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Resources and Other Helpful Advice

Written by mobd  |  21. May 2003

There is a lot to cover on the subject of this column - minority owned business development - so to keep the effort focused and useful, I will organize articles around four main topics, Resources, News, Strategies, and Profiles. Resources articles will focus on government and private industry sources of information, tools, and business development. News articles will highlight current events, economic trends and legislative/regulatory information of interest to our readers. Strategy articles will feature research, marketing and business development best practices. I believe this structure will allow for the broadest exchange of information in the shortest amount of time. Of course, I welcome your feedback, so let me know what you think. There are actually more resources available to minority owned businesses than most people think. They are not always easy to understand and the application process alone can be the most difficult part. But that's part of the point. You really have to work at it, you really have to want it. There may be resources to be had but you must demonstrate motivation, commitment and a fair amount of your own skin in the game. Today I'm going to focus on resources that target Hispanic business owners. As I've done in the past, I will highlight other ethnic-centric organizations in future articles. Organization: Puerto Rican/Latino Business Development Center Branch of: Empire State Development Corporation Address: 633 Third Ave., 32nd Fl. New York, NY 10017 Phone: (212) 803-3238 Fax: (212) 803-3223 Contact: Nicolas Torrens Title: Director Organization purpose: Serves as a resource for Hispanic-owned businesses in need of capital and expertise by providing loans and technical assistance with a minimum amount of $50,000. E-Mail: ntorrens@empire.state.ny.us Web Page: www.empire.state.ny.us Organization: Hispanic Federation of New York City Address: 2530 Grand Concourse Bronx, NY 10458 Phone: (718) 562-6224 Fax: (718) 562-6225 Contact: Lorraine Cortes Vazquez Title: President Web Page: www.hispanicfederation.org Organization: Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company Address: 666 5th Ave., 15th Fl. New York, NY 10103 Phone1: (212) 245-1200 Phone2: (212) 333-0333 Fax: (212) 974-1940 Contact: Neil Watlington Armstrong Title: Director Organization purpose: Provides support to industries such as the measuring, analyzing, and controlling instruments industry, the plastics industry, and the electronic and electrical equipment and component manufacturing industry. Web Page: www.pridco.com Organization: Interracial Council for Business Opportunity Address: 51 Madison Ave. #2212 New York, NY 10010 Phone: (800) 252-4226 Fax: (212) 779-4365 Contact: Lorraine Kelsey Title: Executive Director Organization purpose: Provides assistance for minority businessmen and women in developing and managing their own business with significant success. Organization: Audubon Partnership for Economic Development Special Interest: Technical Assistance Branch: Affiliate of NCLR Address: 5000 Broadway #A New York, NY 10034 Phone: (212) 544-2470 Fax: (212) 544-0248 Contact: Walther Delgado Title: Executive Director Organization purpose: Provides technical assistance for small businesses E-Mail: apedldc@datatone.com Organization: Minority Business Development Agency Branch of: New York Office/U.S. Department of Commerce Address: 26 Federal Plaza #3720 New York, NY 10278 Phone1: (212) 264-3483 Phone2: (212) 264-3262 Fax: (212) 264-0725 Contact: Ralph J. Perez Title: Business Development Specialist Organization purpose: The agency is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, specifically created to encourage the creation, growth and expansion of minority owned businesses in the U.S. E-Mail: RPerez@mbda.gov Web Page: www.mbda.gov Organization: National Hispanic Business Group Address: 81 Spencer St. Brooklyn, NY 11205 Phone: (718) 222-5631 Fax: (718) 222-5683 Contact: Gilbert Rivera Title: Chairperson Organization purpose: Seeks to create an organization designed to advance business goals and opportunities for its members, while supporting positive social change and complete community involvement. E-Mail: info@nhbg.org Web Page: www.nhbg.org Organization: Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation, Inc. Address: 198 E. 161st St. #201 Bronx, NY 10451 Phone: (718) 590-3948 Fax: (718) 590-3499 Contact: Jose L. Ithier Title: President Organization purpose: Assists businesses in need of capital and expertise by providing loans and technical assistance E-Mail: info@boedc.org Web Page: www.boedc.com Before you contact these organizations make sure you are prepared. This means that you must be able to clearly state your business objectives, performance to date, and future plans. Update your business plan and in particular, your financials. Impress the organization by doing a little research beforehand. The more you know about their mission, application process and requirements, the more professional and prepared you will appear.

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