Feature Stories - February 2008

Minority-Owned Business

Achieving the American Dream

by Doresa Banning

Minority-owned businesses are an integral part of Nevada's economy. Last year, $1.8 billion worth of services were purchased from minority-owned and operated businesses, according to the Nevada Minority Business Council, an organization that pairs minority-owned businesses with corporations. Here's a look at some of the state's minority business owners and their companies.

It's High Time for Success
Reno Watch & Clock

Philip Narong, 52, has committed his entire life to what is a dying craft in the U.S. – watch and clock repair. The master repairman learned the trade from his uncle, at age 14, in his native Thailand. His first job was repairing watches. After saving up enough money, he moved to California, lured by the appeal of American culture. He first worked at a jewelry store in Los Angeles, and subsequently, traveled to Northern Nevada where he decided to establish his own business.

Narong opened Reno Watch & Clock in 1999. Working solo, he repairs all kinds of watches and clocks, including family heirlooms and antiques – some having been manufactured as long ago as the 1700s. Sometimes when parts aren't available for a particular piece, he fashions his own. He has several high-profile customers, including Gov. Jim Gibbons and his wife, Dawn Gibbons. In addition, jewelers refer more complicated repairs to Narong.

Being a minority hasn't affected his business in any way, Narong said. "Everyone treats me well," he said. "They know me. I've been in the country a long time. I'm an American now. This is my home."

He attributes his business success and reputation – his greatest achievement, he feels – to hard work, honesty and integrity. "I love what I do," he said. "I love the customers and want to give back to them." He derives joy from his ability to fix his customers' merchandise and seeing them satisfied – a policy manifested through the guarantee that stands behind all his work. "Money is not important," he said. "I like taking care of my customers. That's important to me."

When he's not restoring the delicate movements of his clients; valuable timepieces, he enjoys another, rather divergent passion: attending live boxing events with friends. "I'm a fight fan," he said. "For a big fight, I have to be in Vegas."

Narong's greatest hardship over the years has been in living and working so far away from his family in Thailand. He has missed them tremendously, he said. His parents have since passed away and, today, his only sibling, a brother, lives in California.

Narong's clients will be happy to learn that he plans to continue running Reno Watch & Clock Repair for several more years until retirement. When he does retire, he intends to return to Thailand and live among his extended family, where, he said, "I belong."

If the Shoe Fits
Zappos.com

In the late 1990s, Tony Hsieh and his Venture Frogs partner, Alfred Lin, invested in about 20 different Internet startups, including: Ask Jeeves, the first commercial question-answering search engine; MongoMusic, a digital music infrastructure developer; and Zappos.com, shoe e-tailer. Along with his $500,000 investment in Zappos.com in 1999, Hsieh served as an adviser to the company on a part-time basis. His involvement rapidly grew, and he eventually became Zappos' chief executive officer.

"It turned out that Zappos was the most promising and the most fun," the 34 year old said. "That's why I began spending more and more time with the company."

Hsieh's passions include providing top-quality customer service and building an organization where employees enjoy the family-type atmosphere, he said. In fact, he's most proud of his contribution to Zappos. "I think it's pretty important that one not be in business just to make money," he added. "You should be doing what you're passionate about."

Under Hsieh's leadership, Zappos (short for "zapatos," the Spanish word for "shoes") reached gross merchandise sales of $597 million in 2006. The company employs about 1,600 people between its Las Vegas corporate office and Kentucky warehouse. Today, along with shoes, Zappos sells clothing, handbags and accessories. "We'll be expanding much more beyond that, as well," Hsieh said.

Prior to forming Venture Frogs, Hsieh graduated from Harvard University with a bachelor's degree in computer science. He co-founded and grew LinkExchange, an online advertising site, which, at age 24, he sold to Microsoft for $265 million.

Being Asian has neither been an advantage nor a disadvantage in business, Hsieh said. He attributes his success to the talented people with whom he surrounds himself. "The relationships I've developed over time have become very meaningful," he said.

Hsieh's role at Zappos is to maintain and improve the company culture, he said, since happy employees are crucial to delivering excellent customer service. "Zappos is like one big family. People really enjoy coming to the office," he said. "It's a lot of fun; we always have wacky, creative things going on just randomly." These activities include parades of costume-clad employees and monthly karaoke sessions. Managers are encouraged to spend 10 to 20 percent of their work hours outside the office with their teams.

