Women’s Minority Business Development Center

Delta State’s program provides resources for women of color

By Becky Gillette

When the Women’s Minority Business Development Center (WMBDC) was launched a year and a half ago at Delta State University with a $1.5 million grant from the WK Kellogg Foundation, its goal was to serve seventy-five women of color in technical and business careers. Plan development assistance. Instead, as of February, the program has helped 313 minority businesswomen in ten counties in the Delta.

Gene Finley, WMBDC project director, said: “We have more than quadrupled the number of women we originally thought. “In addition to business planning and development assistance, we have arranged about fourteen financial interviews with lenders. What we have done is invite lending institutions and other financial institutions to spend the whole day at our center. From 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, they conducted financial preparation, planning and mock interviews with the women.

WMBDC in Cleveland is a program dedicated to helping small business owners of color in Mississippi. The program is under Delta State University’s College of Business and Aviation. Finley said women of color are targeted because they unfortunately tend to have less capital to successfully start their own businesses.

Another significant program established was the Federal Procurement Mentoring Program, where twenty-four women were given one-on-one assistance with procurement and federal contract planning. Federal government contracts are designed for women and small business opportunities.

“They’re being registered in the federal contractor database and given assistance with procurement applications,” Finley said. “We also have a free financial education program for anyone who feels they need some financial education training for their personal finances or as a business owner. This program is designed to reach up to twenty-five female clients. We are proud of that. Research has shown that the reason many businesses fail is because people don’t know how to manage their personal finances.

Another aspect of this effort that Finley is particularly proud of is that six women have qualified as Incubator clients. The Incubator located in the selected service area is designed to help entrepreneurs successfully start a business in their home or office.

“We have contracted with local organizations to provide business incubators for six women,” Finley said. “A business incubator allows many new start-ups or expanding businesses to share a shared environment, free Internet access, office services, conference rooms, and free audio and video services at a limited capital cost. In addition, it comes with free technical support throughout their stay in the incubator,” Finley said. He said the biggest trait that minority women bring is their tenacity to attack the business plan and start a business.

“There’s such a desire to be successful,” says Finley. “We are very proud.”

Finley said the program’s main benefits include job creation, increased business startups, local and state revenue for these women-owned businesses. Secondly, they become role models for other women who want to start their own businesses. And finally, access to financial institutions and federal procurement opportunities to create women-owned businesses and benefit the entire community.

“It’s a good thing when a viable resource enters the entrepreneurial ecosystem where start-ups and existing small businesses can get help,” said Janita R. Stewart, Mississippi SBA District Director. “SBA operates two Women’s Business Centers in Mississippi hosted by two key historically black colleges and universities, Alcorn State University and Jackson State University, and these organizations provide much-needed assistance to women-owned businesses and women seeking to make their own mark. Become a business owner. As the WDC team comes to the fore with a focus on minority female entrepreneurs, we look forward to partnering with Delta State University to support these women in realizing their dreams.

One of the startup businesses in the enclosure is V83 Boutique. According to owner Vicky Murphy, her image is specializing in casual and versatile clothing for the working woman.

“You can wear them more than one way,” says Murphy. “You can wear them to work, lunch, dinner or an event. They serve a variety of purposes. I offer two-piece sets as well as tops and bottoms. My pieces are very easy to care for. You just wash them and hang them up. No need to take them to the dry cleaners. I’m happy to have this opportunity.” “I currently work full-time as a social worker. My ambition is to own my own boutique and work full-time.”

Murphy said the women in the shelter have a great support network.

“We’ve put together different events and plans in the future to let people know we’re here at the Atrium,” Murphy said. “We want to let the community know we’re here.”

Joyce Roundtree-McCoy says she is very thankful to God for the WMBDC team. Since starting Just the Right Motivation Consulting LLC (JRM Consulting) in December 2015, she has never developed a business plan. Her mentor, Kenish Coleman, discussed how important a business plan is to success.

“She gave me instructions and examples to write one,” says Roundtree-McCoy. “Later, she, Shaterrica Moore, Leslie Cartlidge and Gene Finley presented a workshop that helped us better understand the process. I now have a successful business plan thanks to them. Finley introduced me to a program where I could win a free website just for me. I didn’t know anything about starting a website so I applied right away. I am excited to say that today I have a well designed website.

The incubator program provided her with a temporary office free of charge. Her home office needed work and she would not have been able to continue her contract work without this temporary office.

“JRM Consulting believes that all it takes for an individual or organization to succeed is access to the right information and ‘the right motivation,'” said Roundtree-McCoy. “Such as coordinating support activities, educational workshops, workshop/training development, providing written support and in-service training, staff development and staff retreats, we help them be effective by providing services based on their needs, goals, and objectives. I look forward to becoming more successful in meeting the needs of my clients as a result of the sessions.

For more information about MWBDC, go to www.deltastate.edu/wmbdc.