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Page 8...The Portland Observer...August 19, 1992
R
eal
M
in o r it y
B
Now O r N
BY PROF. MCKINLEY BURT
We preseni here some rather real
istic and feasible methods for success
fully expediting the formation of some
small scale enterprises. Be sure to also
read the companion article in this issue,
“No Spare parts: Does Minority Busi
ness Begin In Asia?” Very relevant!
In Portland, Oregon and in most
other cities in America, you will find
that, everyday, individuals as well as
companies are coming up with new
ideas for products and services to puton
the market. Watching the news, we see
that many people start in their basement
or garage, and with as little as $500.
some enterprises are family affairs, of
ten a wife will start marketing a parjor
game or mail order items from the
kitchen or sewing room while the hus
band supports the household. Then, too,
we have the cases of ambitious teenag
ers who develop spbrts items or com
puter games and programs.
I encountered all of these situa
tions while teaching a class I designed
at Portland State University in the
1970’s. An innovative technique I used
was to aid students in setting up a Real
Minority Business Company and oper
ating it for profit. Of special interest is
a firm set up by four students from
California and Georgia to service the
maintenance needs of both contractors
and house holders. Less than a thousand
dollars started it off, and old pickup
truck and odd tools.
This was a three-term class and
after basic business structures and for
mats were learned, what is perhaps the
most productive technique of all, “learn
ing to retrieve, compile and assess in
formation was examined. Daily read
ing of both the business and classified
sections of the Oregonian Newspaper
enabled the group to not only determine
what represented the most viable mar
ket, but how to effectively reach it
(advertising and marketing).
This worked extremely well, even
for amateurs, and soon the newspapers
and television were giving them even
more exposure. Two o f these students
are presently engaged in substantial
businesses in Atlanta and have spon
sored a class similar to mine at a local
college. Over the six year life of the
class other African Americans and many
more whites participated in this hands-
on enterprise instruction and went on to
establish successful businesses here and
elsewhere. So you see that what 1 mean
by “Real” minority enterprise is a learn
ing structure set up in a “Real” world
and designed by someone with “Real”
experience in the service, experience in
the service, manufacturing and general
business community.
Another format used would be
equally applicable today when we still
find a large number of minorities and
females without the vaguest idea how
the things around them are manufac
tured or serviced. Whether the area
surveyed is the kitchen, bathroom, ga
rage, office or where ever, there arc
many scores of items which not only are
manufactured by large companies, but
by “ Basement and Garage Firms” all
over the United States, you see their
wares in your new spapers, magazines,
in your catalogs and junkmail, and on
television ($ 19.98 and have your credit
card ready”).
That “formal” I mentioned was to
allocate a large warehouse-like space
next to my office on Martin Luther
King Blvd. for Saturday demonstra
tions of how easy it was to manufacture
anything from ashtrays, dish racks, shelf
brackets and desk trays to towel racks,
sauce pans and skillets, wheel covers,
mats and you name it (a thousand times).
I had many tools left over from personal
enterprises and borrowed the rest from
local firms as well as occasional per
sonnel. This support made for my cam
pus class proved to be a real winner, I
don’t know why this approach is not
used today when, obviously, minorities
and women generally lack a “realtime”
background.
Many of the tools and machines
still range from $50 to $ 1500 and if you
really get going you’re usually talking
a lot less than a midrange new car at
$15,000. Students were introduced to a
range of tools and equipment, some of
which they had seen at home but not in
the heavy duty business context. Not
only a vast number of hand tools, but
larger functional devices such asshears,
u s in e s s
!
ever
:
If your bank
is merging,
send for
this helpful
book
punch press and dies, brakes, drills,
grinders, welders saws, soldering sta
tions, punches, safety equipment and so
forth. I even brought over an old mobile
steam cleaner from my garage for that
piece of equipment had been the base ot
one of my most successful enterprises
downstatc in Oregon (cleaning rigs,
logging and contractors equipment, ag
ricultural machines, restaurant hoods,
shopping carts and much e ls e -”an ex
cellent cash How to finance other en
deavors if you don’t mind the dirt”)
We also had demonstrations of
making jewellery and also “plastic bag”
items like you see hanging from the
hooks on the racks every where from
Fred Meyer to your convenience stores
(washers, picture hooks, clips, thumb
tacks and anything else a curious and
innovative mind can think up to sell), all
of this of course, along with several
field trips, brought into a “Real Time”
focus all of the classroom texts and
lectures. Additionally there were fre
quent assignments to the library down
town to inspect the qther “tools of the
trade” (see my other article this week,
Perspective).
