WHITPAIN TOWNSHIP — Representatives from the SBA Eastern Pennsylvania District visited Phoenix Language Services Inc. Phoenix Language Services Inc. in Whitpain Township, Montgomery County on Thursday to give them the Eastern Pennsylvania Entrepreneurial Success of the Year Award for 2024.
Steve Dixel, the director of SBA Eastern Pennsylvania, gave the award to J. Nicole Martin Lawton, the president and CEO of Phoenix Language Services, at an event attended by employees, family, friends, and a representative from the office of U.S. Rep. Madeline Dean (D-4th Dist.).
In April, the company was named as one of seven winners of the 2024 Small Business Week Award for the Eastern Pennsylvania District Office. The Entrepreneurial Success of the Year award winner is chosen each year from nominees across the 40 counties of eastern Pennsylvania.
Phoenix Language Services provides extensive language access services, including interpreters and translators, for clients and patient populations who have limited English proficiency or are deaf and hard of hearing. These services are offered in various settings, such as healthcare, legal, educational, corporate, social services, and government.
Established in 1993 by Lawton’s father Bill Martin, the business is now being led by Lawton, the second generation.
Until March 2020, Phoenix had been experiencing significant revenue growth. However, the COVID-19 pandemic affected the company as clients limited the use of onsite language access services, which accounted for a large portion of its revenue, as stated in a press release.
According to the release, Lawton and her team found the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and COVID EIDL pandemic programs extremely helpful over the past three years. They also received guidance from SBA’s resource partners, including SCORE, Temple University Small Business Development Center, and Women’s Business Enterprise Center East.
“It’s an honor to acknowledge the accomplishments of second-generation, minority- and women-owned businesses and entrepreneurs like J. Nicole Martin Lawton,” said Dixel in a statement. “We are proud that our SBA pandemic programs supported the business, and the counseling provided by our SBA Resource Partners helped the business to become stronger and profitable.”
Under Lawton’s leadership, Phoenix became certified by the SBA as a Women-Owned Small Business in 2020 and obtained certification from the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council through her local Women’s Business Center, Women’s Business Enterprise Center East (WBEC-East).
“From the beginning, Phoenix's mission has been to assist people who prefer to communicate in a language other than English, regardless of the setting. We are grateful to the SBA for assisting us during the pandemic by supplementing the operational costs associated with providing our essential language access services. In addition, the ongoing guidance we receive from SBA’s resource partners is invaluable,” said Lawton in a statement.
When accepting the award, Lawton expressed gratitude to the Phoenix team for believing in her, as well as her father, and recognizing the value of assisting people in times of need by facilitating communication.
She also expressed gratitude to her father, who passed away in May 2020.
“I am truly honored to continue my dad’s legacy, to embody his passion, his drive, and his commitment to helping those who require language access services, which we have been privileged to provide for over 30 years,” Lawton said, emphasizing that her non-English speaking grandmother and others like her continue to inspire her.
Eliot Gilkeson, program coordinator at Women’s Business Enterprise Center East, nominated Phoenix Language Services Inc. for the award.
“Nicole has utilized the resources and extensive support networks available through WBEC-East, the SBA, SCORE, and Temple University SBDC,” Gilkeson stated. “Through her engagement with these organizations, Nicole continues to foster the growth of Phoenix Language Services.”
The Women’s Business Enterprise Center East, which is a resource partner of the SBA, offers services to help businesses start with training, counseling, and networking programs and services, such as entrepreneurial training and a business finance program.
The U.S. Small Business Administration recognizes and honors exceptional entrepreneurs, small business owners, and others from across the country during National Small Business Week, which took place from April 28 to May 4 this year. Recognition and educational events are held throughout May.
