Black Enterprise articles from March 2007

Black Enterprise archives from March 2007

A home of her own.(WEB FEATURES)
March 1, 2007... View our multimedia presentation of BLACK ENTERPRISE Homeownership Contest winner Helen Flowers.

Hollywood power.(WEB FEATURES)
March 1, 2007... Check out our interactive timeline chronicling important markers in blacks' rise in Tinseltown.

Resource line.(WEB COLUMNS)(blackenterprise.com)(Website overview)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Whatever your professional or entreprenuerial needs, you can find advice at blackenterprise.com. Interactive Media Editor Philana Patterson's column provides useful resources for business owners, corporate executives, and budding investors. ...

Web tools.(blackenterprise.com)(Website overview)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... FRANCHISE FINDER www.blackenterprise.com/franchisefinder Select from franchises that suit your interests and open your dream business today! GET $40 WHEN YOU INVEST www.blackenterprise.com/bemoney ShareBuilder and...

Web highlights.(blackenterprise.com)(Website overview)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... JOB SEARCH Give yourself a free career makeover using our online job search. Go to: Career B.E. NOW ON TV AND RADIO Look for streaming video and audio clips from our latest business news ventures. FINANCIAL PLANNING GUIDE ...

We believe in you.(publisher's page)
March 1, 2007... As a potential homeowner, Helen Flowers seemed to have everything against her. Married at 16, she eventually became a divorced single mother on welfare. A member of the "sandwich generation," she faces the challenge of supporting her two...

Black clout in Hollywood.(About This Issue)
March 1, 2007... In 1919, Oscar Micheaux became the first African American to write, direct, and produce a feature length film, The Homesteader. This silent movie grossed $5,000 and was deemed a commercial success. The son of former slaves, the pioneering...

Perfect form.(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... I am writing to commend you on the Facts and Figures HIV article in the December 2006 issue ("A Black Plague." News-points). I am the bounder and executive director of two health-related nonprofits in Michigan: Without a Vision The People...

Hooray for Hollywood.(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COVER STORY ABOUT BLACK Hollywood, "Reel Prophets" (December 2006)! Ms. Richardson did an excellent job of featuring the best of the best. I was so incredibly inspired by everyone featured. I'm an indie filmmaker,...

Not sexy, but sound.(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... The article "Living the Millionaire Life" by Lynnette Khalfani (December 2006) was perhaps the most fundamentally sound article on investing I have seen in any magazine. Ms. Khalfani certainly did her homework. The 10 lessons she provided are...

Cross-generational appeal.(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... WHEN I PURCHASED THE DECEMBER ISSUE OF BLACK ENTERPRISE at a local drug store the other day, the young, female, African American clerk ringing up the sale remarked, "I need to buy this." She then told me she had read BLACK ENTERPRISE for many...

Black screenwriters left out in the cold.(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... I LOVE THE DECEMBER ARTICLE ABOUT HOW BLACKS are changing the film industry ("Reel Prophets"), but I often wonder why doors are not opening for black screenwriters. There are so many talented black filmmakers establishing themselves as...

Will black firms get a bite of the Big Apple? Programs seek to ensure minority participation in New York City construction boom.(DIVERSITY WATCH)
March 1, 2007... IN THE NEXT FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS, MORE THAN $100 billion in government and private construction contracts will be awarded within New York City. According to Michael Garner, senior director of business development for the New York City School...

Good chemistry: Mays Chemical and Chemico Systems strike lucrative partnership.(B.E. 100s)(ChemicoMays)
March 1, 2007... RESPONDING TO THE CONTINUED CHANGES IN THE AMERICAN AUTOMOTIVE MARKET, Bill Mays, CEO of Mays Chemical Co. (No. 27 on the BE INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE 100 list with $152 million in sales), recently formed a joint venture with Pontiac, Michigan-based...

B. Smith sells brands: products boosted by affiliation with lifestyle maven.(BUSINESS NEWS)(Barbara Smith)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Not only has Barbara Smith, 57, proved to be a successful model, restaurant owner, and entrepreneur, she's also shaping up to become one of America's top product endorsers. Since Smith has appeared on the General Mills' Betty Crocker Cornbread...

