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JREF Gives Women And Minority Owned Businesses A Needed Boost
By Mary Becker
Yvonne Bush-Minge was a single mom, the mother of three children, when she first dreamed of starting her own day care and learning center. She had tremendous drive and a strong background, more than 15 years in early childhood development, first as a teacher at a day care center, then, after earning her AA degree, as an assistant director. She became a day care center director after receiving her bachelor’s degree. Ultimately, she became the director of Howard County’s Head Start program.
Along with her experience, Bush-Minge also had a strong vision for her business. She wanted it to serve as a stepping stone for other single moms who wanted to follow a similar path to hers. In addition to providing affordable, quality care for children, she wanted to give their mothers career opportunities. She would hire them as teachers and provide benefits including free child care for their children and tuition advancements so they could earn degrees and advance their careers.
What Bush-Minge didn’t have was the financial means necessary to start her own business. She had good credit and collateral, but she didn’t have the established track record that banks required. So Bush-Minge turned to JREF.
JREF gives promising start-up and growing companies in Howard County a needed boost by providing financing of up to $100,000. Since its founding in 1992, the private, not-for-profit organization has provided over $1.3 million in loans to 23 businesses which, combined, have created more than 250 new jobs in the county. Job creation is also a primary focus for JREF.
“JREF helps create opportunities for entrepreneurs when no one else will help. We provide resources for women, minorities and others interested in starting their own businesses,” said Robert J. Jeffrey, President of JREF. “Through the years, more than half the businesses we have helped have been women or minority owned. Many of the business start-ups have also been husband-wife teams.”
Of the 23 businesses that received funding from JREF, Bush-Minge’s Bright Beginnings Children’s Center is one of 12 that are either women or minority owned. Those 12 businesses also received a proportional amount of funding.
Since 1992, five women owned businesses received $426,000, three minority owned businesses received $93,000, and four minority women owned businesses received $145,000. Together, these businesses received $664,000 of the $1.3 million JREF has loaned.
Bush-Minge received a low-interest Community Development Block Grant loan to start Bright Beginnings Children’s Center at the Owen Brown Community Center in Columbia. Sixteen weeks after the center opened, it was turning a profit. Now, two years later, Bright Beginnings has grown by three more centers. In addition to Owen Brown, it now operates centers in Thunder Hill in Columbia, Highland and Laurel, providing day care, before and after school care, and learning for over 200 children from infants to fifth graders.
Bright Beginnings has 30 full-time and seven part-time employees. “I think we started with a commitment to the county that we would employ six people. We’ve expanded well beyond that,” said Bush-Minge. Not only has she succeeded so quickly, almost all her employees are single moms. “Because they’re single parents, I can put myself in their place. The fact that we provide our employees with free child care is huge. They can take their children to work with them up through the fifth grade.”
Last year, Bush-Minge’s achievements were honored at the 2001 Equal Business Opportunity Awards program where she received the Outstanding Individual Achievement award. “It’s because of JREF that Bright Beginnings exists,” said Bush-Minge. “They saw the potential in me and my business and put my loan on a fast track so I could open during enrollment time.”
Three other women and minority owned businesses—Wine Mates, LLC; Frank’s Diner; and Uniphoto Labs, Inc.—have had their own successes. They are among the businesses that have “graduated” from the JREF loan program by paying off their JREF loans. They were able to grow to the point where they created sufficiently acceptable financial histories to receive more traditional business financing.
Frank’s Diner along Route 1 in Jessup is owned by Franklin and Linda Davis. Without JREF, Frank’s Diner would never have been able to open its doors. The diner was beset by construction delays and other setbacks. “We had exhausted all our resources, our bank, our personal finances and our family,” said Linda Davis. Rather than give up, the Davises got needed assistance from JREF. That was seven years ago.
In the beginning, the diner was open 24 hours a day, and the couple worked 20 of those hours each day, seven days a week. The hard work paid off, though. Each successive year, diner revenues have grown.
Today, the diner still operates seven days a week, but the hours are slightly shorter, 18 hours on weekdays, 21 hours on Fridays and Saturdays. The customers are primarily families, many from Columbia, though now that the diner has signage along I-95, travelers are also stopping in more frequently.
Frank’s Diner operates with between 22 and 28 employees, depending upon the time of year. Linda Davis says she provides her employees with health, dental and eye care insurance, as well as a simple IRA. “We’re doing rather well,” Linda noted. So well, in fact, that last Christmas the diner closed for the day, the first day it’s been closed since the couple first opened. “My first day off in seven years,” Linda said.
Mary Becker is the executive director of JREF. She can be reached at 410-313-6170.
DIVERSITY RESOURCES
American Express
10420 Little Patuxent Parkway
Suite 110
Columbia, MD 21044
Merle.x.Ross@aexp.com
Athena Travel Inc.
