Black Enterprise articles from February 2004

Black Enterprise archives from February 2004

She said yes!(Web Features)(wedding tips)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... She loves me. She loves me not. Yes, it's Valentine's Day, but the height of the wedding season is also fast approaching. After you pop the question, and she says yes, or for you liberated women, after he says yes, it will be time to start...

Filing for bankruptcy.(Web Features)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Over the last couple of years, an uncertain economy has taken a toll on businesses and individuals alike. The impact has been so great that the number of bankruptcy filings is at historic levels. Personal bankruptcies filed in federal court in...

Resource line.(Web Columns)
February 1, 2004... Whatever your professional or entrepreneurial needs, you can find advice at blackenterprise.com. Interactive Media Editor Lewis' column provides useful resources for business owners, corporate executives, and budding investors. lewisl@...

Purchasing power.(Web Columns)
February 1, 2004... With your hectic lifestyle, browsing for bargains can be a chore. Before you break out year credit card, Associate Editor Sykes will help you get the best bang for your buck. sykest@ blackenterprise.com

Franchise Finder.(Web Tools)
February 1, 2004... Want to become an entrepreneur but don't know where to start? Use our FREE Franchise Finder[TM], your ultimate business startup resource, to locate franchise and business opportunities. Select franchises that interest you based on the category...

Get $25 when you invest.(Web Tools)
February 1, 2004... Sharebuilder and blackenterprise.com are offering investors an innovative way to invest online through automatic, recurring, dollar-based investments. With this limited-time offer, we'll give you $25 once you start investing with...

Embracing diversity, not division.(Publisher's Page)(Column)
February 1, 2004... What do a prominent member of Frank Sinatra's Rat Pack, a television syndication mogul raised in the Bronx by Puerto Rican and Cuban parents, and a Major League Baseball star from the Dominican Republic have in common? Well, for one thing,...

About this issue.(economical aspects of united states)
February 1, 2004... The economy may be rebounding, but many professionals are still having difficulty finding work, which only underscores the state of employment in the United States. It's still a rather dim picture. In three years of stagnation, the economy...

Down by law.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... YOU ARE TO BE COMMENDED FOR YOUR OUTSTANDING cover story, "America's Top Black Lawyers" [November 2003]. The article clearly demonstrates the barriers we have penetrated over the past three decades, due in no small part to the efforts of the...

I object!(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... AS A CIVIL RIGHTS AND EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION lawyer who left the large firm life (where I felt more like a house Negro than anything else), I thought your article ["America's Top Black Lawyers"] was shallow and truly a disappointment. How...

Money well spent.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... I'M FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO SUBSCRIBE to BLACK ENTERPRISE, a thorough, well-rounded, and positive magazine (in the midst of all the other hip-hop trash) about and for my people. Thank you so much. I am writing to comment on the BE Winter Auto...

Paid to talk.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... I READ YOUR ARTICLE, "MONEY TALKS,"IN the Help Yourself column [Motivation, November 2003]. You gave sound advice to T. Todd. It is very difficult to break in to the voice-over industry. However, there is a huge demand for talented African...

Single and rich.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... YOUR FEATURE ARTICLE "SINGLE & FREE" ["A Man Is Not a Plan," October 2003] was very helpful and informative. Like Ms. [Chiri] Holt, I am a young, 27year old, black female professional with no attachments, and I have been thinking about my...

Vanguarde media files for bankruptcy; Savoy, Heart & Soul, and Honey fold due to lack of capital, flawed business strategy.(Business News)
February 1, 2004... The clock ran out for high profile Vanguarde Media Inc., publisher of Savoy, Heart & Soul, and Honey. Principals were unable to make a last-ditch effort to raise capital for the cash-starved company and successfully pursue a viable publishing...

Will Mr. Obama go to Washington? Illinois state legislator seeks to become only black U.S. senator.(Washington Report)
February 1, 2004... In the upcoming months, all eyes will be on the presidential competition. However, the stakes are high in the race for the former U.S. Senate seat of presidential candidate Carol Moseley Braun, as Democratic state Sen. Barack Obama attempts to...

