10-Dec

Black Business News $2.50

YOUR LINK TO AFRICAN AMERICAN BUSINESS OWNERS A MULTIPLE AWARD-WINNING PUBLICATION

A Multiple Award Winning Publication

DECEMBER 2010

Outlook 2011 HOW WILL YOUR BUSINESS STACK UP

In This Issue...

Publisher’s Message…page 3 Our Nation’s New Sputnik Moment…page 9 SBA Unveils New Programs…page 23

AEG Invites Current and Interested Supplier Partners to our

Supplier Portal, an online communication tool designed to enhance the relationship between AEG and our partners. The portal is an online and paperless tool that will provide you with: Increased visibility for AEG business opportunities Extended Company Profile in online directory Direct email updates from AEG clients and buyers Easy accounts payable information sharing Increased exposure for MBEs, WBEs, and DBEs It is important that you register your business so that we have the ability to contact you for participation in future opportunities. Suppliers seeking to initiate business with AEG are encouraged to register as well.

Registration is simple and we invite you to visit our Supplier Portal at your earliest convenience:

https://supplier.aegworldwide.com

Publisher’s Message Earl “Skip” Cooper, II

How Will Your Business Stack Up

T

he Black Business News (BBN) is an outgrowth of the Black Business Association (BBA) which served as a solid foundation for the mission of continued advocacy for the growth and development of black business enterprise (see page 4). The BBA is appreciably the oldest advocacy association for small business trade on the west coast. The BBA has consistently advocated for black-owned and operated business enterprises at federal, state and local levels for over forty years. Major public and private sector organizations have used the BBA to

The BBN is significantly appreciative of the progress of black enterprise over the past four decades; however, there is a considerable amount of proactive work ahead in order to achieve parity in the early part of the 21st century. increase their respective parity of suppliers with black-owned firms and other small business enterprises. The BBA has been the forerunner for opening doors for Women, Latino, and Asianowned and operated firms throughout its well-known history.

Notwithstanding the vital leadership demonstrated by the BBA and other predominantly black focused socioeconomic expansion groups, the contract engagement of black enterprise when compared to those aforementioned ethnic and gender groups divulge a

much lower use of black owned business enterprise in the private and public sectors, both in dollars and numbers of firms utilized.

The BBN is significantly appreciative of the progress of black enterprise over the past four decades; however, there is a considerable amount of proactive work ahead in order to achieve parity in the early part of the 21st century.

Such work that enables black owned business owners and managers the ever-expanding essential for running efficient and effective enterprises, particularly as it relates to delivering bottom-line savings to major public and private sector organizations.

In 2011, the BBN will advance programs that more resourcefully serve to exchange information to our readers, including bid opportunities, procurement fairs, lending practices, E-procurement processes, and the like. The open and frequent exchange of information will aid in assisting outsourcing measures and joint ventures needed to meet the high service demand for supply chain functions. The BBN understands public and private supply chain sourcing takes on expanded risks when adopting and incorporating new suppliers, which is why the BBN resolves to work diligently to offer the appropriate tools to its members that help minimize such risks.

It is significantly mindful to remember the ever persevering distance black enterprises have traveled to be a proud part of the American economic landscape. The BBA operates as a modern advocacy of how to encourage those who influence buying decisions to consider how socioeconomic parity becomes a greater reality when smaller

enterprises partake in the movement of goods and services. With that, the BBN encourages everyone within earshot to join and/or renew your membership and support the programs of BBA. During black history month the BBA 2011 Annual Awards Banquet, celebrates its 41st Anniversary of effecting positive change, which is a real feat made possible with the support of our members. Over the course of four decades, the BBA has tackled many diverse programs and initiatives. In 2010 alone, the BBA involved its resources in, but not limited to the following: • Expansion of CPUC General Order to cable and wireless corporations • CPUC Minority Supplier Certification Rulings (Fraud is where misrepresentation of a MWDVE is uncovered.)

