Black Enterprise articles from October 2007

Black Enterprise archives from October 2007

Retiring rich.(WEB FEATURES)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It is really possible to hit your retirement goals. Visit BlackEnterprise.com to meet four couples who planned, saved, and are now living the good retirement life.

News with a perspective.(WEB FEATURES)
October 1, 2007... Visit BlackEnterprise.com for insightful weekly columns. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Editor-at Large Sakina Spruell answers visitor's questions about building wealth in her personal finance column. Hollywood insider George Alexander keeps...

Web tools.(BlackEnterprise.com)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FRANCHISE FINDER www.blackenterprise.com/ franchise finder Select from franchises that suit your interests and open your dream business today! GET $40 WHEN YOU INVEST www.blackenterprise.com/bemoney ShareBuilder...

Web highlights.(BlackEnterprise.com)
October 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 Find tools...

The importance of our legacy.(Publisher's Page)
October 1, 2007... A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children, and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.--Proverbs 13:22 Wealth based merely on the accumulation of material things is fleeting. Wealth based on lifestyle and...

The new meaning of retirement.(About This Issue)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SO JUST WHAT IS RETIREMENT? ONE DEFINITION PROVIDED BY Webster's Dictionary calls it a withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from an active working life. The word itself conjures up images of...

Ignored as voters.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I agree with your article by George Alexander titled "Republicans Not Courting Our Vote" (Newspoints, July 2007). I have not heard any Republican candidate address any real issues concerning African American voters,...

Encouraged by example.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2007... "FASHION FORWARD" (JULY 2007) WAS FANTASTIC. SANA Butler did a superb job capturing Daisy's route to financial empowerment, driven by her perseverance and decision to become an entrepreneur. I particularly enjoyed the article because Daisy and...

Proven principles.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2007... MR. GRAVES, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE inspiration and insight in your book, How to Succeed in Business Without Being White. I believe this book should be required reading in all business classes, especially at our majority black...

Final responsibility.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Facts & Figures article on the importance of establishing a will ("You Can't Take it With you," August 2007) was well-written and hit on some very important facts. In my family-owned funeral home in Detroit, we...

Everyone needs an estate plan.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2007... THANKS FOR SHEDDING SOME LIGHT ON THE TOPIC OF estate planning ("You Can't Take it With You," August 2007). As an estate planning attorney, I spend many hours working with the families of those who did not have an estate plan. Dying without a...

A renewed respect.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2007... AS A McDONALD'S OWNER, AUTHOR, AND REAL ESTATE investor, I am all about economically empowering black people. I was recently reintroduced to BLACK ENTERPRISE and as I read it, I kept finding articles that were relevant to all areas of my life....

Subprime lenders under fire: does the NAACP have a viable case?(AROUND THE NATION)
October 1, 2007... THE CHARGES ARE SERIOUS AND THE legal complaint doesn't mince words. In July, the NAACP filed a lawsuit charging a dozen lenders with "institutionalized systematic racism." This comes as the subprime mortgage crisis heats up--with 2 million...

Gwen Sykes takes CFO post at Yale: leaves NASA after reversing the agency's financial woes.(POWER PLAYER)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Gwendolyn Sykes, the chief financial officer that turned around NASA's accounting issues, was recently named Yale University's chief financial officer. The former CFO of NASA moved into her new position in July and repots directly to Vice...

Doctor on the go: Concessions International founder opens airport clinic.(BUSINESS NEWS)
October 1, 2007... ATLANTA INVESTMENT BANKER AND LAWYER FELKER Ward Jr. is ushering the concept of quick, convenient healthcare into uncharted territory--airports. This past May, Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport welcomed the first...

Johnson Publishing expands; moving into television and internet to extend brand.(B.E. 100s)
October 1, 2007... Chicago-based Johnson Publishing Co. Inc. (No.7 on the BE INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE 100 list with $472.2 million in sales) has chronicled the lives of black families in its flagship publications EBONY and JET since the 1940s and '50s, but now the...

