If You Build it They Will Come

Ten Years ago I attended a MED Week (National Minority Enterprise Development Week) Conference in Miami, Florida. MED Week is sponsored by the MBDA (Minority Business Development Agency), which operates under the U.S. Department of Commerce. In its own words, the mission of the MBDA is "to achieve entrepreneurial parity for minority business enterprises by actively promoting their ability to grow and compete in the global economy." The MBDA accomplishes this goal, in part, through its annual MED Week conference in Washington DC and select jurisdictions around the country.

I was enlightened and encouraged by the display of governmental and private sector support for minority businesses. One particular booth at the conference caught my attention: The Florida Regional Minority Business Council (FRMBC) - you've got to know your acronyms to do minority business. I quickly learned that the FRMBC is an affiliate of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) operating in South Florida - my home base. I was told that the FRMBC exists to connect minority-owned businesses to corporate America.

"Tell me more," I said. I was intrigued by the statement. I had worked in corporate America and for corporate law firms, but I was unfamiliar with the idea of an organization made up of corporations with a mission of contracting with minority-owned suppliers. Being "minority-owned" and in the start-up phase of my business at that time, I gobbled up the information and swore that I would soon affiliate with the organization.

The following day I got back to the grind of starting a new venture and quickly forgot about the council. I filed away the information and would review it wistfully from time to time as I continued to build my business and my brand. About a year later, through informal networking, I made a contact with an insider in a local Fortune 500 company. Through hard work and diligence, I won the corporation as a client. The influx of business helped me to grow the business rapidly.

Our firm developed a strong reputation and hired the talent needed to keep the business growing. During these formative or building years, we held no minority certifications and did not market ourselves as a minority-owned business. My business sold professional services (a law firm) and at that period in the supplier diversity evolution, professional services was still outside of the mainstream of minority business development. Thus, a minority certification was probably of little value at that time, in any event.

Eventually, we won additional large clients based upon word-of-mouth and up-selling our existing clients. It was at that time that we decided we had the girth and experience to seek even larger opportunities and pursued a minority certification. The point of the story is this: Many MBEs experience frustration in trying to build their businesses through Supplier Diversity channels because they seek to do business with major corporations prior to building a truly sustainable business. I would suggest that MBEs should do the opposite. They should first build strong businesses and then advertise their minority status.

If you build it (a great business) they will come!