{"id":3827,"date":"2020-02-03T13:02:30","date_gmt":"2020-02-03T18:02:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.totalengagementconsulting.com\/blog\/?p=3827"},"modified":"2020-03-12T07:16:53","modified_gmt":"2020-03-12T11:16:53","slug":"competing-in-business-as-an-underrepresented-entrepreneur","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.totalengagementconsulting.com\/blog\/2020\/02\/competing-in-business-as-an-underrepresented-entrepreneur\/","title":{"rendered":"Competing in Business as an Underrepresented Entrepreneur"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Image via Rawpixel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From time to time, I post guest-written blogs that are pertinent to my consulting areas of diversity and career development.  Within diversity, as a certified LGBT-Business Enterprise via the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce<\/strong><\/a>, I am very interested in diversity within the small business realm, and want to promote larger companies doing business with diverse suppliers.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This blog has been contributed by Marissa Perez, co-founder and head marketing writer at Business Pop<\/strong><\/a>. She has spent the last 10 years honing her marketing skills, and now she wants to share her knowledge with those who have decided to take on entrepreneurship.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Entrepreneurship is on the rise among underrepresented groups. There are more minority<\/strong><\/a>-, women<\/strong><\/a>-, and LGBT<\/strong><\/a>-owned businesses today than ever before, including women of color and non-white LGBT business owners. Diversity in entrepreneurship is a trend that thankfully shows no signs of slowing. However, the reasons for turning to entrepreneurship aren\u2019t always positive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite increased emphasis on diversity and inclusion, minority, female, and LGBT employees still face bias when it comes to hiring and career advancement. One recent study<\/strong><\/a> found that not only do managers tend to hire employees ethnically similar to themselves, but peers are also more likely to recognize the contributions of white men over women and people of color. Meanwhile, LGBT employees continue to face high rates<\/strong><\/a> of workplace discrimination with no legal recourse in 29 states. With these barriers, it\u2019s no surprise that so many underrepresented groups are turning to entrepreneurship. Unlike employees, entrepreneurs are in charge of their own career advancement \u2014 an enticing prospect for people accustomed to glass ceilings. However, small business ownership isn\u2019t without challenges of its own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only do underrepresented groups have a harder time getting funding<\/strong><\/a>, but they also have less access to business networks and skill development. This makes it harder to gain footing in a business landscape where entrepreneurs are competing against everyone from the small business owner next door to major players like Amazon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While there\u2019s no easy solution to the\nchallenges faced by minority, women, and LGBT business owners, there are a few\nthings entrepreneurs can do to build a business that competes in today\u2019s\nmarketplace. This article will explore a few of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t Rush Through Business\nPlanning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The smartest thing entrepreneurs can do is\ndevelop a solid business plan. The planning phase is an opportunity to flesh\nout ideas, test prototypes, and ensure an idea is financially viable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The planning stage is also when new entrepreneurs should learn as much as possible about running a business. Small business associations<\/a><\/strong> are a great place to learn about fundamentals like financing and hiring, but independent research may be necessary for industry-specific information. Luckily, there\u2019s no shortage of info available online. E-commerce businesses, for example, can look to online wikis to learn about topics<\/strong><\/a> like warehousing and fulfillment, while entrepreneurs in other fields can search for resources from industry organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Invest in the Customer Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The customer experience<\/strong><\/a> is one of the most important factors for today\u2019s consumers. It\u2019s also the biggest way that small businesses can stand out from major enterprises like Amazon and Target. While staff are an important part of the customer experience, entrepreneurs shouldn\u2019t put customer satisfaction solely in the hands of employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only is labor expensive, but employees can\u2019t do their jobs effectively without the right tools. That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important for new business owners to invest in software and technology that allows them to manage sales, inventory, email marketing, and other aspects of the customer experience. While there are a lot of software options out there, many small businesses find that a full-featured<\/strong><\/a> point of sale system offers the tools they need in a cost-effective package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Build an Authentic Brand<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Great customer experience is a key element of\na strong brand, but it\u2019s not enough to make a business memorable. That\u2019s where\nbranding comes in. A brand shows your customers who you are and what you stand\nfor, and it\u2019s one of the best tools that underrepresented business owners\ncurrently have at their disposal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While minority status can be a hindrance in the corporate sector, it\u2019s a point of leverage in the small business sphere. By highlighting their company\u2019s commitment to diversity and inclusion, business owners cane some entrepreneurs worry about alienating consumers, research shows that authenticity<\/strong><\/a> is appealing to the 72 percent of Americans<\/strong><\/a> who prefer to support brands that reflect their values. While the key to cultivating customer trust and loyalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting a small business is never easy, and women, minority, and LGBT business owners face more challenges when entering the entrepreneurial space. However, as the growing numbers of underrepresented business owners demonstrate, these challenges may be big, but they\u2019re not insurmountable. By connecting with supportive organizations and taking these steps to build a strong business, entrepreneurs from all backgrounds can succeed in small business ownership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Please do check out my related two part series on the under-representation of minorties in senior business roles.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 1 – Huge Gaps in Diversity in Business Leadership \u2013 A Systemic Issue Needing a Systemic Approach<\/strong><\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 2 – Five Tactics to Address the Systemic Issue of the Lack of Diverse Business Leaders <\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stan Kimer is a diversity consultant and trainer who handles all areas of workplace diversity and with a deep expertise in <\/em>LGBT diversity strategy and training<\/em><\/strong><\/a> and with a unique program for long term career development.<\/strong><\/a>  Please explore the rest of <\/em>my website<\/em><\/strong><\/a> and never hesitate to contact me to discuss diversity training or career development for your organization, or pass my name onto your HR department.  Stan@TotalEngagementConsulting.com<\/em> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From time to time, I post guest-written blogs that are pertinent to my consulting areas of diversity and career development.  Within diversity, as a certified LGBT-Business Enterprise via the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, I am very interested in diversity … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1892,1886,1891,895,1888,274,1887,1889,1890,1885],"class_list":["post-3827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general-info","tag-authentic-brand","tag-business-pop","tag-customer-experience","tag-entrepreneur","tag-entrepreneurship","tag-lgbt-business-owners","tag-marissa-perez","tag-national-lgbt-chamber-of-commerce","tag-small-business-associations","tag-underrepresented-entrepreneur"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.totalengagementconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.totalengagementconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.totalengagementconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.totalengagementconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.totalengagementconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3827"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.totalengagementconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3827\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.totalengagementconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.totalengagementconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.totalengagementconsulting.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}