With some of the organizational work now behind it, the African-American Business Association plans to focus on education for its members and the broader business community in its second year of operation.

Launched in November 2004 as an affiliate of the Greater Des Moines Partnership, the AABA began with seven members and has grown to 25. Its members represent a wide range of industries, including professional services, retail and construction. Ted Williams, owner of The Williams Group, a human resources management consulting company, is the president of the AABA. He sees many opportunities for the group’s members to support one other, even though their businesses backgrounds are varied.

“All businesses have to deal with the same challenges: who do you know, who knows you and how your services and products are looked at in the larger arena,” Williams said. “We came together as small businesses that happen to be black-owned with the goal of becoming more successful businesses. We’re not looking for handouts, just opportunities.”

Williams joined the Partnership about nine years ago. He sees the AABA’s relationship with the larger group as a vehicle to connect African-American business owners with people who are interested in doing business locally.

“What we’re doing is that we’re making sure that the business leaders, the purchasing managers and others are aware that we’re here, that we’re competitive and we’re confident and we’re contributing to the local economy,” Williams said.

Desmund Adams, president of Talent Acquisition Group, an executive search firm, called said he joined the AABA last fall to build relationships with other business owners and grow as a professional. His participation in the group has helped him meet other business owners, some of whom he now does business with.

“If you can partner with other businesses or be introduced to them, then you have more of an opportunity to be successful in your marketplace,” Adams said. “And any time you can address a question to someone who has something in common with you is beneficial, whether you’re coming together on the premise of ethnicity or because you offer similar products or services.”

In addition to attending AABA meetings, which are held monthly for the executive team and quarterly for the general membership, Williams encourages members to take advantage of the Partnership’s networking events.

“I remember going to various Partnership functions, and each time, it would be the same three black folks, including myself. Now we’re saying to our members that if you want to be involved, here’s what you need to do. You need to be at these functions and talk to people to find out what your potential client is looking for.

“For the typical business owner, sometimes it’s all you can do to keep the door open. It may not occur to you that networking is part of doing business.”

Williams says both new and experienced business owners in the AABA can benefit from sharing best practices and discussing business issues. After recent discussions with one business owner, Williams and others advised the member that he was in the wrong business.

“He made some observations about why he wasn’t getting any business, and he wondered if it was because he was black,” Williams said. “But as we talked with him, the clear issue to seemed to be that he was not going to be successful because the products he was trying to sell could be sold by larger entities every time for a lower cost.”

The AABA’s education committee is working on developing professional development curriculum for its members that takes into account issues specific to African-Americans, along with more general topics such as marketing, closing a deal and a financial management.

“We have challenges that sometimes others aren’t aware of,” Williams said. “There are still people who are not educated to appreciate that one can be a female, a person of color or another minority and run a successful business. That’s not just in Iowa; it’s everywhere. But when they see someone doing business with someone of color, it breaks down barriers.”

Williams said he has already seen early signs of progress as a result of having a business association for African-Americans, and he expects more will come as the group matures. He is encouraged that one local company, True North Cos., has joined the AABA out of support for its mission, even though its owners are white. He hopes other businesses will do the same because they have an interest in seeing the AABA succeed.

“We still have a long ways to go, but we are learning from the Partnership and the Partnership is learning from us,” Williams said.

On Thursday, March 9, the AABA will host a reception from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Fort Des Moines Memorial to celebrate its accomplishments of the past year. Contact Lu Spaine at 554-8817 for more information.