When not working, Hsieh enjoys interacting with friends – most of whom are fellow Zappos employees – movies and running. He has participated in the Las Vegas Marathon over the past three years, the

Hsieh's vision for Zappos is a company that offers the best customer service associated with online sales of all kinds of merchandise. "We're just going to keep innovating ways to improve service and continually raise the bar," he said. "We want Zappos to be a household name that people are passionate about."

From the Ground Up
Figueroa Masonry

Hugo Figueroa parlayed his engineering degree, knowledge of the masonry industry (gained from summers working with his family as a youngster) and experience working in corporate America into his own business venture. Two years ago, at age 27, he and his wife, Angelica Saldivar, then 26, started Figueroa Masonry.

The Sparks-based business handcrafts fireplaces, fire pits, patios, entryways, facades and more out of stone, block, thin brick, slate, flagstone and pavers and specializes in stone veneer. "We're really proud of what we've accomplished," Figueroa said.

While the business is now growing, its startup was a bit bumpy. "It was a lot of hard work in the beginning, we spent many sleepless nights," Figueroa said. The biggest challenges these young, Hispanic business owners have faced include their attempts to break into an industry with few minorities, and disproving people's preconceived ideas about them. "Sometimes the first thing people ask is if we have papers," Figueroa said, "Or if we speak English."

To overcome the misconceptions, the company works hard on customer service – treating people well, keeping promises, arriving at jobs on time and performing quality work. "Once we do one or two jobs for a client, he or she sees how professional we are," Figueroa said. "Our reputation for top-level work is beginning to spread."

Figueroa has also had to contend with the residential real estate market slump. To adapt, he obtained a California contractor's license so his company could work in Lake Tahoe and Truckee. Consequently, projects there now constitute about 85 percent of the company's current workload. In the coming years, Figueroa plans to continue growing the firm, relocate the office and potentially expand into additional Northern California locations.

Success comes from being motivated, and maintaining the solid work ethic instilled by his family, along with their continued support, Figueroa said. He and Saldivar put in 70-plus hours a week. The two love outdoor recreation – camping, fishing, hiking, off-roading – and fit these activities in when they can.

The most rewarding part of running the company is giving his 22 employees the opportunities to not only learn the trade, but also to provide for their families, Figueroa said. Figueroa's advice for any young minority considering self-employment is: "Really know what you're getting into. Save your money. Get training. Don't give up."

Be All That You Can Be
PrideStaff

Sixty-year-old Bob Daniel embodies Henry Ford's sentiment: "If you think you can or think you can't, you will be right." Self-conviction has propelled Daniel through the Air Force, the Vietnam War, decades of working for others, bachelor's and master's degrees and, most recently, two years of self-employment.

In 2006 he launched the Las Vegas franchise of PrideStaff, a national staffing company that places people in temporary, temporary-to-hire and direct job positions. "Success comes with hard work and belief in oneself," he said. "If you're willing to go at it with all your fiber, whether you're a minority or not, you will be successful. You can't allow doubt to creep in."

Being an African-American hasn't been a barrier to Daniel's success. "The most important thing is to first, be a good business person," he said. "Being a minority is secondary. What's important is to be perceived as a good business person who happens to be a minority."

That objective, according to Daniel, is accomplished by keeping one's word, maintaining high standards for honesty and integrity, and by building solid relationships. "I'm what they call ‘old school'," Daniel said. "I believe your word is your name."

Daniel's biggest challenge in life was the realization, as an adult, that he needed a college education to compete in his field. While working full-time at IBM in various marketing and sales positions, he attended Pace University and obtained a bachelor's degree then a master's degree in business administration.

Subsequently, Micron Computer recruited him to be vice president of business development. Then, Fuji USA hired him as vice president of sales. It was after that he decided to go into business for himself. "I wanted to put my stamp on something, give something back, and make a contribution," he said. "I am very bullish about the work I'm doing. I believe it's something absolutely needed. I'm very passionate about it and I believe that it's going to pay off."

When not working – he logs about 65 to 70 hours a week – he enjoys spending time with his wife of 39 years and playing with his latest technological gadgets. His most recent acquisition, a digital turntable, allows him to record his 500 vinyl albums onto DVDs. Daniel also loves the feeling that comes with finding the perfect fit when matching an employee to a client employer. "That's what I find most rewarding," he said.