Race matters: studies show race, even black-sounding names, causes doors to shut.(Diversity News)
February 1, 2004... It has been sort of a prevalent view of policy makers and the general public that discrimination in the labor market is no longer a barrier to opportunity. In fact, a Gallup poll revealed that when people were asked "Do you feel racial...

Liz Claiborne acquires urban sportswear brand Enyce.(Newsbytes)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... The ownership of urban sportswear brand Enyce has changed hands. Late last year, Enyce owner Sport Brands International sold the brand for $114 million to Liz Claiborne Inc. The move came about when Enyce's former owner, FILA USA Inc., was...

Ford Motor Company is sponsoring the Ford BEST Business Plan contest in association with SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business" and DiversityInc.(Newsbytes)(Ford Motor Company)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Ford Motor Company is sponsoring the Ford BEST Business Plan contest in association with SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business" and DiversityInc. The contest asks individuals with the drive to become entrepreneurs to submit a business...

Entrepreneurial enthusiasm: black teens see greater job security in owning a business.(Facts & Figures)
February 1, 2004... Having watched their parents and older siblings fall prey to massive job layoffs in corporate America, today's youth are, not surprisingly, enthusiastic about becoming entrepreneurs. Roughly 41% of teens (those age 13 to 18) believe that owning...

How do the mutual fund scandals affect you? What was once thought a safe investment is now under scrutiny. Here's what matters and why.(Special Report)
February 1, 2004... For investors like San Jose, California, resident Glenn E, Perkins, the latest mutual fund scandals have shaken is confidence. But the engineering manager still thinks mutual funds are one of the safest, ways for individual investors to invest...

Georgia's a peach for profits: The Malachi Group's Porter Bingham says Georgia companies are ripe for a run.(Private Screening)(Southern Company )
February 1, 2004... Porter Bingham, president and CEO of The Malachi Group (TMG), believes that focusing on Georgia-based companies can offer attractive opportunities for investors. TMG is an Atlanta-based investment banking firm operating in several business...

A happy return to equities: money manager Derek Batts of Union Heritage relied on price-to-earnings ratios to defeat market volatility.(Stock Update)
February 1, 2004... "We did really well in a rough, rough market," boasts portfolio manager Derek Batts who manages $200 million for Union Heritage Capital Management in Detroit. The exclusive portfolio he put together for BLACK ENTERPRISE last year earned a...

Asian elation! Pacific Asian funds have turned the corner.(Mutual Fund Focus)
February 1, 2004... If stock markets along the Pacific Coast of Asia are any indication, the region's economies have come back from their mid-90s demise with a vengeance. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index measuring that region's stocks was up 30% by mid October....

Taxes on Roth IRAs.(Ask B.E.)
February 1, 2004... Q I've heard so many good things about the Roth IRA that I am considering opening an account. I would like to close my traditional IRA and use it to open the Roth, but I'm not sure about my tax liability. Any advice? --N. Jones Vie the...

The look of fashion: with a splash of paint and a vision, four friends became entrepreneurs.(Making It)(Miskeen Originals)
February 1, 2004... Four men have taken pop-art culture and fused it with style to create what they call "ArtWear." Miskeen Originals, a Philadelphia-based manufacturer of band-painted custom apparel, was launched in the fall of 2000 and can be found at over...

Turning receivables into received: don't let your collections process fall through the cracks.(Management Advice)(payment terms at Sweet Survival)
February 1, 2004... Last July, Shirley Frazier's firm made a business development presentation that was highly praised by the client. As president of Paterson, New Jersey-based business consulting firm Sweet Survival, Frazier's $7,500 fee was determined ahead of...

