This young man plies his trade at the new service station he owns in southeast Washington, thanks to SBA's minority enterprise program. Photo courtesy Washington Evening Star.

These two Des Moines barbers had the same dream of business ownership. With the help of an SBA minority loan, they're barbering partners today. Photo courtesy Des Moines Register and Tribune.

In March an Assistant Administrator for minority enterprise was appointed and in May, SBA's Operation BUSINESS MAINSTREAM established to provide maximum thrust to its minority enterprise programs.

Except for a small planning and supervisory staff in the headquarters office, Operation BUSINESS MAINSTREAM is carried on by SBA personnel in regional offices as well as in "outreach" offices in cities having a heavy concentration of minority population.

SBA employees cooperate with local community action groups and similar organizations to seek out potential minority businessmen and inform them as to how they might become business owners with SBA assistance.

An effort is made to match minority individuals with sound business opportunities that appear to be within their reach. The SBA employee then becomes the applicant's "advocate"-advising and helping with financial statements, business projections, and related materials.

In addition to providing information on financial assistance, SBA also makes every effort possible to arrange for management and technical assistance the potential minority business owner will need to operate successfully.

Although Operation BUSINESS MAINSTREAM was functioning for only 8 months during 1969, here are some of the results:

• Over 400 franchisors were invited to cooperate in establishing special programs to assist minority businessmen in starting their own franchised businesses. Twenty-one agreed to cooperate fully with SBA and 50 minority businessmen were provided franchises. A new program seeks to convince each of 200 franchisors to put 25 minority franchisees into business during the next 2 years.

• Continued cooperation with the Menswear Retailers of America and the National Tire Dealers and Retreaders Association, supported in part by a $29,900 SBA grant, has led to the establishment of 48 new minority businesses. This is an ongoing program enlisting the support of larger manufacturers and trade associations.

• SBA made 21 grants, joint fundings or contracts, totaling $1,699,973 to private and public organizations to provide management and technical assistance to minority small businessmen.

• Efforts were made to help small construction firms with SBA guaranteeing 90 percent of lines of credit for contractors; an SBA agreement to subordinate its senior liens to surety companies to make it easier for small contractors to obtain bonding; the establishment in 19 cities of action construction teams composed of industry representatives to assist minority contractors.

• The number of SBA minority enterprise representatives working in 33 cities was increased to 90, to provide on-the-spot help for minority businessmen.

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