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Collaboration
with MGF, MMSDC
and WBDC
Starting
out as a way to educate client businesses, MEDA brought together
other resource partners in the community; the
Milestone Growth Fund (MGF), the Midwest Minority Supplier
Development Council (MMSDC), and the Women's Business Development
Center (WBDC) to work collaboratively and offer a training
opportunity for client development.
The
first fruit of this collaboration was a seminar on Professional
Employment Organizations (PEOs) as a possible business model for
small businesses to gain access to big business employee
services. A PEO is a company that can provide
everything from as little as payroll processing to a complete human
resources and benefit department; PEOs can even become
co-employers, adding a small employee group to its larger group to
gain efficiencies. Many small businesses can make a
cost-value case for utilizing a PEO, for while they can't afford to
have an HR department, they may need the high level expertise that
these firms can bring to the table.
The
instruction of the seminar entitled Thriving In A Brutal Economy: Grow Your
Business & Develop Your Employees Despite The Turmoil was
provided by executives of EMPO Corporation. EMPO is
owned by MEDA Pacesetter client Alan Reid, and is also a financial
recipient of Milestone Growth Fund. With a welcome from Richard
Venegar, Milestone's CEO, and George Jacobson, MEDA's Director of
Business Consulting and the MEDA Loan Program, the half day seminar
was attended by over 75 clients.
"We
value this collaborative effort to bring timely and useful
information to our clients and we hope to work
together again in the future." said Jacobson.
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MEDA
Employee Spotlight
Mariana comes to MEDA from a varied 19-year career. She has been
a journalist, a supervisor for Dayton Hudson Corp., Manager of Chez
Collette restaurant Bloomington, MN; retail and wholesale director
for Terrybear Inc, Minneapolis; helped start a successful
Minneapolis company; and was a small business owner and marina
manager.
Mariana graduated Cum Laude with a BA in from the University of St.
Thomas (St. Paul, MN). She received her MBA from Vanderbilt
University (Nashville, TN). She also is a certified ground and flight
instructor with an instrument rating from the Sierra Academy of
Aeronautics, Oakland, CA.
"My childhood was full of surprises, some good, most not so
good; so I am use to dealing with uncertainty and challenges. I
learned early in life that change is the only constant. That is now a
cliché, but it is true. You may have riches one day and be homeless
the next; wake-up healthy and find out you have cancer in the
afternoon; you have a steady job on Monday and Friday you find
yourself looking for employment; your company is prospering, a bad
economy hits, you're done....examples of this abound.
How fast you adjust to uncertainties, challenges, and opportunities
determines your success. In hard times be able to shift modes, keep
moving. Sometimes you don't know which way to go, keep moving. By
moving you find solutions and opportunities. Stillness is not an
option."
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MEDA Gala "Passage to
India"
A
warm and heartfelt Thank You to the Twin Cities' community
for the overwhelming response and support of MEDA and our work.
This
year's Gala was one of the best we have ever had and so many of you
made that possible! We were delighted at the great turn out
and many of our guests come in ethnic attire. A special thank
you to Vineeta Sawkar who emceed the event and to our Gala committee
who did a wonderful job putting everything together. Also a special
thanks to Target for being our Presenting Sponsor and to Wow! Events
by Kraus-Anderson for helping MEDA create such a wonderful
event.
Below
are a few of the wonderful highlights from the evening. You can find
all the Gala pictures at
Once again thank
you to all our sponsors and everyone who made this
event such a success and we hope that you will join us for another
wonderful evening next November!
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2008 Achievements Year To Date
530 entrepreneurs of
color made it their business to succeed with MEDA.
MEDA
approved $742,200
in new loans and helped secure an additional $9.4 million in loans
from area banks.
MEDA
helped start 17
new businesses that employ 77
people and have a projected first year revenue of $8.9 million.
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MEDA News
Small
Business Administration
(SBA) names MEDA client
Tom Chacon, Owner of Boring Machine Corporation, Minnesota Minority
Small Business of the Year. Congratulations Tom!
***********************
Naeem Qureshi, P.E. received the L.N.
Thompson Award at the American Water Works Association (AWWA)
Conference. Naeem and his wife Nuzhat own and operate Progressive
Consulting Engineers. A MEDA client and a current participant of
the MEDA's Leadership Development Program.
*************************
We are
proud to announce that MEDA received the 2008 Minority Business
Champion of the Year Award at this year's Minnesota Black Chamber of
Commerce (MBCC) Awards Ceremony.
************************
Twin Cities Public Television (TPT)
will be airing (MEDA co-produced) Everyday Heroes with MEDA Client
Richard Copeland, December 30th and 31st at 1 and 7am on the TPT MN
Channel.
*************************
One Nation News
is pleased to announce a new publication - the Business Nation
Multicultural Business Directory with listings for thousands of
businesses and community resources. Promote your business, use it as a
new employee resource, support businesses in your community. To find
out how to list your business for free or for an advertising media kit
or for more information, contact us at info@onenationnews.com.
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Upcoming
Events
PACESETTER
Wednesday,
December 3
5 - 7p.m.
Minneapolis Club
Sponsored By Lurie
Besikof Lapidus & Company, LLP
------------------------
2008
PTAC
Training Series
helping
all Minnesota businesses
pursue government
contracts
December 16th
- Bloomington
Doing business
with the Corps of Engineers.
December 17th -
Minneapolis
GSA - Federal Supply Schedules.
January 15th
- Bloomington
Introduction to government contracting.
January 26th - Moorhead
Doing business with the
state of Minnesota.
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Thank you to our long time Media Sponsor
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