MARKETPLACE: Boosting opportunities

Minority businesses and entrepreneurs bolster economy, create jobs, observers say

By JENNIFER ROBISON
REVIEW-JOURNAL

The Las Vegas Valley is a hotbed of entrepreneurial activity, with a near-constant stream of accolades anointing it one of the nation's best markets for startup businesses.

And a fair number of businesspeople flocking to the city for new opportunities are minorities.

Experts say boosting opportunities for minority business owners bolsters the local economy because many minority entrepreneurs run the kinds of smaller companies that create most of Nevada's jobs.

What's more, supporting local companies keeps money in the local economy, as smaller businesses based here fill needs that out-of-state corporations might otherwise take over, said Carlos Gomez, business development director at the Latin Chamber of Commerce. Helping minority businesses find success also expands the supply for goods and services, thus improving competition and reducing costs, according to the Nevada Minority Business Council. And the gains in jobs and tax revenue limit the need for social-service programs, the council added.

Helping minority businesses succeed requires understanding the obstacles and advantages they experience today.

Las Vegas holds some advantages for minority entrepreneurs, observers say.

Thanks in part to MGM Mirage's emphasis on diversifying its vendor base to include more minorities, businesses across the city show greater interest in reaching out to minority entrepreneurs, Gomez said.

"MGM Mirage is pushing the envelope to get minorities involved, and we see more companies that are more open to working with minority-owned businesses," Gomez said. "There are more opportunities."

Some of the city's larger businesses also set aside specific percentages of vendor work just for minorities, and that helps minority providers win contracts. It can be easier to snag a contract when you're not competing with bigger, more-established companies, Gomez said.

Nordstrom, for instance, recently conducted a project preview event to help local minority construction companies learn about the company's bidding process.

Vida Chan Lin, vice president of the Asian Chamber of Commerce, agreed that minority owners of businesses in Las Vegas have many chances to leave their mark.

"There are more minorities in Nevada now, and I think there is opportunity for everyone," she said. "If you can figure out where you belong, the opportunity here is great."

Minority entrepreneurs in Nevada still face obstacles, though.

Tops among those issues is financing. Many ethnic business owners are first- or second-generation Americans, and they often lack the extensive credit histories that more-established residents claim, Gomez said. The shortage of credit experience makes obtaining business loans tougher, and it can also curb access to insurance, bonding and other operational essentials.

For Phung Jefferson, a Las Vegas attorney and owner of Law Offices of Phung Jefferson, financing proved the biggest stumbling block to opening her firm in 2003.

"I think, as a minority, I wasn't afforded the same access to financing that nonminorities had," Jefferson said. "I don't want to say, 'It was because I'm black.' I'm sure there were other factors. But with the bigger institutions, I wasn't able to qualify. The avenues available to me weren't as open as those for nonminorities."

Communication hurdles block the way for some companies as well, Lin said, as many first-generation minority entrepreneurs speak English only as a second language. Las Vegas also lacks the communications infrastructure of bigger cities on the coasts, where established Asian-language radio and television stations help connect business owners to the consumers who need their goods and services.

Competing for labor with megaresort operators challenges Asian business owners in particular, Lin added, because hotel-casinos experience high demand for employees who can communicate with visitors who speak Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

For other minority entrepreneurs, harmful stereotypes linger.

"There are segments of society that render me at a disadvantage just because of the way I look," said Lonnie Wright, the black owner of Shetakis Wholesalers, a food distributor that posts more than $70 million a year in sales serving local hotel-casinos and the Clark County School District. "It doesn't happen all the time, but sometimes. African-American males have been somewhat of a poster child for ill will in our society. So when you're out there, even if you're educated, you still run up against people being a product of their environment. But you need to learn to navigate past that, and you have to develop tolerance so you don't have a chip on your shoulder. Excuses will not cause you to be successful."

And those major corporate diversity initiatives don't always pay dividends for smaller minority enterprises, added Cedric Crear, president of Crear Creative Group and a member of the Board of Regents for the Nevada System of Higher Education. That's because many companies with diversity programs often fulfill contract objectives by giving one or two larger minority operations big contracts, frequently in construction.

