Portland observer., October 07, 1998, Image 17

A word from
Beverly Stein,.,
Margaret Carter Kicks off
Minority Enterprise Week
Beverly Stein, Multnomah County Chairperson
"I am extremely pleased to support Minority Enterprise Development
Week in Multnomah County and throughout the State o f Oregon.
Multonomah County’s positive growth and continued prosperity de­
pends on the full participation o f all segments ofour community in the local
economv. Minority-owned businesses have emerged as a dynamic and
vital force in the County marketplace, providing quality goods and
services, jobs, and job training to the thousands o f local residents.
I am proud o f the achievements and accomplishments oj minority
business owners in Multnomah County. I am delighted to pay tribute to
their contributions to the economic growth and diversification o f the
County’ and I thank them fo r their efforts.
The appearance o f new minority-owned businesses and the continued
growth and expansion among existing ones will be critical economic
benchmarks in the coming years. These factors will play a major role in
measuring the health o f our local and state economies.
I will continue to work toward creating opportunities fo r minority
enterprises. The new joint City ofPortland/Multnomah County Sheltered
Market program is a prime example o f how government can make a
difference in the economic success ofthe whole community. I encourage all
o f Multnomah County's community and government partners to encour­
age smart economic development by recognizing the significance o f the
minority business community and prioritizing its success. "
Beverly Stein
M u ltn o m a h C ounty C hairperson
C herokee G eneral
C orporation
Cherokee General Corporation pro­
vides environmental construction and
site support services to consulting firms,
government agencies and private sec­
tor clients throughout the northwest
region. They offer demonstrated ex­
pertise in environmental construction,
environm ent field data collection,
remediation system installation and
operation & maintenance services.
H ow did y o u r business get
started?
My mother had started the construc­
tion com pany in 1985. I grew up in
construction. In 1993,1 wanted to go
get a job. I fel, it was time to move on to
something different, morechallenging.
W hen my m other's company was still a
corporation, I had reinstated it.
H/n/Z were som e o f the chal­
lenges yo u ha d fa c e d that were
unique to being a m inority - ow ned
business?
Getting credibility. Reputation is so
important in small business to succeed.
Trying to get that first opportunity to
show you could do a good job.
H h a t were y o u r co m pany’s
grow th challenges?
Cash flow was probably the biggest
problem. You have to have money to
make money. In this field, I get paid
when the consulting firm gets paid. It
takes typically 60 days to get the money
needed for a return onm yinvoice.A lot
o f times, I didn't get a paycheck to pay
my staff.
Another challenge was to get a line
o f credit with a bank. 1 went to several
banks and I finally ended up with one
that was willing to take a little bit o f a
chance on me. I was turned down many
times before that.
As I got bigger, I had to pass respon­
sibility on to others. That meant hiring
people. In hiring, you have to realize
just how important those people are
with their quality o f workmanship and
because they represent your company
inthe field Your reputation is based on
«
Rhonda Herschell, a Native
American business owner of
Cherokee General Corporation
that.
1 had to find competent, qualified
people who had my best interest at
heart. I made a lot o f mistakes in inter­
viewing prospective employees - tak­
ing on people who I thought were quali­
fied but weren ’ t and may have stumbled
a few times. Through the years. I’ve
gotten a little more savvy. I now know
the questions to ask. qualifications to
require.
W hat could yo u have done
differently to expand yo u r business?
Establishing betterrelationships with
companies that will keep using you.
Getting access to capital. I don’t
know that a bank would have loaned
me money any sooner in the game. I had
such a difficult time when I finally did
try to acquire one. Most banks want 2-
3 years experience before they'll ever
consider you for a line o f credit. You
have to fund that yourself. That was a
hard thing.
A ny advice fo r other minority-
ow ned businesses ?
D on’t give up. It takes a lot o f hard
work, lots o f hours and determination.
Anything is possible if you set your
mind to it.
I want to encourage everyone to go
for their dreams and make it happen!
State Representative Margaret Carter will be the keynote speaker
of the Minority Enterprise Development Week Awards Luncheon at
the Oregon Convention Center on 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr.,
Blvd. The official awards ceremonies will be from 11:30 to 1:30
PM. This year’s theme will be “Minority Businesses Facing the
Challenges of a Global Economy. "
A P R O C L A M A T IO N F R O M T H E
W h e re a s: M inority and w om en-ow ned businesses comprise a substan­
tial and steadily increasing percentage o f O reg o n ’s workforce and are
necessary to the continued econom ic grow th o f the state: and
W h e reas: The State o f O regon recognizes that the economic vitality o f
the state depends on the support an prom otion o f business and available
contracting opportunities for m inority and w om en entrepreneurs; and
W h ere as: The participation o f m inority and w om en business ow ners in
the O regon m arketplace has been keyed tow ard developing new standards
for excellence and achievem ent in the business sector while, at the same
tim e, reviving com m unities by generating jobs; and
W h e re a s: M inority and w om en entrepreneurs are committed to a part­
nership with all levels o f the public and private sector to provide an arena in
w hich all O regonians are allow ed fair and equal opportunity, including
utilization o f services and em ploym ent; and
W h e reas: The continued success of O reg o n ’s economy depends on the
full participation o f all citizens at every level, for Oregon takes great pride
in the accom plishm ents o f our m inority entrepreneurs and their trem endous
efforts and achievem ents.
N ow , Therefore, 1, John A. Kitzhaber, G overnor o f the Stale o f Oregon,
hereby proclaim O ctober 4-10, 1998
MINORITY ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT WEEK
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