By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org


Nearly every board member of the local Asian American Small Business Association has endured suffering and pain well beyond what most humans have felt, but have turned that into success later in life.

For Phillip Nguyen, Founder and General Secretary of the AASBA, he was 15 years old when he crammed into a 25-by-6 wooden boat with 57 others to start a wild, dangerous journey to a new life away from Vietnam.

“We packed them on; that boat was barely an inch over water,” said Nguyen, who has produced a show called “VietSong” at WKTV and is President of Digital Marketing Solutions, LLC.

He was fortunate to survive the very perilous boat trips. Many Vietnamese people risked their lives to escape their war-torn country and seek a better life elsewhere, but did not survive the high seas.

“This isn’t a fiction novel, this is real,” Nguyen explained. “My brother-in-law told me his mother sent him and his two brothers on separate boats every couple of months because she feared if their boat would be lost, they would all die. His brothers never made it; they were completely gone. He was the only one to survive.”

Nguyen and his four other AASBA board members held an Office Grand Opening of their nonprofit organization on Aug. 19 (located at 4140 Division Ave. S.) dedicated to promoting and advocating for Asian American small businesses.

Nguyen said he founded AASBA “because we need a reputable national association dedicated to advocate, facilitate and support small businesses of Asian Americans, especially in the growing nail salons and restaurants services that plays such a critical role in our asian American Community today.”

He also noted, according to the Michigan Office for New Americans, that “Asian American-owned businesses contributed $492.4 million in sales and provided jobs to 2,941 employees. Despite this, when we surveyed Asian American small business owners in west Michigan — where over 20 organizations receive millions in federal and state funding to support small businesses — over 97% reported they had never received any assistance.”

“The mission here is that we want a strong community,” Nguyen continued. “And to have a strong community, we want to do everything we can to help the small business owner in whatever way we can. We want to build a very dynamic, very committed, well-run 501C3 nonprofit with a mission to help small business.”

Nguyen said he plans to expand as well.

“The next stop we will open in Florida and then after that we’ll open in every stat,” he said. “Anyone from small business can get help from us. Let’s say tomorrow we have an African American, we have a Mexican American who wants our help. We won’t close the door. Because overall we want to help a strong community. It’s just that we happen to focus on Asian Americans, but anyone who needs our help, if we can do it, we’ll do it.”

Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley said it’s important that new business owners aren’t walking down this path alone.

“Any association, especially something that is small business affiliated, there are so many rules and regulations, it’s daunting,” he said at the grand opening. “To have an organization that has others that have gone before you, to be able to help you, to say this is how you do it is paramount, a necessity to be successful especially in this day that we live in.”

“There are constantly new laws that come out and you’re sort of scratching your head and saying what do we need to do now so that you’re in compliance? The second thing is an advocate. Those who maybe English is not their first language, and they’re trying to pursue the American dream and they need someone to advocate for them. It could be the government, a utility or other service providers … to say this person needs help and how can we help? Relationships help.”

Kepley also said the special part of Kentwood is its diversity.

“East Kentwood High School is the most diverse high school in Michigan and I think ranked third or fourth in the nation representing over 90 different countries and 115 different languages, which is absolutely amazing,” he explained. “The world has come to the City of Kentwood with dreams and visions. The dream of what America can provide because of the freedoms and wanting to start your own business. A lot of them are from Asian countries. To have this here in Kentwood is such a blessing because those students who are now maybe at East Kentwood High School who want to graduate and start their own business, now can come to a place where they can get some help.”

Tommy Brann, who’s running for State Representative in House District 83, talked about his more than 50 years of business experience that could help new small business owners such as in the AASBA.

“I owned this restaurant right across the street called Branns, so I know what small business goes through,” Brann said to the AASBA gathering. “Small business is the backbone of our country. We supply over 68% of the jobs.”

Charlie Quy Ton, Special Advisor to the AASBA, is another successful Asian business owner who survived coming to America at a young age and then significantly prospered down the road.

“I escaped from Vietnam at the age of 14 by myself because my mom didn’t have enough money to get four children on the boat,” said Ton, one of the founders and CEO of Regal Nails with 700 locations across the United States and owner of Alfalfa Nail Supply. “I was a child, but my mom bravely pushed me on the boat and I escaped from Vietnam.

“When I arrived in the United States, I thought it was heaven, but no it wasn’t, it was hell. I lived on the street, finding food for myself.”

But before long, things started looking up after connecting with family in Louisiana. He later got a degree in chemical engineering from Louisiana State University, but couldn’t find a job, so he decided to pursue business.

“I opened my business and I learned from scratch,” explained Ton, who has 60 employees on the manufacturing side and 25 in his franchise division. “I learned everything by myself.”

“We service over a million beautiful nails per month”

As for his salon businesses throughout the United States and in Puerto Rico, he said, “We service over a million beautiful nails per month.”

Quoting legendary NFL Coach Vince Lombardi, Ton said, “Leaders are not born, they’re made.”

Ton went on to say, “And being a leader is not about you, it’s about the people and how we can help them be successful.”

As an advisor to the AASBA, Ton has committed to share insights and expertise with small business owners.

“My vision is that we give back to the community,” he explained. “We try to help facilitate the businesses. People need a leadership program. We want to open their mind to a different level so they can run a better business, which in the end will help the American economy and generate more jobs.” 

U.S. Representative Hillary Scholten, from Michigan’s 3rd congressional District, presented the AASBA with a congressional certificate in recognition of their grand opening and dedication to the Asian American entrepreneurs. 

“Did you know that out of all the businesses in Michigan, close to 99% are considered small business?,” said Scholten at the grand opening. “A disproportionate number of those businesses are started by first generation Americans who are entrepreneurs, job creators, the fabric of our community.

“When I was elected to Congress, you have a choice of the committees that you want to serve on and I chose to serve on the House Committee on Small Business because I know how important it is to serve our small business community here in West Michigan, which is the fabric of our society.”

For more information on the AASBA or if you want to join, click here asianamericansba.org