NEWS | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | 19
SEPTEMBER, 2020 | ISSUE 315 | Qsaltlake.com
in the state and the first in the county to earn the LGBTBE certification. For Atkin, the certification was an opportunity to further market her growing business. “I think it comes down to: people want to do business with decent people, they don’t necessarily mean to be bigoted or prejudiced,” she said. “So I’m a woman, so I’m gay, there’s so much more to me than just those things.” The application process was rigorous, and rightfully so, she said. The certification is more than ownership. The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, Atkin said, is looking to make sure the businesses that earn their certification are legitimate entities that support their communities. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, American Airlines, one of the corporate partners of the NGLCC, reached out to the Provo-based company. The airline was looking to hire an LGBTBE certified business to sanitize their planes during the pandemic. Atkins said she was appreciative of the experience; however, Meth Mob Decontamination does not offer commercial sanitization services and instead referred them to another local company. “It’s kind of cool to get a phone call from other partners that are LGBTQ that say they want to shop inside of their network of people first,” she said. Overall, she said, the certification hasn’t significantly impacted her business. While she is thankful for the certification, Atkin said it serves manufacturing and suppliers more than service-based companies like Meth Mob Decontamination. The average small business dies around the 5-year mark, she said, while the average LGBTQ business is 12 years or older. This is largely due to an element of strength, resilience, and independence across the LGBTQ communities that
was necessary for them. Lovitz said the NGLCC continues to support the development of a network that uses the business network as a force for good in local, state, and national economies. As businesses across the country begin to recover from the coronavirus pandemic and economic recession, now is the perfect time for cities, especially in Utah, to think about what they need to do to help their communities, Lovitz said. One of those ways, he said, is to help every community succeed and intentionally include historically marginalized communities. “If a place like Salt Lake City wants to see its best economic days ahead of it and wants to see its small businesses recover, making sure LGBTQ small businesses are included in their recovery plans means including one of the strongest but often most underrepresented forces in the country,” Lovitz said. Currently, the NGLCC has over 1,400 certified businesses and over 260 corporate partnerships. Business owners can begin the certification process online.One of those ways, he said, is to help every community succeed and intentionally include historically marginalized communities. “If a place like Salt Lake City wants to see its best economic days ahead of it and wants to see its small businesses recover, making sure LGBTQ small businesses are included in their recovery plans means including one of the strongest but often most underrepresented forces in the country,” Lovitz said. Currently, the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce has over 1,400 certified businesses and over 260 corporate partnerships. Business owners can begin the certification process online. Q For more information on the LGBT Business Enterprise certification, go to nglcc.org/get-certified
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Hawkes Family Law Divorce | Custody | Alimony A down-to-Earth law firm that aims for solutions, not fights. We help you develop the most cost-effective strategy to meet your goals for the case. Our mission is to give a voice to underrepresented people and to empower our clients through a wide variety of legal services.
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