P.O. Box 297
Savage, MD 20763
athenatr@erols.com
Berkshire Associates
8930 Route 108, Suite D
Columbia, MD 21045
bai@Berkshire-aap.com
www.Berkshire-aap.com
Block Design
113 New Burg Avenue
Catonsville, MD 21228
cablock@block-design.com
www.block-design.com
Bonnie Heneson
Communications
9199 Reisterstown Road
Suite 212C
Owings Mills, MD 21117
Info@bonnieheneson.com
www.bonnieheneson.com
Brand Design
5615 Chelwynd Road
Baltimore, MD 21227
branddesign@mindspring.com
Bright Beginnings Children’s Center
6800 Cradlerock Way
Columbia, MD 21045
BrightBeginnings@aol.com
Career Marketing Techniques
5219 Thunder Hill Road
Columbia, MD 21045
dianecprw@aol.com
City of Bowie
2614 Kenhill Drive
Bowie, MD 20715
jclinton@cityofbowie.org
www.cityofbowie.org
Columbia Creative Services
5440 High Tor Hill
Columbia, MD 21045
Creative@erols.com
Computer Solutions GSD, Inc.
9691-F Gerwig Lane
Columbia, MD 21046
www.csgsd.com
Contemporary Health for Women
5005 Signalbell Lane, Suite 102
Clarksville, MD 21229
Custom Telemarketing Services
10451 Twin Rivers Road, Suite 230
Columbia, MD 21044
Info@telemarketing.com
www.telemarketing.com
CyberVillage Networkers
7773 Blueberry Hill
Ellicott City, MD 21043
Connie@cybernetworkers.com
www.cybernetworkers.com
Damaur Consulting
9749 Early Spring Way
Columbia, MD 21046
damaurquander@aol.com
Dermajetics
P.O. Box 49
Ashton, MD 20861
Barrett4@ttinational.net
www.exclusivebeauty.net
www.freebeautybrochure.com/order
DFT & Associates
9934 Ferndale Avenue
Columbia, MD 21046
DetecWoman@aol.com
DRW, Inc.
4019 Overlook Drive, Suite D
Ellicott City, MD 21043
lburton@drwcoaching.com
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Dynanet Corporation
9042 Old Annapolis Road
Suite 700
Columbia, MD 21045
speay@dynanetcorp.com
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ECity Corporation
3950 View Top Road
Ellicott City, MD 21042
info@ecitydesigngroup.com
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English Afternoon Teas
8125 Woodloo Drive
Ellicott City, MD 21043
rosemarytea@hotmail.com
Eugene Connall, L.C.P.C., NCC
5401 Twin Knolls Road, Suite 9
Columbia, MD 21045
askashrink@aol.com
Eye of the Needle Embroidery
12827 Folly Quarter Road
Ellicott City, MD 21042
Eyeneed777@aol.com
Flamingo Smiles, Inc.
7116 Natures Road
Columbia, MD 21045
elg-10@home.com
FuturAge
info@futurage.com
www.futurage.com
Gifts To Treasure
4511 Rolling Meadows
Ellicott City, MD 21043
GiftstoTreasure@aol.com
Global Services Corporation
10005 Old Columbia Road
Suite P 170
Columbia, MD 21046
humbert@erols.com
Goodwin Graphix
2613 McKenzie Road
Ellicott City, MD 21042
jlgoodwin@home.com
HR Anew
5361-I Harpers Farm Road
Columbia, MD 21044
Deborah@hranew.com
www.hranew.com
Herbalife
P.O. Box 49
Ashton, MD 20861
Migo519@yahoo.com
www.homebusiness.to/makeitso
Image Matters
Marketing & Communications
214 Kent Road
Glen Burnie, MD 21060
Jlucy@imagematters.com
www.imagematters.com
Imageline, LLC
106 W. 25th Street
Baltimore, MD 21218
Radiopt@home.com
www.imagelineonhold.com
insite 180 Inc.
8307 Main Street
Ellicott City, MD 21043
info@insite180.com
www.insite180.com
InSITE Training &
Development, Inc.
8810 Sandrope Court
Columbia, MD 21046
learn@insitetraining.com
www.insitetraining.com
IMPACT Marketing and Public Relations, Inc.
8414 Church Lane Road
Ellicott City, MD 21043
Impactmktg@connext.net
Jean Moon & Associates
11117 Wood Elves Way
Columbia, MD 21044
Jeanmoon@home.com
Jill M. Mooty
311 Compton Avenue
Laurel, MD 20707
JMOOTY@BIGPLANET.com
www.myplanet.net/Jmooty
Jobs-Jobs.net
8830 Stanford Blvd., LL30
Columbia, MD 21043
dshifflett@jobs-jobs.net
www.jobs-jobs.net
Kaleidosystems, Inc.
