Ending economic racism: bringing together the Indigenous and business communities

There has been increasing debate about Indigenous economics development between Indigenous people, Governments and business groups.

Some are calling for welfare reforms while other argue to maintain the status quo. Various models for economic development have been produced by the groups such as the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, ATSIC and others.

The current Government wants to merge all of the existing functions into a super model based on streamlining services and access etc.

Recent legislative acts such as Native Title, Wik and to some extent, the Land Rights acts have forced business to recognise and partner with Indigenous people in developing commercial opportunities on our land. Much of these mandatory obligations have caused resentment and hostility because Indigenous peoples are seen as a commodity, not a partner.

There are groups such as Balkanu in Cairns and the Southern Aboriginal Corporation in WA who are proactive in community business development.

However, many of today’s top corporations are not prepared to deal with Indigenous people and Indigenous businesses because of widespread ignorance of Indigenous peoples and cultures.

We have witnessed many governments and corporations, wishing to enter ASEAN markets, adopt Asian protocols, employ Asian people and accept the business practices of the Asian community. However, when it comes to partnering with the Indigenous market, which is conservatively estimated to be worth $2.3 Billion dollars per annum, many of today’s top companies rely on negative stereotypical images of Indigenous work ethics, skills, and cultural practices to steer clear of partnerships and joint ventures.

Also, Indigenous people suffer from general misconceptions perpetrated by One Nation and other right-wing conservatives. The Prime Minister refuses to acknowledge that there was a generation of Indigenous people who were stolen from their families and culture; he refuses to acknowledge that the Indigenous people of Australia deserve an apology for the atrocities perpetrated over a couple of centuries.

Many of these historical and contemporary factors have imbedded corporate cultural ignorance, which contributes to Indigenous people remaining at the lowest socio-economic level in today's society.

We are starting to see slight behavioural change but not the attitudinal change necessary for open business partnerships. There still exists an enormous misunderstanding of Indigenous peoples and cultures. Language is the key to any culture. Business is no different. We need to learn their language and they need to learn ours.

Many of the Government’s attempts to assist Indigenous economic advancement are thinly disguised grant programs that include arduous application, proof, reporting and compliance requirements.

ATSIC, the Commercial Development Corporation, Indigenous Land Commission and its commercial offshoot, Land Enterprise Australia have funds available to 'invest' in Indigenous joint ventures but again only once rigorous assessments have been conducted.

I applaud these strategies but I strongly believe there are better ways to maximise Indigenous participation in commercial viability ventures.

I argue for a shift from welfare-type investments to focussing on the development of a critical mass of Indigenous people with the skills, knowledge and confidence to make informed decision about investments, joint ventures and viable business projects.

I’m not an accountant. I have Year 11 high school. A group of us approached Hall Chadwick seeking a fair dinkum partner in Indigenous business. Somebody who would take us seriously and not start each sentence with ‘I think you should’. We were looking for somebody who would take the time necessary to show the Indigenous people the processes of an audit, joint venture negotiation, venture capital etc. I don’t want to become an accountant but I do want to know what they do and a broad sense of how they do it.

I was hired to establish Hall Chadwick Indigenous Services, the professional consulting and service division of the Hall Chadwick group of companies.

Indigenous Services is about offering opportunities for Indigenous people to advance a career in corporate Australia. Providing mentoring and skills development opportunities without diluting our cultural integrity. HCIS offers the opportunity for Indigenous people to become auditors, accountants and business advisors. To achieve recognition at the cutting edge of business, which no one can take away from you.

Indigenous Services is about providing an Indigenous team of professionals for Indigenous and non-Indigenous clients. A team of Indigenous professionals is able to intuitively understand the client’s needs and the external factors which exert various influences on the way we operate. We also inspire confidence and pride because the Uncles and Aunties see black faces provide best-practice business services.

A part of what I do is getting corporate Australia to accept an event-based culture as a viable partner in a time-based world. I also want to prove to the business world that Indigenous people can succeed in business.

The business world simply doesn't understand Indigenous people, protocols or politics nor do we understand them, apart from our own misconceptions of corporate Australia

When we approached Hall Chadwick, we originally pitched a joint-venture company called LEADIndigenous Limited. LEAD is an acronym for Leadership, Education, Assistance and Direction in Indigenous Business and is governed by a Board of five Indigenous people and two non-Indigenous experts.

We realised that it was a big ask of Business Australia to provide valuable business professionals in teaching and mentoring roles so LEADIndigenous Limited has secured funds to provide incubator programs and partnership programs. LEADIndigenous Limited is a not-for-profit company, which invests in people.

The Incubator works on the person as well as the concept. If the person isn’t ready for business, there is every likelihood that the business venture will fail.

A model of taking Indigenous people, step by step, through the conceptual, planning and operation of a viable and sustainable business. Training people for business success by applying Indigenous management methodologies to business practices. Ways and methods that we know and use in daily life, applied to business, give us a greater chance of success than theory-based training.

Once an Indigenous start-up has completed the Incubator program, LEADIndigenous Limited then conducts a partnership program.

With all businesses, the first 12 months of operation are critical.

The Partnerships Program is a 12-month partner to the novice Indigenous entrepreneur. The partner is a qualified business professional who is available to answer any questions or to clarify any concerns the start-up may have. We explain contracts, time-critical obligations like the Business Activity Statement etc.

I urge the government and major bodies to use their economic resources to provide more professional opportunities to those companies that employ professional Indigenous staff. More work means increased Indigenous employment in the professional sectors of Corporate Australia. For instance, the National Women’s Council would be unlikely to award work to companies that do not employ women, as it should be.

I’m not here asking for additional funding for Indigenous business and professional employment opportunities, I’m merely advocating a better way of spending it.

While I continue to welcome the debate on Indigenous economic advancement, I hope that I’ve been able to give a model whereby we look to the inherent intelligence of Indigenous people as a foundation for business success.