FAMU battles financial woes: institution rattled by operational audit and rumors of state funding cuts.(NEWSBYTES)(Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University)
October 1, 2007... SETTLING INTO A NEW JOB IS HARD enough, but Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University President James Ammons, who began on July 2, is also contending with negative publicity about financial misdeeds at the school. An operational audit...

Higher learning: black enrollment at highest level ever, but graduation rate still lags.(FACTS & FIGURES)
October 1, 2007... AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE ENROLLING IN COLLEGE AT THE highest numbers in the nation's history. And many of those students are going on to graduate. According to figures released by the U.S. Department of Education, blacks were awarded 123,464...

Video vanguards: investing in the streaming video trend.(INVESTMENT STRATEGIES)(Industry overview)
October 1, 2007... IN THIS AGE OF YOUTUBE, ALL SORTS OF businesses are offering video clips on their Websites; and business owner Felicia Palmer is following suit. Her business, 4Control Media Inc., based in New Jersey, owns two popular Websites that use the...

Time for bonds? In a turbulent market, Mary Pugh reminds investors to look at fixed income.(INVESTOR INSIGHT)
October 1, 2007... Once in a while the stock market sends investors a jolt to remind the financial world that bonds, too, make good investment. One clear signal that investment portfolios need balance came in July, when for one brief moment, the Dow closed above...

Silicon success: solar energy shines for Dawn Alston Paige.(STOCK UPDATE)(shares of MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. continue to rise)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... THE INTERNATIONAL PUSH FOR ALTERNATIVE energy shined a positive light on Dawn Alston Paige's portfolio. Paige, senior vice president and co-founder of Durham, North Carolina-based Piedmont Investment Advisors, made a prescient call that shares...

Take the wheel: the Pension Protection Act doesn't mean you can sit back and relax.(Total Return)
October 1, 2007... WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT IF WE COULD just push an "easy" button, like in the Staples commercials, and create a successful retirement plan? As we know too well, life rarely falls into place that effortlessly. But change is on the horizon. Last...

To give and receive: how to pass on 401(k) assets and manage an inheritance.(ESTATE PLANNING)
October 1, 2007... If you're disciplined about saving and investing, you may be fortunate enough to fund your ideal retirement and leave some money to your heirs. But without proper planning, they could face hefty tax bills, returning much of your hard-won...

Kids first.(MONEY MATTERS)(Oneshare.com)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... QA Is Oneshare.com a good way to start educating my children about investing? --C. Newsom-Broughton Via the Internet Oneshare.com, which sells framed stock certificates, may be a good way to introduce the concept of stocks to a young...

Doing it right: Anthony Samuels learned early on that delegating tasks was key to his company's survival.(MAKING IT)(Done Right Building Services Inc.)(Occupation overview)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, IF YOU WANT THE JOB done right you can't always do it yourself--though Anthony Samuels certainly tried. "I was stuck in the office trying to take care of everything," the entrepreneur...

The personal touch: entrepreneur turns good taste, love of luxury into lucrative venture.(STARTING UP)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Philadelphia resident Chaka Fattah Jr. has always had expensive taste whether for high-end restaurants or Cartier watches. In December 2005, Fattah started tending to the expensive tastes of others, launching...

Looking out for the little guys: large corporations partner up on online tool to boost technology, bottom line for small businesses.(BUSINESS TOOLS)
October 1, 2007... Prospective guests of The DC GuestHouse bed and breakfast in Washington, D.C., can now make reservations online thanks to the innovative technology of Biz Tech-Connect. The B&B's co-owner Tom Bell says that two months after incorporating the...

Come one, come all.(SAVVY SOLUTIONS)(how to get more capital to reach more people in restaurant industry)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... QA I have been in the restaurant industry for 17 years, and in the wake of Hurricane Katrina I branched out and opened five restaurants, one of which is in another state. That location is debt-free, but it lacks customers. How can I get more...

