The One Strategy Tobias Brown of Tommie's Jerk Uses to Help Him Secure Work With the Government

Tobias Brown

If there’s one thing Tobias Brown has learned about securing work with the government it’s that networking can help to make the process not just smoother, but even more accessible for Black entrepreneurs. Tobias is the brains behind the Jamaican food experience known as Tommie’s Jerk, 2021 Nominee in the Canadian SME National Business Awards. He says some of the opportunities he’s landed have come through making connections at events for BIPOC entrepreneurs. “You have to be the proactive one. You’ve got to reach out. A bunch of my stuff has come from the relationship that I had with either BIPOC Foundation or with the Black Business Association of BC (BBABC),” Tobias says.
 
Like many Black entrepreneurs, Tobias took part in the Procurement Canada information sessions hosted by local nonprofits focused on equipping the community with the knowledge they need to forge these new connections. You can find more Black-led and Black-serving nonprofits empowering the community by searching on the Black Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Map. Tobias credits these sessions for empowering him with knowledge: a better understanding of the process has made it easier for Tobias to know how to navigate the procurement process.
 
The federal government purchases $37B in goods and services to help deliver programming across Canada. These goods and services include everything from vaccines and medical equipment to catering and No. 2 pencils. In an effort to increase supplier diversity, targeted support is now being provided to help historically underrepresented communities apply to be suppliers. By demystifying the process and boosting support across the country, more Black entrepreneurs are embarking on what can often feel like a daunting process.
 
Meanwhile, his strategy of networking has also proven fruitful. Recently while at an event in Aldergrove, BC, a group of bikers who’d pass by his stand on Saturday mornings happened to include the principal of a local high school. Impressed with the way Tobias interacted with his customers – young and old alike – the principal asked whether Tobias would be open to considering a contract with the school. He was encouraged to throw his name in the hat, going through the procurement process just like everyone else.
 
“What ended up happening was I got it! I didn't realize it,” Tobias said. “They were like, yes, it'll be your own thing, and you do the lunch service for 800 kids at Aldergrove Grove Community Secondary. I've had fun with that. That's been a really, really good thing. But that came from me standing outside, cooking, giving people an experience, getting an opportunity, and running with that opportunity, and then that opportunity came.” Tommie’s Jerk was born out of love, passion – and necessity. Having immigrated to Canada from the United States, Tobias was shocked to learn his work permit didn’t allow him to do the work he loves: teaching. He began picking up odd jobs as a mover and, on the side, he also began cooking.
 
“I would go back and forth to Jamaica. I was learning more and more about the culture of it and the food and then, being in the kitchen, I just started cooking,” he says. He started out as a sous chef, which eventually led to another question for him: “How can I introduce jerk in this space? And there are a bunch of people who are already doing it, but I just want to put my spin on it. That's how it all got started.” He launched the business during the pandemic. It is now the number one Jamaican restaurant in British Columbia, and among the top three in Canada. Even with all of that success, he still wanted to do business with the government, seeking out the help he needed to navigate the process. “You have to ask questions and be willing to be vulnerable and stuff like that. It's a tough and arduous process – that's why everybody ain't doing it,” he says. “However, once you get in, you're in, and when they're doing this event and this event, they're thinking, hey, we need somebody with cupcakes. So, hey, can you do cupcakes?”
 
Opportunities to work with the government extend beyond Ottawa to provincial and municipal governments, creating even more opportunities for Black entrepreneurs to engage with various levels of government. For example, BC Bid is the platform where public sector organizations advertise opportunities. Tobias stresses the importance of building relationships, which can help open doors to new opportunities when you least expect it, as he learned with his experience in Aldergrove. “When I was studying it, 90% of the contracts are under $25,000. You just gotta get started.”