News Release

News Release
New Mexico SBA District Office
625 Silver Avenue SW, Suite 320
Albuquerque, New Mexico  87102
(505) 248-8225  Fax (505) 248-8246
             
Release Date: September 25, 2008    Contact: Susan Chavez, (505) 248-8225

Local Entrepreneurs Reach Halfway Mark On Emerging 200 Training:  SBA’s Initiative to Create Jobs and Spur Growth in Albuquerque’s Inner City

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Nineteen Albuquerque small business owners are participating in the U.S.  Small Business Administration (SBA) Emerging 200 Initiative training program “StreetWise Steps to Small Business Growth”. These entrepreneurs have met every other Tuesday evening for three hours since the program’s inception in June, and are ready to begin the eighth of the thirteen sessions next week.

The SBA’s Emerging 200 Initiative, dubbed e200 for short, is sharply focused on helping leaders and owners of small businesses in Albuquerque achieve their full potential by studying practical applications of organization management, financial analysis, growth strategies and management, market development, and strategic planning. 

e200 is also underway in metropolitan areas across the U.S., including Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Des Moines, Memphis, Milwaukee, New Orleans, and Philadelphia and comprises 200 small companies with high potential for rapid expansion and job creation.

“Emerging 200 training represents the SBA’s groundbreaking commitment to America’s underserved markets. The economic health of those communities is a major concern of the SBA and we expect e200 to lead the way,” said John Woosley, New Mexico SBA District Director. “Helping inner city business leaders is part of our long-term stimulus strategy. The SBA is in inner city neighborhoods because that’s where economic growth and job creation will provide real benefits.  We have had a very positive response to the program. ”

The Albuquerque e200 Initiative small business participants were visited by SBA Deputy Administrator Jovita Carranza and Bridget Bean, SBA Deputy Associate Administrator for Field Operations on September 16th.  Both Agency officials had the opportunity to meet one-on-one with several of the New Mexico e200 participants on September 16th and hear their comments on the program.   They also addressed the entire e200 class and received additional feedback from the participants on how the program was working for them.  They received many positive comments from the participants on the benefits they are seeing from the program.
 
The program is being delivered by InnerCity Entrepreneurs, the national trainer selected to conduct the executive training aspect of SBA’s Emerging 200 initiative.  Wendy Ederer of Cornerstone Consulting Associates, LLC, is the local trainer contracted by InnerCity Entrepreneurs to deliver the E200 curriculum in Albuquerque which runs through December 2008.  Ms. Ederer has lead the program and worked with the e200 CEOs and small business owners, each of whom on completing the program will produce a three-year strategic growth plan with benchmarks and performance targets for their individual business.

“Entrepreneurs are vital to our economy. They have the power to bring lasting, positive change to communities through economic development,” said SBA Acting Administrator Jovita Carranza in explaining the SBA’s emphasis on small, inner city businesses. “This is particularly important in the neighborhoods where the challenge is higher than average unemployment and poverty.”

Emerging 200 participants in Albuquerque include the following:
„X Annapurna’s World Vegetarian Café - Yashoda Naidoo, President
„X Aurora Publishing, LLC - Melanie Patten-Fritzsche, CEO
„X Bare Bones Graphics, Inc. - Tracy Martinez, Owner
„X Bocotek, Inc. - John Bears, Vice President
„X BroCon, Inc. - Daniel Osborn, Vice President
„X Creative Consultants, LLC - Jaime Sirgany, Owner
„X Document Handling & Information Services, Inc. - Debby Kruzic, President
„X Dyron Murphy Architects, PC - Dyron Murphy, President, & Greg Comer
„X EXHIB-IT! Tradeshow Marketing Experts, LLC - DJ Heckes, Founder,CEO
„X Golden Crown Panaderia - Christopher Morales, Owner
„X In-Compasse International - Kay Carrico, Owner
„X La Entrada Realty - Joe Olmi, Owner
„X LTC Alliance, LLC – Richard J. Henry, Jr., President
„X Rancho Viejo Custom Woods, LLC - Patricia Ascevez, Owner
„X Rocket, Inc. - Lex Dominey, President/Owner
„X Sacred Power Corporation - David Melton, President/CEO
„X Spic N Span Cleaning - Edwin Lopez, President
„X Tex-Mex, Inc. - Jane Butel, President
„X Ulibarri Construction - Ben Ulibarri, General Manager

The comprehensive e200 curriculum provides winning expansion strategies to help participating businesses explore options for capital investment and take advantage of contracting opportunities. Critically important to the overall success of the initiative, e200 training also makes available a range of practical tools to pursue innovative paths for business development and job growth. Through e200, entrepreneurs gain access to a network of government resources and mentoring from local business leaders who invest time and energy in the businesses participating in the e200 initiative.

The e200 curriculum applies a real-world, accessible teaching approach along with a curriculum that has been carefully reviewed by academics and then road tested by entrepreneurs. The e200 training is based on the case study model with the examples drawn from the participating entrepreneurs’ businesses.

“Inner city businesses are relatively small in size and in revenue but they have almost unlimited capacity to create jobs, raise income and produce wealth for residents,” adds John C. Woosley, New Mexico SBA District Director.  “They are vibrant operations that often provide much needed products and services for diverse inner city communities. There’s good reason for the success of small businesses in inner cities and by identifying and exploiting competitive advantages we will prepare inner city businesses to be profitable and well positioned to compete locally, regionally, nationally and even internationally.”

The SBA is bolstering its inner city mission with substantial resources. The only cost of the e200 training, mentoring and networking is the time and commitment of the participants. All other costs of preparing, training and assembling the initiative’s coalition are being assumed by the U.S. Small Business Administration and local partners.

Albuquerque’s Small Business Administration District Office has taken the lead by forging a cornerstone coalition of key business leaders, government organizations and professional business associations. This group of committed individuals and organizations is sponsoring the e200 initiative to encourage the lasting success of its participants.

SBA officials view the e200 initiative as pivotal to establishing a foundation other businesses can build on. From the SBA’s perspective, the benefits of the e200 initiative will soon radiate across neighborhoods and have a positive impact on Albuquerque and the other cities participating in the pilot initiative.

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NOTE TO MEDIA: For further details on the e200 initiative in Albuquerque, please contact: Susan Chavez, Public Information Officer, at 505/248-8225 or 505/248-8236 or John C. Woosley, NM SBA District Director, at 505/248-8238.