• The Broadband Speed and Price Impact on Small Businesses • Federal Recovery Act for Small Businesses • Government-backed Lending for Small Businesses • Federal Small Business Healthcare Initiatives • Creation State Office of Economic Development • Small Business Jobs and Credit Act • Contract Bundling Limits & Enhanced Subcontracting strategies for MBE • Green and Sustainable Supply Chain Issues These are just some of the recent examples where the BBA is supporting its mission to serve the business community as a perpetua;, business voice, and exchange association for re-

3  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

see Publisher’s Message on page 73

ABOUT THE BLACK BUSINESS NEWS…

Black Business News P.O. Box 43159, Los Angeles, CA 90043 323-291-9334 ▪ Fax: 323-291-9234

The mission of The Black Business News is to inspire and inform public and private sector industry representatives on the importance of smart small business growth. As a versatile source of socioeconomic development activity, the Black Business News imparts current local, national and international industry trends related to small businesses across the United States of America (USA), detailing greater access to financial capital, management efficiencies, business education, mentors and networks. The goals of the Black Business News include: •

• • •

increasing the use of business enterprises owned by USA-based blacks, by advocating for greater access to leading finance lenders and successful business managers. working to merge resources, values, profits, technology throughout the public and private sectors. balancing major public and private sector contracting methods with positive outcomes of black-owned and operated enterprises. providing an affirmative influence for emerging entrepreneurs sharing innovative design and creative cultural content that exposes them to the history of black enterprises and excite them to participate in the USA’s future. advocating and promoting on behalf HOW WILL YOUR BUSINESS STACK UP of black-owned businesses by promoting the need for expanding an economic foundation that supports an unfettered and self-sustained urban society with USA job creation and economic opportunity, where blacks work, live and operate viable business enterprises. 

Black Business News YOUR LINK TO AFRICAN AME RICAN BUSINESS OWNERS A MULTIPLE AWA RD-WINNING PUBLICATION

$2.50

A Multiple Awar d Winning Public

ation

Out loo k 2011

PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Earl “Skip” Cooper, II

PRODUCTION MANAGER Narishima Osei

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS D. Jones • C. Norwood • L. Stratton

STORY EDITORS W. Flagg • J. Elam

PHOTOGRAPHY Ian Foxx ▪ Sabir • N. Osei

LAYOUT/TYPESETTING Lion Communications Copyright © 2010 by Black Business News All Rights Reserved.

Black Business News

AWARDS

DECEMBER 201

•

0

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

2007 - Journalist of the Year Award

LA/Minority Business Opportunity Center (LA/MBOC)

4  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

2010 - Media Firm of the Year

3

CONTENTS December 2010

40

Publisher’s Message How Will Your Business Stack Up Job Acceleration Plan/Program Urging Employee Telecommuting MBDA - NEI Webinars SBA New Lending Initiative SBA DIRECT California Recovery: Rail Projects Move Forward Black Farmer’s Bill Clears House of Representatives Better Trade Agreements

41

Tax Relief: Charitable Giving Time

43

Business Tax Deductions

52

Let’s Move - Let’s Keep Moving

56

Africa Focus

9 16 17 23 25 26 35

Poland Elects First African MP Conferences, Trade Missions, & Training

62

Holiday Shopping Guide Sections 8 Government 28 - Contracting/Trade/Grants 32 - Business Success Tools 48 - Public Interest/Community 60 - International Columns 41 - Take A Look!

78 - Books to Consider...

81 - Calendar Action Alerts 02 - AEG Supplier Portal 48 - Help for Haiti 36 - 10,000 Small Businesses Initiative 38 - 10,000 Small Businesses Initiative Sponsors 07 - Black Business Association Cover image - Sarah Harris

5  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

Over 40 years of service Founded 1970

About the BBA… Since 1970, the Black Business Association (BBA), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, headquartered in Los Angeles, has been instrumental in the incubation and development of more than 15,000 African-American businesses. Nationally, we have access and influence with more than 85,000 African-American-owned and women/ minority-owned firms via strategic alliances with more than 100 women/minority trade associations in more than 42 states nationwide.

___ Our Mission ___ The Black Business Association’s mission is to advocate and promote the development of African-American owned businesses with the goal of creating a firm economic base that support the self-determination and survival of the African-American and urban community by: • Identifying and creating financial opportunities for the growth and stability of African-American owned businesses; •

Being a community voice that advocates for the success of small businesses;

•

Being a conduit for the merging of resources, values, profits, technology and people;

•

Promoting development and support of minority business enterprises within the domestic and international economies by encouraging and generating greater access to market opportunities and capital;

•

Providing training for entrepreneurial professional development;

•

Supporting and contributing to the economic base and progress of the African-American community; and

•

Developing coalitions that support our political endeavors to effectively achieve public recognition and political influence for African-American business owners.