"If you dive down into it, is it one minority-owned company getting a $4 million contract or 10 different companies getting pieces of a bigger $4 million contract?" Crear said. "It's a quicker, larger chunk that can be bitten off at one time. It's easy to say, 'Hey, we gave out $50 million in contracts,' but it was for three construction companies. There are other companies besides construction."

Minority entrepreneurs also have "huge challenges" in networking, and in grappling with the "unfounded perception" that they can't provide the services bigger businesses seek, Crear added.

Jefferson agreed that minorities struggle with networking and access to major local corporations.

"It's about the circles you travel in," she said. "Minorities aren't always traveling in the same circles as nonminorities, so we have less exposure to bigger companies. In this town, it's about who you know, not what you know. If you know the right people in the right circles, you have access to people who make decisions. If you're not in those circles, you don't have access. You're out there pounding the pavement and knocking on doors."

To succeed despite hurdles, Crear recommended that minorities considering launching a business work toward solid credit histories to help secure financing. They should also be willing to put their own money into their startup. He urged entrepreneur hopefuls to stay positive and keep trying: When one bank Crear had connections with turned down his application for an SBA loan, he took his business plan to a second lender who guided him through the process and loaned the funds.

Jefferson suggested looking outside traditional banks for business loans. She found her financing through the Nevada Microenterprise Initiative, a program that helps small startups launch. The group's $10,000 loan to Jefferson made the opening of her practice possible.

Minority business owners must make sure they don't give bigger companies an excuse to avoid working with them, Crear said. His business, for example, is licensed to operate in states including New Jersey, Arizona and North Carolina, so no prospective client could deny him a contract based on limited market reach.

Jefferson also recommended minority hopefuls finding a mentor who successfully started his own company, and tap him for advice on getting going.

Observers said they have high hopes for the future of minority business ownership.

The younger generation "is not being indoctrinated and programmed with the types of prejudices and stereotypes my (baby boom) generation grew up with," Wright noted.

Also, Lin said, young minorities have a distinct advantage their more-seasoned counterparts sometimes lack: technological savvy. That enables them to use computers and the Internet to conduct more advanced research, develop extensive business plans and tap into greater resources for financing and networking.

Regardless of minority status, though, the secret to doing well is still the same for any business, Gomez said: "Like any type of reward, success comes from education and vision, plus hard work, hard work and hard work."

Contact reporter Jennifer Robison at jrobison@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4512.

MANAGING YOUR MEETING MONSTERS: IDENTIFYING THE CAST OF CULPRITS THAT THREATEN PRODUCTIVE MEETINGS

By Craig Harrison


In the Star Wars movie's famous bar scene you knew, by appearance, what zany character was sitting beside you. Each character had a distinctive look. Yet in today's meetings you may have no idea the constellation of characters that you're meeting with. That's because their normal outward appearances belie often-troublesome behavior. Use this article as your guide to the crazy cast of characters you're likely to encounter in your meetings. Whether or not you're armed with a light saber, you'll nevertheless be equipped to do battle with these oft-destructive forces who subvert meetings with their bothersome behavior.
The Monopolizer: This person thinks he or she is the only one with wisdom on subjects. The monopolizer believes everyone else is there to hear him or her speak, and so they do, incessantly. They don't appreciate that meetings offer an opportunity to hear from many. They prattle on and on, arrogantly acting as though their ideas or beliefs are inherently more important than others. Sadly, other people shy away from contributing, intimidated by the monopolizer's stranglehold on the meeting. When facilitators allow this, it sends a message their rudeness is sanctioned. The facilitator or even other meeting participants should indicate an interest in hearing from others in the meeting, to remind the monopolizer that others can speak as well as listen.

The Tangent Talker: This person hijacks the topic of the group by taking discussions off on tangents—topics unrelated to the issue at hand. One minute you're on topic and the next minute you're in “left field” as your agenda topic has been taken to a tangent. Your meeting chair's ability to recognize and refocus is essential to a productive meeting. “Let's remember to confine ourselves to the topic at hand” is a good way to get back on track. Alternately saying, “Let's try to avoid tangents” also labels such behavior as contrary to the group's aims. As well, you can “park” extraneous items in a “parking lot” list where they're noted, if only to be addressed later.