Homing in on the future: Automated Interiors and WinSonic meet high demand for tech-friendly housing.(BLACK DIGERATI)(WinSonic Digital Media Group)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] OPEN FLOOR PLANS, GOURMET KITCHENS, PALATIAL master suites, vaulted ceilings--these are the usual suspects on home buyers' lists of must-haves. But increasingly, they are also looking for a better connection, if you...

Strictly business.(B.E. TESTED)(Hewlett-Packard Co.'s smart phones)
October 1, 2007... WHEN IT COMES TO HANDHELD DEVICES, the HP iPAQ hw6925 smartphone eschews the bells and whistles for solid business performance. It couples functionality with an easy-to-handle (if slightly hefty) frame and phone, mobile word processing, and...

Making the grade.(B.E. TESTED)(convertible notebook)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... THE GATEWAY C-120X CONVERTIBLE notebook is a solid business machine at an attractive price point. It comes fully equipped with many of the features we've come to expect in a work machine: Intel Core 2 Duo processor (1.06GHz), 1024MB DDR2...

The total cost of ignorance: avoiding top tech mistakes.(TECH NEWS)
October 1, 2007... A little knowledge is a dangerous thing," or so the saying goes. But when it comes to business, ignorance about technology can be devastating. Companies that lose data make headlines and suffer the cost, the embarrassment, and the loss of trust...

Also check out ...(TECHWATCH)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If CD/DVD backup represents a familiar preventive maintenance method, Lenovo's Think Vantage Rescue and Recovery demonstrates the other end of the spectrum. This application deploys a set of self-recovery tools to...

Must-haves for the technoholic in you.(TECH ADDICTIONS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... OK WE'LL ADMIT IT. WE DON'T ALWAYS SPEND OUR TIME DOING "BUSINESS." Sometimes we happen upon a Website or a tech toy--er--business tool that has us whiling away the hours. Here's a look at some of the tech we just can't get enough of: ...

A few questions.(CYBERWISE)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... QA You have mentioned a few times that when purchasing equipment, it's important to think about the long term. But what if you don't know the kinds of things you are supposed to look for? For example, if I need to purchase a printer, what...

Crisis management: an airline professional says establishing trust is the first step in effective leadership.(EXECUTIVE SUITE)(dialogue with Shirley W. Bridges of Delta Air Lines Inc.)(Interview)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] How would you describe your leadership style? Servant--leader is how I always describe my style. My job is to make sure that my team has everything they need to do their jobs. whether it's training, removing...

Maximizing the success of new products.(POWERPLAY)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... "NEW PRODUCTS DRIVE BUSINESS GROWTH AND PROFITABILITY," SAYS Roland Owens, co-owner of Mobile Technics, an IT consulting, project management, and software solutions firm in Los Angeles. "Unfortunately, the route for getting those products to...

Network marketing strategies for marketing professionals.(ACTION PLAN)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... THE TACTICS USED BY NETWORK MARKETING PROGRAMS WERE ONCE questionable at best. But with the evolution of many of these companies' processes, their methods could become a blueprint for marketers in traditional business. "Network marketing...

What you should know about signing bonuses.(POWERPLAY)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... NO LONGER EXCLUSIVE TO STAR athletes and high-level corporate executives, today employees at all levels of the organization and across professions are getting signing bonuses says Walter McGlawn, a principal with Norcross. Georgia-based...

Pressure sessions: learning how to conquer a panel interview.(MAKING CONNECTIONS)
October 1, 2007... Marceid Hatcher was excited to be granted his first post-college interview but was nervous to learn it would be a group interview of four--in what is called a panel interview, several company representatives, sometimes from different divisions,...

Getting in.(SINCE YOU ASKED)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... QA I am 32 and working toward a bachelor's degree in communications. I accepted a job writing a column for a startup magazine but forgot to ask about compensation and now I don't know how to bring it up. How do I broach the subject? ...

