The mission of the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council is to significantly increase business relationships between our corporate members and our certified MBEs. We believe that minority business development is a key component of reducing poverty, unemployment, increasing wealth, and integrating American society. You are receiving this email in order to keep you abreast of developments with the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council, Supplier Diversity Issues and Minority Business Development. If you like what you read please share internally and externally.
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Upcoming Events
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There are several events coming up on our calendar that are designed specifically for MBEs to learn about corporate opportunities. We know how busy everyone's schedule is, but these are events often hosted by our corporate members with the expressed purpose of finding out more about you and your business with the ultimate aim, to make you a valuable supplier to their companies. Here are some events you should consider:
- 2012 Upcoming Events
- October 2 through November 10 - Turner School of Construction Management, Co-Sponsored by Liberty Mutual and the Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office. Training will take place every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm over the six week period beginning October 2. Please contact John Fitzpatrick at john.b.fitzpatrick@state.ma.us to register and get more details.
- October 15 - Meet and Greet at Johnson and Wales Culinary Art Museum, 10:00 am to noon. This is a collaborative effort with several Rhode Island organizations including the Small Business Administration, CVS-Caremark, RBS Citizens Bank, and Johnson and Wales. All are invited.
- October 22 - St Francis Hospital Supplier Diversity Vendor Fair, Hartford, CT
- October 28-31 - NMSDC Conference and Business Opportunity Fair - Denver, CO. For more information visit www.nmsdc.org.
- October 30 - CBIA "Shaping Connecticut's Future: 2012 Manufacturing Policy Forum" 7:45-11:30 am at the Legislative Office Building, Rooms 2c and 2D, 300 Capitol Avenue, Hartford. For information and registration, contact Adam Ney at adam.ney@cbia.com or 860-244-1933.
- November 15 - Supplier Diversity Best Practices Day at Fenway Park, Boston, 8:00 am to 11:30 am. Join us for this joint meeting of MBEs and corporate members to demonstrate case studies of the best practices of minority supplier development in New England. There is limited space for this meeting. Contact Joanne Wang to register atjwang@bostonmbdacenter.com.
- November 15 - 5th Annual Massachusetts Housing Authority MWBE Trade Fair - 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Clarion Hotel, 1080 Riverdale Street, West Springfield, MA. For more information contact James Fortune at jfortune@masshousing.com, or 617-854-1831.
- December 4 - 9:30 - 12:00 noon - GNEMSDC MBE Input Committee (MBEIC) Meeting at NSTAR in Westwood, Mass
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GNEMSDC Business Opportunity Fair & Expo - Lessons Learned, Survey Results and Photos
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The GNEMSDC Business Opportunity Fair and Expo is an exciting event for both MBES and corporate members. But like all expos, the real work begins after everyone returns to their offices. One of the most important things MBEs can do now is to follow up on the meetings they had at the expo. And one of the most important things corporate members can do is have those more substantative conversations with the MBEs who are following up. It takes time for new suppliers to break into corporate supply chains. But it can be done. And often it is at events like our expo that these lasting business relationships are started. Just this past Friday, I was attending a retirement dinner for the Medical Chief of Staff at Bridgeport Hospital, Dr. Bruce McDonald. At the dinner the chief procurement officer came over to me, and without provocation told me how pleased the Hospital was with the services of Jere Eaton, of PrintabiliTees whom she met at our event last year.
The sale was made after the event. Following up with a receptive representative from the corporate member is the key to success. I encourage you to keep the conversation going towards the goal of a deal. And by the way, it is ok for MBEs to share their stories with me!
Expo Photos:
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Aeolean - MBE of the Week
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by Bala Krishnamurthy
How does a minority-woman owned technology business get the word out about their groundbreaking product ARMSTM (Asset Relocation Management System), a software suite with a mobile app targeted to the relocation, insurance, and warehousing industry? As CEO, this was my dilemma mid last year. Aeolean's past and present clients are all high technology companies and government organizations, but our current product ARMS was targeted to verticals we had no prior contacts with. What we needed were connections to the major players in these industries.
Question: How can a small business like ours get connected to these large companies?
