There are several organizations that provide various types of hands-on or direct assistance specifically to minorities to start new business projects or to expand an existing enterprise. Services include:
Initial counseling
Assistance in developing business plans
Assistance in applying to banks and other financial assistance
Sponsorship of numerous training or informational meetings, workshops or conferences
Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City OKC Minority Business Development Center Shani Rashidi, (405) 424-0082
Oklahoma Native American Business Development Center Tulsa, OK Matt Barrett, (918) 592-1113
Northside Chamber of Commerce Minority Business Development Center Lawton, OK Annette Dawkins, (580) 355-9547
Greenwood Chamber of Commerce Business Resource Center Tulsa, OK Rueben Gant, (918) 585-2084
Langston University Oklahoma City, OK Small Business Development Center Marvin Fisher, (405) 962-1628 Fax 405-962-1639 Oklahoma Minority Business Development Center Nancy Alexander, (405) 962-1623 Fax 405-962-1639
Oklahoma City Northeast, Inc. Marjorie Young, (405) 235-0415
Other resources are your local state college, the Oklahoma Small Business Development Center, along with the U.S. Small Business Administration. They provide business development and project planning assistance. Contact (800) 522-6154 or visit their website listed below.
Here is a listing of other minority business organizations, certification programs and events.
Related Websites City of Tulsa The City of Tulsa provides Minority/Women/Disadvantaged Business (M/W/DB) certification to qualified minority, women, and service-disabled veteran owned small business concerns, increasing their opportunities to do business with the City.
Oklahoma Department of Transportation This state agency provides a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certification for qualified minority businesses in Oklahoma to identify and utilize transportation related projects and facilities.
Oklahoma Small Business Development Center The mission of the Oklahoma Small Business Development Center is to provide high quality one-to-one business counseling, economic development assistance, and training to small businesses and prospective small businesses.
U.S. Small Business Administration The SBA's Export Working Capital Program (EWCP) supports export financing to small businesses when that financing is not otherwise available on reasonable terms. The program encourages lenders to offer export working capital loans by guaranteeing repayment of up to $1 million or 90 percent of a loan amount, whichever is less. A loan can support a single transaction or multiple sales on a revolving basis.
