The document is a newsletter addressing the members of Tabor 100, highlighting the organization's role in connecting minority businesses to opportunities and advocating for their growth. It emphasizes the upcoming economic prospects in the Puget Sound region for 2017 and encourages members to engage with Tabor 100 to shape their business futures. Additionally, it discusses challenges faced by minority businesses in securing loans and the importance of advocating for education and equity in contracting opportunities.

1. 1
Message from the President
I was pleased with the turnout at our
December 2016 “members-only”
meeting and found the comments
you all made very interesting. Tabor
100 has been, a somewhat,
underrated “matchmaker” in the
community for many years. In the
past, there have been many small minority
businesses that have grown as a result of their
link to Tabor 100. I was pleased to see that
Tabor’s legacy in this regard continues as I
heard business after business testify to the fact
that the connections made at Tabor 100 have
generated revenue and that many of you owe
much of your success to this organization.
Langston Tabor, our founder and aggressive
advocate for minority business, would be proud
of the organization that bears his name.
We had the honor of some agencies in the room
touting their connection with Tabor and
mentioning some of the member businesses
that they have helped. Their continued
commitment to our organization is very much
appreciated. We also work closely with private
firms who have offered untold opportunities to
Tabor 100 members who
have and are currently making the
best of them. More is needed,
especially in light of the most favorable
economic circumstances this region
has ever experienced.
This year we have adopted “Shaping
Our Destiny” as our 2017 tagline. Your
business can truly shape its destiny with all the
opportunities we currently see and those on the
horizon. During 2017, you will have the chance
to connect with key people who can help shape
your destiny, regardless of your business. The
Puget Sound Region is growing faster than any
other in the country and is the right place to
shape your destiny in 2017.
Let me end by suggesting that you consider
working with Tabor to help grow your business
and its future. We are always ready to
incorporate new talent and a desire to make for
a better minority business climate in our state.
We are doing a lot and all of it is geared to
benefit you. I look forward to working with you
as we “Shape Our Destiny” in 2017.
Ollie Garrett
February 2017
Every Business Needs
a Website
2
Pay Attention– Because
You Need To
3 - 4
Providing Equity in
Contracting with Local, State
and Federal Government
4
A Dilemma for Small
Business-
Getting a Loan
5
Tabor 100 is an association of entrepreneurs and business advocates
who are committed to economic power, educational excellence and
social equity for African-Americans and the community at large.
“SHAPING OUR DESTINY”

2. 2
Every Business Needs a Website and Here’s How To Do It
By Dennis Worrell, WSDOT Supportive Services
At one time anyone who was
anyone had a Yellow Pages
business listing because it
was a marketing decision that
made sense. In today’s
economy it’s difficult to argue
with the reach of even the
simplest of websites. If you
have never had a website
before, don’t worry because
it’s never been easier to do it yourself, and you
don’t even have to know how to code. There are
four main things to consider when building a
website for business: 1) where to host it, 2) how to
get a unique domain name, 3) whether or not you
want branded email, and 4) how you feel about
privacy. Although allowing your customers to make
purchases through your site
may be a factor to consider
down the road, this roadmap
excludes that notion in favor
of presenting just the basics.
The following tips list specific
products but does so for the
sake of instruction and is not
an endorsement of any tools
over others. A hosting
company provides a place to
store a website. A quick web
search may return several hundred solutions.
They’re basically the same but offer different
options. Weebly.com is one option that boasts
millions of users, domain name registration,
branded email, a privacy option, and drag-and-drop
site building tools. They also have a free hosting
option but the trade-off is that their company name
appears in the name of your website (instead of
www.example.com you would see
www.example.weebly.com) and they run
advertisements on your site that have nothing to
do with your business.
Branding establishes an online presence and your
company’s identity. As of January, 2017 Weebly
offers a “Starter” package for $120 if purchased two
years in advance. A domain name identifies your
website to the world. It should be short,
recognizable, and relative to what you do. It may
also appear on marketing material like business
cards, line cards, and statements of qualifications.
It may take some time to think of a good one so
checking through a free site like
instantdomainsearch.com before going to a hosting
site is time well spent. Weebly offers domain name
registration at no cost if you allow them to host it.
One way to increase an online reputation is to have
an email address that includes “@yourwebsite” as
opposed to a generic address like @gmail or
@hotmail. You can get branded email uncoupled
from a hosting company but an all-in-one solution
like Weebly offers it as an add-on through Google’s
gmail service. If you are familiar with using gmail,
then you can use email through Weebly. The price
for a year of branded email is $45. When you
register a domain name you also provide your
contact information to the registering company
regardless of where you
get your domain. This
information is then
passed to ICANN
which stands for the
Internet Corporation for
Assigned Names and
Numbers. This
organization is
responsible for
coordinating the
maintenance and
procedures of several
databases related to the namespaces of the
internet.
Unless you can find a way to keep your information
private, it will be discoverable through
www.whois.net. Weebly offers a privacy option for
$10 a year. If you prefer to have control over how
people can contact you, then go with the privacy
option.
The above process is just one of many options for
getting everything from a one-stop-shop. Weebly is
one of many other hosting services including
popular sites like Bluehost, Squarespace, and Wix.
Remember to save all signup confirmation emails
as you set up your website. As of January, 2017
getting hosting, branded email, domain name
registration, and privacy through Weebly will cost
less than$10 a month over a period of two years.
Good luck on creating your first website.

