Success in business, according to some, depends on relationships. To others, hard work and a little bit of luck.
For one NGLCC sponsor and one NGLCC-certified business, it seems all three ways are true.
Washington, D.C. design firm OmniStudio, helmed by owner Eileen Kessler, won a contract to rebrand NGLCC sponsor Printing Methods, Inc., a contract that would never have happened if it weren't for a chance meeting of committed LGBT and allied business advocates at a regional NGLCC conference held at the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Kessler describes meeting Printing Methods' marketing director at the conference. "We buy a lot of printing services each year," she says. "Printing Methods' samples were very polished and impressive. I'm always interested in supporting the NGLCC community, especially their sponsors, and that's how the relationship started."
As an allied sponsor, Printing Methods came to the table a little differently. "As a prime supplier to corporate America, we have to track our dollars. Three or four corporations ask that we track women- and minority-owned business dollars on a quarterly basis," says Rita Rivas, the company's marketing director.
'A Little Research'
LGBT-owned businesses were among those businesses Rivas had to track. When she realized that she didn't know if any of her suppliers were LGBT-owned, she did a little research. After meeting with a friend who was working with NGLCC (with a "passion," Rivas says), she decided to reach out to the gay business community. And after some convincing, the company's owner agreed to sponsor NGLCC for a year to "see what happens."
"Two years later, we're still sponsoring," laughs Rivas. In fact, Printing Methods sponsored the conference where she and Kessler met.
"Whenever I'm talking to an NGLCC sponsor, I always start off by telling them that we're certified," Kessler says. "I feel like it's an attribute for us.
Omni and Printing Method's chance encounter developed into a strong, respectful and exciting relationship based on mutual admiration for each other's work and good chemistry between their key people. Omni was hired in 2007 to redesign Printing Methods coporate identity and Website. The new Web site is scheduled to launch in 2008.
"OmniStudio won fair and square," says Rivas. "Everyone has loved that logo.
"Our president got a good return for his investment," she continues, "and we've gotten business from other LGBT-owned companies [besides OmniStudio]."
NGLCC certification has changed Kessler's business too.
"For last 30 years, we've focused our sales within the region, but through our association with NGLCC we've expanded our geographic reach," she says of her D.C.-based firm. (Printing Methods is based in New York state.)
Certification, Relationships Equally Important
So maybe personal connections are just as important as being in the right place at the right time.
"If you want to go through the supplier diversity programs that have been implemented, you have to be certified," Rivas says. But, she adds, it's still "all about relationships."
"Rita, her colleagues at Printing Methods and I have talked many times about the passion we feel for our industry and customers, Kessler adds. "This connection we share in providing the highest level of service is the most important tie for our companies."
"Certification is important because it gives you the credentials you need. But developing the relationship is key," Kessler says. "Once you establish your credentials, experience and talent, you're in a more exclusive environment.
"You have a better chance of standing out."