Scott Mills.(ON THE MOVE)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] New Position: President and Chief Operating Officer Organization: BET Networks Location: Washington, DC Responsibilities: Leads the company's business operations: advertising sales, legal and business...

Esther Franklin.(ON THE MOVE)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] New Position: Executive Vice President; Director of Cultural Identities Organization: Starcom MediaVest Group Multicultural Division Location: New York Responsibilities: Heads insights into ethnic and...

Robert S. Acquaye.(ON THE MOVE)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] New Position: Circulation Director Organization: Johnson Publishing Co. Location: Chicago Responsibilities: Heads the day-to-day circulation operations for EBONY and JET magazines while increasing...

Otis Webb Brawley.(ON THE MOVE)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] New Position: Chief Medical Officer Organization: American Cancer Society Location: Atlanta Responsibilities: Provides management oversight of the organization's research; act as chief spokesperson for...

Vicki Hamilton.(ON THE MOVE)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] New Position: Senior Vice President of Enterprise Performance Organization: Turner Broadcasting System Inc. Location: Atlanta Responsibilities: Balancing operational activities company-wide such as...

Convention calendar.(Brief article)(Calendar)
October 1, 2007... National Association of Black Female Executives in Music & Entertainment Oct. 3-7; Charlotte, NC; 877-622-3363, www.nabfeme.org National Organization for Diversity in Sales and Marketing Oct. 4-5; Atlanta; 888-689-8896, ext. 4;...

Playing it safe: Lucinda Andrew finds comfort in knowing she's fully insured.(Black Wealth Initiative)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE WORST TIME TO DISCOVER THAT you need supplemental insurance is after it's too late. Five years ago, when Lucinda Andrew's father, Raymond, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, her sister and three brothers...

A helping hand: Quency Hawkins balances his own retirement plan with aiding relatives.(Financial Fitness Contest Winner No. 85)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] QUENCY HAWKINS TAKES TO HEART the commandment "honor thy mother and father." The only child of retired parents, he's helping fill the financial gaps not only for them butt also for his grandmother. Hawkins'...

Surviving a layoff: a step-by-step guide to get you back on your feet and back to work.(CAREERS)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "IT'S BUSINESS, NOT PERSONAL." That's probably the last thing you feel when you've lost your job. Yet this is the mind-set that helped Heidi Moore through not one, but two layoffs. "I never looked at it as the...

Daddy's home! Fathers stay home to watch the kids and build businesses to suit their values.(ENTREPRENEURSHIP)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] ANDREW MORRISON, 41, HAD REACHED a level of entrepreneurial success that would make even the most accomplished businessperson envious. Having started a direct-mail marketing company right after graduating from...

Winning the battle against breast cancer: new treatments and preventive procedures are helping people beat the disease.(EXECUTIVE HEALTH)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] RENE SYLER'S MORNING 'WAS THROWN off balance the day ABC's Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts announced on air that she had breast cancer. The two are friends, and the news reminded Syler, formerly of CBS'...

The complete retirement: when you stop working, have you thought about how you'll fill your days?(RETIREMENT PLANNING)(Department of Labor and Workforce Development)
October 1, 2007... SO MUCH OF WHAT WE DO IS ROUTINE. FOR MANY of us, each day starts with a jolting noise from an alarm clock, followed by the standard ritual of getting dressed for work as the local weather and traffic report plays in the background. And there...

The Moneywise 100: BE's guide to the best mutual funds.(RETIREMENT PLANNING)(Statistical table)
October 1, 2007... LOOKING TO SECURE YOUR RETIREMENT with a healthy nest egg? Like most investors, you've probably gotten a bad case of whiplash surveying an increasingly volatile stock market, just take a look at its recent performance: The Dow Jones industrial...

Back in business: Percy Marchand weathered the storm to rebuild his company and himself.(TRIALS AND TRIUMPHS)(Marchand InK)
October 1, 2007... "I WOKE UP EVERY DAY FEELING pointless," remembers Percy Marchand. "I thought I'd reached a pinnacle in my career, and Katrina wiped it all out. I took it as a sign." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 26-year-old entrepreneur's New...

