discriminated against stop you, because corporations understand the importance of empowering LGBT business, hence the growing desire to partner with the LGBT community,” she said. “It’s important that minority-owned businesses support one another. When we pour our money into our community, we build wealth that can transcend generations.”

For more information on how to obtain LGBTBE certification, visit nglcc.org.

NGLCC’s four easy steps to LGBTBE certification

1. Visit my.nglcc.org to complete the online application process. You will need to build your business profile and submit supporting documentation to verify your eligibility for certification.
2. Once your application is complete, your regional manager will schedule a site visit to verify the information submitted and to learn more about your long-term business goals.
3. Your application will be reviewed by the National Certification Committee.
4. After receiving confirmation on the approval of your application, participate in an LGBTBE orientation webinar.

If at any time you need help during this process, contact the NGLCC SDI Team at (202) 234-9181.

Combining family with business can be dicey, but it doesn’t have to be. A few ground rules can help make the workplace a positive environment for everyone:

1.  Start with a job description. Whether you’re hiring for a new position or already have your relative onboard, you’re best served to create a job description that includes tasks, performance expectations, and how that person’s progress will be measured. There should be no surprises.
2. Address concerns. That means voicing them without bringing the family connection and baggage into it. This could mean actually saying, “I’m speaking to you as your boss now and not your brother,” for example.
3. Fire when necessary. Sometimes, family employees just don’t work out. If you’ve tried to address the situation to no avail, don’t keep holding on just because the person is blood. Have the much needed talk.

Foreign language skills in high demand

By Victoria T. Davis

Communication, teamwork and problem solving skills make the list of the top 10 skills employers seek in prospective employees according to Forbes. While these skills may be typical, another skill set is in high demand and reports find most job seekers who possess this skill can trade in their talents for higher salaries. Knowledge of any foreign language can help boost your value as a professional and help companies reach an audience they may not have previously had access to.

Indiana Minority Business Magazine spoke with Rebecca Buchan, director of ASL and education at Luna Language Services to obtain advice for those looking to learn a new language to further their career or personal connections.

Tip 1: Revisit your first language

“Make sure you’re strong in your first language. If you have a weak foundation in your native language, then your ability to learn other languages can be difficult. Those who strive to become interpreters forget that native language component. We all want to know ‘What’s the word for this or the sign for that’ but we’re forgetting we work in English just as much as we do other languages.”

Tip 2: Learn the culture along

with the language

“Language is not void of culture because they cannot be separated. You should learn and honor that culture.”

Tip 3: Find a language mentor

“Find somebody who is fluent, preferably someone who is native to the language you are learning and sit down with them one on one. Conversations just aren’t about linguistics or dialogue because there is a cultural component. The more you understand the entire context, the easier and more authentic acquisition will be.”

Tip 4: Be a learner of the language then share it

I’m a big advocate for learning a language and then finding someone you can teach it to. It can be a child or a coworker, just anyone you can share that information with. It reinforces our adult learning. You learn it, you process it and then you process it again but not as the learner but as the teacher.”

Tip 5: Show passion and emotion

behind language

“Make sure there is passion and emotion behind your language. If you don’t have any, it just becomes words on a paper. With sign language, the signer’s sign space becomes really big and they sign larger when they are provoking heavy emotion.” I

For more information on learning a new language, visit luna360.com.

These Indiana cities are creating vibrant cultural communities

By Benjamin Cooley

Over the past two decades, Indiana has evolved into a multicultural haven for immigrants and refugees. More recently, the American Community Survey reported a 61.6 percent increase in foreign-born residents from 2000 to 2013, with Mexican nationals making up an approximate 36.6 percent of the total foreign-born population. Many immigrants see a new life in Indiana as their best hope for a successful future. And while the final destinations of these people vary, a few Indiana areas stand out for their response to new populations.

Marion County & the Northwest side

There are over 86,000 Latinos in Marion County, according to the most recent U.S. census data. Of the total population in Marion County, about 8.5 percent are immigrants, compared to just 4.8 percent for the state of Indiana. In particular, the Northwest side of Indianapolis seems to have been particularly affected by this influx of immigrants. In 1997, resident Mary Clark started to notice a change in her neighborhood.

