.V
Smoke Signals November 1992 Page 6
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEWS
Entrepreneur of the Month:
Elinore Jenness
4 I I
(ft x I !i
(
11, ' '
"4
Elinore Jenness
Tribal member Elinore Jenness is enjoying her life
style these days. She has a successful business caring for five
elderly people in her home. GOLDEN AGE ACRE is her
caregiving business, and has been in existence since 1981.
Elinore's home and business are located in Dexter,
Oregon, but it seems strange referring to GOLDEN AGE
ACRE as a business. After visiting the establishment, I felt
as comfortable as I do in my own house, which may be why
she is so successful. Elinore herself speaks of her clients
with an unusual fondness... it is immediately evident she
cares about the people and her work.
"I care about the (five) people who live here. I am
interested in their beliefs, and needs. It is really amazing the
lives they have led," said Elinore.
Elinore used to work in a nursing home, but says a
home-based care facility is the greatest alternative for older
people who don't want to live in a nursing home, or those who
are denied entry into one.
She and her husband had a cabinet business and
prior to the assisted living business, her husband converted
his cabinet wood shop next to their home into a living area.
At the beginning of this business, the Jenness family didn't
have to invest much money. Most home-based businesses
are less expensive to operate. However, for assisted care
facilities, there are all types of legal issues facinga prospective
caregiver.
"I didn't even need a license for this business when
I started, " Said Elinore. "But the rules Oregon enacted are
for everyone's good. There used to be all kinds of people who
took money from the elderly, and just let them sleep in their
house. There was no concern for their personal or medical
needs."
Oregon State laws require home-based care facilities
to provide fire drills, rotating menus, medications
administered daily, and a daily log on each person. "If one
of my clients has to go to the hospital or has an emergency,
everything is recorded in the daily log. His or her entire
medical history is here, right up to the medications that
person has taken that day," she said.
Elinore and her son Andy have been seriously
interested in opening their own assisted living facility for a
long time. "It would be so nice to touch more lives. Right
now, my maximum is five clients, and I have a waiting list,"
she said.
Elinore consulted the Tribe's Economic
Development department on that possibility.
"All the people in Economic Development were so
eager to help me. They are very knowledgeable, and I just
don't feel enough people take advantage of their services.
They have the ability to do so much for tribal members."
Elinore Jenness is still working on opening a business
outside of her home. For now, she's very happy working with
a handful of clients. It must show, because in 199 1, she was
nominated for Caregiver of the Year by Senior Services in
Lane County.
Arts & Crafts Co-op Forming
November 10th is your chance to register with the
new tribal arts & crafts cooperative. At this meeting the
group will elect its Board ofDirectors. and begin establishing
the policies and procedures of the group. If you are
interested in selling arts & crafts items, take this opportunity
to invest in future sales possibilities. Members will work
with Economic Development staff on targeting new markets
for product sales, obtaining retail space in Grand Ronde, and
bulk purchasing of supplies specifically the cooperative
will enable you to increase your sales and lower your costs.
Attend the Tuesday, November 10 meeting so you can input
ideas and get the benefits from future cooperative activities.
If you have any questions about the co-op, please call
Shelley Hanson at 1-800422-0232.
Small Business Financing Class
The 3rd Tuesday of each month is a golden
opportunity for those of you interested in owning your own
business. Economic Development sponsors a small business
development class at the Tribal Community Center. October's
class dealt with small business financing. John Safstrom of
the Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments, Mike
Knighton of SBA, and Mark Houston of the Oregon
Economic Development Department educated class
participants on the various financing options available
throughout their agencies. If you missed the meeting and
would like information on their programs, contact Debby at
Economic Development.
November 17 Economic Development will be
sponsoring a Small Business AccountingRecord keeping
class. Anyone interested in owning their own business
should attend. An inadequate accounting system is the
downfall of many small businesses. Take advantage of this
opportunity to learn the basics, and ask questions. If you live
out of state or are unable to attend the class, contact
Economic Development They may be able to provide
literature or other sources of the information you are seeking.
Discover Economic
Development
"We want all tribal members to know our services
are available for them. If they have a question, it will be
answered," said Mitch Conley, Division Manager of Eco
nomic Development at the Tribe's main offices.
Economic Development has a mission: the people
who work there want to help tribally-owned business grow,
start new businesses, and increase employment opportuni
ties for members of the Tribe.
Services they offer include business counseling,
training classes, and personal finance counseling and advis
ing. If someone comes to them with a marketing idea or
question, they're interested.
The heart of Economic Development is its employ
ees: Mitch Conley, Shelley Hanson, (Business Program
Specialist) Elaine Moore, (Economic Development Spe
cialist) and Debby Childers, Division Secretary. Although
each person has hisher own specialized area, they all work
together to help their clients as fully as possible and to
answer questions. "We refer to each other a lot," said
Shelley.
Currently, part of their budget is being used to
finance a library and a computer lab located in the tribal
offices. The library will contain various reference tools,
documents, video and cassette tapes, all related to finance,
business, or arts and crafts. It will be available to all tribal
members.
At present, the Tribe doesn't have a program to
authorize loans to tribally-owned businesses or potential
businesses, but it is a major priority for the future. Surveys
were recently mailed to many tribal members asking about
business problems and areas of concern. "The number one
response on the surveys was problems with financing," said
Mitch. "We want to be able to consult tribal members, help
them with their business plan, and help then get the loans
they need. We are available by FAX, phone, or mail."
The department encourages attendance at their
monthly meetings, and stresses confidentiality. "If a person
came to us with a marketing idea, we can assure that person
the idea will remain confidential. It is not uncommon for
people to steal ideas from someone else," said Elaine Moore.
The people working in Economic Development are
eager to work with tribal members and help them realize
their goals. Said Mitch, "Our program is a national model.
We have one of the best programs in Indian Country today."
V ' J
; --mUA?
M ' r fc
1 1
i .,l.f '. 4-'
Economic Development Staff: Shelley Hanson, Debby Childers, Mitch Conley, and
Elaine Moore.