As she drove, she approached a modest building, The building had no running water or electricity, but this site would become a thriving tourism company on the Navajo Nation.
Delphina Begay helped the growing company with their finances and watched it expand. Soon 30 employees turned into 60 employees. Begay witnessed firsthand the impact of the company’s investment made in the surrounding community.
“And then Covid hit,” she said. “That shut down all businesses on Navajo Nation.”
Although the pandemic indefinitely shut down the tourism company, Begay was resolved to continue her work on the Navajo Nation. It was always her goal to work for her people.
Begay started WaterEdge Business Solutions in 2023. Her business specializes in a range of financial services, including bookkeeping, finance accounting, CFO-level management, and consultancy for small businesses. With over 20 years of experience in finance and accounting, primarily within tribal government, Begay recognized the crucial gap in financial education and support for rural enterprises.
“There’s definitely a need in Indian Country for financial expertise,” Begay emphasized.
Ample research supports Begay’s claims. According to a report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, approximately 17 million adults in the United States are unbanked or underbanked, with Native American households experiencing disproportionately higher rates of financial exclusion.
While she was hesitant to go out on her own and start her own business, Begay believed the risk was worth it. She encourages any Indigenous people interested in starting their own business can make a career out of it, then they should take the change and do it. She encouraged aspiring Indigenous entrepreneurs to seize opportunities and build careers through business creation in their communities, particularly underscoring the need for specialized skills in finance.
“I would encourage it, especially in Indian Country,” she said. “We really need a lot of certain specialties.”
One year later, Begay aspires to expand her financial services to tribes across Arizona, aiming to nurture the growth of Indigenous businesses statewide.
“I really want to focus on rural and remote small businesses that are probably making $30,000 to $100,000 a year. Because I want to work with and progress with them as they grow their business,” she said. “And then eventually, I just want all business owners to really understand their finances and how they’re operating, how they’re growing.”
Currently relying on word-of-mouth referrals for clients, Begay plans to leverage resources like Change Labs, a website, and other marketing tools to enhance her outreach efforts. However, she remains committed to cultivating relationships with the driven small businesses she serves, no matter how remote they are, envisioning a future where Indigenous entrepreneurs on the reservation serve as beacons of success for generations to come.
“Our future children that are going to trade schools and college, when they’re finished they’ll actually have a job for one of the small businesses,” she said, adding that they won’t have to rely on coming home to work at Indian Health Service or work for the tribe or at the casino.
“I just like to always say we’re capable of doing things, we’re capable of making good business decisions and things like that. I’m really grateful for where I’m at,” Begay said.
If you’re a small business owner in need of services, contact Begay at: delphinabegaywateredge@gmail.com.
About Change Labs
Change Labs was created to empower Native-owned small businesses operating within Indigenous communities, so they can begin to take steps toward economic self-sustainability.
They foster the creation of successful Native American small businesses that provide a social benefit to tribal communities.
Visit nativestartup.org for more information about Change Labs.
