Black Enterprise articles from April 2002

Black Enterprise archives from April 2002

Web features. (blackenterprise.com).
April 1, 2002... INVEST IT YOURSELF! Our semiannual investment roundtable story "Getting the Scoop on Investing," featured this month, gives advice from some of television's top financial commentators. One investment tool that seems to be something that a...

Web tools. (blackenterprise.com).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Franchise solutions Have you been looking for the right business opportunities to fulfill those entrepreneurial dreams? We at blackenterprise.com can help you find the industry that suits your talents perfectly. By using our free Franchise...

Web columns. (blackenterprise.com).
April 1, 2002... RESOURCE LINE Whatever your professional or entepreneurial needs, you can find them on blackenterprise.com. Senior Editor Spruell's column provides useful resources for business owners, corporate executives, and budding investors. ...

Unfinished business. (Publisher's Page).(accounting for unequal African American political representation)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... We have become comfortable with the idea that African Americans have achieved something approaching parity when it comes to political representation in American government. The 38-member Congressional Black Caucus, founded 31 years ago, is an...

About this issue.(coverage of retirement planning investment)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
April 1, 2002... By now, you've read newspaper articles or seen television reports about the largest corporate bankruptcy in American history. The unraveling of Enron Corp., once the nation's seventh-largest company, will appear in the annals of business...

The promised land. (Letters).
April 1, 2002... I HAVE JUST FINISHED READING THE JANUARY 2002 issue of BLACK ENTERPRISE, and I must say that the information provided is helping me focus on gaining financial freedom. First, I would like to congratulate [Careers/Consumer Editor] Sonya...

Motivating mentor. (Letters).
April 1, 2002... I'M A FIRST-TIME, SELF-PUBLISHED author and mortgage consultant with a high school diploma and no college experience. Although I don't have a college degree, I do have a great deal of persistence and hands-on experience in my field. I aspire to...

Teaching wealth. (Letters).
April 1, 2002... I HAVE BEEN A SUBSCRIBER TO BLACK ENTERPRISE for more than 15 years. You have continued to bring forth both business and personal finance articles that have made me a true advocate of saving and investing. I recently started teaching a...

Virtual success. (Letters).
April 1, 2002... WHEN MY ISSUE OF BLACK ENTERPRISE came in the mail, I was excited and immediately started perusing it. The articles, comments, business guidance, and information have helped me in numerous situations, professionally and personally. Your article...

Driving in a new direction? Mel Farr Automotive to sell all its Ford dealerships. (Be 100s).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... In a move that surprised many, Mel Farr, president of Mel Farr Automotive in Oak Park Illinois, informed employees in early January that he was in discussions to sell his franchises in Oak Park and Waterford Township, Michigan, to Ford Motor...

Microsoft partnership: software giant signs on as title sponsor of B.E. Entrepreneurs Conference. (Business Deals).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Microsoft Corp. was named title sponsor of the Seventh Annual Black Enterprise/ Microsoft Entrepreneurs Conference, to be held May 15-19, 2002, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tennessee. The corporation also signed on as the title...

On the fast track: Shawn Baldwin is building a financial services firm one acquisition at a time. (Newsmakers).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Though merger and acquisition activity may have slowed down on Wall Street, Shawn D. Baldwin has been acquisitive, buying financial services businesses with the hope of building a full-service investment bank. The 35-year-old president and...

Spirited leadership: Carl Horton named President & CEO of Absolut. (Newsmakers).(Abstract)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... There's a new general in the multibillion dollar booze wars. Last November, Carl Horton was named president and CEO of The Absolut Spirits Company, a subsidiary of V&S (Vin & Sprit AB) of Stockholm, Sweden. By assuming the helm of the...

This isn't Italian. (Newsbytes).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... * Pizza anyone? If so, consider Reggio's Pizza Inc., which just may be the world's only African American manufacturer of frozen pizza. Last year, the company was selected as the "National Minority Retail Firm of the Year" by the United States...

Making strides, but losing ground? Black, woman-owned firms growing, but at a slower pace than other groups. (Facts & Figures).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2002... Female minority-owned businesses are growing at a greater rate than all women-owned firms and the national average for all U.S. firms, according to a report issued in December 2001 by the Center for Women's Business Research in Washington, D.C....

Long-distance stock picking; making things work when members move away but want to stay invested. (Investment Clubhouse).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Every investment club has to deal with members leaving from time to time, but just because people relocate, it doesn't mean they have to leave the club. The Group I Investment Club of Greenville, South Carolina, has two members who live more...

Slow recovery: Black-managed mutual funds are picking up the pieces after a tough 2001. (B.E. Black Fund Watch).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2002... For mutual fund managers, style mattered in 2001. Although Morningstar Inc., the Chicago-based mutual fund research firm, reported that the average domestic mutual fund was down about 11% last year, funds that focused on value stocks in the...

