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By: Reverend Dr. Robert M. Spooney
Executive Director of the African American
Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida
I have some solid thoughts on planning. I believe that a good idea is
worth a dollar while the plan to implement the idea is worth a million
dollars. One of my watch phrases is “Plan your work and work your
plan.” Any good business person should have a plan and that is the
concept that I have been presenting to the members of the chamber
since my appointment as executive director. The African American
Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida has been a guide to start up
African American businesses though out Orange, Osceola, Seminole
and Volusia counties since 1945. The recent increase in membership
and entrepreneurial activity indicate that this organization is alive and
Dr. Robert M. Spooney
well and ready to assist minority owned businesses in Central Florida
in any way it can.
The one thing that I have noticed is that many people who start new
businesses don’t know how to get their foot in the door in order for
their business ventures to be successful. However, I believe that if you
give the people the tools that they need, if you let them know the
requirements and prerequisites needed to do good business in this community, they will find success. One of my goals is to introduce as many
minority businesses to major corporations as possible. The plan to
accomplish this goal is simple. We have implemented a “How To Do
Business With” series where we invite major corporations to make presentations to chamber members detailing the MBE requirements that
must be met to do business with them. Since March of this year, over
500 African American entrepreneurs have met with purchasing personnel from fourteen major Central Florida corporations.
In addition, the chamber has instituted a series entitled “Business
Check-Up.” In this series, members attend seminars that address operational and business issues that cover subjects such as relationship
selling, marketing strategies, advertising tactics and technology innovations. We all know that knowledge is power and I truly believe that
many business endeavors fail because of a lack of knowledge. To circumvent failure, my goal is to empower our members with the
knowledge of sound business principles. All too often, I see people
starting businesses because it was a hobby but they did not give any
consideration to the business aspect of managing the growth of the
company. Many of the chamber members fall into that category, subsequently, attendance to these seminars has been beyond expectation
with an average of 40 people per session. An added benefit of these
sessions is the dialogue that occurs between the members who attend
as they discuss their experiences in the disciplines being taught.
As Executive Director of the African American Chamber of Commerce
of Central Florida, my number one priority is to provide leadership and
programs that will allow us to be the number one advocate for African
American businesses. We want to empower our members to be more
successful. We are in a learning curve, but we are definitely moving in
the right direction.
For more information about the African American Chamb