Overcoming anxiety: how to tell if your work-related stress is out of control.(ATTITUDE ENHANCEMENT)
October 1, 2007... After a company restructuring last year, Shaquell Truesdale, 35, an operations quality manager in Baltimore, expected some work-related stress. "I had worked in this industry for a while, so I was used to stressful periods that come and go,"...

What women want.(PEP TALK)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... QA I'm a 27-year-old male who has recently started a direct sales business with Avon. Sales are very good but there are some women who are leery of buying from a young man. Do you have any suggestions on how I can ease their minds and let them...

Risks and rewards ... using equity in your home to pay off credit card debt.(CREDIT MANAGEMENT)
October 1, 2007... TWO YEARS AGO PATRICIA ROBERTS-ROSE OF CATONSVILLE, Maryland, stopped working full time to stay home with her two young children, Amaya, 6, and Aliya, 3. Knowing that they now would be relying on one salary, Roberts-Rose and her husband,...

Bundled services: bargain or nightmare? Be wary before switching to an all-in-one provider.(BUYING POWER)
October 1, 2007... Having telephone, cable TV, and high-speed Internet service provided by one company, and all on one lower monthly bill may sound convenient, but such offers may not be as great as they appear. Any time you buy multiple services from one...

Slash your healthcare costs: insider tips on getting quality care for less.(CONSUMER LIFE)
October 1, 2007... The cost of staying healthy is increasing. Health insurance costs are so high that 43.6 million Americans were forced to forgo coverage last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. But those who have health insurance are being hit...

Free entertainment: movie Websites offer no-cost leisure time.(PRICELESS RESOURCES)
October 1, 2007... Looking for an alternative to paying $10 for a box of popcorn and a soda at the movies, or trying to beat out other movie lovers at the video rental store? Several Websites let you bring Hollywood to the comfort of your home and straight to...

Paying debts after a spouse dies.(ASK YOUR ADVOCATE)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... QA A My husband is addicted to credit cards and has heavy debt. I have never co-signed any applications for his credit cards, but I was told that if he were to die first, the estate could be sued. Is this true? --M. Jones ...

Sail fast: yachtsman Neal Petersen's solo acts at sea.(THE ENTHUSIAST)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] To build a superior racing yacht and retain a stellar team to compete in the 2012 Vendee Globe, the nonstop single-handed mound-the-world race that starts and finishes in France, Neal Petersen will need $3 million to...

Southern comfort: Claude McDougal considers Charlotte bankable.(CITY INSIDER)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A PROGRESSIVE ENVIRONMENT WITH AN IMPRESSIVE financial base attracted Detroit native Claude McDougal, 48, to Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1992. McDougal, CEO of U.S. Financial Alliance Consultants...

Coming in from the cold.(THE FINER THINGS)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CLASSIC BLENDS A warm, delicious alternative to hot chocolates and creamy lattes can be, as the British say, a spot of tea. But real tea enthusiasts never steep bagged varieties. Two for Tea, an online boutique...

African brews.(THE FINER THINGS)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Forget coffee shops--true connoisseurs brew their own java. Dubbed the "Cabernet of coffee" by The New York Times, the Sweet Unity Farms blend mixes Arabica and Peaberry beans from the southern highlands of Tanzania...

Dream bean machine.(THE FINER THINGS)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It won't serve you cappuccino in bed, but the Impressa F8 from JuraCapresso performs a variety of other functions. The sleek, silver metallic machine, equipped with two frothing systems, grinds, tamps, brews, and...

Backtalk with Ishmael Beah.(Interview)
October 1, 2007... AT THE AGE OF 12, ISHMAEL Beah lost his village, his family, and his boyhood to the civil war plaguing his native land of Sierra Leone. Captured and forced to participate in the brutality, Beah was eventually rescued and rehabilitated by UNICEF...