Being an LGBT enterprise proprietor isn’t all the time simple however with the Nationwide LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) at your aspect, you turn into a part of a community that’s right here and able to assist at a second’s discover.
Listed here are NGLCC’s suggestions for LGBTQ entrepreneurs to finest put together their enterprise for what lies forward this summer time and past.
1. Get your NGLCC certification
NGLCC is the unique third-party certification physique that verifies that eligible companies are majority-owned by LGBTQ people. By acquiring the Licensed LGBTBE® designation for your corporation, you possibly can open up extra channels of contracting and procurement for your self.
Licensed LGBTBE® firms are routinely wanted by NGLCC Company Companions, who wish to improve their spending with the LGBTQ enterprise neighborhood via our inner, proprietary database. In flip, Licensed LGBTBE® firms have entry to tons of of company representatives and provider range skilled contacts. By means of these contacts, firms can start constructing strategic relationships and making preparations to satisfy face-to-face with them at NGLCC matchmaking and networking occasions, that are held all year long.
As enterprise ramps up and turns into extra aggressive this summer time, these contracting alternatives turn into all of the extra sought-after and beneficial. Acquiring certification for your corporation provides you first decide at these alternatives, in addition to lets you take part in particular skilled improvement applications. Licensed LGBTBE® firms are eligible for scholarship applications, mentorship and management coaching, and different enterprise improvement instruments!
2. Attend LGBTQ networking occasions
There isn’t a higher approach to develop your corporation than to usually work together with different LGBTBE house owners. Our community of LGBTQ entrepreneurs proves that all of us develop and study extra successfully with help from one another.
One of the simplest ways to satisfy different Licensed LGBTBE® house owners and entrepreneurs is thru NGLCC’s various array of occasions! Each month, we provide quite a lot of informational programming via our Webinar Wednesdays initiative, protecting every part from office battle, digital work suggestions, PPP loans, and extra. By means of these occasions, LGBTQ professionals can join and focus on what they’ve discovered.
NGLCC additionally affords a month-to-month Sip & Pitch program. Sip & Pitch is an opportunity to informally current your LGBT-owned enterprise to a panel of consultants and your fellow enterprise house owners for optimistic, constructive suggestions and new concepts. Though these are mock pitches, these applications are an amazing alternative for publicity for companies of the NGLCC neighborhood. For the ultimate hour of Sip & Pitch, all members of the LGBT and allied enterprise neighborhood within the NGLCC community are welcome to pour a drink of their alternative — with every part from espresso to cocktails welcome — and casually community with their fellow neighborhood members over video.
It’s unclear what number of occasions will likely be in particular person this summer time, however NGLCC’s digital programming is right here to remain. Occasions like Webinar Wednesday, Sip & Pitch, and different neighborhood applications are useful alternatives to get to know our community and to satisfy fellow entrepreneurs because the scope of enterprise continues to alter with the pandemic.
3. Interact with platforms like Hiya Alice
NGLCC accomplice Hiya Alice helps entrepreneurs to develop their companies with quite a lot of instruments and personalised sources. Hiya Alice is a digital platform that helps small enterprise house owners strategize round and construct elements of their companies that they could need assistance with. It affords knowledge insights and a personalised person expertise to contributors as they make their manner additional into the platform’s programming.
Hiya Alice additionally affords all kinds of on-line communities for enterprise house owners to immediately work together with one another, get their enterprise questions answered rapidly, and collaborate. This programming is achieved via a collection of content material partnerships with quite a few area consultants and companions that may assist entrepreneurs proceed to construct. A few of these companions embrace Salesforce, Bumble, Chase, and lots of extra.
NGLCC is proud to accomplice with Hiya Alice in deepening their analysis with parts of our America’s LGBT Financial system Report.
You’ll be able to join free at helloalice.com! Click on right here to learn our dialog with the co-founder of Hiya Alice, Elizabeth Gore.
About NGLCC
The NGLCC is the enterprise voice of the LGBT neighborhood, the most important advocacy group devoted to increasing financial alternatives and developments for LGBT folks, and the unique certifying physique for LGBT-owned companies. At NGLCC, we acknowledge {that a} rising enterprise wants not solely a powerful native community the place enterprise house owners stay and work but in addition enterprise certification and entry to all of the strategic progress alternatives provided by our nationwide group.
The LGBT enterprise house owners NGLCC represents generate over $1.7 trillion in financial influence, create jobs and innovate enterprise options nationwide. Moreover, NGLCC is the main public coverage advocate working to incorporate Licensed LGBTBE® companies in procurement alternatives on the federal, state and native stage. NGLCC World is increasing its attain to 5 continents, bridging financial alternative and LGBTI human rights worldwide.