5238 Raccoon Court, Suite B
Columbia, MD 21045
bettymyers@kaleidosystems.com
kaleidosystems.com
Law Offices of Janet L. Eveland, Chartered
10320 Little Patuxent Parkway
Suite 311
Columbia, MD 21046
Eveland@cais.com
Law Office of Valerie A. Rocco
10750 Hickory Ridge Road
Suite 114 B
Columbia, MD 21044
www.senioradviser.com
L.B. Hand Therapy
6726 Carlinda Avenue
Columbia, MD 21046
Marketing Outsource Associates, Inc.
6044 Old Lawyers Hill Road
Elkridge, MD 21075
Gloriab@marketing-outsource.com
www.marketing-outsource.com
Meeting Planners, Inc.
9304 Katie Lane
Laurel, MD 20723
bmcadam@meetingplannersinc.com
www.meetingplannersinc.com
MsA Answers, Inc.
8613 Manahan Drive
Ellicott City, MD 21043
answers@msaanswers.com
www.msaanswers.com
Mouse Trap Wireless
9200 Basil Court, Suite 100
Largo, MD 20774
mousetrapwireless@hotmail.com
mousetrapwireless.com
Neighborhood Revitalization Solutions, Inc.
11733 Terry Town Drive
Reisterstown, MD 21133
nrssolutions@yahoo.com
Oltjen Design & Associates
2923 Pebble Beach Drive
Ellicott City, MD 21042
Oltjen@home.com
Paragon Computer Services, Inc.
3273 Pine Orchard Lane
Ellicott City, MD 21042
pam@paragon-md.com
www.paragon-md.com
Presentation Media Group
10555 Guilford Road, Suite 119
Jessup, MD 20794
Info@presmedia.com
www.presmedia.com
Preservation Archives, Inc.
12217 Distribution Place
Beltsville, MD 20705
archives@us.net
Project Masters, Inc.
8480 M Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City, MD 21043
projmast@projmasters.com
dawnan@projectmasters.com
Pro-Outsource
3309 Royal Oak Court
Ellicott City, MD 21043
donna@pro-outsource
www.pro-outsource.com
Rivers Center Dental
8325 Guilford Road
Columbia, MD 21046
www.wisdomout.com
S.A. Funding Group, LTD
7476 Merrymaker Way
PMB 118A
Elkridge, MD 21075
frances@safunding.com
www.safunding.com
Scott & Associates
3802 Hollow Court
Ellicott City, MD 21043
mlrscott@hotmail.com
www.bww.com/mlrscott (password-freedom)
Shimadzu Scientific
Instruments
7102 Riverwood Drive
Columbia, MD 21046
webmaster@shimadzu
www.shimadzu.com
Sinex Design, Architects
9014 Blue Pool
Columbia, MD 21045
sdarch@home.com
Snelling Personnel Services
9981 Broken Land Parkway
Columbia, MD 21045
Columbia@Jobs4U.com
Special Event Solutions
7164 Talisman Lane
Columbia, MD 21045
Specialeventsolutions.com
Strategy & Training Partners
10350 Whitewasher Way
Columbia, MD 21044
mail@strategyandtraining.com
www.strategyandtraining.com
Swift Staffing
8830 Stanford Blvd., LL30
Columbia, MD 21045
tswift@swiftstaffing.com
www.swiftstaffing.com
Taking Care of Business, Inc.
P.O. Box 773
Columbia, MD 21045
Tcbinc@erols.com
Tempest Web Publications, LLC
18629 Queen Elizabeth Drive
Brookeville, MD 20833
info@tempestweb.com
www.tempestweb.com
The Bith Group
6151 Rumsey Road, Suite 150
Columbia, MD 21045
info@bithgroup.com
www.bithgroup.com
The Dinner Fairy
6780 Great News Lane
Columbia, MD 21044
thedinnerfairy@personalchef.com
The Fact Factory
P.O. Box 1667
Ellicott City, MD 21041
Fenway1@home.com
The HR Team, Inc.
10750 Hickory Ridge Road, #111
Columbia, MD 21044
elevitt@thehrteam.com
www.thehrteam.com
The Jim Rouse
Entrepreneurial Fund, Inc.
9250 Bendix Road North
Columbia, MD 21045
www.jref.org
The Money Centre
7164 Talisman Lane
Columbia, MD 21045
jeraldkerr@home.com
The Pomerantz Agency
914 Bay Ridge Road, Suite 180
Annapolis, MD 21403
info@pomagency.com
www.pomagency.com
The Purchasing Manager, Inc.
10440 Shaker Drive, Suite 107
Columbia, MD 21046
pfriedberg@mycomcast.com
Translingua, Inc.
5457 Twin Knolls Road
Columbia, MD 21045
Maneill@translingua.com
www.translingua.com
TypeIt, Inc.
5548 Thurso Court
Columbia, MD 21045
typeitinc@home.com
ZIP Publishing, Inc.
8298 Main Street
Ellicott City, MD 21043
pg@zipmedia.com
www.zipmedia.com