3. 3
The WA State Legislative
Session will have been
underway for almost two
months by the time you see this
article. One of the key Issues
they’ll be wrestling with is finally
[hopefully] coming up with
some decisions around the WA
Supreme Court’s 2012
McCleary Decision regarding
the State having underfunded Education; for quite
some time, now.
Some background context from my previous
[December] article:
Last October at the General Meeting, I mentioned
being in a large room full of people where the
Governor stated some key facts about the current
state of WA and Puget Sound business climate: 1]
there were 58 construction cranes operating in the
area [more than SF and NYC combined], and 2]
that there were also 50,000 unfilled knowledge
worker job openings in WA state. While we do need
to address what is to me a disconnect around
whether minority and small businesses are getting
their fair share of the largess 58 construction
cranes and related business growth ought to be
moving our way – the current and future contexts
also require some thought. Thought about
whether we in this State have done a good enough
job of preparing our youth to fill more of these
positions, the positions that may well be promoting
the need for all these cranes and traffic snarls.
And,
Tabor 100 has been involved in numerous
education projects to improve the education
situation both locally, and within the State. We,
and other minority business organizations, need to
be doing more – and that can only happen with
your participation and engagement. Improve your
own business situation – and also lend a hand to
make things better for our kids. Please contact me,
if you’d like some background and/or some
suggestions on how to get involved. If you want to
work on improving the voice of minority and small
businesses in the Education arena, contact Tabor
member Linda Kennedy:
advocacy@tabor100.org .
There will be the usual hand-wringing in OLY about
what to do, how much it will cost, and how to pay
for it. The Legislature has been kicking this can
down the street ever since the Decision was
handed down. Having failed to meet some early
Supreme Court deadlines, the Legislature has been
fined $100,000 a day for more than a year. But –
they don’t actually lose the $$$, so, of course, you
still hear them dancing. Yes, these are tough and
thorny issues – but they all signed up for the job.
Three additional issues are also part of this and in
play:
1] Whether the State should take on the task of fully
negotiating statewide for teacher’s salaries – rather
than the current process done individually and
pretty poorly across 295 school districts. Benefits
and contracted responsibilities vary widely across
the State. If the State is on the hook – perhaps they
can actually make some progress on that front, to
benefit the kids.
2] Many school districts have a Levy in place to
augment what was an underfunded State
Education system. Poorer districts [especially rural
ones] have had a much tougher time passing levies
and raising those needed dollars – which has
driven even more inequities into the Education
process across the State.
3] Should the Legislature – while they are at it –
also consider mandating some better ways to
spend the increased dollars than we have in the
past? As in leaning into a few aspirational goals or
accomplishments in how these dollars will be spent
to benefit our children. Some kids need more in the
way of support and resources. We know this – so
why not leverage the dollars to make certain we
achieve better results?
(Continued on Page 4)
Pay Attention – Because You Need To
By Kevin C. Washington

