Accessibility to Government Resources for Minority Business Development: A Practicum

Abstract

This article highlights the problem of inaccessibility to available government resources designed to promote the development of minority-owned business enterprises. The problem involves an ironical situation in which an unintentionally, but artificially created, information scarcity exists which hinders minority-owned business development. Existing and prospective minority entrepreneurs are essentially unaware of the untapped resources available to them at the regional and neighborhood levels. Representatives of corporate firms are equally ignorant of available government resources that can suggest to them proper ways to “get involved” in minority business development. These individuals-the minority entrepreneur and the corporate representative-who are so in need of each other, can identify ways in which to link up. In this paper, we suggest that a scheme should be available through OMBE-supported organizations by which they are able to identify existing resources so that their ideas, intentions, and programs can be shaped into viable and profitable minority business enterprises.