Another win for the house.(B.E. 100s)(Barden Cos. won the deal to build Star Casino)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... DON H. BARDEN MADE HISTORY IN DECEMBER 2001 WHEN HE became the first African American to own a major hotel and casino in Las Vegas. A half decade later, he has won the rights to become the first African American to open a casino and slots...

Entrepreneurs buy up broadcast market: Roberts Brothers set precedent with purchase of two radio stations in Mississippi.(B.E. 100s)(Michael Roberts Sr. and Steven Roberts Sr.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Brothers Michael Roberts Sr. and Steven Roberts Sr. expanded their St. Louis-based business empire recently with the purchase of a Jackson, Mississippi, radio station. It is believed to be the first time two African American brothers have owned...

What's China's investment in Africa? Many African nations provide access to natural resources and little foreign competition.(INTERNATIONAL NEWS)
March 1, 2007... From China's political influence to its dramatic economic growth, many are closely watching the People's Republic. Nov. 5, 2006, marked the end of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), where political leaders from...

Millennium Digital Media loses black ownership.(B.E. 100s)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... ST. LOUIS-BASED CABLE TELEVISION AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS provider Millennium Digital Media (No. 41 on the BE INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE 100 list with $102.3 million in sales) changed its business strategy and, as a result, will lose its...

Risky business: at-risk behavior dropping among black teens.(FACTS & FIGURES)
March 1, 2007... FEWER BLACK U.S. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE ENGAGing in certain risky behaviors compared with students of other races, according to the 2005 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly...

The price is right: Terry Bedford's approach weighs in price action and stock market dynamics.(STOCK PICKS)
March 1, 2007... Technical analysis and stock market: dynamics guide the investment approach of Bedford & Associates Research Group. "We feel that the price action of the stock in question takes precedence over fundamental factors such as profit margins and...

Fundamental gains: exploiting mispriced growth opportunities paid off for Tedd Alexander.
March 1, 2007... Discipline over emotion" is the creed at Baltimore-based Credo Capital Management L.L.C. Its analysis of a company's fundamentals is supported by its own proprietary software called ABACUS, which is used to identify mid-cap stocks that exhibit...

Beyond U.S. shores: foreign funds continue to outpace their domestic counterparts.(MUTUAL FUND FOCUS)
March 1, 2007... Investors who have gone offshore have been on-target. For the last five years through the end of 2006, international stock funds have returned 16.28% a year, according to Chicago-based fund tracker Morningstar. This performance is more than...

Good news for first-timers: across the nation, home buying programs help families five their dreams.(HOMEOWNERSHIP)
March 1, 2007... Who says a lack of fund or bad credit means you can't purchase the home of your dreams? Those may have been insurmountable obstacles in the past, but not anymore. New opportunities are emerging nationwide, thanks to a range of innovative...

Paying off credit card debt.(MONEY MATTERS)(Brief article)(Column)
March 1, 2007... QA I'm a young, single, recent college graduate and am saving up for a down payment for a house, I'm contemplating if I should instead use my savings to pay off my credit card debt. Seeing my current social status, which option would be a...

Bid for power: Detroit Electrical Services overcomes growing pains to snag larger contracts.(MAKING IT)
March 1, 2007... WHEN THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FROM DETROIT Water and Sewerage Department crossed Brian Rhodes' desk three years ago, he knew Detroit Electrical Services L.L.C. could handle the job. He just wasn't sure how this small electrical construction...

Biblical superheroes: artist joins Christian media firm to launch a line of faith-based comic books.(STARTING UP)(Michael Davis )
March 1, 2007... Count on two things that will make Michael Davis smile: Christmas and comic books. The holiday season only comes once a year, but as the creative chief of The Guardian Line, a faith-based comic book series, Davis is grinning every day because...

Hiring down, salaries up: small businesses rely on creative strategies while adjusting to 2006 trends.(BUSINESS NEWS)
March 1, 2007... For the small-business economy, last year ended on a mixed note with hiring down and salaries up, according to two scorecard indexes issued by SurePayroll, a Glenview, Illinois-based firm that offers payroll services to small businesses. As a...

Becoming a car consultant.(SAVVY SOLUTIONS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... QA I'm thinking of starting my own consulting business in order to help people save money when they purchase a new automobile. I worked in the car business for two years and want to use all my experience to help people. I'm not sure where to...

