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A new black business lobby - National Black Business Council - Enterprise

Black Enterprise, Oct, 1994 by Cassandra Hayes

Rallying cries by small business groups have gone up in Congress as health care reform, stringent environmental regulations and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) are changing the way America does business. Sounds coming from the African-American business community, however, have been more like mutterings.

But two organizations plan to cut a path down the halls of Congress and give black business the voice it has lacked. Two years ago, a group of black businessmen from around the country banded together to form the National Black Business Council (NBBC) and its affiliate, the Institute for the National Black Business Council (INBBC), in Maryland. The agenda of the nonprofit organizations: to tackle issues that directly affect the black business community, such as enterprise/empowerment zones and procurement reform.

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In the past, black business lacked the representation it needed to have a substantial impact on federal policy making, says Gregory Campbell, NBBC president. Many of the positions of small business lobbying groups such as the National Federation of Independent Business have not always reflected those of the black business community.

Local and regional black business organizations have successfully worked with their respective legislatures, notes Campbell, but there hasn't been a national lobbying group.

But the group doesn't intend to compete with existing organizations; it plans to join forces with them. "Instead of reinventing the wheel, we want to bring existing organizations under one umbrella," says Ron Mann, NBBC secretary and treasurer. "This way people can use their clout and expertise to support their regions, while having the additional support of a national consortium."

The need for additional support is echoed by NBBC members as well. "We all have limited resources. But we can draw on the NBBC's [contacts and information database]," says Dennis Baxter, president of the Philadelphia African-American Chamber of Commerce.

Black-owned businesses grow at a substantially slower rate than the enterprises of other ethnic groups, according to the Small Business Administration. African-American entrepreneurs represent 3% of the more than 20 million U.S. businesses.

A contributing factor, says Nancy Flake, former NBBC interim executive director and now a consultant, is that black business owners usually aren't privy to the availability of capital markets and federal funds for which they might qualify. To fill that void, the INBBC will serve as a clearinghouse of information on business development opportunities, including an electronic database.

By year-end, the institute will distribute a quarterly newsletter. Also in the works are plans to develop an entrepreneurial curriculum for historically black colleges and those universities with a large black student population. It is funded, in part, by a $60,000 grant from the Kaufman Foundation.

The NBBC's primary sponsor is AT&T, which is providing office space, advice and financial support. AT&T is a longtime supporter of other minority-owned businesses and organizations, such as the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Women Business Owners. The telecommunications giant says it welcomed a relationship with the NBBC.

"We wanted to be involved with an organization that had a constituency of black business owners," says Richard Falcone, AT&T vice president of commercial market sales. "We offered our help with the intention of doing business with them."

A year's membership is $1,000 for organizations and entrepreneurs, $250 for supporters and $125 for individuals. To find out more, contact the National Black Business Council, 1010 Wayne Ave., Suite 430, Silver Spring, MD 20910; 301-585-6222.

A new black business lobby - National Black Business Council - Enterprise

Black Enterprise, Oct, 1994 by Cassandra Hayes

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