Focus on emerging markets; Nathan Lewis of Jackson Securities believes minority-owned firms can show the way to profits. (Private Screening).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Nathan L. Lewis, head of the Equity Research Group at Jackson Securities Inc. (JSI) in Atlanta, says following trends in the minority community can make you rich. JSI's equity research group focuses on publicly traded companies that actively...

Technical difficulties: Rodney Smith's tech infrastructure picks showed signs of collapse. (Stock Update).(Wall Street Strategies Inc. research analyst)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... When we turned to equity research firm Wall Street Strategies Inc. in New York, last April for a slate of stock picks for our Private Screening column, research analyst Rodney Smith gave us five technology infrastructure plays (firms that make...

Healthy prospects: a commercial real estate program offers investment opportunities. (Real Estate Strategies).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Juanita Simmons always wanted her own health spa. In fact, 15 years ago, she was bold enough to carpet her garage, install insulation, and begin operating a private exercise studio while she was employed at Salomon Brothers before it merged...

How many shares? (Ask B.E.).(investing in the stock market)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Q When buying stocks, how many shares should you purchase from a company? --D. Duzant New York, NY A Building wealth through the stock market depends a great deal on your ability to accumulate large numbers of shares of a company so...

Boosting morale: just because times are tough doesn't mean the workplace has to be glum. (Management Advice).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... A sluggish economy has thrown many companies into survival mode. Reports of sweeping cutbacks, hiring freezes, and downsizing abound. And while they may be necessary, such actions have weakened employee morale. A recent survey from American...

Picking up the pieces; terrorist attacks leave small information technology firm bent but not broken. (Making It).(Manic Technologies)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... September 11 began as a normal workday for Patrick Duroseau. Arriving at his office at 8:15 a.m. on the 93rd floor of the World Trade Center, Duroseau, president of Marnic Technologies, prepared for a meeting. Less than a half hour later he...

Franchise to go; despite a recession some of these businesses are hot. (Business Opportunities).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)(Industry Overview)
April 1, 2002... Franchising has always been a popular entrepreneurial venture. According to the International Franchise Association (IFA), franchising companies and their franchisees accounted for $1 trillion in annual U.S. retail sales in 2000 and made up...

A matter of safety: tragic loss leads entrepreneur to develop seatbelt-monitoring device. (Making It).(Orlando Robinson)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... On the morning of Dec. 4, 1997, Orlando Robinson, then a 25-year-old law school student, was driving his fiancee Dionyell Walton, a social worker, to her office. Busy finishing up a report, Walton neglected to buckle her seat belt. When another...

E-biz baffled. (Savvy Solutions).(electronic commerce information sources)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Q I am looking for some inspirational literature about starting an e-commerce consulting business and have been unable to gather a great deal of information. I fell small companies need extra help learning how e-commerce will affect the future....

Crossing the digital divide; is owning a computer enough? Not anymore. (Tech News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... A couple of years ago, the digital divide--generally defined as the schism between those with access to technology and those without--was a hot-button issue. It was almost fashionable for government officials and high tech tycoons to voice...

Money talks; new technology helps visually impaired hear ATM transactions. (Tech News).(talking automated teller machines)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... For most of us, going to the ATM is a breeze. But for the visually impaired, it can challenging. One company may have solved that problem. Triton has developed "talking" ATMs. You may have seen a freestanding one at your local deli or gas...

Out of this world; Apple unveils new flat-panel iMac. (New Products).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
April 1, 2002... Just when you were getting used to the iPod, Apple springs the new iMac. The design is unlike anything you've seen on a desktop--a slim, 15-inch, flat-panel display that swivels from a 10.6-inch base. The monitor delivers millions of colors at...

High quality, premium price. (B.E. Reviews).(Olympus Camedia C-4040Zoom digital camera)(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
April 1, 2002... If you're looking for a high resolution, megapixel camera, Olympus offers one of the best solutions we've seen so far--in a small form factor. At just 11.3 ounces, the Olympus Camedia C-4040Zoom digital camera is a 4.1 megapixel powerhouse that...

Smart business tools. (Techwatch).(business plan authorship software)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... For many entrepreneurs, great ideas come easily. But the business plan? Well, that's another story. Business Resource Software has a solution: Plan Write Expert Edition for Business. The application helps entrepreneurs take a business from...

No more boxes. (Cyberwise).(application service providers)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Q Not too long ago, you mentioned that ASPs were going to be the next big thing. What is an ASP and what happened to them? --Marsha Bennett Los Angeles A Back in 2000 and early 2001, ASP was the latest buzzword in technology. Experts...