Mission possible: Claudia Alexander has high hopes for the future of the space program.(BLACK DIGERATI)
March 1, 2007... AS THE PROJECT MANAGER AND PROJECT SCIENTIST for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Claudia J. Alexander gets to mix business with pleasure. Whether she's intentionally crashing an unmanned spacecraft into Jupiter or representing the U.S. space...

Make money the e-marketing way! We'll show you how to generate quick cash, from using your e-mail signature to pushing products on MySpace.com.(E-BUSINESS)
March 1, 2007... Mel Hopkins knew she would have to get creative when marketing her new supernatural suspense novel because her print-on-demand publishing method limits distribution to Internet booksellers. So with nearly all of her sales channels on the Web,...

Tapping into YouTube: as more people watch and share online videos, YouTube is empowering entrepreneurs to become the broadcasters of tomorrow.(TECH NEWS)
March 1, 2007... In a world where marketing opportunities abound, savvy business owners are always looking for new ways to promote their companies. Choosing between television, newspaper, magazine, and online marketing can be a difficult and expensive decision....

Windows Vista: seven good reasons for upgrading to Microsoft's new operating system.(B.E. TESTED)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... After performing a hands-on analysis of Windows Vista, I'm happy to report that Microsoft's long-awaited new operating system is more than just glitzy bells and whistles. Vista ($99.95 for home upgrades; $199 for businesses) has enough...

Downloading e-books.(CYBERWISE)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... QA My sister loves to read books. I want to buy her an e-book as a gift, but I'm confused about how they work. Do I need special software or hardware to read one? Where can I buy an e-book? --L.Williams Plainsboro, NJ If you're...

Survivor instinct: how a strategic executive read all the corporate signs-and played her vantage points.(THE EXECUTIVE SUITE)(Kimberly Davis of J.P. Morgan Chase and Co. (New York, New York))(Interview)
March 1, 2007... BE: Describe the mergers you've experienced and how you were able to position yourself for success. KD: Let me start: with the first: I was with a small bank in Bridgeport, Connecticut, called CityTrust Bank with about 2,400 employees. In...

Learning the political game.(ACTION PLAN)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The Iraqi war, the tsunami, and Hurricane Katrina each took their toll on the federal budget. As a result, Darrell Williams, serving as chief program manager of the Department of Homeland Security's Secure Border Initiative, was worried about...

Negotiating severance pay.(ACTION PLAN)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Few professionals today will spend their entire career at one company. Downsizings, reorganizations, mergers, and acquisitions will force many out of a job, maybe even two or three. And although many companies provide severance pay, a 2005 Lee...

The art of winning.(ACTION PLAN)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... To deal with competitive threats, some management gurus say today's executives need help from history's most lionized military tactician: Sun Tzu. After reading The Art of War For Executives by Donald G. Krause (Perigee Trade: $14.95), Keith...

Doing the right thing: the importance of maintaining integrity in the workplace.(EXECUTIVE MEMO)
March 1, 2007... In light of recent news reports suggesting that pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly down-played the side effects of Zyprexa, their top-selling drug for schizophrenia, in internal memos to managers and sales associates, the question of ethics in the...

Getting to CPA.(SINCE YOU ASKED)(becoming a certified public accountant)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... QA I am a 33-year old accounting major, with the goal of becoming a CPA, Being older than my classmates, I sometimes wonder if there is anything I am less aware of than they in becoming a CPA or just being successful in business. --S....

Tracye McDaniel.(ON THE MOVE)(Greater Houston Partnership appoints him as chief operating officer and executive vice president)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Tracye McDaniel New Position: COO/Executive VP Organization: Greater Houston Partnership Location: Houston Responsibilities: Managing the activities of all operational areas Former Position: Executive Director, Texas Economic Development and...

Brad Neilley.(ON THE MOVE)(vice president of human resources of Johnson & Johnson)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Brad Neilley New Position: VP, Human Resources, Global Virology Business Organization: Johnson & Johnson Location: New Brunswick, NJ Responsibilities: Leading and directing all HR activities worldwide Former Position: Director, Human Resources...

Roderick C. Kemp.(ON THE MOVE)(business development officer at OneUnited Bank)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Roderick C. Kemp New Position: Business Development Officer Organization: OneUnited Bank Location: Lauderdale Lakes, Florida Responsibilities: Establishing strategic business relationships while providing lending for real estate projects Former...

