September 28, 2005 Minority & Small Business Week Page B 10 photo by N icole H ooper /T he P ortland O bserver Trejon, 2, a Baby Hugs client for a year, is busy trying to grab the camera. Parenthood Becomes Career Opportunity continued from B9 it reconsider only for a moment ot ‘going back to her regular job. ; “It can be rewarding to have ;your own business but hard at other times,” said Green. During rough times Green re members that she truly loves working with all children and being able to see her daughter grow. Something that many par ents don't have the ability to say. “I love my children, the kids keep me young, and they are hilari ous. No corporate job could ever give me this,” said Green. For more information, call 503- 256-4189. Coast Industries Honored for Accomplishments Gov. Ted Kulongoski (center) recently congratulated Northeast Portland’s Coast Industries for being one o f Oregon’s largest and oldest minority-owned businesses. He stands with (left to right) Lydia Munoz, from Oregon's Office o f Minority, Women and Emerging Small Businesses; Hasan Artharee, sales and operations manager o f Coast Industries; Bernadette Artharee, president o f Coast Industries; and Peggy Ross, director o f Oregon's Office o f Affirmative Action. Brooks Staffing Supports Minority Businesses in Portland B rooks S taffing A D iv is io n of S. B ro o ks & A s s o c ia te s , Inc. A Full Service Staffing Company “ Where Temporary Staffing leads to Permanent Satisfaction” Experienced employees are carefully screened and unconditionally guaranteed. ■ No insurance costs ■ No surplus labor ■ No tax records ■ No interviewing Simply sign the temporary employee’s weekly time card. You will receive an itemized invoice, that’s it! We give you the individualized attention you deserve! Merchant Concepts, Inc • 15 an industry leading m erchant credit card / transaction p ro cessin g com pany. L e d by fo u n d e r B ill M itchell, M erchant C oncepts is reco g n ized as a p o w e rfu l p a rtn e r w ho creates lo n g term fin a n c ia l su ccess f o r A m e r ic a ’s leading com panies. Merchant Concepts built its’ stellar reputation by consistently “exceeding all expectations" for their clients. The very high level of satisfaction expressed by MCI customers speaks volumes about who they are as a financial services organization. Merchant Concepts clients consist of regional and national companies including The Don Rasmussen Company, Standard TV & Appliance, LaZBoy Furniture Galleries, Nordstrom, Ethan Allen, while also partnering with exceptional minority businesses such as Yam Yams, AJ Java, L'M u Salon, Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, and the Portland Observer. Corporately based in the Pacific NW. Merchant Concepts performs all of the legwork to ensure you have the right program for your needs. We represent various banks and equipment manufacturers. Based on monthly revenue, our cl ients secure the lowest processing cost by us performing three critical functions: 1. Apply “industry-specific” rate structure, enabling the lowest possible processing cost! 2. Offer processing technology, selected and programmed specifically for your application. 3. One-on-one management and staff training on equipment use, and card acceptance procedures “We are an enterprise that remains true to our mission of offering the finest customer care, information, sales and service of related credit card/transaction processing products available ” - biii Mitchell Bills business philosophy can be summed up in three words: Integrity Efficiency Call, to start saving Partnership • Integrity...you hear everything you need to know up front. • E fficiency...you will have the most cost-effective credit card / transaction processing 503.284.7930 system you have ever experienced. • P artnership...you work with people who care as much about your financial success as you B rooks S taffing A D iv is io n o f S . B ro o k s & A s s o c ia te s , In c . A Full Service Staffing Company 1130 NE Alberta Street Portland, Oregon 97211 FAX: 503.284.7977 www.sbrooks.com jobs@sbrooks.com do. Our commitment to you... As a client of Merchant Concepts, you can rely on us to tell you everything you need to know to be informed about the credit card I transaction processing process. You are guaranteed to receive the most cost-effective transaction processing system your company has ever experienced. Merchant Concepts is located in The Pearl District at 513 NW 13th Ave. (503) 281-1460. Portland Observer subscribers calling and referring to this article will receive a free financial analysis and be entered to win a new Lipman 2085 processing terminal. Finding Success in Construction continued MERCHANT CONCEPTS INC. is a provider of Merchant Financial Services with a driven focus on ethics, service, quality, and value. Corporately based in the Pacific NW, we do all of the legwork to ensure you have the right program for your needs. OUR PROGRAMS INCLUDE: • Visa/MC-Deblt, AX, DS, Diners, JCB, fir EBT • On-Line Transaction History Access • Gift fir Loyalty Card Programs • LOCAL Customer Service • Check Verlfication/Guarantee • Local Supply Access • High Speed (DSL) POS Technology • Local Programming fir Downloading • "Wireless" Phone 1 PDA Processing Technology i l "'M 4 *. 4 'f 4 ff 3 • Toll Free 24 hour Help Desk • "Revenue Generating" ATM Machines • Consultative Services ~ In-house Training We are located In the heart of the Pearl District between NW Gllsan and Hoyt. Please call 503.281.1460 If you would like more information or to set up an appointment. from B8 sense o f pride. “Since I attended PCC, it feels great to be involved in all of its projects,” said Onchi. whose hus band Dwight was a Judo instruc tor at PCC. “ It’s nice to see PCC invest in the future. Community colleges play a big role in our com munity. If they w eren’t here, so many people w ouldn't have an education.” With the Minority. W omen and Emerging Small Business initiative, the college has allocated $ 14.5 mil lion to date in contract money to ward women, minority or emerging small businesses for the construc tion projects. “PCC really makes an effort to use M W ESB business,” Onchi said. “It’s a special thing.”