Resources available for local minority business

Houston County and Perry will continue to see an increase in population in the short term and long term, especially in its minority population.

Robert Smith, Perry’s Economic Development director, said Friday the minority population in 2020 is expected to be about 43 percent of the county, and it will be 50 percent by 2040.

“Moving forward, we’re going to be in a situation where the minority population will be larger than the white population,” Smith said. “We want to be sure the city of Perry is not left behind in taking advantage of these changes.”

Smith was speaking at a Minority Business Development luncheon at the Perry Arts Center. The event’s goal is to connect minority business owners and entrepreneurs to information and resources to either help them with a new business or grow an existing business, he said.

The Rev. Otha Everett of the Pastoral Alliance said, “I know how hard it’s been for us to get going as far as business,” adding that the alliance was there not only to support the city but to help bring resources vital to business growth in the area.

Darlene McLendon, president and CEO of the Perry Area Chamber of Commerce, said a recent chamber billboard campaign of “Pro Business, Pro Community” was “very simple, but very true.”

“We need to feel that every segment of our community supports this,” she said. The chamber is a local resource all businesses can take advantage of, she added.

“We want to grow our city and bring our children back,” said Willie King, a member of the alliance and Perry City Council. Too many young people complete their education and leave the area, he said. Developing businesses will help keep them in middle Georgia, he added.

Bishop Milton Wynn of Greater Word of Deliverance Ministries spoke about the importance of small businesses in the area, noting that because they are locally owned, the tax base stays in the area and enriches it.

“Small business is the engine of job creation,” he said. “Between 6 percent to 8 percent of job creation comes from small businesses.”

He said his ministry grew from a small business, and that “small business and industry go hand in hand.”

Keynote speaker Donna Ennis, project director at the Minority Business Development Agency in Atlanta, said the MBDA is the only federal agency established solely to strengthen and grow minority-owned businesses.

Though the focus is on minority businesses, “we serve everybody,” she said.

There are 5.8 million minority-owned businesses in the United States contributing $1 trillion in economic output, she said, providing more than 6 million jobs and accounting for 21 percent of all firms in the country.

The trend is for young people to own their business, she said.

Smith said, “This is just a kick-off event, and I hope to get the ball rolling from here and try to embrace all in the community and get the resources and support they need to start businesses or help them grow their business if they already have one.”

McLendon said it was “vital to get the message out,” and the chamber can help by representing all segments.

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