Volume 4 Number 1 Winter/Spring 2004

University of Alabama stafftraveled to the Demopolis AreaChamber of Commerce on March10 to present a refresher course forlocal Alabama EntrepreneurialResearch Network staff members.

Paul Brothers and Todd Hines,research librarians at UA’s AngeloBruno Business Library, reintro-duced AERN staff partners to thereference materials, computer soft-ware and online resources that areavailable at each AERN site.

Paavo Hanninen and AnnetteWatters, codirectors of the AERN,updated attendees on currentactivities of the Network.

Hanninen and Watters havebeen writing grants and working todevelop additional sources offunding for AERN. New staffmembers of partner organizationswere introduced.

“We needed to provide trainingfor new staff at the DemopolisChamber, so we decided to invitethe staff from other organizationsto come for a refresher course,”Hanninen said.

In attendance were represent-atives of the Perry CountyChamber of Commerce, theSelma-Dallas County Chamber ofCommerce, Alabama-TombigbeeRegional Commission, De-mopolis, Greene Co., and HERO.

Partners Get

Refresher Course

Smokin’ Jack’s business built with help from AERN

After eight yearsworking inshipping and

receiving at Gulf States,Jacky Poole of De-mopolis decided hewanted to share histalent for makingbarbecue.

He loves to cook, ascan be seen when he’sworking the pit at hisnew restaurant, Smokin’Jack’s. Poole openedSmokin’ Jack’s on Jan-uary 19, 2004. Hehad developed aspecialty in barbecuedribs. “I thought I couldbe successful in therestaurant business,” Poole said.

But before Poole put together hisbusiness proposal, got a small business loanor built his new building, he turned to theDemopolis Area Chamber of Commerceand the Alabama Entrepreneurial ResearchNetwork for help. The Chamber andAERN helped by providing data necessaryfor completing the SBA (Small BusinessAdministration) loan application.

“For anybody starting up a businessthey have everything you need to know,”Poole said. “They had information aboutthe number of cars that drive by my place,the number of people and the number ofrestaurants around here. Having so muchdetail in my business proposal, I thinkthat’s what helped me get my loan.”

Poole is happy with the response to hisrestaurant. “Business has been good.We’ve been busy.” He notes that hisbusiness is exceeding projections.“I would send any potential business personto the Chamber,” Poole said. “I have afriend who is trying to start a business. Hesays he wants to start small and build thebusiness slowly. I told him to use the

AERN materials at the Chamber to knowhow to expand his business.”

Smokin’ Jack’s is located at 1023Highway 80 West, in Demopolis, and isopen 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday throughSaturday. The telephone number is (334)287-0675.

Smokin’ Jack’s opened in Demopolis in January.

The barbecue restaurant used AERN to help develop its business

Jacky Poole constructed a new building for his

restaurant at a location he confirmed was

desirable based on research using

AERN resources.

Page 2 Center for Business and Economic Research, Culverhouse College of Commerce, The University of Alabama

Alabama Entrepreneurial Research Network Winter/Spring 2004

Demopolis incorporates AERN into new program

As one of founding partners of the Alabama Entrepre-neurial Research Network, the Demopolis Area Chamber ofCommerce keeps searching for innovative uses of AERNresources. Recently, a new Chamber president hasimplemented an initiative that he hopes will extend AERN intountapped sectors of the local business environment.

Jay Shows was recently named president of the DemopolisChamber and executive secretary of the Industrial DevelopmentBoard. He noted that one sector of the Demopolis areabusiness community that was not being sufficiently reachedwere African American business people. He wants to changethat.

“We really want to get some emphasis on small businessdevelopment,” he said. “We want to make these resourcesavailable to our local black business leaders and start-upminority business owners.”

Shows knows that being a small business owner is no easytask. He operated hotels in Demopolis and Birmingham. Hehad sold both businesses when the opportunity to serveDemopolis as Chamber president arose. “I have a smallbusiness background. I know how difficult it is to start andsustain a small business,” he said.

While the population in Demopolis is predominantlyAfrican American, about 52 percent, according to Shows, only asmall fraction of local business owners are black and most ofthem are not members of the Demopolis Chamber. Showswould like to see the Chamber help increase the visibility ofAfrican American business owners.

“We want to get some local black business owners togetherto help us come up with ideas about how we as a Chamber canbest help with start-up and non-performance,” Shows said. “Wehave had the AERN books and computer system for two orthree years, but we have not pushed it hard enough to thistarget market. We have not aggressively made that a realemphasis for our Chamber.”

To change that, Shows hosted an AERN refresher trainingseminar for members of the Network on March 10. He wantsto make black business owners aware of the resources andprepare his staff to answer questions of business-people. “Mostof our business people are receptive to talking with experts fromThe University of Alabama. We need to take advantage ofthose resources,” Shows said.

Shows is partnering with Lacornia Harris, of Kora’sRestaurant, and Chris Scott, an owner and operator of Larkinand Scott Funeral Home. Both businesses are in Demopolis.Harris and Scott are successful African American business

owners. Shows wants to get black business owners togetheronce a month for breakfast. In such an informal setting, hehopes the business owners will share ideas about how theChamber can help them and how they can help each other.Shows said the organization is named Minority OwnersSucceeding Together (MOST) and had its first breakfastmeeting on March 23.

