Providing an equal opportunity is part of a new plan to increase minority-owned businesses in Aiken and the surrounding area.
During the Aiken Chamber of Commerce's monthly First Friday Means Business event, local business owners and officials met to discuss what is happening in Aiken. The main theme for Friday's meeting was the need to increase and support minority-owned businesses.
Eugene White, the featured speaker, is president of the Aiken County Branch of the NAACP. He shared an update on the Aiken Business Coalition Entrepreneurship Program.
Officially launched earlier this year, the program aims to encourage minority business owners and entrepreneurs.
Establishing the program was made possible with partnerships between the Aiken Chamber of Commerce, the City of Aiken, the Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce, the Aiken County Branch of the NAACP and Security Federal Bank.
White said there was a need to get more Black people and other minorities to be part of discussions about business.
"Today we are going to talk about entrepreneurship in the effort that we put into place to ease Black (people) and minorities into that uncomfortable seat of ambiguity," White said.
Money, training and education are several ways that can help an entrepreneur start a business, White said.
"If you can provide that money in addition to some strong strategic training and education, then it tends to stick a little longer and has a lasting effect," he said.
White said the entrepreneurship program is open to all entrepreneurs and is structured to serve the working person. He said classes are held in the evening.
The program also helps entrepreneurs to get business credentials such as an employee identification number (EIN), set up a commercial account and obtain services from attorneys and accountants so they will be able to excel in a business.
White said they also took classes in marketing, social media and QuickBooks.
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