OWNING A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS HAS OFTEN BEEN A KEY TO 
PROSPERITY IN THE UNITED STATES.  BUT MANY BLACK AMERICANS HAVE 
FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO START AND SUSTAIN BUSINESSES.  IN NEW YORK,
V-O-A CORRESPONDENT BRECK ARDERY REPORTS ON A NEW PROGRAM TO 
CREATE PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES AND COMPANIES 
OPERATED BY WHITES.  

LACK OF CAPITAL AND BUSINESS EXPERTISE ARE OFTEN CITED AS 
THE REASONS FOR THE RELATIVELY HIGH FAILURE RATE AMONG 
BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES IN THE UNITED STATES. BUT CONTINUED 
DISCRIMINATION AND A LACK OF ACCESS TO THE GENERAL MARKET ARE 
ALSO MAJOR OBSTACLES FACING MINORITY ENTREPRENEURS.

IN AN EFFORT TO DEAL WITH THOSE PROBLEMS, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
IN THE SOUTHERN CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, HAS LAUNCHED A 
MINORITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE.  DAVID GUIDRY, THE 
FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF GUICO (GUY-CO) MACHINE WORKS, SAYS THE 
GOAL OF THE PROGRAM IS TO ESTABLISH ONGOING BUSINESS DEALINGS 
BETWEEN BLACK-OWNED FIRMS LIKE HIS OWN AND THE LARGER BUSINESS 
COMMUNITY.

  I THINK IT HAS BEEN PROVEN THAT THE FREE ENTERPRISE SYSTEM IS 
THE TRUE METHOD OF ECONOMIC GROWTH. THE BLACK COMMUNITY IN NEW 
ORLEANS IS STILL IN ITS INFANCY STAGES IN THAT PROCESS. MOST OF 
THE BUSINESSES THAT WE HAVE HAD IN THE (BLACK) COMMUNITY HAVE 
EITHER BEEN DIRECTED TOWARD CONSUMERS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY OR TO 
GOVERNMENT ENTITIES. ACCESS HAD NOT BEEN VERY BROAD. NOW WE ARE 
TRYING TO CREATE AN INITIATIVE WHERE WE CAN HAVE ACCESS FOR 
COMPANIES LIKE GUICO MACHINE WORKS TO SOME OF THE LARGER MAJORITY
COMPANIES IN THE AREA.

SOME BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE TAKEN 
ADVANTAGE OF GOVERNMENT-MANDATED CONTRACTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE 
ONLY TO COMPANIES OWNED BY BLACKS AND OTHER MINORITIES. THE 
ARRANGEMENT IS INTENDED TO OVERCOME THE EFFECTS OF PAST 
DISCRIMINATION. HOWEVER, MR. GUIDRY BELIEVES THE RESTRICTED 
CONTRACTS SOMETIMES HARM, RATHER THAN HELP, THE LONG-TERM 
PROSPECTS OF A BLACK-OWNED COMPANY.

  IF YOUR ONLY VALUE TO YOUR CUSTOMER IS THAT YOU ARE A 
MINORITY-OWNED COMPANY, WHAT WILL YOUR VALUE BE WHEN THAT COMPANY
NO LONGER NEEDS A MINORITY VENDOR? IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO BECOME A
VALUE-ADDED (PRODUCTIVE) BUSINESS THAT THEY WILL ALWAYS WANT TO 
DEAL WITH YOU.

MR. GUIDRY'S FIRM, WHICH MAKES PRECISION MACHINE PARTS, SAYS IT 
IS IMPORTANT FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN BUSINESS LEADERS TO PROVIDE 
ADVICE AND GUIDANCE TO YOUNGER BLACK ENTREPRENEURS.  BUT JUST AS 
IMPORTANT, HE SAYS, IS FOR BLACK ENTREPRENEURS TO START MAKING 
CONTACTS AND DOING BUSINESS WITH WHITE-OWNED FIRMS.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL ELECTRIC UTILITY FIRM IN NEW ORLEANS, 
DAVID PACKER, IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST-RANKING BLACK BUSINESS 
EXECUTIVES IN THE CITY.  HE ALSO HAS A LARGE NETWORK OF FRIENDS 
IN THE CITY'S WHITE-OWNED AND MANAGED COMPANIES.  AS PART OF THE 
MINORITY BUSINESS PROGRAM, MR. PACKER HAS HELD SEMINARS AND 
INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS INVOLVING BOTH BLACK AND WHITE BUSINESS 
LEADERS.

MR. PACKER CONCEDES THERE ARE CULTURAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BLACK 
AND WHITE AMERICANS BUT SAYS HIS EXPERIENCE IS THAT 
BUSINESSPEOPLE USUALLY SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE, REGARDLESS OF 
RACE.

  ONE THING I THINK IS TRUE FOR ENTREPRENEURS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE 
LOOKING AT THEIR REVENUES IS THAT THERE IS A COMMON BOND AMONG 
ALL BUSINESSMEN. YOU CAN REALLY SEE IT IN OUR AREA. WE HAVE A 
WIDELY VARIED CULTURE IN NEW ORLEANS. WE HAVE CREOLES, CAJUNS, 
AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND NOW WE HAVE A GROWING POPULATION FROM 
VIETNAM AND SOME OF THE OTHER ORIENTAL CULTURES. BUT WHEN YOU ARE
SPEAKING THE LANGUAGE OF BUSINESS, IT TURNS OUT TO BE A VERY 
COMMON LANGUAGE. I THINK THAT IS WHAT WILL MAKE THIS PROGRAM WORK
IN NEW ORLEANS.

THOSE INVOLVED IN THE NEW ORLEANS MINORITY ECONOMIC INITIATIVE 
ARE ALREADY SEEING RESULTS. MR. PACKER SAYS A NUMBER OF 
WHITE-OWNED COMPANIES HAVE STARTED DOING BUSINESS WITH 
AFRICAN-AMERICAN FIRMS, MANY FOR THE FIRST TIME.  IN THE FUTURE, 
HE BELIEVES, THE INTEGRATION OF BLACK-OWNED COMPANIES INTO THE 
MAINSTREAM BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT WILL BENEFIT THE ENTIRE ECONOMY 
OF THE NEW ORLEANS AREA.