Declaration of Financial Empowerment: I will actively support the creation and growth of viable, competitive black-owned enterprises.
Two years ago, Pearl Woolridge noticed an unusual jump in the number of visitors to the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. “Crowds were coming in during days when there were no cultural events scheduled,†says Woolridge, head of special collections and adult services.
Woolridge says she noticed visitors bypassed the library’s rich collections, which feature everything from unpublished handwritten manuscripts by Roots author Alex Haley to the history of ancient Egypt. Instead, they often made a beeline to the first floor auditorium to sign up for the small business seminars.
Located within the main hub of Fort Lauderdale’s black community, the library opened in 2002. Even though it houses more than 85,000 books, manuscripts, photos, and documents on African American, African, and Caribbean history, Woolridge notes that only a small percentage of the collections focus on small business. Though guides can be purchased in a bookstore, including the Caribbean Yellow Pages and a handbook titled How to Be an Entrepreneur and Keep Your Sanity, it still wasn’t enough.
Woolridge says a large library was not the best place for newly minted entrepreneurs to sit and research business opportunities, since they need more help and information than their veteran counterparts. This led to a growing need for what would become the Broward County Library Small Business and Development Center, located on the library’s second floor.
Monthly seminars are offered on how to write business proposals and grants and how to apply for a city contract. “There are a lot of businesses in the neighborhood that are feeling the brunt of a changing community,†says Woolridge, referring to the revitalization efforts on Sistrunk Boulevard, where a majority of the black-owned businesses are located.”We don’t want them to get lost.â€
In order for that not to happen, Woolridge made some changes. Last year, she made the most popular entrepreneurial workshop,
“Doing Business with Broward County,†a monthly event at the center. The first half of the session is spent on the application process; the second half deals with submitting competitive bids for county projects. The workshop also informs local small businesses on opportunities to land contracts with Broward County through its certification programs.It’s important for small businesses to be certified because it opens the door to sheltered market government contracts worth up to $250,000. Furthermore, through its Community Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (CDBE) program, the county requires prime contractors of large bids, some worth several million dollars, to earmark a percentage of subcontracts to minority-owned businesses.
“Although our business certification programs are race- and gender-neutral, we understand that minority-and women-owned businesses are becoming an increasing segment of the county’s small business community,†says Broward County small business development specialist Cheryl Roberts, adding that another timely county-wide workshop, “How to Survive a Hurricane,†helps businesses rebound after a natural disaster.
The center promotes economic development
by working with new small businesses. In May, Woolridge moved in that direction, hiring career management consultant Gregory Burton. Burton’s company, TNG Associates Inc., offers educational workshops and management training for aspiring entrepreneurs.His two-hour seminar, “So You Want to Start a Business?†is held on the first Monday of every month.The center also assists existing small businesses with retention and expansion. For Woolridge, the idea was to get business owners in the community to think big. Attendees have been awarded a number of contracts. Shortly after being granted certification, a participant who owned a 10-year-old construction supply company was given the opportunity to become a supplier of cement for a $10million roadway construction project. “The community may be changing. Why not look into doing business with the county? It’s not going anywhere,†jokes Woolridge.
Woolridge’s Advice:
It doesn’t hurt to ask. The mission of a public library is to serve the needs of the community. If your library doesn’t have a business resource center, Woolridge suggests asking a librarian if the library would consider opening one. If the answer is no, ask if the library calendar of events can include a small business workshop or seminar.
Tap into the power of 411. Even if you don’t have a county government contact you can submit bids to, you can still navigate your way around with the help of the operator.
Make a campus connection. If your library is not willing to open a small business center, don’t give up. State-funded colleges and universities often have their own centers, which are usually open to the public. Sometimes, their resources are more extensive with free one-on-one counseling.
Reach out to local and national organizations. Finding a mentor will make the journey a lot easier. SCORE is a nonprofit that pairs small business owners with working and retired executives from the same field. Visit www.score.org for more information.
This story originally appeared in the November 2008 issue of Black Enterprise magazine.