MBE Capital Call Conference Propels Minority Business Creation, Development, and Funding

On September 15-17, 2011, the Virginia Housing and Community Development Corporation (VHCDC) will host its annual 2011 MBE Capital Call Conference and Venture Forum in Hampton, Virginia at the Crowne Plaza Hotel - Hampton Marina.

Over 100 small, women, and minority business owners will convene to design, create, and launch several innovative, game-changing ventures - in slightly less than 3 days!

Reformatted from previous events, the 2011 MBE Capital Call is an intense, 53 hour long event designed to put entrepreneurs on the fast-track to developing their idea for a new product or service - which could form the basis of a credible business.

Book Review: "Doing Business In China For Dummies"

If you're interested in an authoritative guide to understanding how to do business overseas, this book is a great start. Whether you plan to do business in China or another country, this guide offers a lot of valuable information.

Written by Robert Collins and Carson Block, it covers all the basics, from the nuts and bolts of Chinese business and bureaucracy to negotiating with your Chinese partners. It teaches how to understand Chinese markets, develop a strong business plan, find the right employees, work with currency controls and the Chinese banking system, and sell and source. It also provides the much-needed know-how on how to manage day to day, from travel tips and advice on converting money to getting past language barriers.

2011 National Black Book Festival In Houston

Are you an existing or aspiring African American author? Do you want to learn how to sell more books, get a major book deal, and network with other authors and publishers? Then you may want to plan to attend the upcoming National Black Book Festival in Houston, Texas on June 10-12, 2011.

More than 100 African-American authors and thousands of book club members and readers will converge during the largest indoor gathering of African-American authors in the world. Participating authors from more than 30 states and the Caribbean will showcase, sign and sell their books during the weekend event.

The Black Biz Hookup: Discounted Group Buying From Black-Owned Retailers

Following in the footsteps of Groupon and LivingSocial, a new group buying web site called the Black Biz Hookup has launched with merchant offerings of "Daily Deals" from local Black-owned businesses in major cities.

Instead of using call centers to get a backlog, the company has used a grassroots approach to signing up merchants similar to what Plum District implemented working the "Soccer Mom" referral circuit. They have a group of affiliates around the country acting as advocates for the website and signing up the business owners who grasp the concept.

Is Your Business Prepared For Disaster?

Linda Hunt King

Is your company prepared for the next emergency or disaster? Whether natural or man-made, can your business survive a disruption or crisis if you were closed for a few days, a week or even a month? Most organizations believe they can - until a disaster occurs.

According to Linda Hunt King, PhD, MBA, the worst disaster is the one that threatens the viability of your organization directly. Even more, 40% of businesses struck by a disaster never reopen and 25% of those that do reopen close in two years following a disaster

Top 10 Black Business Resources For 2011

According to the United States Census Bureau, African Americans are 5 times more likely to fail in business than their white counterparts. Furthermore, of the 27 million businesses in this country, barely 2 million or 7% are owned by African Americans.

There are tons of resources available to business owners and entrepreneurs, but because of these devastating statistics, I've decided to compile a list of the top ten resources that are specifically designed to help African Americans be more successful in business. Here they are:

Small Business Revival: Free Seminar To Explore 11 Key Principles To Turning Your Concept into Cash

Many top financial and businesses experts agree that a recession can be the best time to start or grow a business. This proven concept is the underlying theme in Andrew Morrison's free 3-night Small Business Revival held from Jan 18-20th at the International Palms Resort in Orlando, FL.

According to Morrison, who is the founder of Small Business Camp: "There's never been a better time to grow your business."

He continues, "Sometimes it just takes just a nudge to steer us in the right direction. It's my hope that my 3-night event will be the nudge many small business owners need to help breathe life back into their passion and show them how they can grow their business even during these tough economic times."

Just How Big Is Amazon.com?

According to Forbes.com, on November 29th alone, customers on Amazon.com ordered more than 13.7 million items, at a rate of 158 items per second. That was just one day of sales!

That leads us to two conclusions: 1) Amazon.com is a much bigger player in the online retail industry than we all thought, and 2) if you aren't using your web site as a sales tool - now, more than ever, is the time to starting doing so.

What To Do...When You Don't Know What To Do

While starting a new business or expanding an existing one, you may reach a fork in the road - that is, a point where you simply don't know what to do next. You may even feel that your next step will either be a breakdown or a breakthrough.

You have an end-goal in mind, but you simply don't know the next step to get there. Or maybe you do know the next step, but you are clueless on how to proceed in that direction.

Why You Need Two Facebook Accounts

500 million people around the globe have a Facebook account, and it is easily one of the most popular social networks of all time - much bigger than Myspace, Friendster, and any others you can think of. Because of this, my strong advice to entrepreneurs and business owners is to create two Facebook profiles - a business one and a personal one.

Why?

My New Book Praised As The "Black Business Bible"

My new book Black Business Secrets is receiving rave reviews and was recently praised as the "Black Business Bible". Its currently in book stores, and was written to overturn the devastating statics from the U.S. Census Bureau that say that African American entrepreneurs are more likely to fail in business than their white counterparts.

