Page 2... 1 he Portland Observer...September 9,1992
p e r s p e c tiv e s
f
M ty Professor McKinley Burl
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R e a l m in o r it y B u s in e s s ;
N o w O r N e v e r IV
NAACP Chairman of the Board, Dr. William Gibson, joins William Richardson, vice President Urban Market
community and Trade Relations at Schieffelin & Somerset Co. and Dr. Benjamin Hooks, Executive Director of the
NAACP at a Board of directors dinner sponsored by Schieffelin & Somerset co. during the organization’s National
convention held at Stouffer’s.
Schieffelin & Somerset co. is the importer of fine products including Hennessy Cognacs, Johnnie Walker Scotch
Whiskies, Dewar's "White Label” Blended Whisky, Tanqueray Gin, Tanqueray Sterling Vodka, Moet & Chandon
Champagnes, Domaine Chandon Sparkling Wines and Simi California Varietal Wines.
Roy Jay Strikes Back With Multi-
Million Dollar Counter Suit
Against Visitors Association
The Portland Oregon Visitors As
sociation, a non-profit organization,
primarily funded with tax revenues has
been named in a lengthy multi million
dollar counter suit brought by Portland
business entrepreneur, Roy Jay. Jay’s
action is in response to a legal com
plaint filed by POVA in August against
three of Jay’s business operauons which
allege unfair trade practices in connec
tion with the use of a business name
which the State of Oregon corporation
division records reveal is owned by
Jay’s parent company, Oregon Con
vention and Visitor Services Network,
Inc.
The multi page counter suit names
not only the association, and it’s Execu
tive Director, Charles Ahlers, person
ally, by selected officers and directors
including Mary Amstad, General Man
ager of the Heathman Hotel, (who was
just appointed chairman of Preferred
Hotels & Resorts Worldwide) John
Jenkins, General Manager of the Port
land Marriott Hotel, Ron Anderson,
General Manager of Red Lion Lloyd
Center, Bruce Fery, General Manager
of Red Lion Jantzen Beach, Roger
Qualman of Norris, Beggs & Simpson,
Harold Pollin Woner o f Sheraton Hotel
and Tony R om a’s For R ibs, Lee
Fehrenkamp, General Manager of the
METRO’s Exposition Recreation Com
mission, Larry Scruggs of the Univer
sity of Portland, Sho Dozono, President
of Azamano Travel and many others.
The counter suit alleges conspiracy,
slander and other allegations. Jay, who
is along time member of the POVA
Board of Directors and has been in
volved in the progress and development
of the convention and tourism business,
was recently the 1992 recipient of the
POVA annual President’s Award cer
emony held in July at the Oregon Con
vention Center with over 1,000 busi
ness and governmental officials in at
tendance. The award recognized the 45
year old native Portlander for providing
valuable networking opportunities for
businesses in the convention, tourism
and visitor industry as well as serving as
a positive role model for young entre
preneurs.
At issue is the business names in
volved. Within 4 weeks after giving
African American business entrepre
neur their prestigious award, POVA
filed suit alleging that one of his busi
ness names (Portland Oregon Conven
tion and Visitor Services Bureau) con
flicts with their legal name of Portland
Oregon Visitors Association. Jay indi
cates there is no conflict and that his
operation is responsible for generation
millions of dollars in convention and
visitor lead referrals to Portland and
Oregon businesses throughout the state
over the past several years. “It’s pretty
clear and simple. “Their (POVA) name
is Portland Oregon Visitors Associa-
tion, one of our subsidiary names is
Portland Oregon CONVENTION and
Visitor Services Bureau. Without the
word “Convention” most people and
organizations (especially outside the
state) looking for a convention bureau
or convention association through the
phone company directory assistance
would not know who to call”. Records
reveal that in 1988, the association
changed their name from Grater Port
land Convention and Visitors Associa
tion to Portland Oregon Visitors Asso
ciation over the objection of Jay and
other business members. “We have vir
tually saved the city and the region
millions of dollars in prospective busi
ness. I view this as nothing more than a
conspiracy to put private enterprise,
that does not bow down to POVA, out
of business”, said Jay. POVA is a non
profit agency which contracts with lo
cal government entities to market the
city and the new Oregon Convention
Center. Jay’s operation receives no
government funding and has been able
to gamer a multitude of potential leads
without burdening taxpayer assessment
“It would seem like in a time when
Ballot Measure 5 has economically
crippled many tax funded services,
POVA, in the spirit of cooperation and
business participation, would welcome
and work with outside interest that are
attempting to enhance the convention,
tourism and visitor industry.”