The Devil's Advocate: Let's face it, there's one in every crowd and most meetings too. This person seems to relish taking the opposite tack. Whatever the argument being put forth, this person delights in taking an opposing view. It's sport for them, an exercise in opposition. The more unpopular the stance the more exciting their challenge. Often they begin by saying, “just for the sake of argument…I believe the opposite is true….” While there's value in looking at issues from multiple points of view and avoiding groupthink, the Devil's Advocate applies their technique to every issue, every argument and every conversation. Hold on to your Agenda and get comfortable. This could take a while! A good chair can praise this person's ability to do this while simultaneously indicating its inappropriateness given time parameters or previously agreed issues.

The Cynic: The ultimate naysayer, this person has a Masters degree in negativity. Adroit at the phrase “it won't work” they are skilled at deflating and defeating whatever motion is in motion. “Can't be done.” “They'll never buy it.” “We tried it once and it was a failure.” Their motto: just say no. Challenge these people to think like The Devil's Advocate and suppose for just a moment that things could work. Use the common conflict resolution tool of asking them to embrace the other side's view as if it were their own, and argue that side's position.

The Fence Sitter: Known for their paralysis by analysis, these characters are unable to make decisions. Despite being in a deliberative body, they are conflicted by multiple arguments, and can't “pull the trigger” when it's time to make a
decision in a meeting. They provide fodder for the Devil's Advocate, the Cynic and other characters with their ambivalence. Whether they are afraid of being wrong, or of disagreeing with someone else, or just going on record, they are a meeting monster for their inability to move the action forward. Try to cajole them to action. Remind them they have a vote and were invited to use it. Ask them their opinions on matters to draw them out and get them on record.

The Brown Noser: There's likely one in every meeting. The person who is so obsequious, bending over backwards to ingratiate himself or herself to the boss, the meeting leader or other power broker. They're so busy currying favor with others they subvert whatever true feelings they have about issues to “kiss butt.” They are seen to be in the pocket of the person they're kowtowing to. Ultimately, they are seen for who they are and become predictable. Try to elicit their ideas and preferences before asking others as a way of drawing them out.

The Pandora's Box Opener: These meeting monsters just have to tackle issues that are emotional, touchy or are “hot buttons” for others in the meeting. In every meeting there are topics sure to strike a nerve, to provoke an emotional reaction or enter the group into a quagmire. These people lead the entire meeting into areas that provoke frustration, animosities, and often resentment too. Once this box is opened, it's hard to get its issues back in the box. Discussions of salaries, promotions or personal styles often stir up issues that hijack meetings. Even worse, some culprits reopen issues from earlier in the meeting that have already been resolved. The best cure: a firm “let's not go there” from the meeting's facilitator. Other phrases like “let's cross that bridge when we get there” or “that's a hornets nest we don't need to disturb” labels certain subjects out of bounds.

The Attacker: As children these people were bullies. Some haven't grown up! The attacker deftly mixes negativity with personal attacks, challenging others' ideas with vigor. Without regard to hurting others' feelings, the attacker uses a confrontational style to object to others' ideas and go against the flow. Sadly, sometimes they don't even realize they're attacking. A good facilitator can refocus them to be positive, to remove the sting from their words, and avoid an adversarial approach. All meeting participants are entitled to stop the meeting when attacked personally. Ad hominem attacks are attacks against one's person. People can criticize your actions or beliefs, but you don't have to tolerate attacks against who you are as a person.

The Joker: Don't let their good nature fool you, Jokers can be meeting monsters. Their constant joking has the effect of diminishing others' serious ideas or suggestions. Their infusion of humor can belittle others' motions and makes it difficult for some to be taken seriously. There is a time and place for joking. While we all like a good laugh, constant joking disrupts a meeting and distracts attention from where it should be. A meeting chair can designate several minutes at the start or middle of a meeting specifically for humor. When it crops up elsewhere and is deemed disruptive, the chair can remind people the time for humor is passed or forthcoming, so as to control it.

