Supporting Minority Businesses

For the past 20 years I’ve been blessed to support many businesses from majority to minority/immigrant/under-served communities — some of whom have access to all kinds of resources, and others who have none or very few.

In the process, I’ve learned that to support a minority business requires being plugged in to?different energy and resources. One of the first challenges I noticed in the minority/under-served/under-represented business owners is that they don’t always have a voice.

Sometimes they are their own enemy, in a way, by not speaking up and asking for the help they need or for the work they are seeking.

They also face a language barrier — we may all speak whatever language is dominant in that country, but you will notice that some words are not used the same way and things may be described differently.

Some people may have a perception of what a particular business is or is not, based on the location — which can also be a barrier for the small business owner.

For those interested in supporting minority-owned small businesses keep these ideas in mind:

• Minority entrepreneurs may not ask for help when they need it, and they might not engage in conversation when they are down.
• The language they use and the wording might be different than yours. Dig a bit deeper and learn a bit more.
• The resources they have access to can sometimes be the same, but many times they are not. Helping them understand what resources are available, and when and for what, could be helpful. Sometimes there is a misconception about what the resources are and how they can use those resources themselves.

BEFORE YOU GO

We see our blogs as opportunities for dialogue. Please share your thoughts as comments.

1. What can you do to support a local business in your community - minority or majority owned?
2. What other resources have you used to support minority-owned businesses?
3. How can we integrate minority and majority businesses for the benefit of the entire community?

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Faris Alami is Founder and CEO of International Strategic Management, Inc. (ISM). He works internationally, presenting Exploring Entrepreneurship Workshops and other entrepreneurial ecosystem — related ventures.

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