4. 4
Pay Attention – Because You Need To
By Kevin C. Washington
(Cont. from Page 3)
These issues – and whatever the Legislature
does – will impact you, your children, plus the
educational and economic environments here in
WA State. There will be plenty of action within
hidden, smoke-filled OLY rooms – but there will
also be a lot of public discussions in newspapers,
on the NET, and [hopefully] in conversations within
business organizations and chambers.
One web site you can go to for information, bill
tracking and education advocacy action is the one
for the League of Education Voters [full
disclosure – I’m on their Board]:
http://educationvoters.org/
I’ll again urge small and minority businesses and
businesspeople to pay attention and to get
engaged. The workforce of the future is going to
school right now, and that current situation around
50,000 unfilled WA tech and knowledge worker
positions is not getting any better. Even those not
going into tech need to be strong in the basics and
ready for the workforce. ALL businesses are
becoming more tech-oriented – this means yours,
too.
Minority and small businesses need to have their
voice in the Education conversations and decisions.
Remember that phrase about “if you’re not at the
table, then you’ll be on the table?”…
Please find a way to stay on top of the issues -- and
then find a way to get engaged so your voices are
heard.
KCW
As Washington State’s source
for the certification of small
minority- and women-owned
businesses, the Office of
Minority and Women Owned
Businesses Enterprises
(OMWBE) strives to provide
equity in contracting
opportunities with local, state
and federal governments. We have been working
to simplify processes and forms to meet our
customer’s needs while maintaining the integrity of
the state’s certification process.
For example, just recently we created a “Short
Form” for firms that already have federal
certification and for firms applying for both state
and federal certification at the same time. By
eliminating redundancies, the form was reduced
from 19 to 3 pages. Additionally, just recently, we
have made communications easier for business
owners whom English is a second language. We
now have interpretation services in just about all
languages and its free.
To be certified by OMWBE as a minority, woman,
or disadvantaged business can make a difference.
It can increase visibility of your business when
pursuing work with local, state and federal
governments and provide private-sector
companies another opportunity to meet their
supplier diversity goals. While certification take
time, we are here to help you throughout the
process.
Don’t hesitate to contact us for additional
information or assistance on how to become
certified. You can visit us at www.omwbe.wa.gov
for specific information on how to become certified
as a minority, woman or disadvantaged business.
You can also call 1-800-208-1064 and speak
directly to a Certification Specialist for
personalized assistance.
We are here to help.
Teresa Berntsen, Director
Office of Minority and Women Owned Business
Enterprises
Providing Equity in Contracting with Local, State and Federal Government
By Teresa Berntsen