Making Their Way to the Top
Top Notch Barber Shop

Despite logging 60- to 70-hour work weeks running Top Notch, their barber shop in Sparks, owners Charles Hodges and Derek Bennett still make time for the community's youth. Along with coaching football, the two mentor and advise countless children.

"We enjoy watching the kids grow up, and seeing many of them become successful and live out their dreams," said Bennett, 37. In fact, for his contributions, Bennett has received a Jefferson Award for community service and an NAACP Youth Advocacy Award.

The two native Nevadans, friends since age nine, have run Top Notch for 10 years. Hodges, 36, opened the shop alone, and encouraged Bennett to attend barber school and join him – an offer Bennett soon accepted. Top Notch delivers haircuts and "fades" (a smooth blending of varying hair lengths) to people of any ethnicity, age or social statuses. "It's a multicultural establishment," Hodges said. "We do all kinds of hair."

Despite their open-door policy and the success of their business, Hodges and Bennett have encountered naysayers and people with stereotypical views. Sometimes new customers walk in and hesitate when they see it's a shop run by Blacks. "A lot of people have misconceptions about how all young Black men behave," Bennett said. "People want to put labels on you and try to put a negative spin on your positive accomplishments. You have to rise above and look past that."

They don't let the negativity bother them, as they work hard and are proud of what they do.

"I feel we can't be touched," Hodges said. "People always come back. One day, we'll have a chain of Top Notch Barber Shops."

The two struggle to find a balance between their professional and personal lives. Hodges has two daughters and enjoys riding his 2004 Road King Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Bennett and his wife like to attend their three sons' sporting events and go to San Francisco 49ers games. "It's hard to have a business," Hodges said. "People don't realize how tough it is and time consuming. We're always working to support our kids."

Hodges and Bennett are full of advice for young minorities interested in running a business.

"Don't let anyone tell you that your business can't be successful," Bennett said. "Make up your mind to refuse to fail. Just keep on working, and fight through the stereotypes." Stay focused, Hodges added. "Keep your eye on the dream. Don't let anybody mess with your dream.

Wrestling with Success
ManagedPay

In operating his Las Vegas business, ManagedPay Founder and President Bill Rosado employs the strategy that made him a championship freestyle wrestler during the 1970s and early 1980s. That is, pushing for little advancements or successes each day.

"[With wrestling], I took it one day at a time," he said. "I wanted to execute a move a little cleaner, or run harder or faster. Some days I achieved my goals, while other days, I had setbacks. [In business], we know the kind of clients we want, what we want to deliver, and we set out to accomplish our objectives one day at a time."

This self-described Air Force brat dedicated the first portion of his life to athletics. He was a judo national champion at age 13 and on the U.S. Olympic wrestling team in 1976. In 1980, Rosado won the Olympic trials, but was denied the opportunity to complete when President Carter boycotted the Moscow games. After failing to earn a spot on the 1984 Olympic team, he retired as an athlete and coached wrestling at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas as he began to focus on a new career.

Over the next 12 years he worked at a series of payroll and human resources companies, but never felt completely satisfied until he became his own employer. "Back in those days, I always worked as hard at my job as I did to become an Olympic athlete, and yet, my employers never recognized my efforts," he said. Rosado's solution was to launch a company that provides payroll and employer services, such as human resources and benefits. Today, ManagedPay employs 30 people and can't operate without Rosado. "I'm the glue that holds it all together," he said.

According to Rosado, his Puerto Rican heritage has brought him neither advantage or disadvantage as a business owner. Moreover, he has never experience any prejudice. "In the business community, I'm respected for what I've accomplished," he stated. "Earning the right to something, in my opinion, is the most important ingredient for success."

Today, Rosado remains active in the sport of wrestling, privately coaching on the side. He also is a pilot and Boy Scout leader – his 14-year-old-son, Matthew, is a member of the organization. He enjoys watching Matthew compete in tae kwon do and bowling, and loves to fly his family on short trips to nearby destinations. Rosado's eldest son, Billy, has followed his grandfather's example and is now a first lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.

In the coming years, Rosado plans to stay focused on client retention, continued growth and succession planning. "I just want to build a company that is going to be stable for my employees and give them opportunities to earn a piece of the American dream," he said. "My long-range plan is that one, if not both, of my boys will step in and pick up the reins for me."

Doresa Banning
Doresa Banning is a freelance writer based in Northern Nevada.