Covering A Minority-Owned Business Requires Building Relationships

Years ago, it was difficult to find any entrepreneurs of color or women in the pages of the business section. Coverage tended to focus on large public companies, and for the most part, those were run by white men.

Today, small-business reporting has taken a larger role in newspapers. Politicians and business advocates point to them as the "backbone of the economy" because they tend to create the biggest share of jobs. They also play a key role in developing innovative products, which is why profiles of up-and-coming companies are increasingly popular.

But also, small companies are being used to tell the story about the impact of health-care insurance costs, the highs and lows of the economy and the impact of new legislation. They reflect the challenges and successes of our communities. And, naturally, this coverage has led to putting more women and minorities into the business section and on A1.

However, this diversity isn't always automatic. We do tend to cover the businesses we are familiar with.

I knew diversity would play a key role in my coverage of small companies when I first moved out to Arizona nearly three years ago. The Hispanic population had grown by 88 percent between 1990 and 2000, and Hispanics now make up more than a quarter of the state population. Census numbers also showed incredible growth in women- and minority-owned companies.

The key to weaving these companies into my small business coverage was not picking a business because they were of color or run by a woman. That would be easy. I could just head to the Hispanic, African-American and Asian chambers of commerce, or the local chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners, and pick up a member directory.

But doing that would shortchange our readers of stories on innovators in the community and the businesses people are buzzing about. All it does is help a reporter checkmark that they added a diverse company to a story.

I can't say that there is any secret to covering minority businesses. You approach it like any beat. You find out who the leaders are in that business sphere and plug in. But there are some techniques I use that help me diversify my stories.

Start networking: I regularly attend chamber gatherings to meet all kinds of small companies. In Phoenix, I'm lucky there are dozens of specialty chambers and business groups. They not only represent Hispanic, African-American and women entrepreneurs, but also Filipino, Chinese, Korean and Native-American businesses.

There, I meet a lot of companies. I may never write about any of them, but I jot down a little something about them to keep on hand just in case. And while they may not have anything to say about the business trends in contracting, taxes or health care costs, maybe they are involved in community development or are struggling with work-life balances. In the end, I may be able to help my colleagues find the right person to illustrate a story, and it naturally gives the story diversity.

Ask for help: It's easy to fall back on quoting the presidents of the Hispanic and African-American chambers when writing about a small business issue to give a story diversity. That, too, shortchanges readers. What you need to do is ask them if they can think of a member who can illustrate their point. They know who is complaining about poor sales, lobbying against a sign ordinance or venting over the inability to find affordable insurance.

Think beyond the "regulars": You know there are businesses that are always at the forefront of an issue. Don't settle on talking to only them. You probably even know how they will answer your question, so you may miss out on a new angle to the story. Instead, ask them about their competitors and others who are dealing with that issue. Some may not help, but it can't hurt to ask.

Get away from your desk: You can't rely on the phone and a few networking events to find diverse companies. You need to get into the communities. Drive into areas that have a large minority population base. Ask shoppers, congregations and community groups about the longtime businesses in the area and to help you identify up-and-comers. Then go over and check them out.