5. 5
A DILEMMA FOR SMALL BUSINESS - GETTING A LOAN
By Henry Yates
Recent studies from the Wall Street
Journal, the Minority Business
Development Agency and Census
Bureau data show that minority
businesses are still struggling to
secure adequate funding for their
businesses. Regardless, the
number of minority entrepreneurs
are growing at a rate greater than
the majority population. According to the Minority
Business Development Agency, the rate at which
minority-owned businesses are being formed continues
to rise. The number of minority business enterprises
increased 39% between 2007 and 2012* (from 5.8
million to 8.0 million) or more than 3 times faster than
population growth among minorities. Regardless,
minority businesses fall short in comparison to other
businesses’ overall success.
One factor that has an impact on the success of any
business is access to capital. The rate of small
business loans made by big banks still hasn’t
recovered from the Great Recession. The ten largest
banks lent $44.7 billion in 2014, from a high of $72.5
billion in 2006. There is some good news. According to
the September, 2016 Bix2Credit Small Business
Lending Index, small business loan approval rates
have improved for the seventh time in the last eight
months to 23.4 percent, a post-recession high. If
you’re a minority business owner, though, the lending
environment is even more daunting due to obstacles
created by institutional bias.
People of color are turned down for loans more often
and when they do get loans, they tend to be for far less
— and the funds come with a higher interest rate.
Loan denial rates for minority firms with gross receipts
of less than $500,000 were three times higher than
those of non-minority firms. The average loan size for
high sales non-minorities was twice as much as for
high sales minority-owned firms, and carry a 1.4
percent higher interest rate.
There are things that can be done by a minority
business to increase chances of obtaining funding,
including providing answers to the following questions:
 What you need the money for
 How much money do you need — which should
never be “as much as possible”
 How long you’ll need the money for
 How you plan to pay back the loan
Check out the “Townsquared” blog and these two blog entries in
particular — townsquared.com/blog/2016/12/small-business-loans
and https://townsquared.com/blog/2016/06/alternative-funding/
Do not forget to check out those who can give you
access to capital that are members of Tabor100.
There is also a list of Community Development
Financial Institutions that have money to lend. Among
Tabor members who are in the lending business are:
Craft3, Walter Acuna, wacuna@Craft3.org or
888-231-2170
Homestreet Bank, Tiffany Hockett,
tiffany.hockett@homestreet.com or 425-453-7633
For persons doing business in the Rainier Valley area,
the Rainier Valley Community Development Fund loans
money to businesses routinely. Contact Charlette
Black, Business Loan Officer, cblack@rvcdf.org,
206-722-4005.
*most recent year for the US Census
This article was written using information from
CNBC and Entrepreneur Magazine
George Allen, Coca-Cola
Connie Bartels, City of Bellevue
Angela Battle, UW Business Diversity Program
Adam Bell, NIRDHOST
Rickey Hall, UW Office of Minority Affairs &
Diversity
Lance Randall, Southeast Effective
Development
Norma Rodirguez, UW Office for Faculty
Advancement
Christina VanMiddlesworth, UW Business
Diversity Program
Tracy Williams, Murphy Armstrong & Felton
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