Stiff upper lips: are your employees happy or just biding their time? (Inbox).
April 1, 2002... Downsized employees are stressed. But in a sense they may suffer from less anxiety than those left behind. Why? Their situations are clear: They're out of work. Those who remain employed tend to be enveloped in uncertainty--particularly in work...

A prescription for success: Woodrow A. Myers Jr. is just what the doctor ordered. (From The Corner Office).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2002... Woodrow A. Myers Jr., M.D. AGE: 48 TITLE: Executive vice president and chief medical officer, Healthcare Quality Assurance Division COMPANY: WellPoint Health Networks Inc. TENURE: 18 months EDUCATION: B.S., Stanford...

Finishing lines; smart and steady win the race. (Career At A Glance).(auto racer DeWayne Cassel)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... NAME: DeWayne Cassel OCCUPATION: Race Car Driver LOCATION: Peoria, Illinois SALARY RANGE: Range: $100,000 to $5 million at the Champ series level "We [African Americans] don't race; we play basketball," were the negative...

I was doing so well. (Since You Asked ...).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Q I worked with a company for three years that was sold to another company. I was fired two months later--right before Christmas. I was in training for a higher position. Do you think I was let go because I was trying to move up in the company?...

Crown Media United States L.L.C. (On The Move).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Lana E. Corbi is president and CEO of Crown Media United States L.L.C. She runs the day-to-day operations of the U.S. Hallmark Channel network. She was formerly the executive vice president and COO of Crown Media Holdings, the parent company of...

Rampro College. (On The Move).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Dr. Rodney David Smith is the third president of Rampro College in Park Ridge, New Jersey, where his priorities are to broaden international studies in the curriculum and develop more interdisciplinary approaches. He is formerly the vice...

Association of Community College Trustees. (On The Move).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Brenda Knight is the first African American woman to be named chair-elect of the Association of Community College Trustees, representing more than 1,200 colleges, 6,500 trustees, and 11 million students nationwide. She is currently community...

National Alliance of Black School Educators. (On The Move).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Dr. Andre Hornsby is the 17th president of the National Alliance of Black School Educators, focusing on teacher recruitment, raising student achievement, and developing a Principal's Institute. He is currently the supervising superintendent of...

Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg. (On The Move).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Timothy Ray is a partner at the Chicago law firm Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg. His concentrations are in commercial litigation, providing counsel to manufacturers in breach of contract disputes and consumer fraud. He is also lead counsel for a...

Convention calendar. (powerplay).
April 1, 2002... * National Black Flight Attendants of America will meet in Los Angeles, April 5-6. Call 888-682-2322. * National Forum for Black Public Administrators will convene in Portland, Oregon, April 6-10. Call 202-408-9300. *...

Prepare for emergencies; good budgeting practices have helped Kysa and Derwin Daniels handle a layoff. (Black Wealth Initiative).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2002... IT'S AN OLD ADAGE, PERHAPS OVERUSED, BUT FITTING just the same: Put something away for a rainy day. For Kysa and Derwin Daniels of Conyers, Georgia, the downpour came last Thanksgiving when Kysa, 35, lost her job as an overnight anchorperson at...

Building on success; Freddie Lee Sherman and his family have a solid financial foundation, but can they handle entrepreneurship? (Family Finances).
April 1, 2002... BIG AMBITIONS REQUIRE BIG RESULTS. FREDDIE LEE Sherman and his wage. Yolanda, are ambitious about building a business that will sustain them in the near future and throughout their retirement years. The Corona, California, couple's business and...

What investors can learn from the Enron mess; the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history offers valuable lessons on how you should invest in today's market. (Investing).(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2002... JOYCE BARRETT DIDN'T DIE, BUT SHE LOST HER life. The former human resources professional was one of the casualties of the largest corporate bankruptcy in history: the fall of Enron. Last November, Barrett, a 12-year employee for the...

Getting the scoop on investing; tune in to our panel of financial news commentators as they offer the best strategies for building your portfolio. (Investment Roundtable).(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2002... YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN. That's just part of the harsh new realities of investing in today's environment. Yes, you should consult with financial advisors, but use them as part of your resource network. You can no longer afford to be a...

Which way is up? B.E. provides the answer by offering a slate of funds that will boost the performance of your portfolio. (Mutual Fund Overview).(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2002... ALEX A. BROWN, A STUNTMAN WHO HAS PERFORMED IN FILMS FROM GLORY to Rush Hour, knows how to take a fall. But he's not keen on watching the returns on his investments take a plunge. "There's a time to be aggressive and a time to be cautious," the...