“I’ll feel like we’ve been successful if we can get 10 to 12people together each month,” Shows said. “We need to heartheir ideas and suggestions. Maybe there can be somemarketing that could be done collectively.”

The resources of AERN are an integral part of this plan,he said. He has set a goal regarding individuals who use theservices of AERN before the year’s end. “We’d like five successstories, whether it’s using the resources to improve strugglingbusinesses or to help new start-ups,” Shows said. “We want toprovide these business people with the nuts and bolts theyneed.”

Eddas King Easley (left), owner of Omnifarious, a Christian

bookstore, and Suburban Tax, and Jay Shows, president of

the Demopolis Area Chamber of Commerce, are working

together to encourage business owners in Demopolis to

make use of the Alabama Entrepreneurial Research

Network.

“We want to make these resources available toour local black business leaders and start-up

minority business owners.”-Jay Shows

Alabama Entrepreneurial Research Network Winter/Spring 2004

Center for Business and Economic Research, Culverhouse College of Commerce, The University of Alabama Page 3

Public training seminars planned for Selma, Demopolis

The Alabama Entrepreneurial Research Network isplanning two public seminars this spring. On April 13, aworkshop will be at the Selma-Dallas County Chamber ofCommerce. On May 12, AERN will hold a workshop at theDemopolis Area Chamber of Commerce. Registration begins at1:00 p.m. on the day of the workshop; the session will conveneat 1:30 p.m. Admission to the seminars is free, but seating islimited.

The seminars are designed to introduce current businessowners or prospective entrepreneurs to the resources availablethrough the AERN. Presenters will describe how AERN canhelp develop businesses in Dallas and Marengo counties.

Both the Selma-Dallas County and the Demopolis Areachambers of commerce contain computers, video, and printreferences for people who want to start or build a business. Atthe AERN research centers, people have access to a computer

work station, business planning software, online referencematerials and printed business research materials. Faculty andstaff at The University of Alabama Culverhouse College ofCommerce selected the AERN research center resources.

The seminars will cover how to write a business plan, howto perform market research and how to gather pertinentdemographic information. Participants will be introduced toonline resources available via the AERN Web site (http://aern.cba.ua.edu/), including various business databases.

Seminar participants will receive a business packetincluding a list of useful Web sites, information about how touse the AERN, and other resources useful to small businesses.

To sign up for the Selma seminar, contact Claire Twardy(334/875-7241). To sign up for the Demopolis seminar, contactJay Shows (334/289-0270).

AERN offers Internet search tips

Reference librarians at the Angelo Bruno Business Library,University of Alabama, offer Internet search tips on theAlabama Entrepreneurial Research Network Web site(http://aern.cba.ua.edu/).

Two useful Web resources for entrepreneurs are theAlabama Virtual Library (AVL) and Google. AVL is a collectionof databases and Google is a Internet search engine.The AVL site provides all Alabama citizens a wealth ofinformation. The AVL requires a password that is available toany Alabama citizen through their public library. The service isfree. No library card is required in order to receive an AVLcard. With your free password, AVL is available athttp://www.avl.lib.al.us/. Once at the AVL Web site, usersclick “Home Access” at the top of the computer screen andthen type in their last name and password. The next screenallows users to select a database by age category, subjectcategory or specific name. The Bruno librarians suggestBusiness and Company Resource Center, Business Index ASAP,and Business Source Elite as particularly valuable databases.

The Google site provides access to the vast variety ofinformation available on the Internet. A Google search beginsat http://www.google.com. On the opening Google screen,there is a line that allows you to type in a specific topic. Toreceive the best information, your search should be specific.For example, a search for “Alabama Entrepreneurial ResearchNetwork” will list the AERN Web site as your first option. Bysearching for “Entrepreneurial Research," the AERN Web site ispreceded by many other Web sites.

The “Guides to Information Resources” section of theAERN Web site provides more detailed Internet research tips.Questions can also be addressed to University of Alabamabusiness librarians via the Web site.

A Newsletter of the

Alabama Entrepreneurial Research

Network

Project Directors

Annette Jones Watters

Paavo Hanninen

Other Team Members

Dr. Bryan Reber

Phillip White

Paul Brothers

Graphic Design by

Kimberly Camp

Culverhouse College of Commerce

and College of Communication

The University of Alabama

For more information please call

205-348-6191

Or email

Awatters@cba.ua.edu

Phaninen@cba.ua.edu

Alabama Entrepreneurial Research Network Winter/Spring 2004

The AERN Members and their Contact Persons

Perry County Chamber of Commerce

Ms. Diane Harrison (334) 683-9622 Marion

Sumter County Industrial Development Authority

Ms. Felecia Jones (205) 652-9303 Livingston

Greene County Industrial Development Board

Ms. Phillis Belcher (205) 372-9769 Eutaw

HERO (Hale County)

Ms. Eva Bryant-Greene (334) 624-9100 Greensboro

Demopolis Area Chamber of Commerce

Mr. Jay Shows (334) 289-0270 Demopolis

Selma Area Chamber of Commerce

Ms. Claire Twardy (334) 875-7241 Selma

Alabama-Tombigbee Regional Commission

Ms. Ann Alford (334) 682-4234 Camden