I sat down and talked with several business owners who
participated in the Center
for Minority Business Development’s Local Minority Business Enterprise
(LMBE) Accelerator Program. Their paths have all been unique…until now. Meet
the Accelerators who are changing the game of business success.
Small businesses come in many shapes, colors and industries,
and as for their owners, the palette consists of individuals from every
cultural, economic and educational background imaginable. There is, however,
one very important and common trait that weaves each member of the
entrepreneur’s club together; passion. Having a bright idea is great, but if
you don’t have the chutzpah to put that idea into motion…and even more
audacity
to pursue the abundance of
resources available
to help small businesses grow, then you, still, just have a bright idea.
Enter the Center for Minority Business Development (CMBD).
Designed to level the playing field in the Prince George’s
County business community, the Center for Minority Business Development was
launched by the
Peterson Companies as
a way to bridge the gap between contract opportunities and minority-owned firms
who have been traditionally underrepresented. By enrolling in the Local Minority
Business Enterprise (LMBE) Accelerator Program, business owners are placed on
the winning track with access to services like on-site technical assistance and
personalized training that builds the capacity to compete in the big business
arena.
Since 2009, business owners who have successfully completed
the LMBE Accelerator program have seen their enterprises escalate to new levels
along with their client rosters. It has been their tenacity, hard work
and skills that have gotten them this far, but it’s their unbridled passion for
their crafts that truly makes them successful.
Who are the Accelerators?
Kathy
Dixon is the owner of K. Dixon Architecture, with headquarters based
at the National Harbor. As a professional architect and president of a
certified woman-owned, minority-owned enterprise, she is more than familiar
with what it takes to operate a successful company in the Nation’s capital. I
had a chance to sit down with Ms. Dixon and learn more about her journey as an
entrepreneur preparing for the next level.
From where does your passion for architecture originate?
My interest in architecture stems
from a number of factors as far back as elementary school. I loved
playing with “Legos” and “Lincoln Logs”. I was already good at freehand
drawing and by high school age I was good at math and geometry. I think
all those things naturally came together for me in pursuing architecture as a
career. My father also worked as a civilian architect for the US Army
Corps of Engineers so perhaps it’s also in my blood.
What was the turning point in
your career (or business) that made the light bulb go off, and you realized you
needed to find a concrete resource to take your company to the next level?
I initially started my company
over ten years ago and was doing it on a part-time basis. When I finally
started to work for myself full-time, about three years ago, I knew I needed
more resources to make the company successful. In my case I knew that
having a strong network was as important as signed contracts. Because we were
in a recession, I felt it was a good opportunity to take advantage of resources
that would help me when the economy began to rebound.
Share with me one major
"takeaway" you received from the program?
Much of the knowledge I gained
was based on the idea of equipping your business not for the company that it is
today, but for the company that you want it to be in the future. This
perspective only helps as the business grows and gains momentum.
What would you tell aspiring
architects about entering your field and considering [one day] venturing out on
their own?
I would encourage them to create
as wide a network as possible through involvement with professional societies,
local organizations, county officials and other colleagues to assist in
expanding their market reach. Being licensed, certified, experienced,
etc. is necessary, but it’s the relationships that one establishes that really
makes the difference regarding how many projects you are able to win.
When clients approach you, what
are their main projects or needs?
It really depends on the
client. If it’s a residential client then they typically require
more from us than a commercial client. A residential client will need to
be walked through the design and construction process from start to finish
including programming, conceptual design, etc. However a commercial
client may only want permit set drawings and nothing more.
Some clients come to us for
construction documents, but others will only be at a stage of ordering a
Feasibility Study to determine if their property or project is realistic.
We have also completed pro bono architectural design work for non-profit
organizations which needed professional services, but did not have the
resources to secure them.
How did the CMBD Accelerator Program
prepare you to go after contracts, new/bigger clients, etc.?
The Accelerator program kept us
informed of new developments and new legislation in the county. It
informed us of the processes and procedures we need to complete in order to
take advantage of the opportunities. On a task level I was able to
enhance my skills, for example, using tools like QuickBooks via many of the
free professional training courses in which we were able to participate
including marketing, accounting, and federal contracting. The instructors
for the courses were experts in their respective fields and the information
that they distributed to us was invaluable. The professionals from
Washington Concepts, Inc. Optimization Solutions, and Krendall Orren and other
firms, shared their knowledge and advice with us and helped our cohort become
better business people. The business consultant assigned to me, Kelvin
Jeter of Krendall Orren, was particularly helpful in guiding me though tasks
that would help the business to receive large contracts like applying for
business lines of credit. Most importantly, the leadership of CMBD
including Carl Brown and Dennis Smith were sincere and generous in their
efforts to assist growing local and minority-owned businesses.
Give me three words to describe
your overall experience in the CMBD Accelerator Program?
Professionalism, Networking and
Camaraderie
***Stay tuned for more success stories from the Center
for Minority Business Development**
