The Chickasaw Nation’s Apelachi (support) Business Incubator offered guests from the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) a firsthand look at the creative solutions and innovative programs designed for First American entrepreneurs during a tour of the facility July 9.
A service offered to select Chickasaw Business Network clients, Apelachi is a business incubator for companies less than 2 years old. Apelachi prepares First American startups and existing businesses to launch and grow with mentoring, education, resources and connections in a culturally tailored environment. Applicants are selected by a panel of judges.
Dennis Wilson, grant manager, and Elizabeth Callahan, program analyst, both with the BIA Office of Indian Economic Development, had an opportunity to tour the site as well as visit with First American business owners who utilize the program.
Apelachi was established by the Federal Indian Business Incubator Program grant and is one of 10 grantees in the United States, said Wilson. In Oklahoma, the Cherokee Nation also has an incubator program.
The visit gave Chickasaw Business Network staff, including manager Sandra Wesson, small business consultant Dave Dickey and office manager Morgan Merrell, as well as several businesspeople in the program, an opportunity to share success stories, discuss familiar challenges and shared experiences.
Wilson said the grants are designed to enhance the economic development of the community.
“These grants are community based, to help those who are already in existing business, they just need to fine-tune it and grow.”
The incubators create a support network and allow for shared resources and networks.
Wesson said the programs are available to Chickasaw citizens, regardless of residency, as well as other First Americans.
“We have helped with branding and distribution for a Chickasaw entrepreneur who lives in Arizona,” she said. “We also connected her with other Chickasaw Nation programs.”
The incubator and business network offers solutions and answers to building a business, from the basics of writing a business plan to budgets and registering a business.
Training is offered for a wide range of topics including accounting, human resources, design, marketing, and learning to access and use different tools and resources available to turn a new business venture into a successful enterprise.
Program participant Tiffany Specht, a Chickasaw business owner, described a recent “how-to” training conducted specifically for First American artists who wish to market their wares.
In addition to classes and mentorships, services include a green room for producing podcasts, conducting interviews or photographing products; a computer lab to plan and execute social media campaigns; a board room and office space; and the heart of the program is the network of fellow entrepreneurs.
“That network is what you miss out on when you are out there by yourself,” said client Pat Nash, president and founder of Kepa Technology Solutions, LLC.
Nash, a Chickasaw author of “30 Days to Greater Self Love,” established her consulting business in 2010.
The Chickasaw Business Network also produces a business directory of Chickasaw-owned businesses and a preferred vendor program for vendors who want to do business with the Chickasaw Nation.
For more information about Chickasaw Business Network, visit ChickasawBusinessNetwork@Chickasaw.net or call (580) 559-0805.