Here is an opportunity to bring out
another key fact about the American
manufacturing process of which most
minorities or women would have no
knowledge-and therefore would never
think of getting involved. I had every
student inspect “Thomas Register of
Manufacturers at the library (about 12
huge volumes then). Here you find list
ings, illustration and specs on every
thing made in America From a hairpin
to a massive steam shovel, and from
wheels, axles and motors in any size to
x-ray machines and nuclear reactor parts.
It soon dawns on one that you can buy
any component or part of any product
you design for a market.
For instance, you don’t need capi
tal for a “wheel factory’ in order to
market baby buggies, strol lers or wheel
barrows- some spec ialist makes wheels
cheaper and has them” on the shelf”. An
awful lot of “parts” are manufactured
right here in Portland, metal, plastic,
ceramic, paper, cloth. Got an idea for a
patent or copyright (games). More on
this next week.
I t ’s aClassic Checking account from Washington Mutual. S
I
And it’s free when you have any other account with us.
w
also offer access to virtually every cash machine in the state. 24-hour telephone b anking- plus
we’ll help you with all the details of your account transfer. \M iic h is what you’d expect from a local,
consumer bank that concentrates on the needs of people, not big business. S o u n d good? Then call
1 -800-562-3565 and merge with the friend of the family.
Merge w ith Washington Mutual.
FDIC Insured
City Council Endorses Peninsula Center for Police, Community Services
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The City Council today endorsed
the conversion of the North Precinct
building in St. Johns into a Multi-
Services Center for police and com
munity programs.
T he C ouncil u nanim ously
adopted a resolution filed by Com
missioner Earl Blumenauer to accept
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Fair In The
Square Means
Fun Everywhere
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The annual, “Fair in the Square”
event is scheduled for Wednesday,
August 19.Thefunbeginsat 10:00a.m.
in P o rtland’s Pioneer C ourthouse
Square.
KUPL Radio will be doing call-ins
from the square, and will be giving
away tickets to this year’s fair begin
ning at 11:00 a.m. A & W rootbeer
floats will be given away as well.
“Fair in the Square” provides a
sampling of the entertainment and
events which will occur August 27
through September 7 at the Oregon
Stale Fair.
There will be a petting zoo where
children and adults alike may visit and
interact with their favorite animals. In
keeping with this year’s Oregon State
Fair theme and character, Enormous
“Norm” the Rooster, there will be a
rooster in the petting zoo as well as an
assortment of goats, bunnies, and cal ves.
Jolly Molly the Clown will provide
entertainment as she strolls around the
square, as well as strolling juggler and
magician, Willy’s Cirkus. The Mini-
Ropers from the Pee Wee Rodeo Club
will dem onstrate their cow-roping
tcchniques.Bcginning at 12:00 noon,
cowboy poet Ben M cKenzie will
present his poetry for cowboys. The
Mighty Eagles, an acoustic band play
ing both bluegrass and country, will
provide music during “Fair in the
Square”, and Rufus the Steer, costumed
mascot of the Oregon State Fair, will be
on hand to visit with the kids and to
share the Fair spirit.
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the recommendations of a citizen
group and proceed with the new cen
ter. Speaking in favor of the resolution
were Police Chief Tom Potter, and
Clarice White, chair of the Peninsula
Multi-Services Center Planning com
mittee.
“The Peninsula Multi-Service
Center is the next step in community
policing,” said Blumenauer, who ear
lier this year encouraged police to work
with residents on the idea. “By co
locating police, city, and community
agencies in one neighborhood build
ing, we strengthen partnerships be
tween them and increase their effec
tiveness in the fight against crime.”
According to a recent survey, a
community policing office,crime pre
vention assistance, and a citizens foot
patrol are the three programs residents
would use most often. The planning
committee is recommending the city
consider locating these and 10 other
Market
located at
North
Killingsworth
285-6352
D oes it B etter for Less
z-----------—
SAFEWAY
White Or Wheat
Bread
Ad Prices Good August 19 through August 25,1992 At Safeway.
Ovenjoy fresh baked bread...choose from white
enriched or wheat bread. A great time to put a couple
away in the freezer for back-to-school lunchtime
sandwiches.
FIRST 3,
Additional
at our low
regular
price.
For
Regular Ground Beef Approximate 10-Pound Package........ Lb. 8 8 C
Large Red Ripe Tomatoes jutcy.npeattheir peak Lb 4 9 c
Look In The This Week
Magazine for your Safeway
Shopping Guide for a complete
list of specials on sale this
week at Safeway!
W ESTERN
U N IO N
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services in the center.
In August 1993, police will move
North Precinct headquarters from the
former St. Johns City Hall to a vacant
Fred Meyer store on N.E. Martin Luther
King Boulevard. The current location
can accommodate only 90 personnel
and North Precinct has a staff of 164.
E&/W Sentry
' .
The Fastest Way To Send
Money....Available In All
Safeway stores in Oregon &
S.W. Washington.
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