Business Briefs
BUSINESS PROFILE
Entrepreneur Galls for a
network of 'us^helping us'
By ROBtN BARKSDALE
Chronic*? Staff Writer
Christmas is not the busiest time
of the year for Sandra Gray. Her busi
est time is the weeks that follow, most
commonjy known as "tax time."
And while others hurried around
purchasing and mailing Christmas
packages and making4jsts of New
Year's resolutions, Ms. Gr&y, a local
entrepreneur, was catching up on the
ever-changing tax laws. Ms. Gray,
who operates Professional Adminis
trative Services, provides accounting
and tax information services as part of
her line of business services. A gradu
ate of High Point College, she worked"
as a bookkeeper before deciding that
she was ready to test her skills as an
enpepFentu^-She admits that she had
anWla^ o%#erves and second
guessed herself before going through
with her decision. Now, a little more
than 18 months later, she said, her
business has progressed further than
she had expected it to be at this point
Allen Elected
SystemsOfficer
Cecelia E. Allen of Greensboro
has been elected systems offi
cer at First Wachovia Opera
tional Services In Winston
Salem. She Is a senior ana
lyst/programmer in Systems
Development. Ms. Allen Is a
n*ttve of Nantlcoke, Md., and a
graduate of North Carolina
A&T State University. She has
a master's degree from the
University of North Carolina at
Greensboro.
and is "holding steaay.'*
"I thought about it for about a
- year, and I saved up money before I
started my business. I was very ner
vous at first; I was frightened that
people would not know'me. I was try
ing to figure out how to get new cus
tomers. I had two customers when I
started," said the Winston-Salem
native. 'Wow,TmTurther along than I
thought I would be. I thought that 1
would only have half the clients that I
have. I'm going at a steady pace."
But Ms. Gray said that her good
fortune thus far has not come without
hard work, underestimation and
growing experiences.
"The hardest pan was coining up
with money to get started. Then, I had
to decide if I would open an office or
work out of my home," said Ms.
Gray, who began her business by
going door-to-door with fliers adver
tising her services and b^making per
sonal contacts with potential clients.
"1 underestimated the income that I
would make, but 1 think that has
ended up being to my advantage. I
had a part-time job for. eight .months
after I went into business."
The accounting field is a compet
itive-enerSO-Ms. Gray opted to add a
dimension to her services that would
help give her an edge over her com
petitors. She said that she believes in
personal contact and bringing services
~ directly to her clients. And, in addi
tion to accounting functions, Ms.
Gray's service line also includes coor
dinating all payroll operations, hiring -
personnel, preparing job descriptions
and general office administration. She
said that those and other "extras"
have given her a boost in a cafcrr
-fiettHhai-has many suppliers;
I haven't met anyone with the
same system of services I have," she
said. "The style is different from that
used by older accountants. Everything
1 do is done on the computer, and I
can go into offices and do the work
right there for my clients."
There are few Afro-American
female accountants in this area, and
Small busines
CHARLOTTE ? During fiscal
year 1989, 23 small business je$ns
were approved in Forsyth Coynty,
totaling $3,296,795, according to
Gary A. Keel, district director of the
Charlotte District Office of the U.S.
Small Business Administration.
Statewide, 295 loans were
approved from October 1988
through September 1989, totaling
more than S57.6 million. The loans,
which were made in 60 of the 100
counties in North Carolina, helped
small businesses -create jobs or
retain employees. This represents
mi 11 i" 1 ,j if ?p?iMdpr
Three of the winners .were welcomed backstage at the Tryall
Beach and Golf Resort bv a Motown performer and the compa
ny president. Pictured are, from left, Lanita Kelly of Euclid,
Ohio, Teddy Riley, a Motown singer, Brenda Lee Moore of Rich
mond, -Va., Jheryl Busby, president and chief executive officer
of Motown, and Kendal Eutomey of Brooklyn, N.Y.
v Pepsi treats 20 winners to
'Soul-By-The-Sea' vacation
MONTEGO BAY,. Jamaica ?
Twenty grand prize winners of the
Pepsi-Cola-sponsored "Soul-By
The^Sea" sweepstakes ? and
t^rfr guests ? enjoyed five fun
filled, all-expense-paid days under
the warm Caribbean sun here
recendy.
Selected from more than
20,000 entrants in 15 states, the
District of Columbia and the :
nation of Jamaica, the winners
wefe special guests at a Motown
Records concert featuring Smokey
Robinson, Stevie Wonder and th^
Boys, with a dozep more Motown
recording stars. S
This "family gathering" of
Motowp, star performers revives a
company tradition, dating back to
the time when the Gordys hosted
such parties in their home.
Hosted by Donnic Simpson of
v Black Entertainment Television,
*Hfhe concert was aired on BET's
"Video ScmP*program from Dec.
25 to-28.
hj
t
"This soul-fun-in-the-sun
ul s&ytttgr
'thank you' to Pepsi customers,"
< ^said Michael GrcSn, manager of
v
black consumer marketing for
Pepsi-Cola Co.
"Sweepst^ces winners enjoyed
a rest from a hectic, chilly vyinter
in the United States and collected
memories of a beautiful country,
with beautiful, hospitable people","
Mr. Green said
"They also saw, close up,
many of the giants who arc mak
ing musical history in America
and the world."
