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LT Thompson is looking for some great entrepreneurs.
Thompson was hired by the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce last March to form the Black Business Alliance, a coalition of companies that support and encourage each other. Less than a year later, the Alliance now has 22 members, with an average of 8 to 12 members attending monthly meetings.
Thompson’s own business, Wellness Box, is just a few doors away from the Chamber of Commerce offices in Wabash.
“We’re inviting people to come see the resources available, the networking, and the opportunities to connect with each other,” Thompson said. “One of my favorite things is highlighting the different things that are happening in our community that we can all support.”
Finding funding for your business is a frequent topic at conferences.
“A common concern is access to capital. So we have people from different entities who talk to us about the resources available to them and their entitlements to access capital so that they can walk away with something of value. “We try to make it possible,” said Thompson.
The conference will cover how to create a business plan, marketing, how to manage the day-to-day operations to make your business successful, and how to use social media to promote your business products in the digital space.
But the key to BBA’s success is its emphasis on the simple act of getting people to know each other.
“The main thing we learned from the conference is that even in this small community, not everyone knows each other,” Thompson said. “It’s important to step away from so much formal information and build networks and trust.
“Most of the time we operate in our own circles, and those circles may not include people with whom we are not familiar,” he added. conversations are very important to learn a little more and build trust.”
Thompson touts the inclusivity of the Black Business Alliance.
“There’s a diverse entrepreneurial spirit going through those doors,” he said. “It covers a lot of different people: landscape and construction, marketing, dinner theater, mental health counseling, dietary aspects. There are different entities you can talk to and it helps their business.”
Dallas Wilson, Director of Business Development, Whit & Wil Marketing, said: “
He added, “It will give a boost to people who need a little boost to get started in the first place, and help people with businesses find revenue streams.” At the conference, Wilson can provide marketing advice to other companies.
Last June, the BBA hosted an event called “Pitch Black” at Launch Terre Haute, where budding entrepreneurs pitched business ideas ranging from indoor children’s playgrounds to professional dinner theaters to barbershops.
Tawana Hemphill was declared the winner for her idea of a restaurant “Kiss of the South”. As part of her pitch, she gave her judges samples of her collard greens sandwiches that she offers at her own business. Her prize money included $2,000 and her profile on her Google business from Wilson’s Whit & Wil Marketing.
Hemphill joined the alliance and now uses the commercial kitchen at the Booker T. Washington Community Center to prepare food for its catering business.
In the near future, she plans to arrange a pop-up to help invest in a food truck that can run a catering business.
“They help a lot,” Hemphill said of BBA. “They show how to start a business, how to reach out to people, who to reach out to.”
Thompson hopes to revisit Pitch Black this summer.
“If black entrepreneurs are offering new services or expanding in some way, we would like to have a second pitch contest to give someone a chance to highlight their ambitions.
White-owned businesses that want to support black businesses are encouraged to join the alliance and attend the conference.
“We are extremely grateful to The Queen of Terre Haute casino resorts for being a supporter and sponsor of the Black Business Alliance and Ivy Tech Community College,” Thompson said. “All businesses in town are welcome to attend the conference, network and support the show.”
“One of the biggest things that a Black Business Alliance needs to do is create a coherent community among Black businesses and a connection with everyone else,” said Wilson.
Thompson says, “Everyone helps out, so we’re successful in getting people outside of our target audience to join our meetings.”
BBA does not currently charge membership fees. Learn more about the BBA at the Chamber of Commerce (or participating companies) every 3rd Tuesday of the week at 6pm. See his website for the Chamber of Commerce. Please contact Thompson at Lthompson@terrehautechamber.com if you are interested in participating.
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