Herbal remedies: couple looks to make bad hair days a thing of the past.(Making It)(Don-Vant Inc,Isaac)
February 1, 2004... For Stephanie Suthers, making herbal products runs in her blood, so when she decided to become an entrepreneur, she tapped into the knowledge of her ancestors. At an early age, Suthers was taught the many uses for herbs by her Cherokee...

Finding funding.(Savvy Solutions)
February 1, 2004... Q My partner and I are trying to start our own business, but we keep running into funding problems. We need to knew hew to write a government grant proposal and what grants would be available. --M. Short Via the Internet A Funding a...

Judge, jury, and spam executioner: tech exec sets his sights on fighting e-mail menaces.(Black Digerati)
February 1, 2004... When Paul Q. Judge left Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1995, he was on his way to college to become a chemical engineer, or so he thought. As the chief technology officer of Atlanta-based CipherTrust Inc. recalls, the plan seemed logical because...

Hide and click: Optio S4 is small but powerful.(B.E. Reviews)(Pentax Optio S4)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Don't be fooled by its small size--the Pentax Optio S4 packs a mean digital punch. The 3.5-ounce camera measures a mere 3.3 x 2 x .8 and manages to squeeze out crisp 4-megapixel digital images--whether you choose wide angle or telephoto mode....

Speak and slide: Siemens' small phone packs in big features.(Techwatch)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... With an easy-to-use, full-color screen slider that controls the keypad lock system, the Siemens SL56, when closed, fits comfortably in the palm of your hand and disappears in your pocket. With its egg shape, the locked phone measures...

Back on the tech block.(Techwatch)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Brian Adams is at it again. The former cofounder and chief architect at Music Buddha Inc., an intelligent-music recommendation service (see "Have It Your Way," May 2001), has created AntiSpam Personal, an application that features a "challenge...

Turn back the hands of time: travel to the past with Windows' System Restore.(Tech 1-2-3)
February 1, 2004... Superman had to fly backward around the earth super fast to reverse time and save Lois Lane. If you're a Windows ME or XP user, you have System Restore to bring Windows back to life--and it won't make you work nearly that hard. In two or three...

Web still rules.(Cyberwise)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Q I know I am probably a little late to the game, but I am interested in launching a Website for my company. We have been in business for five years and have a good number of clients and a nice stable of products and services, but I would like...

Plugging in: networking skills that promise success.(Making Connections)
February 1, 2004... SUCCESSFUL NETWORKING PART 1 OF A SERIES Every job I've ever been hired for I've gotten because an associate told me about an opening or someone referred me. I've always gotten my jobs through somebody I know," says Melvin Murphy, author...

Law schooling.(Since You Asked ...)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Q I am a 21-year-old woman with a strong interest in entertainment law. I graduate in May and anticipate attending law school. I have been building my resume by interning at various law firms and record companies. I am relocating to Atlanta...

Warner Bros. Animation.(On The Move)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Roland Poindexter has been named to the newly created position of senior vice president of Action-Adventure Properties at Warner Bros. Animation. Poindexter will be responsible for supervising creative direction of selected series in all genres...

Medco Health Solutions Inc.(On The Move)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Pamela T. Miller has been appointed vice president of market development for the government sector of Medco Health Solutions Inc. Miller will be charged with developing new product strategies, supporting sales and market development, and...

Nicktoons.(On The Move)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Keith Dawkins has been named vice president and general manager of Nicktoons, MTV Networks' expanded suite of channels at Nickelodeon, which is available for digital distribution. As its first general manager, his responsibilities will include...

Schieffelin & Somerset Co.(On The Move)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Noel Hankin is the senior vice president of multicultural initiatives for Schieffelin & Somerset Co. In his newly created position, Hankin is responsible for leading the company's efforts in its focus on multicultural consumer segment...

American Urban Radio Networks.(On The Move)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Mary Ware was named regional director of marketing and new business development for Chicago-based American Urban Radio Networks. Ware will be charged with creating revenue for AURN programming and national promotions. She previously served as...