Wlje ^Bnrilanh (©bseriier
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OREGON’S OLDEST AFRICAN AMERICAN PUBUCATION
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Bill Council
John Phillips
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Gary Ann Garnett
Rea Washington
Public Relations
Chuck Washington
Sales & Promotions
Tony Washington
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he
tached~for removing splinters or jew
elry manufacture and similar work. As
I noted August 19, not a lot of resource
is needed for this “basement” type op
eration. Both the tweezers and the
magnifying glasses are bought from
the respective manufacturers and all
the lady does is attach them with a little
hinge and a tiny spot welder. Last week
I cited where to get packaging and
shipping materials with your “com
pany logos”.
Another big gap in marketing
knowledge I find among not only mi
norities and women but with most neo
phytes is the Catalog House. Many
people do not know that those h undreds
of items advertised in those direct mail
catalogs they get Are Not Manufac
tured By The company Putting Out The
Catalog! The merchandise is purchased
from hundreds of little firms like the
‘Tweezer” operation I described above.
Your little company needs to con
tact these catalog houses with a de
scription and photos of your products
along with a price schedule. All of this
requires negotiation and it is good to
have a fair amount of local sales to
point to (though not necessarily). Typi
cally, you would get $4 to $6 for an
item retailing for 510.00(9.98). Again,
it is at the public library business sec
tion you’ll make your inquiries and
you’ll find bibliographies there-and
texts at your large bookstores (Powell’s
- Daltons).
Let me cite several other profit
able marketing opportunities that do
not require a lot of resource to start.
This is the area where your innovation
or design is not patentable but requires
a Copy Right if you are to be protected
from infringement e.g. Most Dolls and
nonmechanical Games (There is an
entire page of doll advertisements in
the Oregonian for Wednesday, Sep
tember 2, 1992). To get a manual on
copyrights and trademarks call “Fed
eral Information”, 1-800-726-4995. also
see may 8/26/92 article in the Portland
Observer, “Patents, Copyrights and
Tradem arks; C onverting Ideas or
Knowledge To Money (This series be
gan 8/19/92).
There is another vast area o f com
merce in America involving small ,
medium and large entrepreneurs; it is
known as the After Market and the
b ig g est is the “ A uto m obile
Aftermarket”. Here we speak o f all the
auxiliary items the consumer buys “af
ter” the purchase of a new or used car or
truck. The range of accessories manu
factured by even very small firms is
almost infinite: Hub Caps, seat-covers,
wipers, mirrors, flaps, radiator orna
ments, flare kits, mats, steering wheel
covers, sun shields, decorative items,
etc. Whatother“Aftermarkets” areopen
to you? Think about it.
Interestingly, for many years one
of the best selling auto wax and pol
ishes in the northwest was manufac
tured and marketed by the “Johnsons”
African American Family who lived on
East B umside near the Colonial Mortu
ary. I’ve lost contact but do remember
a sister, Thelma Johnson Street, who
was an internationally known artist and
dancer.
All and all, being in business is a
Mindset! Most minorities and women
are conditioned as Consumers. Many
have all the necessary attributes for
successful entrepreneurship except thaj!
Merchant Instinct-whether real or con
trived it is absolutely necessary. In
other words, the game is beyond simply
a matter of initiative, know-how, en
ergy and commitment-within moral
reason you have got to want that dollar
and success (if we are to survive, that
is).
Concluded next week.
For Best Results Advertise in the Observer!
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^ r r r i i a n h O D bsprrier
7.2 million Americans have a sec
ond job. That is an obvious understate
ment. At least that many more go unre
ported. If you think about it, that time
and effort is a Capital Investment; which
is to say you own a major resource that
could be used to Build Your Own Busi
ness. Perhaps you could utilize the very
same skills employed on your first job.
That last situation makes a very
good point because in my experience
I’ve seen many workers at a particular
craft in a plant contract out that very
skill to a similar firm thatdidn’tneedor
couldn’t afford a Full Time Service; in
other words such a worker is “/Capital
izing” his or her spare time or off days.
Such an enterprise can be clerical or a
machine operation-interestingly, this
is how Manpower and Kelly Girls got
started by an enterprising worker who
soon began hiring fellow employees
from the original job.
Obviously, such enterprising re
quires initiative and the development
of some interpersonal skills required
for“marketing yourcapabilities-much
in the sense that you “Sold” yourself to
your employer in the first place. Here,
we are talking about neatness, business
cards and even a sharp uniform or cov
eralls if that is indicated. You may need
an answering service, stationery and a
few other “tools of the Trade”. There
are plenty books and manuals available
on starting a small business (Library,
Daltons).
Again, I wish to emphasize that
there is no end to the Variety of small
easily manufactured items (basement,
garage or small shop) that can be mar
keted through ads in the media, direct
mail or to chain outlets like Fred Meyers
and the discount outlets. A former stu
dent of mine is having success with a
novelty item she designed; A pair of
tweezers with a magnifying glass at
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