A few days ago, a client approached James Ray, coordinator of the Native American Business Enterprises Center, with a question.

“I need some of that economic stimulus money,” he said. “How can I get a check?”

The money’s out there, but entrepreneurs have to know how to go about getting a contract for a share of it, Ray and his colleague, loan specialist Sam Vaverka, told participants at a seminar Wednesday on “Growing your minority-owned enterprise.” The representatives of Rural Enterprises of Oklahoma presented the program at Indian Capital Technology Center.

While Ray’s program focuses on minority businesses, all sorts of businesses can profit from working with Rural Enterprises, an agency conceived by former U.S. Rep. Wes Watkins to assist prosperity in Oklahoma’s rural areas.

Unlike some websites or pitchmen who claim they can help prospective entrepreneurs get off the ground – for a hefty fee – this assistance comes at no charge to the client. Much of it involves the networking expertise the RE staff has developed through the years.

What many people, like the man who approached Ray earlier this week, don’t realize is that the stimulus money comes through governmental agencies, including cities and states, and through agencies receiving grants, Vaverka said.

Small business owners may receive a chunk of this money by bidding for contracts through these agencies.

“What we do is create opportunities,” Ray said. “With the stimulus money that is there right now, there is beginning to be a lot more opportunity.”

For example, rural community action agencies are performing a lot of weatherization work.

This allows small contractors to bid on installing windows, insulations, weatherstripping, and other energy efficient materials for elderly and low income homeowners.

Ray said housing authorities, rather than building new units, are revamping many of their older ones, installing new air conditioning and heating systems and other improvements.

The army ammunition plant in McAlester has $49 million of work under way.

“It’s one of those projects that people kind of forget is there. You don’t notice it like Tinker Air Force Base,” Ray said.

But there is plenty of opportunity for small subcontractors to bid with large general contractors and work on these efforts.