Inland Empire Businesses and Nonprofits Urged to Diversify Revenue Ahead of Riverside Sustainability Summit

For Inland Empire entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders trying to build organizations that last, Christen Irving has a straightforward warning: Do not become dependent on a single source of revenue.

Irving, founder of Irving Media Consultants, shared that message during a recent episode of IECN’s “Inland Insight” podcast, where she discussed revenue diversification, sales, relationship-building and organizational sustainability ahead of the Sustainability Summit set for Aug. 28 in Riverside.

The one-day event is designed to move beyond traditional conference-style discussion by connecting attendees with regional experts and giving participants time to develop strategies they can put into practice after leaving.

“One income stream is not enough,” Irving said, describing a lesson she learned through her work with Black Voice News. “If you’re just relying on grants, you know, that only lasts for so long.”

For organizations heavily dependent on one grant, sponsor, contract or annual fundraiser, Irving encouraged leaders to examine other possibilities, including individual donors, crowdfunding and memberships.

The larger goal, she said, is revenue diversity — creating multiple ways for an organization to generate support so that the loss of one source does not threaten the entire operation.

Irving’s own business story was shaped by uncertainty. She launched Irving Media Consultants in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted businesses and organizations across the country.

“As the world was shutting down, my business was opening and blooming,” Irving said.

Her path into revenue consulting was not traditional. Irving said she had worked as an Uber driver before an opportunity brought her into community media. Her background in sales later helped lead to work in revenue and audience engagement with Black Voice News.

That sales experience also shaped one of the concepts Irving discussed during the interview: “monetizing the no.”

Rather than automatically treating rejection as the end of a sales conversation, Irving said business owners should listen carefully to the reason behind an objection. A prospective customer who declines one product or service may have another need an organization can meet.

“There is no such thing as no,” Irving said, while making an important distinction for customers who explicitly ask not to be contacted again. Those requests, she said, should be respected.

The lesson is less about pushing harder and more about listening better.

That same philosophy carries into Irving’s emphasis on relationship-building.

“Relationships are the basis of all sales,” she said.

Those relationships can lead to collaborations, referrals, partnerships and new revenue opportunities. For small organizations in particular, Irving said growth also requires leaders to acknowledge what they do not do well.

She calls the strategy “staffing your weaknesses.”

If an owner lacks expertise in sales, marketing, technology or another essential area, Irving recommends bringing in someone whose strengths complement the leader’s weaknesses rather than attempting to handle every responsibility alone.

That challenge is also visible in local journalism, where small publishers often balance editorial responsibilities with operations and revenue generation. Irving discussed the Revenue Fellowship Program developed with the IE Journalism Hub + Fund as one effort to build a stronger pipeline of professionals trained specifically in the business and revenue side of community media.

“I want to see legacy local media be sustained for a long time,” Irving said.

Those themes of sustainability, capacity and revenue diversification will come together at the Aug. 28 Sustainability Summit.

Irving said attendees will hear from local experts before participating in a workshop designed to help them create a 90-day plan. Roughly 90 minutes to two hours are expected to be dedicated to developing the plan, giving participants an opportunity to leave with actionable next steps rather than only notes from presentations.

“This is about bringing money to your business,” Irving said. “And that’s essentially what the entire day is about.”

She also encouraged entrepreneurs and organizational leaders to view professional development as part of building a sustainable operation.

“If you’re not willing to invest in yourself, then you’re already on the losing end,” Irving said.

The Sustainability Summit is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Aug. 28 in Riverside.

For Irving, however, sustainability ultimately extends beyond dollars.

“Wealth is not just monetary,” she said. “It’s connections. It’s relationships.”

Those relationships, she said, can become the foundation for new opportunities, partnerships and revenue — exactly the type of long-term thinking the summit is designed to encourage.

For tickets and more information about the Aug. 28 Sustainability Summit, visit: shorturl.at/YQqMm