“I was used to a black and white Indianapolis. But then I saw this big influx of the Hispanic community coming in.” She says at first she didn’t know what to think, but after interacting with her new neighbors at her previous job with National City Bank, Clark had a change of heart, along with an added burst of inspiration.

Almost two decades later, Clark has excelled as the executive director and founder of the International Marketplace Coalition, a not-for-profit organization devoted to the economic development and diversity of the Northwest side of Indianapolis. Through her organization she has helped dozens of business owners from Latin America, Africa, India and East Asian countries build successful businesses in the community. The International Marketplace Coalition area now contains over 70 ethnic restaurants, 40 specialty markets and over 700 total ethnic businesses serving the neighborhood.

“Our goal is to take what’s happening on the inside of businesses and take it to the outside,” said Clark. “Most are immigrants to Indiana wanting a better life for their families, just like the rest of us. I think we’ve done a good job of embracing our immigrant brothers and sisters here.”

South Bend

Outside of Indy, similar trends emerge. South Bend contains over double the percentage of Latino residents than the state average at 13 percent of the city population. In addition, the rate of foreign-born residents beats the state average by nearly three percent. The first major wave of Latino immigrants arrived in the 1940s, around the time when many of the original Polish immigrants to the city began moving out to the suburbs. Due to the solid infrastructure left by the Poles in the early 1900s, Latino immigrants began moving into built-up neighborhoods and forming new ethnic enclaves, or geographic cultural communities, on the west side.

Over the years, the community has welcomed many new businesses to serve this ethnic enclave and its Latino residents. La Rosita Paleteria y Neveria, a homemade popsicle and ice cream shop on Western Avenue, serves iced treats inspired by the owner’s old family restaurant in her hometown of Durango, Mexico. Another shop called El Paraiso provides specialty groceries directly from Mexico to residents looking for ingredients needed for traditional Latino dishes.

Terre Haute

Similarly to South Bend, Terre Haute also contains a noticeable community of Latino immigrants. The biggest increase in the immigrant population occurred more recently between 2000 and 2010. According to Jeff Lorrick, a director of human relations for the Terre Haute Mayor’s Office, the transition has been a smooth one.

“Our community is making the necessary adjustments to welcome and embrace our Hispanic population,” said Lorrick. “We want to be welcoming and inclusive to whoever comes to our city.”

Many of the recent immigrants have found jobs with private construction contractors or manufacturing plants. In addition, some churches and other religious organizations have begun offering services specific to the Latino community. Grace Community Church of Terre Haute has even introduced a dual service for English and Spanish speakers to be able to worship together while each hearing the sermon in their own language.

Why are so many nail salons Asian-owned?

By Miranda Miller

The problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue but that they are incomplete.”

— Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Have you ever wondered why nail salons so often seem to be owned and staffed by Asian people? If so, you aren’t alone. “Why are all nail salons Asian?” turns up 2.2 million results on Google and “Why are all nail techs Asian” turns up 95,000. Since so many people are curious, IMBM thought the topic was worth investigating.

Statistics and history

Of the 129,682 nail salons in this country, 51 percent are Vietnamese, 40 percent are Caucasian, 5 percent are Black and 3 percent are Hispanic, according to Nails Magazine’s 2015-2016 statistics. Of the 15,829 nail salons in California, which has nearly 4,000 more locations than the state with the second-highest number, approximately 80 percent are Vietnamese.

But why?

As a Beautygeeks blogger said, actress Tippi Hedren, the blonde who starred in Alfred Hitchcock’s movie “The Birds,” “sparked the beginning of the Vietnamese nail salon industry in 1975.” 

After the Vietnam War ended in April of that year, tens of thousands of Vietnamese migrated to the United States. Hedren, who’d been serving as international relief coordinator for Food for the Hungry, visited a refugee camp near Sacramento. While trying to come up with careers the women could learn to start new lives, she noticed them admiring her fingernails, she told the BBC. Since the women would only need to learn a few words of English to accommodate customers, she flew her manicurist into the tent city once a week to train them. She also persuaded a nearby beauty school to enroll 20 of the women.

