FAST FACTS:
(Memphis 3/12/2010) Dreams come in all sizes.
The shop on Madison Avenue isn't big. There are only 8 people working there, along with the owner. They embroider, sell uniforms, shirts, they do it all. And they are succeeding, in part, because of help from the Small Business Association.
"This program is a solid program," says state Small Business Administration Director Walter Perry, " with a very good track record in Memphis."
The SBA has had previous classes in Memphis. And a couple of men who attended say they learned things that have helped them in their quest for success.
Tour company owner Melvin Bledsoe says "We are a ground transportation business. You know, sightseeing, tours of the local area and Tunica. We hired about 15 people locally from the city."
Fred Spikner has a story of success. He owns that shop on Madison Avenue we were just talking about. Spikner's is the name, and Fred's pretty proud of it. It's been around 15 years, and he's got 8 employees. "We've been able to hire," Fred says, " and we're still up and running. That's a good thing. The SBA class improved everything that our shop is going through, so we've made big improvements."
This is music to Memphis political maestro A C Wharton. Sure, he says, he's got an unemployment rate at 12.3% but "If you look at our employment rate and compare it to other places why it's higher in Nashville as a matter of fact."
Wharton says he wants to see small businesses flourish in this city. In fact, the mayor says "I'd dare say that one soundly operated profitable business is of more benefit to our community than 10 jobs."
He understands that there are at least 10 people in Memphis who disagree with what he is saying.
The businesses owned by Spikner and Bledsoe mean jobs for exactly 23 people. Those jobs barely nick the nightmare of unemployment that so many in this city are trying to deal with.
Mayor Wharton says he understands that not everybody can invest in a piece of the economy. "We offer second chance programs, opportunities to improve job skills and management skills. We're not standing still."
- Unemployment in Memphis now at 12.3%
- Unemployment in Shelby County at 11.4%
- Small Business Administration again helping small business owners in Memphis
(Memphis 3/12/2010) Dreams come in all sizes.
The shop on Madison Avenue isn't big. There are only 8 people working there, along with the owner. They embroider, sell uniforms, shirts, they do it all. And they are succeeding, in part, because of help from the Small Business Association.
"This program is a solid program," says state Small Business Administration Director Walter Perry, " with a very good track record in Memphis."
The SBA has had previous classes in Memphis. And a couple of men who attended say they learned things that have helped them in their quest for success.
Tour company owner Melvin Bledsoe says "We are a ground transportation business. You know, sightseeing, tours of the local area and Tunica. We hired about 15 people locally from the city."
Fred Spikner has a story of success. He owns that shop on Madison Avenue we were just talking about. Spikner's is the name, and Fred's pretty proud of it. It's been around 15 years, and he's got 8 employees. "We've been able to hire," Fred says, " and we're still up and running. That's a good thing. The SBA class improved everything that our shop is going through, so we've made big improvements."
This is music to Memphis political maestro A C Wharton. Sure, he says, he's got an unemployment rate at 12.3% but "If you look at our employment rate and compare it to other places why it's higher in Nashville as a matter of fact."
Wharton says he wants to see small businesses flourish in this city. In fact, the mayor says "I'd dare say that one soundly operated profitable business is of more benefit to our community than 10 jobs."
He understands that there are at least 10 people in Memphis who disagree with what he is saying.
The businesses owned by Spikner and Bledsoe mean jobs for exactly 23 people. Those jobs barely nick the nightmare of unemployment that so many in this city are trying to deal with.
Mayor Wharton says he understands that not everybody can invest in a piece of the economy. "We offer second chance programs, opportunities to improve job skills and management skills. We're not standing still."
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