| This alt.Journal is full of news and useful
information. We hope you enjoy reading it as much
as we enjoy sharing it with
you. |
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Know Your
Credit!  Do you know your
credit score? Have you reviewed your credit report
lately? Do you know where to go for help?
If you answered "no" to any of those questions, please click here for an informative
article that explains the top 5 causes of credit
problems and gives you a list of resources that can help
you correct problems or errors.
Don't put it off - know your
credit and control you
credit! |
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June 4th: Memphis Biz
Development Workshop The Tennessee Small
Business Development Center (TSBDC) is hosting a
Business Development Workshop on June 4, 2007 at
Southwest Tennessee Community College from 9:30 a.m. to
4:00 p.m.
TSBDC and alt.Consulting collaborated to ensure the
success of Entrepreneurship Week 2007 for young
entrepreneurs earlier this year. This new
collaboration then led to this event for new
and existing businesses.
Congressman Steve Cohen, 9th District, Tennessee
will open the day, which will include information on
contracting, procurement and financing your
business. alt.Consulting will provide an
intensive, participatory seminar on strategic planning
for small businesses.
The workshop is free but seating is limited.
Reservations must be made by Friday, June 1 by calling
901-333-5085. If you want to see the full
agenda, click
here. | |
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A Dream Come
True 
Odis and Jovetta Reliford wanted to own a
business. In the summer of 2006 they leased
and began operating Holly Springs Marble Works with
a dream to one day purchase the business. In November
they contacted Sacred Heart Southern Missions
(SHSM) in Holly Springs, MS to ask for assitance
in financing the purchase of the business.
Their timing was perfect. SHSM had just
launched their new partnership with alt.Consulting's
LELIC program to provide training and one-on-one
assistance to local businesses (see below).
Together SHSM and alt.Consulting worked with the
Relifords to develop a strategic plan, a business
plan and financial projections for a loan
package.
In May 2007, after several months of hard
work, the Relifords received a small
business loan from the Bank of Holly Springs to
purchase the business.
Before purchasing Holly Springs Marble Works, Odis
was a warehouse supervisor and had served in the
Navy. Jovetta is a health care professional who
will continue to work full time until business
increases. Both Odis and Jovetta have already
demonstrated that they can grow this business
through exceptional customer service and high quality
products. |
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Brinkley Launches Micro
Enterprise Program 
On February 22, 2007, at the Chamber of
Commerce Annual Banquet, the Brinkley Chamber
Foundation officially launched the Delta Gateways
Business Resource Center, a new Micro Enterprise program
for Brinkley and surrounding counties. Present at the
launch was Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe.
With hands-on training by alt.Consulting and a
start-up grant of the LELIC program, the center will
provide technical assistance and access to capital
to entrepreneurs through a trained, local business
development specialist.
Pictured above left to right are
Roy G. Smith, State Director USDA Rural Development;
Vincent Mangum, Program Officer with ECD; Ines Polonius,
Executive Director of alt.Consulting; Jeff Teal,
President Brinkley Chamber of Commerce; and Russell
Lemond, Managing Director for Arkansas,
alt.Consulting. |
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LELIC:
Local Enterprise The 2
articles above are part of a continuing series. In
July 2006, alt.Consulting launched LELIC to
assist 4 non-profits establish local Micro
Enterprise programs in the Delta.
Our partners are Sacred Heart
Southern Missions in Holly Springs, MS,
Tunica County CDC in Tunica, MS,
Brinkley Chamber of Commerce Foundation
in Brinkley, AR and Boys, Girls and Adult
CDC in Marvell, AR. We appreciate their
hard work and commitment to local
entrepreneurs.
We would also like to thank our funding
partners: the United States Department of
Agriculture RCDI and Enterprise Corporation of the
Delta for making this program
possible. |
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Federal Reserve Hosts Delta
Gathering 
On May 24th, the Little Rock Branch of the Federal
Reserve Bank of St. Louis hosted a gathering of bankers
and community leaders in Brinkley to discuss
entrepreneurship as an engine for economic growth
in the Delta.
alt.Consulting started the day by presenting
opportunities for entrepreneurship as well as the
challenges faced by small rural businesses. We
ended the day brainstorming strategies to promote
entrepreneurship in the region. There will be a
followup meeting in August - watch for more
details.
Pictured Jennifer Martin, past
President Brinkley Chamber of Commerce and Vice
President, Bank of
Brinkley. | |
We believe strong,
small businesses build healthy, growing
communities.
Your support allows us to reach
entrepreneurs at every level - from businesses with
growth potential, those who are working through a crisis
to young entrepreneurs and startups. Each receives
customized solutions through high quality one-on-one
assistance.
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UAPB Student Wins
Competition
Pictured: Dr. Hank Campbell, Dean of the School
of Business at UAPB; Dr. Dayo Ade-Turton, Professor of
Managment at UAPB; Mark Greenlee; and Ines Polonius, Executive
Director of alt.Consulting
Mark Greenlee (3rd from left) is
a student majoring in Business Management at the
University of Arkansas Pine Bluff (UAPB). In February he
won the Business Plan Competition for HBCUs and then
entered into the state-wide Donald W. Reynolds
Governor's Cup competition where he reached the
finals.
When he enrolled in Dr. Dayo
Ade-Turton's class 'Seminar in Small Business/
Entrepreneurship", Mark expected to complete a business
plan. He didn't know he would be entering a state-wide
competition.
The experience gave him the
opportunity to use his education in a very practical way and
test the feasibility of his business idea.
Mark, unlike many of his fellow
competitors, plans to pursue this new business
called 'Estimating Software Solutions' upon
graduation.
Ines Polonius, Executive Director
of alt.Consuling, was Mark's volunteer mentor. She
was excited to work with Mark since his concept
proved feasible and fills a niche where there is no
competition. She was impressed with his hard work and
commitment.
Arkansas Capital Corporation
Group in Little Rock launched the Business Plan Competion,
which has become a model for other states.
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| Happy Anniversary!
On April 1,
2006, as part of our long-term sustainability and growth plan,
alt.Consulting launched Profit Squared, a wholly owned
for-profit subsidiary.
We want to thank The Mary Reynolds Babcock
Foundation for their support of this endeavor and we want
to congratulate Tina Powis-Dow, President of Profit
Squared for a successful first year.
Among other projects in the first year, Profit
Squared:
- Assisted one client with mergers and
acquisitions,
- Successfully turned around an interior design
business, and
- Contracted with the MS Foundation for Women to
develop sustainability strategies for their non-profit
grantees.
The staff of Profit Squared brings a wealth
of experience. If you know of a business which could
benefit from that experience, give them a call at 501-753-8505
or click here. |
In cooperation with the Pine Bluff
Entrepreneurship Collaborative, alt.Consulting has assisted 26
small businesses to provide health insurace to 178
employees in Jefferson County alone. Statewide
approximately 1700 individuals now have access to health
insurance. To see if your business qualifies, please
click ArHealthNet above.
We are also beginning to promote the
new Cover Tennessee program for small businesses in that
state. Cover Tennessee includes 3 insurance plans,
pharmacy assistance for the uninsured and a prevention
plan. Click on the Cover Tennessee link above for more
information.
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