Convention calendar.(Calendar)
February 1, 2004... * Research Association of Minority Professors 23rd Annual Conference Feb. 5-7, 2004 Houston 936-857-3425 www.rampresearch.org * Black Enterprise/AXA Advisors Ski Challenge Feb. 11-16, 2004 Vail, Colorado ...

Penny-pinching power: Candace Lewis is proving that saving on consumer purchases can be satisfying: Lewis is saving on smaller purchases so she can send her daughter to private school.(Black Wealth Initiative)
February 1, 2004... THESE DAYS, JUST ABOUT EVERYONE IS LOOKING TO "make a dollar out of 15 cents," says 34-year-old Candace Lewis Lewis was never one to pay close attention to her finances, but once she had her daughter, she realized that she had to tighten the...

When a man stands alone; Kenneth O'Mard faces the challenge of managing property, controlling finances, and raising children.(Family Finances)
February 1, 2004... LIKE MANY SINGLE PARENTS, KENNETH O'MARD, 28, IS trying to make ends meet. The Maryland police investigator is raising his two children--Rayshawn, 8, and Rayvin, 4--with a $43,000 salary. His children's mother, whom O'Mard never married. lives...

How to effectively compete in a tough job market; getting in gear for career success.(Career Strategies)
February 1, 2004... You Can Always Find Work The best people don't get laid off. If you're good, there's work out there for you. Those were the overall opinions of experts gathered recently at BLACK ENTERPRISE'S Career Roundtable. That's a hard pill to...

Managing a blended family: crafting a financial for two families that merge through marriage is serious business. Here's how to do it right.(Money Management)
February 1, 2004... FROM THE OUTSET, KOFI AND YVETTE MOYO FIRMLY BELIEVED that their union would add value to all members of their growing brood. Combining his eight children and her one child could have easily led to emotional upheaval and financial discord--but...

How to find up to $100,000 in scholarship aid: need money for college? These resourceful scholars show how persistence pays with the gift of education.(Personal Finance)
February 1, 2004... FOR AS LONG AS JESSICA JOHNSON COULD REMEMBER, SHE wanted to attend Spelman College. But when it seemed unlikely that her family could afford to send her to the all-women college in Atlanta, she faced having to attend Jackson State Community...

Remembering Arthur G. Gaston: a titan's first step: how an unknown coal miner from Birmingham, Alabama, became the 20th Century's preeminent entrepreneur.(Book Excerpt)(Arthur George Gaston, a titan's first step)(Excerpt)
February 1, 2004... The grandson of slaves, born into poverty in 1892 in the Deep South, Arthur George Gaston died at the age of 103 with a fortune worth well over $130 million and a business empire spanning communications, real estate, and insurance. Gaston was,...

The Afro-Latino connection: can this group be the bridge to a broadbased black-Hispanic alliance?(Special Report)(Cover Story)
February 1, 2004... CID WILSON HAD HIS FIRST UGLY RUN-IN WITH RACISM AS A TEENAGER ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON. "One kid threw something at another kid," Wilson recalls. "The kid actually thought it was me." One of only 11 minorities in a senior student body of 300,...

Diversity: a business growth opportunity.(Special Advertising Section)
February 1, 2004... There's on question that diversity is a touchstone of American business and its workforce in the 21st century. The United States population, workforce, trade and investment profile have all changed significantly over the last three decades...

Top executives: speak out.(Special Advertising Section)
February 1, 2004... AFLAC Diversity is a core value at AFLAC and not just a practice. "We're committed to embracing our differences and combining our unique talents and resources as we continue to guide AFLAC on it's mission of remaining one of the top...

Executives program.(Special Advertising Section)(courses of Metropolitan College of New York, University of Maryland University College )
February 1, 2004... THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO Graduate School of Business The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business is one of the world's premier business schools, For more than a century, our innovations in business education and our...

