As promised, we’re posting the work product from the three working groups at Start-Up, held on May 10, 2012, at the home of Mimi & Dick Bitzan. 85 plus people, including a robust cross-section of the St. Cloud/Central Minnesota community, came together to discuss ways of encouraging entrepreneurship in immigrant communities.
Although the three groups each went into their deliberations with separate charges (supporting existing businesses; identified business opportunities awaiting the “right” entrepreneur; and taking a new business to the next level), it was clear that great minds were thinking alike.
So what we actually got was a plethora of great ideas for new businesses and considerable agreement among the three groups about what was needed to get them going.
Let us count the ways that showed how special the evening was: a group of Latino, Somali, Ethiopian, Sudanese and other women in deep conversation, working their way to a recognition that St. Cloud needs an international market; the St. Cloud banker who exclaimed: “I never realized the immigrant community here had so much entrepreneurial zeal;” or the number of Mexican women willing to leave their homes on Mexican Mother’s Day in favor of discussions about ways to improve their community – just for starters.
Thanks for the energy and enthusiasm of all participants, with a special shout-out to our sponsors, the Central Minnesota Community Foundation and the Initiative Foundation.
1. How to Support Existing New Businesses in Central Mn (Green)
New Business Ideas:
Mexican restaurant in Cold Spring
Jazz night club
Garden to market service
Local farmers’ market (sustainability project)
Caregivers support service
Sewing/Clothes-making
Diverse restaurants
Business Needs:
Language issues – South Sudanese
Translators
Help starting a business
Business ideas
Discussion:
How to find classes and loans
Place people from different cultures at SBDC
Business start-up mentors within same culture to help new entrepreneurs
Bankers looking for market experience, business plan, sustainability
Importance of building on the skills and assets you already have
2. Identified Business Opportunities (Orange)
Business Ideas:
Produce greenhouse (not flowers)
African restaurant that targets non-Africans
Shoe repair shop
Business mentorship program
Menu planning & grocery shopping list service
Survey high school students about what needs they see
International Food Market
Have a construction company hire low-income people to learn construction skills & build homes for low-income families.
Cultural resource center
Ethnic catering business
College prep service to help students prepare for SAT/ACT etc tests
Art & decoration exchange
Really good breakfast place
Authentic Mexican restaurant
Mobile auto mechanic service (makes house calls)
White water rafting service for after the dam is taken out
Fish market
Ethnic women’s clothing store
Airport/transportation hub
Ethnic hair salon
Boutiques – all kinds
Dessert caterer
Healthcare H.I.M. construction (?)
Housing – larger rental units of 4 or 5 bedrooms
Bonded warehouse
Independent & international film theatre
Women’s Center: one-stop shop for all backgrounds
A “real bakery”
Afterschool programs for special needs teens grades 7-12
Somali language transportation/bus service
Adult theatre (“gray” not “great”)
Eldercare
Job placement service for college grads
Culturally based retirement homes
Sustainability resources store
Ethnic recreation center for elders
Ethnic childcare
Commercial kitchen & cultural food exchange
Sick child care networks
Goat farm
Goat & beehive rental service
Camel farm
River cruises
African artifacts shop
Directory of available business services – provided by a live person
3. Taking Business to the Next Level (yellow)
Business Idea/Proposed Solution:
Shipping/
FOI3C Financing/Pro bono attorney & Small Business Legal Corp. (stcloudstate.edu/sbdc)
Growing & convincing others/Cultural Resource Management
Micro-financing for shipping equipment to Kenya/
USAID (but too expensive to import food)
Look into Mn Solar Awareness Society for Low Income Energy (a non-profit); help for immigrants
Excessive police attention to ethnic businesses?
How to pay women by the hour for time they put into making piñatas (develop revenue model); how to help them sell their products, who to talk to
Develop a commercial kitchen in St. Cloud/possible location at Bakers Square on Division St.
How to import ethnic food fresh/build an ethnic green house
Research new wine business
Establish incubator for small business
