70. How Creative Entrepreneurs Can Become Diversity Suppliers for Large Companies https://i0.wp.com/nachesnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/S78070-pin.jpg?fit=740%2C900&ssl=1 740 900 Nache’ Snow - Speaker, Author, Productivity Junkie, and Host of the Studio 78 Podcast Nache’ Snow - Speaker, Author, Productivity Junkie, and Host of the Studio 78 Podcast https://i0.wp.com/nachesnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/S78070-pin.jpg?fit=740%2C900&ssl=1 October 21, 2018 October 19, 2019

70. How Creative Entrepreneurs Can Become Diversity Suppliers for Large Companies

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Amelia Roberts is a registered nurse by trade, entrepreneur by passion. She decided to start a side hustle to help her get out of 18k in student loan debt, but she wanted it to be something different than nursing. This led her to teach people in the healthcare space about social media marketing.

In this episode, we discuss supplier diversity, proactive business programs which encourages the use of minority-owned, women owned, veteran owned, LGBT-owned, service disabled veteran-owned small businesses as suppliers. In particular, we discuss how small creative businesses can apply to these programs and begin to conduct business with large companies.

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Show Notes

Amelia was able to get her first client by reaching out to someone she heard on a podcast that she knew she could serve; that lead to her first testimonial and she began to build clients from there
Friends of Amelia began going to diversity supplier events and that’s when she learned about working with larger companies
By connecting with people on social media, through referrals, she was able to work on campaigns for larger companies
Procurement in the supplier diversity world – there are laws larger companies have to follow for procurement and they usually have money set aside for small and diverse suppliers
She talks about supporting a subcontractor as a solopreneur
We discuss how creative entrepreneurs are contracted
It’s important to develop relationships because when done effectively people will remember you when they need the service or product you’re offering
If you are a small business owner operate like you’re a corporation; larger companies usually have “opportunity capture managers” which seek relationships
As you put time aside for business development also consider looking for:
- Buyers and purchasers within your niche and locality Procurement offices Supplier days of corporations you admireContractors in your area Stores you’re interested
To get started focus on:
- Relationship development: go to Google, Eventbrite or Meetup and search “supplier diversity events”Make a commitment to attend an event and keep in touch and follow up with the people you connect with
Your job is to remind people you exist, you exist to solve problems