"GATE stands for Growing America Through Entrepreneurship," said Debra Morman, GATE counselor with Richmond Community College. "This is a new program that was started earlier this year through the Rural Center in Raleigh."
"Laurinburg is one of the cities that unfortunately has one of the highest rates of unemployment. This program is designed for those that have been laid off from their job through no fault of their own to give them an opportunity for business ownership."
"The program offers them assistance with classes. They can take up to four classes and their tuition and books are paid for. While they are still drawing unemployment, they also have the opportunity to be able to work on their business ideas instead of looking for a job."
She says the program offers help with more than just education. There is also limited financial assistance for helping people start their own business.
"There is also a micro-loan they have an opportunity to apply for, and we help them with that."
The loan is actually a step loan. It starts with a small loan. Once the client accepts the loan and pays back half of that loan, they have an open line of credit that they can continue to come in and borrow against.
The loan ranges from $2,500 to $10,000 for the initial loan, Morman said.
Stuckey says he is getting into commercial cleaning by opening franchise a franchise store – Stratus Building Solutions of Laurinburg – through the help of RCC.
"I did a lot of research on the economy and this area. I also did research on franchises and opening up your own business, and I decided that this would be a stronger step for me to deal with a franchise than shooting from the hip."
"Once I did my research and spoke with the franchisers, I found out that they have a business model which is more or less recession proof because no matter what, people have to clean their office buildings and their stores."
"We just signed the contract a couple of weeks ago. We have to deal with the training because this is a business model that we have to follow. I am projecting that within the next month or so, we are going to be up and running in this area. "
Stuckey is still wondering where to open his franchise.
"Right now, we are looking for office space. This is a business that could be run from the home, but I project that it is going to grow so fast that I would like to have office space from the beginning so I can bring my people 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."
Standing near the entrance of the Employment Security Commission, where several people without jobs were sitting, Stuckey said he hopes sometime soon he can help others find work.
"One day, I'll be able to come in here and hire 10, 15, 20 people."
While Stuckey is still looking for a place to settle, Chavis has already opened up his shop at 1025 South Main Street, Laurinburg next to Subs-N-Cream Etc.
"I'm dealing in coins, collectibles and antiques," Chavis said. "I decided to do this because I grew up watching my father doing the metal-detecting hobby. I always wanted to try it and I always wanted to tag along with him. As I got older, he weaned me into metal detecting. He taught me how to set the metal detector and how to do the whole nine yards when it comes to finding hidden treasure."
Chavis decided to research coin collecting with an eye towards turning his hobby into a career.
"I got really interested in different coins, their composition, the history behind them and who may have handled those coins. It is really interesting to me to bring something like that to the surrounding area because I know Scotland County and Robeson County don't have a shop like that."
Chavis says getting laid off was a mixed blessing.
"I was working at Butler Manufacturing. I had 8 years in as a hand welder. I had gotten really interested in [welding], but my eyes started giving me problems. It was almost a downfall and a blessing that I got laid off permanently."
Sikes is another budding entrepreneur who is trying to make the best of being unemployed.
The Thailand-native lost her job at FCC during a round of lay-offs in February after logging 5 years with the car-part manufacturer.
Sikes is turning back to an old trade skill – massage.
She originally learned the art of massage in Thailand, but her foreign certification was not accepted in the United States. Sikes went back to school with GATE and was certified in massage therapy at RCC.
Now she is opening up her own massage business at 609 Peden Street.
Burnest Graham, Scotland County ESC director, and Lee Eller, interim small business director for RCC, believe programs like GATE that encourage entrepreneurial innovation as a necessity to fixing the economy.
"If in fact small businesses represent the foundation of our economy, it makes sense to start providing help where it can grow and instill confidence 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 happy meeting place in the middle and our economy will be healed."
"Our economy has really taken a drastic turn in the past two months," Eller said. "We had big industries in Scotland County and a couple of them have moved out. I personally believe that these entrepreneurships hiring 10 or 20 people will actually take over what these companies have pulled out. If we can get enough entrepreneurs in this county, we can make the economy strong."
For information of the GATE program or assistance in starting a business, contact the Small Business Center at Richmond Community College at (910) 410-1687 or email Lee Eller at leee@richmondcc.edu.
SOURCE: THE LAURINBURG EXCHANGE
| 
|