Fred Towler.(ON THE MOVE)(vice president of procurement at Xpedx)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Fred Towler New Position: VP, Procurement Organization: xpedx, a subsidiary of International Paper Location: Loveland, OH Responsibilities: Working with global suppliers on purchasing strategy and implementation Former Position: Director,...

Deborah Ashton.(ON THE MOVE)(appointed as director of dievrsity at Harley-Davidson Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Deborah Ashton New Position: Director of Diversity, Human Resources Organization: Harley-Davidson Location: Milwaukee Responsibilities: Creating strategies to integrate diversity and inclusion into all aspects of the company Former Position:...

Convention calendar.(POWERPLAY)(business associations)(Brief article)(Calendar)
March 1, 2007... Houston Minority Business Council Second Annual Selling for Success Cruise March 1-5; Galveston, TX; 281-678-1833; www.meetingsandeventsnetwork.com Museum of the African Diaspora's Diaspora Carnaval: Celebrating Across Cultures ...

Hitting her target: Diane Fenderson is on track to maintain her lifestyle when she retires.(BLACK WEALTH INITIATIVE)
March 1, 2007... DIANE FENDERSON IS CERTAIN ABOUT one thing: She won't be joining the legions of retirees who close the door on one career only to open the door to another in their senior years. "Once I retire, I am retiring," she says. "That's the idea isn't...

Bouncing back: the Raines family is working diligently to improve their credit scores and buy their first home.(BLACK ENTERPRISE Financial Fitness Contest Winner No. 78)(April Raines, Gabriel Raines)
March 1, 2007... YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL APRIL AND Gabriel Raines that financial missteps can have a lingering effect. "We've learned the importance of how you use credit," says April. She recalls her college days, when she always paid $100 on her credit card...

Staying in the game: a number of challenges can derail a woman's career. The best strategists know how to manage them all.(WOMEN OF POWER (PART 2 OF A SERIES))(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... IN PART 2 OF OUR WOMEN OF POWER SERIES, WE report on a study that shows how much more difficult it is for women than for men to return to the job market after a sabbatical. This research, titled Back in the Game, Returning to Business After a...

Time out: Debra Sandler left her company to raise her child. Like many female professionals, she discovered that returning to the job market is hard work.(WOMEN OF POWER (PART 2 OF A SERIES))
March 1, 2007... AT 37, DEBRA SANDLER HAD GROWN to believe that she had her career under control. After all, she was a 13-year corporate veteran who had earned several promotions. As vice president of marketing for PepsiCo Inc.'s Tricon Restaurants...

Results count: through team-building and intelligient risk-taking, CEO Adriane Brown drives the $4.5 billion Honeywell Transportation Systems to global dominance.(WOMEN OF POWER (PART 2 OF A SERIES))
March 1, 2007... EARLY IN HER CAREER, ADRIANE M. Brown learned a valuable lesson: results always matter. Fresh out of college, the 22-year-old was about to face her first management challenge: shift supervisor for a 50-employee Raleigh, North Carolina, plant...

Profiting from consumer behavior: data mining helps businesses make more money by predicting the spending habits of their customers.(THE BUSINESS OF TECHNOLOGY)
March 1, 2007... RICHARD MOUSER WAS WATCHING HIS company go slowly down the drain. Mr. Waterfilter (www.mrwaterfilter.com), his 1-year-old, Houston-based dot-com, would soon go bust unless he acted fast. "I was generating traffic and making sales, but my...

Top 50 Power Brokers in Hollywood: these luminaries wield unprecedented clout in film and television.(SPECIAL REPORT)
March 1, 2007... FROM MEDIA TITAN OPRAH WINFREY to megastar Will Smith, powerful forces in Hollywood are controlling the content that millions across the globe watch in movie theatres, on their laptops, and at home. Not only have they kept audiences riveted to...

Dare-dreaming: keep naysayers at bay while chasing your gut aspirations.(PEAK PERFORMANCE)
March 1, 2007... ONLY 26 CREDITS SHY OF AN ENGINEERING DEGREE from the University of Maryland, Bruce Johnson decided he would rather study cosmetology. "I wasn't loving engineering. I was just doing it," he admits. Unsupportive friends threw darts at his...

All in a day's work: balance the life you lead by finding time for yourself.(PEAK PERFORMANCE)
March 1, 2007... AMERICANS SPEND MORE TIME WORKING THAN WESTERN EUROPEANS. according to the 2005 study Work and Leisure in the U.S. and Europe: Why so different? Although necessary for overall wellness, the ability to juggle the demands of work, family, and...

