Whether you’re a longtime business owner or are just getting started, becoming a certified business can be a game-changer for your company’s success. For the LGBTQ+ community, receiving certification from an organization like the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) can provide access to opportunities, resources and funding that can help you thrive in your sector.
To prove this, we sat down with Eric Jia-Sobota, the founder of EverGlade Consulting, an NGLCC-certified consulting firm, to tell us more about his business and how certification has made an impact.
EverGlade Consulting is often described as “connecting public sector needs with private sector solutions.” Can you tell us a few ways in which your firm achieves this?
EverGlade helps technology and life science organizations identify, win and manage federal funding. The government has traditionally been limited to companies that can navigate the complex world of government contracting. A technology company, as an example, usually lacks the infrastructure needed to be a contractor. By helping manage these requirements, we help increase the potential solutions the government can utilize to solve some of the most complex national security and public health challenges.
When did you first learn about NGLCC certification and what enticed you to pursue it?
My husband and I had participated in local chamber events for a number of years, and after owning our own business, we decided that it would be worthwhile to go through the certification process.
What would you say are some of the key challenges facing LGBTQ+ -owned businesses today?
I believe that the key challenges facing LGBT businesses are consistent with other small businesses. Financing is probably the biggest challenge. Our financial systems are set up to loan money to people who don’t really need money, so small businesses are often left seeking non-traditional forms of financing, which is very expensive.
How has being NGLCC-certified positively impacted EverGlade Consulting?
I have met a number of small business owners by having the certification. When meeting someone new, they often will cite our certification as a reason they reached out.
What is one piece of advice you would give to a new LGBTQ+ entrepreneur?
Your success as a small business owner is not determined by your wins; it is determined by your failures and how you learn and adapt. I always tell people that learning how to fail successfully is key to your business’s long-term prospects.
Anything else you would like to add or share with us?
You need a PhD in persistence to be a small business owner.
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