Trusting your instincts: Crystal Winslow followed her heart to become an author.(Guts & Glory)
February 1, 2004... What do you want to be when you grow up? It's the proverbial question asked of every little kid and like many, Crystal Lacey Window figured responding "a lawyer" was a real crowd pleaser. "The first reason I wanted to go [to law school] was to...

Crowning moments: celebrating our achievements, both past and present.(Common Ground)
February 1, 2004... "We are a black gold mine, and the key that unlocks the door to these vast riches is the knowledge of who we are--I mean, Who we really are. --Tony Brown What Mama Taught Me: Seven Core Values of Life Every year, when Black History...

Hungry for success.(Help Yourself)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Q I am a hungry, 26 year old, African American male. I want to start my own food distribution company (such as SYSCO). I drove tractor trailers for food companies and was blessed to see how they operate. How do I get started? How can I meet...

Legal ease? Do-it-yourself lawyering is not for everyone.(Consumer Life)
February 1, 2004... Cheryl Collins-McLemore is only 37 years of age, but she's already considering her mortality. In the event of her imminent death, she does not want to be kept on life support; desires for her body to be donated to science; wishes for a...

Going once, going twice: online auctions offer great deals.(Secret Savings)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... To shop for new and used products at a price you can command, try online auctions. "Virtual marketplaces" such as www.ebay.com, www.auctions.yahoo.com, www .luxurylink.com, and www.ubid .com are timed, public sales driven by bids, with items...

Your kind of news: free personalized information for the public.(Priceless Resources)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Receive customized news at www.individual .com, a free Website that sorts articles and press releases from more than 70 major sources such as the Associated Press and PR Newswire. Choose from more than 200 topics "relevant to your business and...

Trusting credit counselors.(Ask Your Advocate)(Federal Trade Commission)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Q I am currently filling out an application form for a [credit counseling] agency that wants several hundred dollars up front and 14 monthly payments. I was also told that [some agencies] are fronts for the creditors. How do I know which agency...

Rising star: a spotlight on our clients' top performers.(Special Advertising Section)(advertising assistance by Education to Communicate)(Advertisement)
February 1, 2004... EDWARD JONES Emily Roberts-Pitts Investment Representative A 20-year veteran to the financial services industry, Emily Roberts Pitts has spent the last nine years of her career as an Invesment Representative with Edward Jones in the...

Surfing the slopes: avid snowboarder lives for downhill adventures.(Personal Passions)
February 1, 2004... "It is an exhilarating experience [that] requires speed, skill, and coordination--and the scenery is unbelievable," says Biff Wayne Clark about his snowboarding adventures atop 9,000-foot-high mountains and snow at least knee deep. Clark,...

Journey to Southeast Asia: a taste of Thailand.(Travelogue)
February 1, 2004... Thailand is a feast for the senses, and yours will be fully indulged starting with the 55-minute cab ride from the airport to Bangkok. Jewel-colored Theravada Buddhist temples--about 90% of Thais practice the religion--dot the landscape. Among...

Denver Nuggets: Wil Alston's city highs.(City Profiles)
February 1, 2004... ACCOMODATIONS At 5.280 feet above sea level, Denver is one of the flattest cities in the nation. Rouhly 15 miles in distance from the foot of the Rocky Mountains, the city is home to top companies such as Lockheed Martin, Sprint Corp. and...

The opportunity is knocking: this year's Entrepreneurs Conference will take your business beyond its boundaries.(B.E. Entrepreneurs Conference)(Black Enterprise)
February 1, 2004... We've up an impressive roster of speakers and panelists who will offer the tools to help you and your company prosper. For more than 33 years, BLACK ENTERPRISE has been the unassailable, authoritative source of information and inspiration for...

Building wealth the old-fashioned way! At the end of the rainbow, that pot of gold is known as homeownership.(Next Month)
February 1, 2004... Since revising our Black Wealth Initiative's Declaration of Financial Empowerment principles this year, we have made an effort to show our readers that homeownership is the No. 1 way to build wealth in America. Now is the time to buy a home....