Take safety in bonds; here's how diversifying your portfolio with fixed-income investments can cushion the effects of market volatility. (Investing).(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2002... WILLIAM LOWRY AND TERI GONZALES-LOWRY MADE IT A POINT not to overreact during the bear market of 2000-2001. With the help of their financial planner, Jeffrey Hammond, the two Chicago-based nonprofit executives decided to stay the course they...

Staying power: winning strategies to secure your job. (Career Management Part 3 Of A Series).
April 1, 2002... BRENDA ROSS-DULAN CUT AND SHARPENED HER TEETH AS A VICE president in the real estate division of construction lending at First Interstate in Los Angeles, when, in 1996, the company merged with Wells Fargo. Shortly after, the head of Wells...

Looks do matter; Website isn't attracting customers? Maybe it's time to call an expert. (B.E. Website Makeover).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... BAD WEBSITES DO HAPPEN TO good businesses. And online, as in art, beauty is often truth. So if your Website looks like a loser, chances are, visitors will think your business is, too. BLACK ENTERPRISE challenged companies to submit their sites...

Drive to the top; looking for the best car to meet your needs? Stop here for direction. (B.E. Spring Auto Guide).(Buyers Guide)
April 1, 2002... LIKE THE CLOTHES YOU WEAR, THE CAR YOU DRIVE SAYS SOMETHING about you. These days there is such a wide selection of cars available within any price range, you can make your own personal vehicular statement. That expression may vary anywhere...

Mrs., Mom, and CEO: Vickie Clark runs a thriving home-based transportation business for kids. (Guts & Glory).(Kids 'R' Travelin')
April 1, 2002... In 1995, when Vickie Clark voiced her desire to start a business transporting kids back and forth to various activities, some family and friends looked at her as if she had three eyes. Clark went on to prove that having a vision no one else...

Talking the talk. (Help Yourself).(motivational speakers)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Q People have always told me how I enlighten them and give them direction in their lives. I feel confident that I can be an excellent motivational speaker. Do you have some tips on how to get started? --T. L. West Kansas City, Missouri ...

In the driver's seat: getting the best deal on your old car. (Consumer Life).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... So you're buying a new car. Have you decided what to do with your old one? Trade it in, of course. It seems an easier option than selling it yourself, but, truth is, consumers tend to lose money on trade-ins--up to $1,000, according to Bobby...

Total recall: whats your recourse on a faulty auto? (Buying Power).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Alan Marks purchased a 2000 Ford Explorer in October 1999. He soon noticed the first problem. "The windshield wipers would go on by themselves," says Marks. Frustrated, he took the car in for repair. "Turns out there was a recall for some...

Financing facade; dealerships don't offer the best deals. (Secret Savings).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Consumers have become increasingly savvy about getting the best possible deal on car prices. But, there is one area in car buying where consumers need to do more research--financing. "A consumer may get a great deal on the price of the car...

Kick these tires; website puts the brakes on scams. (Priceless Resources).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... In pointed language, www.carbuyingtips.com pulls no punches busting scams by auto dealers to help consumers avoid them. It offers seven downloadable chapters, on everything from credit repair and spreadsheets to workout costs, so you can walk...

Good credit = better rates? (Ask Your Advocate).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Q I have been driving for more than 20 years with an impecable driving record. I have no points on my licence. I assumed my driving history would grant me great insurance rates, now I'm finding out that my credit rating--which is not so...

What revs his engine; Stan Eason's classic collection. (Personal Passions).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... While millions of car enthusiasts are filing into traveling auto shows to sneak peaks at the newly engineered driving machines, New Jersey resident Stan Eason prefers cruising in one of his classics: a pair of '65 Mustang Hardtops, a '66...

Extras. (Lifestyle: your entree to new and exciting possibilities).(new automobiles)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Another British car import makes a hit with performances that are off the charts. Introduced in 1993, the DB7 Vantage by Aston Martin boasts a 420 horsepower V12 engine with a choice of a six-speed manual transmission or five-speed automatic....

What's happening. (Lifestyle: your entree to new and exciting possibilities).(New York International Auto Show, 2002)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... With more than 1,000 cars on display as well as the return of the Maserati to North American trade forums, the 2002 New York International Auto Show, which will be held March 30 to April 7, could be considered the world's largest showroom. The...

Kid power! Adults need not apply. (Kidpreneurship Conference).(Black Enterprise Kidpreneurs Conference)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Your child doesn't have to be a wonder o benefit from the Black Enterprise Kidpreneurs Conference, but if you want him or her to become one of tomorrow's leading business owners, register for this year's conference and give your child a head...

Black star power for profits: insights on why African American celebrities push products. (Next Month).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Does seeing Shaquille O'Noal chomp on a Nestle's crunch bar whet your appetite for chocolate? According to marketing professionals, it does. In fact, using African American celebrities to endorse products or services is the new order of the...