We have always been fertile ground for original minds. Visionaries whose ideas and passion changed the world.
If Gene Finley has any advice for entrepreneurs and would-be business owners, it is short and simple: diversify.
In the 1990s, Finley and his wife returned to the Mississippi Delta. He had worked for EDS, an information technology outsourcing company, and Allstate Insurance. The Finleys had lived in Chicago and Dallas, but decided it was time to come home to be closer to ailing parents. However, when the decision was made to relocate, he and his wife also had to consider what they would do to make a living.
Before the move, Mr. and Mrs. Finley came to the Delta for three months in 1994 to assess potential business prospects. The family moved the next year and launched CompuSystems Incorporated, a technology business, in 1996.
In the beginning, computer sales, programming and repairs were the only services offered by CompuSystems. But since that time, the company has added a number of other services and diversification has been Finley’s battle cry.
CompuSystems now designs Web sites and offers computer and business training at its on-site computer lab, as well as at satellite locations in Jackson, Vicksburg, Clinton and Itta Bena. The business collects old computers and gives them away through a non-profit organization founded by the Finleys. In addition, CompuSystems sells office supplies, with a list of clients that includes Alcorn State University, Jackson State University, Mississippi Valley State University and Tougaloo College. The company also profits from renting commercial space to other businesses.
“Our greatest asset is our diversity,” Finley said.
Since its 1996 establishment, CompuSystems has certainly seen expansion. Its staff has more than doubled (though Mrs. Finley still serves as the bookkeeper). The company has moved from its 700-square-foot original building to a 2,800-square-foot building, and annual sales have increased significantly as well.
Another asset that helped CompuSystems progress, Finley said, is the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA). “MDA has been an excellent resource,” he said. “They have helped our company access a larger conglomerate of customers, including casinos, the federal government, cities and counties,” Finley explained. “We can now bid on any county contract. We didn’t have access to that until we got involved with MDA. Now, we can bid on anything related to technology.”
In addition to his own business, Finley seeks to assist other companies in the Delta, as well. Finley publishes the Mississippi Delta Minority Resource Directory Biz Book, a listing of businesses owned by African Americans in the Mississippi Delta. “I’m always looking for ways to help people,” Finley said, “and some of these things have even helped my own business.” He also wants to build a 10-business incubator to support other companies and hopefully accelerate their development. “That’s my passion, to get this [incubator] started.”
Finley’s business accomplishments, his drive to succeed and his willingness to help others are evident. In 2008, he was honored as the Mississippi Development Authority’s Mississippi Delta Minority Contractor of the Year.
For more information on how the Mississippi Development Authority can assist your small business, please contact MDA’s Minority and Small Business Development Division at 601-359-3448. You can also access us on the web by visiting http://www.mississippi.org and clicking on the Minority Business link.