Finding your way.(PEP TALK)(methods to obtain student aid)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... QA I'm 22 and need help finding myself. I was laid off from a job I didn't like, but it paid well. rye been so lost about what to do. 1 have ideas, but no money, and my confidence level is low. I'm interested in writing films and short stories....

Home improvements gone wrong? Here's what you can do to get your project done right.(CONSUMER LIFE)
March 1, 2007... HAVE YOU HIRED A CONTRACTOR TO DO SOME improvements, but after careful inspection, you noticed the work was subpar? Well, you're not alone, according to the 13th annual Consumer Complaint Survey Beport conducted by the National Association...

House swap: home exchange programs allow you to see the world on a budget.(BUYING POWER)(Website list)
March 1, 2007... If your ever planned a vacation, you know costs can add up. But Thanks to house exchange programs, you can subtract hundreds of dollars in hotel fees from the bottom line. Home exchange programs let consumers switch homes for The duration...

Hassle-free hotel stay: a simple phone call can save you time and money.(SECRET SAVINGS)
March 1, 2007... Today's busy traveler is looking higher-quality hotels than in years past, and hoteliers are providing what they want. From luxurious beds draped with rich, velvety linens to hotels around the country are offering more, not less. However,...

The never-ending account.(ASK YOUR ADVOCATE)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... QA I had an account with a credit card company and was not happy with their services (they were deceptive, to say the least) so I called to close the account and paid off the balance. However, the company refuses to close the account. --H....

Truly timeless: James R. Kelly III watches time in style.(PERSONAL PASSIONS)
March 1, 2007... JAMES R. KELLY III STARTED COLLECTING LIMITED-edition timepieces in 1988 for two reasons: They don't depreciate, and they are investments he enjoys. His collection includes 12 Jaeger-LeCoultre, three Panerai, two Franck Muller, two Piagets, and...

Our World with Black Enterprise, the weekly television series that covers the worlds of news, sports, and entertainment from a black perspective, debuts all-new episodes featuring the people you want to see, the issues you want to know about, and the information you want to hear.(All Access: YOUR MONTHLY PASS TO B.E. EVENTS, TV, AND RADIO)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Our World with Black Enterprise, the weekly television series that covers the worlds of news, sports, and entertainment from a black perspective, debuts all-new episodes featuring the people you want to see, the issues you want to know about,...

Mellody Hobson is coming to Black Enterprise!(All Access: YOUR MONTHLY PASS TO B.E. EVENTS, TV, AND RADIO)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Mellody Hobson is coming to BLACK ENTERPRISE! Starting with the April 2007 issue, Hobson, president of Ariel Capital Management L.L.C. (No. 2 on the BE ASSET MANAGERS list with $19.36 billion in assets under management) and financial...

This month, listen to your favorite Clear Channel radio station for Black Enterprise Magazine's Keys to a Better Life.(All Access: YOUR MONTHLY PASS TO B.E. EVENTS, TV, AND RADIO)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... This month, listen to your favorite Clear Channel radio station for Black Enterprise Magazine's Keys to a Better Life. Trevor Delaney, BE'S supervising editor, Personal Finance Group, will talk about ways to save more money; Consumer Affairs...

Tune in to PBS for the premiere of An Evening With Earl Graves.(All Access: YOUR MONTHLY PASS TO B.E. EVENTS, TV, AND RADIO)(Public Broadcasting Service)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Tune in to PBS for the premiere of An Evening With Earl Graves. The one-hour special features historical footage of Graves' career and family, as well as excerpts from the interview he taped with founding BLACK ENTERPRISE Board of Advisors...

Take the express elevator straight to the top!(All Access: YOUR MONTHLY PASS TO B.E. EVENTS, TV, AND RADIO)
March 1, 2007... We're bringing back the Elevator Pitch Competition for the 2007 Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference hosted by General Motors, May 9-12, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Just two minutes could change your future! That's how long you'll have...

Backtalk with Tommy Davidson.(Interview)
March 1, 2007... Tommy Davidson charmed us in the early 1990s as one of the original cast members on the hit show In Living Color. That opened the door to his appearance in a string of movies, including Strictly Business, CB4, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls,...