6. 6
History of Tabor 100
Tabor 100 was formed in memory of Langston Tabor,
a Seattle electrical contractor and fiery proponent of
economic equality for all. In November of 1998, the
Washington State Legislature passed Initiative 200
with 58% of the vote. Initiative 200 (I-200) effectively
ended all affirmative action programs in the State for
equal opportunity in education, jobs, promotions and
public contracting. Langston Tabor, who was a
tireless and selfless champion for the advancement of
economic equality and close friend of Dave Tyner
passed away just a few days after I-200 was
approved.
On January 15, 1999 Dave Tyner was participating in
the annual Martin Luther King, Jr Day march through
the streets of Seattle. He talked with fellow Business
owner, Donald King of the potential impact of I-200 on
minority owned businesses and particularly the
negative impact on architecture, engineering, and
construction contract opportunities – opportunities
that would once again be out of reach to the minority
community. Within months, Dave Tyner held several
meetings with minority business owners and together
they founded Tabor 100. The organization was
named to honor of their friend Langston Tabor.
You see, this group could vividly recall a business
climate that denied entrance to minority business
owners. They could recall their own experiences,
when they were legally told –No! No to education
opportunities; No to jobs; No to contracts and all
because of the color of their skin. These leaders were
understandably shaken when they were told that
Affirmative Action policies were now considered
“reverse discrimination,” as the rights of others were
being unjustifiably harmed by the goals and policies
of Affirmative Action. The anger and disappointment
that these minority business owners felt gave birth to
what is now Tabor 100. Tabor 100 became an
organization where minority owned businesses could
support each other in attaining equal opportunity in
business; equality in education; and actively
participate in the pursuit of economic empowerment
and wealth-building.
In the intervening years, Tabor has grown to include
African-American businesses, civic organizations,
government agencies, women owned businesses and
minority business owners from all communities, the
expansion and influence of Tabor 100 and its member
businesses is proof that the American dream is alive
and can be influenced by our collective voices. Out of
the despair and challenge of the passing of I-200,
Tabor 100 has helped to build and promote stronger
WMBE businesses; support business education
opportunities for entrepreneurs; and provide
scholarships to students in the community.
Tabor 100 has established itself as strong presence
in the community and is recognized as a premier
partnership for WMBE and entrepreneurial owned
businesses in the Puget Sound Region. Through the
assistance of Dr. William Bradford, former Dean of
the University of Washington Business School,
Reverend Laverne Hall of the Mount Zion Baptist
Church, good friend and business owner Daryl
Thomas, and A. Carl Smith, a local businessman
whose father's (Sam Smith) long and distinguished
political career was dedicated to aiding people to gain
economic access, the initial framework of the group
was undertaken.
In a Seattle Times article Langston Tabor was quoted
as saying he doubted his business would survive the
end of affirmative action. Tabor Electric was winning
government contracts exceeding $1 million annually -
the bulk of its revenue. He said builders might not
want to work with even a well-known minority
businessman without the encouragement of
government agencies. Mr. Tabor was inspired to
become an electrical contractor while studying in
Africa. He saw black engineers and technicians
building a major dam and wanted to attempt such
projects in the United States.
In 1978, he had trouble being accepted in the
electrical trade. That's when he opened his business,
hired electricians and apprenticed himself to them.
Later he made it a point to help young people; if they
were motivated, he taught them. In 1993, he attended
ceremonies at the White House after the U.S.
Commerce Department named his company National
Minority Construction Firm of the Year.
Born in San Antonio, Mr. Tabor grew up in Berkeley,
Calif. He attended Harvard University and the
University of Ghana in Africa and earned a bachelor's
degree in law and society from Western Washington
University in Bellingham, where he also taught. Mr.
Tabor died Thursday, November 12, 1998 of a stroke.
He was 56. He died a few days after Washington
state voters passed Initiative 200, a measure that he
openly opposed. The ballot measure ends
affirmative-action practices in public contracting,
education and employment.

7. 7
Thank You to Our Sponsors

8. 8
THE TABOR 100 BOARD
President: Ollie Garrett
President@Tabor100.org
Vice President: Brian Sims
VP@Tabor100.org
Treasurer: Aundrea Jackson
Treasurer@Tabor100.org
Secretary: Sherlita Kennedy
Secretary@Tabor100.org
Membership: Dee Riley
Membership@Tabor100.org
Education: Kevin C. Washington
Education@Tabor100.org
Public Affairs: Henry Yates
PublicAffairs@Tabor100.org
Economic Development: Edson Zavala
EconomicDevelopment@Tabor100.org
Government Affairs: Jamila Johnson
GovernmentAffairs@Tabor100.org
Fund Development: Abdul Yusuf
FundDevelopment@Tabor100.org
Business Development: Anthony Burnett
BusinessDev@Tabor100.org
TABOR OFFICE
2330 130th Ave. NE #101
Bellevue, WA 98005
425-882-4800
Staff@Tabor100.org
Newsletter Editor: Kalea Perry
Staff@Tabor100.org
WE ENCOURAGE YOU
TO REACH OUT!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Feb 25: General Meeting, 10am-12pm at
Central Area Senior Center
Feb 27: African Community Small Business
Workshop, 3-5pm at Rainier Arts Center
(Formerly the Rainier Valley Cultural Center)
Feb 27: Latino Legislative Day, Olympia,
latinocivicalliance.com
Mar 1: Hensel Phelps Airport Construction
Bid Workshop, 2-4pm at 15355 SE 30th PL.,
Bellevue
Mar 9: Alliance Northwest, All Day at
Puyallup Fairground, alliancenorthwest.org
Mar 16: Hensel Phelps Bonding Workshop,
9-11am at 15355 SE 30 Pl., Bellevue
COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Education Committee meets after the Tabor
General Meeting, the last Saturday of the
month from 12-2pm at the Central

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