If you haven't bought your copy yet, be sure to do so you can start the new year off right. The book has tons of valuable insight, and even features exclusive one-on-one interviews with several millionaires and billionaires including Bob Johnson, Farrah Gray, Ephren Taylor, Tom Burrell, Nadine Thompson, and more.

Black Enterprise Conference Returns To Atlanta

Black Enterprise Magazine is returning to Atlanta, Georgia for their 2011 Entrepreneurs Conference and Expo on May 22-25. The event will be held at the Downtown Marriott Marquis Hotel, and promises to be as good as last year's event - which was held in the same venue.

During the three day period, attendees can expect innovative sessions, high-powered speakers, and an early peek at the products, trends, and services you’ll need to know about to stay ahead of the curve. They'll also have the opportunity to network and interact with hundreds of deal makers, and thousands of other business owners that'll be attending.

How To Be Featured in Black Enterprise Magazine

If you are an entrepreneur, you have already met the first qualification to be featured in Black Enterprise Magazine and other business publications. But there's more work involved!

Here are three tips:

1) Distribute Press Releases With A "Personal" Angle.
To increase your chances of being featured in Black Enterprise, it's best to be a well-respected and well-known business owner amongst the local and/or national media. A great way to accomplish this is to regularly send out press releases about yourself as a part of a consistent personal branding effort.

The press releases should focus on recent and upcoming developments, with an angle that predominantly highlights you as the principal of the company. For instance, if you win an award, are speaking at a function, or have an upcoming appearance on television - these would be appropriate angles.

Stores Opening, Stores Closing - What Does It Mean?

President Obama says that the U.S. economy is recovering and that the "bleeding has stopped", but other critics say that things are still going downhill. Who's right, and who's wrong? Quite frankly, it's really hard to tell.

Just recently, Kohl's, a major clothing and home furnishing retailer, announced that they will be opening 21 more stores. That very same day, Jack in the Box, a major fast food chain, announced that they will be closing 40 stores.

Both have over 1,000 locations nationwide, but yet one is expanding and the other is retracting. Why is this?

How To Build Your Tribe

I first heard the phrase "build your tribe" from my colleague and client Elon Bomani, who is a self-made millionaire. Ever since, it has stuck with me.

Building your tribe really just means to increase your following - such as your Facebook fans and friends, your Twitter followers, your blog subscribers, and those who are loyal to your brand in any other way.

These people make up your network, your personal community, your coalition, and your very own federation. If managed correctly, they will support you, they will buy what you're selling, and they will refer you to other people. Therefore, having a tribe is very essential to your company.

Now Is The Time To Apply For A Business Loan

If you recently applied for a small business loan and were denied, don't be discouraged. According to Carol Tice of Entrepreneur.com, things have changed quite a bit in the past year.

In a recent blog post, she talks about how the Federal Reserve is reporting that big banks have finally began easing their credit standards for small business loan applicants because...well, they need the business.

New Web App Connects Minority Entrepreneurs To Capital

In response to an outcry in recent years from minority business owners for improved access and greater diversity of resources for capital and credit, MBE Capital Connect has responded with an online platform that connects entrepreneurs and capital.

The online application was specifically designed to aide Accredited Investors (angel investors, venture capital firms, banks, credit unions, insurance companies, etc.), Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), and SBA Certified Community Development Corporations (CDCs) to source funding requests and investment opportunities with qualified minority-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owned businesses operating within their markets.

Black Enterprise Celebrates 40 Years With Launch of New Online Store

I'm an avid fan of Black Enterprise magazine and their annual entrepreneurs conference. If you didn't know, they are one of the only magazines that report on business from an African American perspective. They also are one of the only magazines that regularly highlight the accomplishments of African American entrepreneurs and executives.

Recently, to commemorate their 40th Anniversary Collector's Edition, they launched an e-store that allows you to easily buy all the products they sell. For instance, you can subscribe to their monthly magazine - as well as, purchase back issues. In addition, you can buy apparel, posters, bags, coffee mugs, and even mouse pads that feature the Black Enterprise logo.

Promote Your Products on the Black Shopping Channel

The Black Shopping Channel (BSC) is a very unique televised shopping platform that showcases products sold by African American entrepreneurs. It allows small business owners to sell their products on television in a very affordable format - similar to QVC. The products can also be featured on their web site.

Just recently, they signed a major deal to broadcast live on Time Warner Cable on Channel 376 in the North Carolina and South Carolina markets. This officially starts in September, and they expect expand in to other markets soon.

Entrepreneurs Face Less Competition From Laid Off Workers

A recent study from Challenger, Gray & Christmas shows that the percent of laid-off workers starting their own businesses has dropped to an all-time low in the first half of 2010. Only 3.7 percent of job-seekers ended up starting a business, compared to 8.5 percent in all of 2009.

The sharp decrease is likely because the economy has slightly recovered, allowing companies and government agencies to start hiring again. Whatever the reason though, this is great news for existing and aspiring entrepreneurs because fewer new start-ups means less competition.