The Robots: Yep, these meeting monsters are actually cell phones, pagers, personal digital assistants (PDA's), and laptops. Each distracts their owner and others too as they intrude on participants' attention spans during meetings. It's gotten so bad now cell phones contain cameras within them…just what meetings need. A good meeting chair will create ground rules for meetings, including turning off these gadgets at their outset. It's hard to compete with human distractions, let alone electronic ones as well.
As you can see, meetings are full of characters. You should study the behavior in meetings, including your own, to better understand your style of interaction. The character of your meetings will surely be affected by the characters in your meeting. May the force be with you.

About the Author:
Professional speaker Craig Harrison builds credible, confident communicators and stellar sales and service organizations. For more resources surf his website http://www.expressionsofexcellence.com/. Craig can be reached at Excellence@craigspeaks.com or by phone: (510) 547-0664.

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HURRY SICKNESS

The pace at which we live is making us sick. Most of us are so busy, we "don't have time" for friendships, recreation, loafing, or rest. If we sleep very long at night, we awaken to a morning rush to get ready to go to work. We join the "rush-hour" traffic. We hurry to arrive at the job on time. By the time we do arrive, we are ready for a morning break...almost too tired to work.

Not only are we speeding through daily life at a frenetic pace, the current rate of change that is going on around us is so rapid, if we attempt to "keep up," we run the risk of exhausting ourselves. It seems we even "burn out" in
a hurry.

I work with many people who are feeling pressured to do more than ever before, and in less time. In their attempts to accommodate the pressure, their work becomes inefficient, and they overwork, become irritable, resistive, and demoralized. Their bodies are stressed, and they more easily become sick...a cold, flu, or worse. More than three quarters of the problems for which we seek medical attention are related to the speed and stress with which we function.

We do indeed seem to be suffering from what Native Americans once called "hurry sickness." We are so busy running in multiple directions, meeting endless deadlines, and participating in so many activities, that even our thought races. Peace of mind is forgotten. A serene internal environment is lost. And internal chaos becomes "normal."

For those of us who have forgotten how to slow down, here are a few suggestions.

1. Remember, pressure
   is contagious.
   
   But, so is ease. You may wish to place yourself around people who are easy going, relaxed, and peaceful. "Hang out" with those people who are balanced themselves. Watch them and learn from them how they function.
   
   
2. Train your attention to focus on one
   thing at a time.
   
   This skill is referred to as "single-pointedness." Many people are planning in their minds the next four or five activities they want to do while actually doing something else...mindlessly, or at least without attending to what they are doing at any given moment. Learn to put all of your attention on the activity you are doing right now. Let everything else wait.
   
   
3. Periodically "check
   in with yourself."
   Monitor your tension level, your breathing pattern, your internal state. Even in the midst of a high-pressure situation, you can become aware of how you are inside, without anyone else becoming aware of what you
   are doing.
   
   
4. Give yourself permission to
   "take your own time." Will disaster strike if you don't move faster? Will you work more efficiently if you rush through everything? Notice that when you speed through, and finish quickly, you never reap the benefits of the activity itself. There is usually personal benefit derived from being active. But when you speed through the action, you miss out on such benefit.
   
   
5. Set the pace for
   any given day by reading inspirational books for the first half hour after getting out of bed.
   
   Or use that first half hour to meditate, review your blessings and appreciations, and repeat affirmations which stabilize and refresh your spirit.
   
   
6. List daily activities that really need to
   be done.
   
   Simplify your activity level. Prioritize what is really important. Remember that your own balance and peacefulness is primary. Everything else is secondary.
   
   
7. Make wise choices about what you put into your mind, into your body, and into your relationships.
   
   Fill your mind with positive thought. Fill your body with nutritious food and clean air. Fill your relationships with warmth and laughter. You have a lot more power and influence about the quality of your lifestyle than you
   may believe.
   
   
8. Finally, keep in
   mind the outcome
   you desire.
   
   Learn to make choices and decisions with your desired outcome firmly in mind. Do you want to be stressed out and ill in a month? Is that your desired outcome? Or would your preferred outcome be a state of balance, health, and well-being?
   

 

We do not have to suffer from hurry sickness. We can maintain an internal environment which is serene, even if chaos reigns outside ourselves. Make your goal a peaceful internal state, and instead of hurry sickness, you may just develop "leisure wellness."

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