The sweepstakes winners also
made friends. plan to wTite
everybody I mefort this trip/" said
Tracey Johnston', a Newark, N.J.,
secretary, who collectedLaddress
es.
Another winner said: "We
came from all over the country,
but after sharing the concert, the
cruises and the meals, we began
feeling like family."
Other Motown Records per
formers taking part in the event
;included the Good Girls, a new
V At
group which supporters tout as the
new Suprcmes, Gerald Alston,
Shanicc WjlVpr, Sruv.v J ? ?,
-TnMy Rilry, lohpnv UiH VVxccks
'n Effect and the bassist "Brown
mark." . "><>
V- ' > , ' <5
Photo by Mike Cunningham
^Saqdra Gray is preparing herself for the busiest season of her year - the tax season. Ms. Gray
operates Protesstonai Aaministratlve^ervtces. ?
Ms. Gray said that she has only cqyme that the Afro-American community as advancement of the overall group,
across one other Afro-American a whole can do much more to get the "Winston-Salem js in an eco
accounting business in the city, which maximum mileage out of their eco- nomic slump. We're going through a
is operated by a husband/wife team, nomic dollar within their own com- transition. Tlie major companies have
But she said that she has not encoun- munities^She has dedicated herself to mainly disappeared. But that gives us
tered any problems or rejections that - a system of networking within the more opportunity for small businesses
? she feels were clearly related to her black community1 that promotes
being a minority. But she does feel reliance on one another for the Please see page A7
s loans promote economic growth in area
an 11-percent increase in the num
ber of loans, and a 9-percent
increase in the dollar amount over
fiscal year 1988.
"Small business is the key to
economic growth in North Caroli
na," said Mr. Keel.
North Carolina ranks sixth in
new business incorporations, which
increased 11.4 percent in the first
six months of *989 compared to the
fir&L-&t*"nYont)(s of 1988.
SB A loans are primarily made
by private lenders, usually banks,
guaranteed up to 90 percent by the
SBA. The maximum guaranteed
percentage of loans exceeding
$155,000, up to $570,000, is 85 per
cent.
Loan proceeds may be used for
legitimate business purposes,
including machinery, equipment,
furniture, inventory, real estate and
working capital. Working capital
loans generally have maturities of
five to seven years. Fixed assets,
such as the purchase or major reno
vation of business premises, may
have maturity up to 25 years.
Interest rates for loans with
maturities of seven or more years ,
cannot exceed 2.75 percent above
prime, and loans with maturities of
less than seven years cannot exceed
2.25 percent above prime.
SBA loan programs also
include the Export Revolving Line
of Credit to assist small businesses
in exporting their products and ser
vices abroad, contract loans to give
contractors and subcontractors a
short-term line of credit, and the
seasonal line of credit to assist
small businesses affected by a sea
sonal upswing in business.
Chronicle Award Nominees
The Wlnmton-Salem Chronicle invites you to help in the selection of The recipient of the "Community Strvfc# Award" will be fudged
this yeafs recipients for our "Man and Woman of the Year" and for our based on his or her contribution to the Afro-Ameriban community. The
"Community Service Award." individual must have demonstrated a commitment to serving the Afro
^ ? ? American community through his or her affiliation with community ser
"Recipients will be chosen by the Chronicle staff and advisory board, vice agencies, community-oriented projects or community institutions,
Judgino will be based as follows: The "Man and Woman of the Year" will ie, schools, churches, etc. V
be persons who have demonstrated an outstanding character trait, one j Your nominees (one for "Man of the Year,* orte for 'Woman of the
which wouid serve as a model for others. This could be the fact that they Year/ the other for "Communtiy Service Award*) should be Winston
have triumphed over some personal tragedy, or they helped an individual Salem residents and wiH be recognized In the Jan, 25, 1990, special
(or group of people} overcome some obstacle in order to obtain a better edition of the Chronicle as wallas receive commemorative plaques,
standard of living. The incident or incidents for which the "Man and Woman Please print iegibly and be as specific as possible in describing
of the Year* are being nominated must have occurred during the year of your nominees' accomplishments. Nominations must received by the
1989. Chronicie no tater that 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 12,1990. p
WOMAN OF THE YEAR
Nominee's Name
Nominee's Address
MAN OF THE YEAR COMMUNITY SERVICE
Nominee's Name - Nominee's Name
Nominee's Address Nominee's Address
Occupation - Occupation Occupation
Activities, memberships, affiliaUons Activities, memberships, affiliations Activities, memberships, affiliations
?X.
Pleas? explain briefly why you think this person
deserves to be 'Woman of the Year.
Please explain briefly why you think this person
deserves to be "Mar>r>f4he Year'.
PImm explain briefty why you think this person deserve* to
receive "Communty Service Award*.
Your Nam?
Your Address
Your Phone: Horn?
Work
Your Signature
v
Deliver Your Farm To:
617 N
Your Nam?
Your Addrass
Your Phona: Homa
Your Signature
Work
Your Name
Your Addreea
Your Phone: Home.
Your Signfture
Work
? Winston-Salem. N C. 27102 (919) 722-8624