Answer: Use the tom-tom.
Tom-tom? Yes, GNEMSDC's tom-tom!
GNEMSDC's tom-tom came to our assistance, and provided us with introductions to not just the companies but the decision makers in those companies. So what is this tom-tom? Actually, a better question to ask would be "Who is this Tom-Tom?" The answer is Tom Davis, VP External Supplier Diversity, Cartus, and Tom Colucci, VP of Strategic sourcing, Mobility Services International.
I reached out to Tom Davis almost a year ago. He was direct and to the point. If I had a product that would benefit Cartus, he would send the information to the right people. The first one page on ARMS I sent him was purely technical and explained the product. He wrote back to say "How can any of these items (a) increase my revenue, (b) reduce my expenses? I will be asked the question 'why do I need any of this' ". Within the next week I had totally re-written the one-pager so that it pointed out what the system could do (generate electronic inventories, capture voice descriptions/images of items, make data available on server 24/7 ...) and most importantly, the benefits to an organization like Cartus and its clients (reduce claims from losses, increase productivity, and provide a better customer experience). Tom, true to his word, was able to put me in front of the decision makers in Supply Chain Management. Our staff met with Ken and Jim, who were duly impressed with our product. As a result of that we were introduced to one of their key suppliers for a lengthy focus group meeting. But, Tom didn't stop there. When I asked him for others who may be able to benefit, he helped me out by giving me their names and contacts. I was now convinced that contacting GNEMSDC's Tom was the right way to go!
When I called Dr. Fred again, this time asking him for an introduction to Mobility Services International, he immediately asked me to send Tom Colucci an email. I dutifully sent off an email to Tom, and was pleasantly surprised when he actually wrote me back, --- in less than an hour! I chatted with him over the next few days to better explain our product and vocalize what kind of help I was looking for. He then performed his magic and put together a meeting with the President, and the VP of IT, followed by focus group meetings with 4 of their suppliers. And the meetings were scheduled for 18 days after I sent my first note to him. I had to pinch myself. Was this a dream? No, it was absolutely real! We went up to New Hampshire, spent the day with Tom and his colleagues, made the presentations, met the suppliers, and got valuable feedback that a small business like ours could only dream of! Again, this Tom also gave me names and contacts of other companies that may be interested in our product. I was now doubly convinced. GNEMSC's Tom-Tom was the right way to go!
Thanks to all of the contacts that Tom Davis and Tom Colucci have provided us, Aeolean is now launching the Pilot Program for ARMS.
So how does a minority business with a new product or service get the word out? No-brainer! Use GNEMSDC's true and tried network, maybe you too will end up being presented with a Tom-Tom!
Aeolean Inc., 41 Kenosia Avenue, Suite 102, Danbury, CT 06810: (203) 731-2534
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And Finally...
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Going viral. I received a call from a reporter from the Wall Street Journal last week who wanted to know what I thought about why Connecticut had so much racial disparity when it comes to income and educational achievement. I offered my considered opinion on the subject, but I wanted to know, why me? It turned out, the WSJ reporter had been directed my way by a non-profit organization called Connecticut Voices for Children. An executive there had read an editorial I wrote several months ago that was picked up by several magazines and newspapers in the region entitled, " The Case for Raising Taxes". The article addresses what has become one of the hot button issues of this presidential election. But I keep going back to how something goes viral, and why most of what I do falls in the mild 24-hour cold category that does not leave the immediate neighborhood. It would be nice for my good work to go viral, but upon further reflection, I do not know if this is something I even want. Going viral, if you are selling something that is viewed positively is like marketing manna from heaven. But it has its cost, particularly if it is not the good that goes viral. We have seen the devastation and tragedy that occurs when what goes viral is inept, cruel, insensitive or racist. It is like the genie that cannot be put back in the bottle. Ask one presidential candidate about how a viral communication with the wrong message can derail all the work and money spent on communicating a different message. But as I sit here in the quietness of my room about to go out into the city, I know that no one knows my name nor my face. I can say without regret, I love my anonymity, and hope that nothing I do goes viral, because peace is priceless.
In your service,
Dr. Fred
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