Hedren enabled those women to pursue the American dream, so they paid it forward by sending money back home and helping other refugees get started in the profession. Today, Hedren is known as the “godmother of nails,” and many technicians across the country are descendants of the 20 she helped enroll in school.

More to the story

According to Kiem Voong, who owns Mi Nail Salon in Indianapolis, many Vietnamese go into the industry because they have relatives or friends who are in it, but learning a skill that you can perfect in six months to two years is also easier than going to school for six to eight years and having to take ESL and computer classes in addition to what’s needed to attain a degree.

After six months of training, a nail technician in the Midwest can earn $2,000–$3,500 per month, he said. “So that’s why they don’t want to do manufacturing or work in restaurants or supermarkets.”

Voong speaks from experience. He grew up in Vietnam, and then his uncle sponsored his family, enabling them to move to Los Angeles when he was 20. He worked in a machine shop for four years and hated it. He also attended community college for two years.

Five years after his mom and sister moved to Indiana, where expenses and housing prices are lower than in LA, Voong and his wife, Ivy, who earned a marketing degree in Vietnam but decided not to pursue her master’s degree in the United States because of the writing and English involved, followed suit. They opened Mi Nail Salon in June 2012 and quickly became one of the most successful salons in Indianapolis.

Whereas Vietnamese nail salons are often reputed to be unlicensed, unsanitary and unfriendly assembly lines that turn over customers quickly to squeeze more in, Voong’s near-100 Yelp and Google reviews praise his staff’s attentiveness and his salon’s cleanliness. Mi Nail Salon seems to be the only one that has pedicure bowl liners.

“People come to us knowing they’re going to have relaxation and quality work,” he said.

Like many business owners, the Voongs aspire to retire early. Dispelling stereotypes may help them achieve that goal.

Manufacturing seems to be a popular sector for Indiana immigrants, but why?

By Benjamin Cooley

Indiana has long been known as a powerhouse in manufacturing, but recent gains in the industry have instilled even more confidence. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Indiana ranked first in the country in 2014 for percentage of total employment in non-farm manufacturing positions at 16.9 percent. And from 2013 to 2014, Indiana was second in the nation for manufacturing employment growth with a 4.5 percent increase in jobs.

The stats it make clear that Hoosiers take pride in building things and building them well. But among the various factors that make Indiana such a successful manufacturing state, lays a frequently overlooked group of workers: recent immigrants.

As of 2006, about three out of 10 workers in Indiana’s immigrant workforce were employed in the manufacturing industry. Using this figure, along with the latest census data, results in just over 93,000 immigrants working manufacturing-related jobs in Indiana today.

For many immigrants, the manufacturing industry represents a steady and gradual entry into their new lives. Thawngzapum Lian, a once-refugee to Indianapolis from Malaysia, experienced this firsthand. Upon arriving in Indiana in 2007, Lian got his first job working for a manufacturing plant in Plainfield, where he assembled electronics like chargers and smartphone accessories. After working for another manufacturing plant, Lian eventually became a caseworker for Catholic Charities, where he specialized in employment placement for refugees like himself. Lian said for most immigrants he worked with, manufacturing jobs are a good fit.

“There’s not as much competition as other industries. For example, with something like engineering, you need experience and schooling, but most manufacturing jobs only require a high school degree. Most people can get by without even speaking much English,” Lian said.

When Lian held his manufacturing jobs, he recalled, he worked alongside immigrants from all over the world. Now he works as a software engineer for IBM. For him, and many others, working in manufacturing has been a good entry point into the Hoosier workforce.

“What really matters (in manufacturing jobs] is a good work ethic, and many of the refugees I helped find work had a good work ethic, so they did well,” said Lian.

Manufacturing jobs also act as a good entry point beyond the professional realm. James A. McCann, a professor of Latin American studies and political science at Purdue University, described the workplace as a process of learning on the job.

“There’s a lot of assimilation that happens at the workplace. Especially in larger firms, there is a lot of interaction, so immigrants are going to meet people from other places,” said McCann.

