- April 24, 2024
-
-
Loading
Loading
Of all the businesses supported by Palm Coast’s Business Assistance Center, just 8% are owned by members of minority groups.
“You can look at that and see something’s a bit off,” said Howard Holley, CEO of the Holley Group. “Why? A lot of people have tried to answer that question. Sometimes, you have to spotlight these things to fix them and correct them.”
In an attempt to promote more minority entrepreneurs in Flagler County, the BAC and the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce & Affiliates hosted a business outreach luncheon Thursday, which highlighted the successes of local businesses as well as addressed some of the barriers to success that entrepreneurs have faced and overcome. The luncheon was meant to educate more of the Flagler County community about the business resources available to them through the BAC and the Chamber of Commerce.
A panel of successful professionals who are also members of minority groups spoke first about their successes and challenges before asking the audience to address the same topics. Holley facilitated the discussion and sat on the panel with Rubi Torres, assistant vice president of Hancock Bank, and Eddie Herrera, CEO and finance coach at Alliance Financial.
“We always talk about being open for business in Flagler County … (but) we want to make the point that we’re open to business for everyone,” Holley said. “We want everyone to be successful. We believe that the rising tide should lift all boats.”
There isn’t much information about minority business owners in Flagler County, Holley said, so the luncheon was partly to get more information about the needs of such professionals in the county.
Holley suggested that some minority businesses aren’t very visible. Holley, also a board member for the Chamber of Commerce, said he thinks he saw more minority professionals at Thursday’s luncheon than at all other community business events so far this year.
“Sometimes, you don’t think business is something you can be successful in if you don’t see success in your niche,” Holley said. “Profiling, showing how people are successful — that’s often how you germinate success.”
There were about 40 people at Thursday’s luncheon. Holley said there will probably be one per quarter, and he and the others involved in the outreach program want to get not just minorities but all members of the community to attend the events and learn about resources available for business owners or future business owners.
Herrera said he and the rest of the panel, as well as Joe Roy, director of the BAC, will be getting together to debrief on Thursday’s luncheon and decide on a plan for the future.
“We’re going to find out how to meet the needs of the people who want or need the business resources we have but don’t access them,” Herrera said. “I’m excited to see what this evolves to.”
