Now, Mr. Lincoln?

Why did the businesses fail?

Modern-day Business Analysis

"Now, Mr. Lincoln?" was a program that gave money to black entrepreneurs to help start their businesses in the Hilltop area of Tacoma, WA. During this time, Hilltop was an area that was crime-ridden, so the program was largely aimed at improving these economic and social situations. The campaign targeted business plans that were primarily in the service industry and required no college education to run.

Unfortunately, all businesses that received financial aid from the “Now, Mr. Lincoln?” campaign failed within 18 months of the program. This can be traced back to a variety of internal and external factors. To begin with, the business owners who received the funds were considered mavericks in the black business community. Previously, African Americans were primarily laborers working for industrial manufacturing, not business owners. Many of these individuals lacked expertise in many aspects of entrepreneurship. This absence of knowledge may have contributed to the businesses’ failures. Externally, the nation experienced a slight recession in the early 1970s due to a sharp rise in the price of oil. This drastically affected individuals in the Puget Sound area as The Boeing Company was forced lay off half its staff as its sales declined. The effects rippled throughout small businesses in Tacoma as consumer spending fell. Unfortunately, the business that benefited from the “Now, Mr. Lincoln?” campaign were far too unstable to survive the recession.

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