As they learn, immigrant employees in manufacturing can experience a less intimidating assimilation process into the new culture. This process takes time, and sometimes, a little extra help from employers. But gradually, McCann explained, a job in this industry can open up other areas of growth.

“The longer you’re there, the more proficient you become at language adoption and social norms. So the workplace is a very important repository for immigrant socialization,” McCann said.

Victoria T. Davis

Language barriers and other cultural differences can turn creating a business plan into a nightmare for Indiana immigrants. Even those who have a solid plan can easily lose confidence if they can’t locate resources to help execute those plans.

Whether one is a potential business owner or current business owner, the State of Indiana has an abundance of resources available to not only lift a potential business off the ground but help maintain those already established.

Here are a few resources available within the state:

Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority

This agency administers the Individual Development Account program, which allows Indiana the opportunity to receive Federal money from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through a competitive application process through the Assets for Independence Act. The IHCDA is required to match all Federal monies with State monies on a dollar for dollar basis. Qualified participants set savings goals and make regular savings deposits. Every dollar saved is matched, at a minimum for $3 for every $1 saved, to help them reach their goals so they can: Launch a new business, obtain higher education and professional training needed to qualify for a better job or purchase a new home.

For reference materials and application forms, visit in.gov/myihcda/ida or call (317) 234-5825.

Indiana Small Business Development Center

The Indiana Small Business Development Center (ISBDC) has 10 regional offices providing business advice to entrepreneurs and small business owners free of charge. Services provided include one-on-one consulting, strategic planning, market research, loan assistance and more. Business owners work with experienced ISBDC Business Advisors who can help guide them through the variety of resources available at the state and federal levels. To view a list of ISBDC locations and contact information, please click here. Business owners are also welcome to take the new business or existing business survey to connect with their regional office and start the consulting relationship.

For more information on business planning with the Indiana Small Business Development Center, visit isbdc.org or call (317) 234-2082.

Launch Indiana

Launch Indiana offers one-on-one mentorship to innovation-driven entrepreneurs in Indiana and is a joint initiative of the ISBDC and Launch Fishers. The website, launchindiana.org offers advice on seeking investors and lessons every startup should know. Business mentor applications can be found online and address challenges business owners are concerned with.

For more information, visit LaunchIndiana.org.

Immigrants don’t have to go it alone with it comes to starting and building a business. A few resources are available in Indiana for entrepreneurial-minded foreign-born residents. One such organization in Indianapolis known as the International Marketplace Coalition (IMC) helps small business owners build infrastructure and capacity through various economic-development projects.

The IMC, formerly known as the Lafayette Square Area Coalition, is a local business organization working to re-brand the Lafayette Square Area (LSA) into Indy’s International Marketplace (IM). Mary Clark has served as executive director of the IMC. She has worked hard to develop relationships and partnerships with state and local elected officials, ethic community leaders, and residents to help formulate the vision of the IM. According to their website, in 2014 IM was responsible for assisting with the completion of 3 new gateway structures, bus shelters and signage.

The intent of the facade program is to jumpstart retail and commercial development by supporting quality improvements to storefronts and commercial facilities in urban neighborhoods throughout Indianapolis.

The following information outlines the details of the program:

Eligible applicants: Any building owner or tenant of a building located in the International Marketplace Area (see attached map) is eligible to apply. All applications from building tenants require the signature and approval of the building owner.

Eligible projects: Any improvement to primary front-facing commercial facades is eligible, such as attached signage and building entrances, including but not limited to: doors, windows, signage, awnings, brick, stone, wood, or other building surface material.

International Market Place initiatives will allow for the scope of facade improvements to include other improvements to create a more attractive business environment, including the removal of asphalt paving to create more greenspace, landscaping, accessibility improvements to sidewalks, pole signage or other related activities that create an attractive business retail environment. Improvements to interior public spaces in businesses that serve the general public are also eligible.

Applications are accepted at any time. Applications received after September will be considered for the subsequent calendar year. Award announcements will be communicated within 60 days of submission of a fully submitted application.

For more information and to obtain an application, visit imcoalition.org/imclisc-facade-grant. Questions can be directed to smallbiz@lisc.org or (317) 454-8488.