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S e p te m b e r 2 6 , 2 0 0 7
Advertise with diversity in r i" ^ J u r tU in il (D b s m t c r
From Heart to Startup
Call 503-288 0033 ads (s' port landob server com
Class builds reality for small-business ideas
PORTLAND, O REG O N
There is a reason why the American Association of Contract Compliance, National
Organization of Black County Officials and many other organizations are selecting
Portland, Oregon as the west coast destination for their meetings, conferences and
conventions. Whether it’s 100 or 10,000.. we work for conventions.
•
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Absolutely no sales tax ¡spend as much as you want)
Clean, safe and friendly city (we do this on purpose)
Magnificent convention center (because you deserve the best)
Hotels receive ongoing ethnic cultural training (in order to provide superior service to
all people - and especially you!)
wiiiji
*•
a»
en>ion^!
Roy Jay, President & CEO
Oregon Convention & Visitor Services Network
Alliance of Minority Chambers of Commerce / Idea Works, LLC
Charter m em ber ot
AAAMPRCT
Partners In Progress
withPOVA
ASSOCIATION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MEETING PROFESSIONALS
R ay mono R endeeman
T he P ortland O bserver
If yo u ’re looking to start you
own business and find your way
to a classroom tucked away in
the Lloyd Center Mai 1, you might
also find some reassurance.
The Small Business D evel
opm ent C enter started during
the early ’80s when the state
was in an econom ic recession.
Since then, it has helped hun
dreds o f people realize dream s
to run their own businesses.
Most o f the classes begin at
6:30 p.m., intended for those
with day jobs. They had been
working all day, but new life
sparked in the eyes o f students
last W ednesday ev en in g as
M ario Pedraza began a partici
patory lecture on the consider
ations o f starting a new enter
prise.
Pedraza reviewed the basics
at the outset: the im portance o f
location, o f finding a large cus
tom er base and the necessity o f
losing money during the first
year. Then he made the class
consider some o f the more ad
vanced topics like regulations.
The PortlandCommunity Col
lege students succeed in this
setting based on their drive alone
regardless o f other factors, ac
cording to Tom Low les, the
program ’s director.
“W e work with people from a
variety o f backgrounds, experi
ences and skills,” says Lowles,
“ but it all co m es d ow n to
w hether an individual really
wants to start their business.”
The reason for the program ’s
esteem is clear: W hen it com es
to helping S panish-speaking
s m a ll-b u s in e s s o w n e rs g et
started in the U.S., Pedraza lit
erally wrote the book. His trans
by
by R aymond R endeeman /T he P ortland O bserver
Mario Pedraza leads a Portland Community College class
intended to help people get their business ideas going.
lated version o f the O regon
program ’s materials became the
model now used by sim ilar cen
ters around the country.
Although he would love to
help m ore S panish-speaking
people start businesses in Port
land, he sees a limitation in being
a “ th ird -g e n e ra tio n ” T exan,
m eaning his grandparents were
his family members to cross the
border.
“It’s hard, because I can ’t be
their mentor or their role model,”
Pedraza says. “T h ey ’d rather
3 bedroom home starting at
$220,000. Located in North Portland.
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Deborah Johnson at 503-804-0063
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or www.hostdevelopment.com
C C B #71658
Building Partnerships to Build Our Community
American Friends
Service Committee
W l WALSH
I ............3
INSPIRING
n PEACE
& JU S T 1Œ
K M 65 VtAM l.N TMf IW I f * NdCTHWESl
Construction C o ./OR
www.ualshcoitstructionvo.com
er values In action
Y
v
h e a r fro m f irs t-g e n e ra tio n
people, but then the problem
with that is those people are
tired o f being asked.”
K n o w in g th a t S p a n is h
speakers have little choice in
com ing to him with business
ideas, P edraza w ill sit dow n
w ith th em o n e -o n -o n e fo r
hours, m ost often helping them
fill out form s.
“ In the long run, a business is
a business,” says Lowles, “and
on that level, quite frankly,
everyone’s the sam e.”
Our Seattle Programs:
AFSC Peace & Community Relations
AFSC Community Justice Program
AFSC Regional Indian Program
AFSC GLBTQ Youth Program
Our Portland Programs:
AFSC Budgets for Peace & People
AFSC United Voices
AFSC Youth Leadership and Movement Building
AFSC Project Voice
AFSC Gay/Lesbian/BisexualfTransgender Program
Pacific N o rth w est R egional O ffice
Seattle
•
814 NE 40th Street ♦
• Seattle WA 98105-6416 •
• (2061 632 0500 •
•F A X (206) 632 0978 •
• www atsc org •
'Wording fo r socialjustice and peace
fo r 65 years in the (Pacific Northwest.
A rea P rogram O ffice
54TSC supports minority Businesses
andvalues the (PortlandObserver s commitment to diversity.
Portland
•
•
2249 East B um tcfe Street •
Portland OR 97214-1653 •
• (503) 230- 9427 •
• FAX (503)230-1835 *
• www af»c org •
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