Business continued to grow in the
Minneapolis Native American community with the latest class of
graduates from the Fall 2013 Plan It! Entrepreneur Training Program
on Jan. 16.
The program is offered by Bii Gii Wiin
Community Development Loan Fund, which was established to promote
home ownership throughout the Native community in Minnesota, in
partnership with Neighborhood Development Center. Eight students in
the program spent 11 weeks, meeting at Bii Gii Wiin offices on
Franklin Avenue, learning how to start a business and complete their
business plans.
The ties between the program and the
Native business community run deep. Mike Goze, American Indian
Community Development Corporation CEO, has a personal and rewarding
relationship with the program. “A
number of years ago, my son Tony when through this exact same class
and we started a company and this year we did somewhere between 6 and
7 million dollars worth of work. The kind of business you want is a
profitable one. That is the key.”
He
told graduates that aside from profitability, keeping their reasons
for starting a business was important in guiding their work.
“Speaking from experience, sometimes work and profit don’t mean the
same thing. And working harder, doesn’t make it better, it’s like
digging a hole. You don’t want to dig faster. As you’re looking at
business, make sure you’re looking at profit, because that makes a
business successful, it’s not how much you do, it’s how much you
make. Especially as you talk with your kids and your family, because
that’s who you do it for. It is to make a better life for you and the
people coming after you.”
Goze
continued to draw cultural parallels. “I truly believe that as
Native folks – and non-Native folks – that entrepreneurism is in
our life. I used to be a ranger for the National Parks Service. I
dealt with prehistoric Indian burial mounds from 500 B.C. And we
found articles in those burial mounds that were from all parts of
this country … because of commerce. People were trading. And so,
our culture, our life is all about commerce, it’s about trading, it’s
about growth. And you can turn that into a livelihood that you can
live with.”
An alum from the Spring 2012 program,
Vaughn Lodge, spoke to graduates about the love and dedication he
commits to his business, Dog Soldier MMA. “For
me, it’s never been about the profit. It’s been about the community
building. One of the exciting things and the thing I loved about Bii
Gii Wiin and NDC was that they make this program available to people
that want to start their own business.”
He
provided the aspiring entrepreneurs some guidance on the realities of
being a business owner. “Another reason why I started my own
business was to have this freedom. Little did I know that as soon as
I graduated from this class and started hitting the road running, it
was insane. So you’re going to be looking at 15 or 16 hour days,
depending on what your industry is. You’re the marketing manager,
you’re the accountant, you’re keeping the books … it’s so much
work. But in the back of your mind, you’re always thinking, ‘this is
my goal, this is my dream, this is what I love doing.’”
Lodge
emphasized the nature of self-sufficiency in creating a business
that entrepreneurs love. “It’s a learning process. So in 15 hours a
day, you’re looking at doing everything. I literally bought a futon
and blankets and put it in the gym because I would crash out there, I
was so tired. Because I was teaching classes, going to other schools
to learn, continuing education. But then also coming back in the
morning to do book work, marketing, I mean everything, you have to do
it all.”
He
reminded graduates that it’s important to care about what they do.
“This is all on you, so one of the things I keep in the back of my
mind is that there is not a single person on this planet who is going
to love your business as much as you, not a single person. This is
your business, your baby, so nurture it, take care of it.”
Isabel Chanslor, program trainer and
NDC Business Lab Director, also emphasized the need to support each
others’ business efforts. “Each of you are going to need the
support of one another. I want to be sure that you guys support each
other. Entrepreneurism is not easy. For me, this is a Native American
class in a Native American community. To create a community around
you that lives where you live, looks and talks like you is really
important. There’s a lot of bias out there and a narrative that’s
been created that Native entrepreneurs have to work to break.”
Graduate Scott Lumbar was one of those
to offer assistance to classmates. “My main business idea is to
open a successful IT and computer repair shop for low-income families
and non-profits that need smaller services. I just want it to be
successful in the community.” Referring to Lodge, Scott identified
with the relentless effort that made the journey to being a small
business owner worth it. “I’d like to be success story like these
guys and have something to show for all of my hard work."
Scott was able to secure a micro-loan
to start up his business while participating in the class. “I was
looking for someone to help me with a jump start, to show me what I
needed.” When it came to the details of his plan, Scott was looking
for in-depth assistance, something his trainer was able to provide
him through Plan It! “I tried taking business classes before, but I
didn’t have the right guidance and it wasn’t the closeness that
we had here at NDC.”
Looking back on his participation in
the Plan It! program, Scott reflected that he feels most accomplished
with the completion of his business plan and that it is a useful tool
for anyone to have. “You can refer to it, if you get lost you can
look back on it, and you can expand on your ideas from there. It’s
just a great resource to have.” Overall Scott found his journey was
rewarding. “I’m glad that I completed the program. One of my
goals for myself is to always complete what I start. It makes me feel
like I did what I needed to do,” he said.
Goze
spoke highly of NDC and the connections graduates of the Plan It!
Program can make, “I can’t speak enough about them. They have been
there when we needed them the most. I hope you never get in that
position, but if you do, you’ve got to have partners … that have
knowledge. And knowledge comes in many ways, resources, technical and
financial. They have expertise.”
“This
isn’t my first rodeo in the business world. So I’ve had experiences
that some I learned from and some I didn’t because I didn’t pay
attention,” Goze continued. “But I’m a person that believes in
abundance. Don’t limit yourself by yourself. Don’t limit what you can
do by what you do. Think big, think smart. And make sure that you
have people in your corner that can help. I believe that by being
smart, by taking this first step, taking the time to learn … and
keeping the connection alive will help you be successful in your
lives.”
The
Spring 2014 Plan It! Program will accept applications until Feb. 21.
Anyone interested in applying for can visit www.ndc-mn.org/training
or call 651-379-8116.
Adjoa Akofio-Sowah, Neighborhood
Development Corporation contributed to this story.