RCC helps Scotland businesses through GATE Posted on 10/09/2009 SOURCE: THE LAURINBURG EXCHANGEby Matthew Hensley, Staff Reporter Bennie Stuckey was a cook at Golden Corral in Laurinburg before beinglaid off, something that seems all-to-familiar to many in ScotlandCounty.
The county's unemployment rate may be the highest in thestate at 16.5 percent, but that has not hindered Stuckey's desire tosucceed. He's on his way to starting his own business, as areformer-factory workers Sara Sikes and Harlan Chavis.
These threecounty residents found themselves waiting in line for unemploymentbenefits, but with help from Richmond Community College and ProjectGATE, they are now opening their own shops and are even looking to hireothers who are out of work.
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Harlan Chavis, Sara Sikes and Bennie Stuckey are three Scotland Countyresidents who have turned being unemployed into a business opportunitythrough the GATE program. Pictured, from left, are ESC Directer BurnestGraham, Chavis, Interim Small Business Director Lee Eller, Sikes,Stuckey, Janice Stuckey and Deb Morman, GATE coordinator for RCC.
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"GATE stands for Growing AmericaThrough Entrepreneurship," said Debra Morman, GATE counselor with RichmondCommunity College. "This is a new program that was started earlier thisyear through the Rural Center in Raleigh."
"Laurinburg is one ofthe cities that unfortunately has one of the highest rates ofunemployment. This program is designed for those that have been laidoff from their job through no fault of their own to give them anopportunity for business ownership."
"The program offers themassistance with classes. They can take up to four classes and theirtuition and books are paid for. While they are still drawingunemployment, they also have the opportunity to be able to work ontheir business ideas instead of looking for a job."
She says theprogram offers help with more than just education. There is alsolimited financial assistance for helping people start their ownbusiness.
"There is also a micro-loan they have an opportunity to apply for, and we help them with that."
Theloan is actually a step loan. It starts with a small loan. Once theclient accepts the loan and pays back half of that loan, they have anopen line of credit that they can continue to come in and borrowagainst.
The loan ranges from $2,500 to $10,000 for the initial loan, Morman said.
Stuckeysays he is getting into commercial cleaning by opening franchise afranchise store – Stratus Building Solutions of Laurinburg – throughthe help of RCC.
"I did a lot of research on the economy andthis area. I also did research on franchises and opening up your ownbusiness, and I decided that this would be a stronger step for me todeal with a franchise than shooting from the hip."
"Once I didmy research and spoke with the franchisers, I found out that they havea business model which is more or less recession proof because nomatter what, people have to clean their office buildings and theirstores."
"We just signed the contract a couple of weeks ago. Wehave to deal with the training because this is a business model that wehave to follow. I am projecting that within the next month or so, weare going to be up and running in this area. "
Stuckey is still wondering where to open his franchise.
"Rightnow, we are looking for office space. This is a business that could berun from the home, but I project that it is going to grow so fast thatI would like to have office space from the beginning so I can bring mypeople in and train them there."
"It would also be more business-like to have someone come to an office than having someone come to your home."
Standingnear the entrance of the Employment Security Commission, where severalpeople without jobs were sitting, Stuckey said he hopes sometime soonhe can help others find work.
"One day, I'll be able to come in here and hire 10, 15, 20 people."
WhileStuckey is still looking for a place to settle, Chavis has alreadyopened up his shop at 1025 South Main Street, Laurinburg next toSubs-N-Cream Etc.
"I'm dealing in coins, collectibles andantiques," Chavis said. "I decided to do this because I grew upwatching my father doing the metal-detecting hobby. I always wanted totry it and I always wanted to tag along with him. As I got older, heweaned me into metal detecting. He taught me how to set the metaldetector and how to do the whole nine yards when it comes to findinghidden treasure."
Chavis decided to research coin collecting with an eye towards turning his hobby into a career.
"Igot really interested in different coins, their composition, thehistory behind them and who may have handled those coins. It is reallyinteresting to me to bring something like that to the surrounding areabecause I know Scotland County and Robeson County don't have a shoplike that."
Chavis says getting laid off was a mixed blessing.
"Iwas working at Butler Manufacturing. I had 8 years in as a hand welder.I had gotten really interested in [welding], but my eyes started givingme problems. It was almost a downfall and a blessing that I got laidoff permanently."
Sikes is another budding entrepreneur who is trying to make the best of being unemployed.
TheThailand-native lost her job at FCC during a round of lay-offs inFebruary after logging 5 years with the car-part manufacturer.
Sikes is turning back to an old trade skill – massage.
Sheoriginally learned the art of massage in Thailand, but her foreigncertification was not accepted in the United States. Sikes went back toschool with GATE and was certified in massage therapy at RCC.
Now she is opening up her own massage business at 609 Peden Street.
BurnestGraham, Scotland County ESC director, and Lee Eller, interim smallbusiness director for RCC, believe programs like GATE that encourageentrepreneurial innovation as a necessity to fixing the economy.
"Ifin fact small businesses represent the foundation of our economy, itmakes sense to start providing help where it can grow and instillconfidence in people and not just work at the top end," Graham said."If you work at the top end and the bottom end, there is a happymeeting place in the middle and our economy will be healed."
"Oureconomy has really taken a drastic turn in the past two months," Ellersaid. "We had big industries in Scotland County and a couple of themhave moved out. I personally believe that these entrepreneurshipshiring 10 or 20 people will actually take over what these companieshave pulled out. If we can get enough entrepreneurs in this county, wecan make the economy strong."
For information of the GATEprogram or assistance in starting a business, contact the SmallBusiness Center at Richmond Community College at (910) 410-1687 oremail Lee Eller at leee@richmondcc.edu.
SOURCE: THE LAURINBURG EXCHANGE
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