ForumsStarting a Business

Maybe I should have posted this as a request from the Small Business Online Community Support team.

Support Team - Do you know if Bank Of America offers any type of Corporate Supplier Diversity Program?

If they do how might I contact someone?

Thanks
inTech "Special"

Yes my business is.

No actually the link did not answer my question, although it was helpful.

I am looking for more of direct contacts if possible.

Bank of America, probably has 1,000 requests a day from businesses that are diverse.

I am nobody to them, and my request and attempt to do business with them via the site you mentioned will only take up more of my time, with very little or no results.

The biggest problem I see with the this type of offering on a corporate level is that it is more of a "marketing" strategy then it is an acutal offering.

The public eye sees you as being a giving and moral corporation, to offer such a thing.

To the little guy like me, it simply means the competition will squash me before I have a chance.

Even if I get past the initial "approval round" when it is all said and done, it works much better for a corporation, to focus their efforts on a business that is owned by a woman, person in a wheelchair, or minority owned.

The public eye would scrutinize and judge the business for making such a poor decision to utilize an "insane" owned and operated business.

So why would I even focus my efforts on this level?

I will give you a very simple answer to this question. Because I can.

I would rather live on the streets living out of garbage cans, then to do business with any organization that despises me because I have a disability that is beyond my control.

I am not ashamed that I have a mental illness, although it is difficult to openly admit this to anyone who might have a "pre-conceived" idea of what it is and who I am.

We live in a society where it is openly and widely accepted that mental illness discrimination is appropriate and correct. Society is convinced on such a level of this that they are biased and blind to how this affects those afflicted by this disease.

Their are laws that protect people from racism, terrorism, discrimination, and such.

A system that encourages discrimination will most certainly not convict or press the issue of discrimination, by any means.

Since the change to my website where I disclose I am mentally ill openly, business requests have plummeted. The really strange thing is that traffic has quadrupled.

Entertainment has a value.

Values also is a man that will stand atop his morals and convictions, even if he stands alone.

I am a nobody, I am societies "MADMAN", yet I will succeed.

Luckiest,

I do not know this to be fact, but it is only my experience in general when working with corporations. Bank of America could be the exception.

I have a Certified Minority Owned Business(due to disability).

My original request to become a certified Small Disadvantaged Business was denied because I do not meet any of the requirements you stated. I am not a white man, and I am not veteran.

If you notice you must be a veteran to achieve SDB status when having a disability.

I responded to this disapproval and was able to achieve Certified SBD status because they understood that a disability is a legitimate disadvante in todays business world.

So before I go through all the paperwork, phone calls, emails, collaboration, bidding and such, I need to first establish that I will even be considered, as it seems that my disadvantage will make it even more difficult to achieve success.

Why would I want to waiste any corporations time or mine if their is not even a chance. This is the reason I need to speak to someone directly.

So your company is certified by the National Minority Supplier Development Council?

I was not aware that the National Minorirty Supplier Development Council offered a Governement certification.

Is not the NBSDC a private sector?