___ Advocacy ___ The Black Business Association maintains very effective working relationships with elected and appointed officials for the support of African-American business development. Locally, statewide and in Washington, DC, we are constantly aware of pending legislation that might affect our member’s businesses, their growth and even their ability to conduct business. When legislation is being considered that affects our mission, the BBA quickly mobilizes to work with key policy makers to support, defeat or modify the bill and pursue the BBA position.

As an organization, we are constantly at the helm, securing innovative means and policies that protect our constituency and their business interests. 

2011 Events February

Black Business Awards Dinner 37th Anniversary of the BBA Thursday, 24th 6:00pm - 10:00 pm

Well-deserved recognition to corporations, government agencies and individuals that have been most supportive of the growth and development of the Black Business Association and the African American business community as a whole

March

Salute to Black Women

honor outstanding African American women while commemorating NationalWomen’s History Month

November

Utilities Procurement Exchange Summit & Awards Luncheon honoring African American entrepreneurs and offering one-on-one opportunity exploration

Black Business Association P.O. Box 43159, Los Angeles, CA 90043 USA Tel: 323-291-9334 Fax: 323-291-9234

• Call 323-291-9334 for information on sponsorship and participation •

mail@bbala.org www.bbala.org www.facebook.com 7  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbala.org

GOVERNMENT…

8  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

“Our Generation’s Sputnik Moment is Now”

T

HE PRESIDENT: Thank you so much. Thank you, everybody. (Applause.) Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Please, everybody have a seat, have a seat.

It is good to be back in North Carolina. (Applause.) Love North Carolina. Although, I have to say, I came down here for slightly warmer weather.

(Laughter.) What’s snow doing on the ground in North Carolina? (Laughter.)

Come on, now. Anyway, it is a great honor to be with you here at Forsyth Technical Community College.

Well, it’s been about a month now since the midterm elections. And in Washington, at least, much of the chatter is still about the political implications of those elections -– what the results mean for Democrats, what they mean

for Republicans, and already, we’re hearing what this means for the next election. And I have to tell you I came to Winston-Salem because I believe that right now there are bigger issues at stake for our country than politics.

(Applause.) And these issues call on us to respond not as partisans, but as Americans.

At this moment, we are still emerging from a once-in-a-lifetime recession that has taken a terrible toll on millions of families -– many here in North Carolina who have lost their jobs or their businesses, and their sense of security.

Now, fortunately, we’ve seen some encouraging signs that a recovery is beginning to take hold. An economy that had been shrinking for nearly a year is now growing. After nearly two

years of job loss, our economy has added over one million private sector jobs in 2010. (Applause.)

I was just talking to Bev and she was mentioning that here in North Carolina we’ve seen 50,000 new jobs here in North Carolina. (Applause.) And after teetering on the brink of liquidation not two years ago, our auto industry is posting healthy gains. (Applause.) So we’re seeing progress across the country.

But as we also saw in November’s jobs report, the recovery is simply not happening fast enough. Plenty of Americans are still without work. Plenty of Americans are still hurting. And our challenge now is to do whatever it takes to accelerate job creation and

9  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

see Sputnik Moment on page 10

Sputnik Moment from page 9

economic growth.

Now, in the short-term, that means preventing the middle-class tax increase that’s currently scheduled for January 1st. Right now, Democrats and Republicans in Congress are working through some differences to try to get this done. And there are some serious debates that are still taking place.

Republicans want to make permanent the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. I have argued that we can’t afford it right now. (Applause.) But what I’ve also said is we’ve got to find consensus here -- because a middle-class tax hike would be very tough not only on working families, it would also be a drag on our economy at this moment.

So I believe we should keep in place tax cuts for workers and small businesses that are set to expire. We’ve got to make sure that we’re coming up with a solution, even if it’s not a hundred percent of what I want or what the Republicans want. There’s no reason that ordinary Americans should see their taxes go up next year. (Applause.)

We should also extend unemployment insurance for workers who’ve lost their jobs through no fault of their own.

That is a priority. (Applause.) And I should mention that’s not only the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do -– because if millions of Americans who aren’t getting unemployment benefits stop spending money, that slows down businesses. That slows down hiring. It slows down our recovery.

Now, even if we take these and other steps to boost our recovery in the short term, we’re also going to have to make some serious decisions about our economy in the long run. We’ve got to look ahead –- not just to the next year but to the next 10 years, the next 20 years. We’ve got to ask ourselves where will the new jobs come from?

What will it take to get them? And what will it take to keep the American Dream alive for our children and our grandchildren?

Think about North Carolina. Obviously this recession had a devastating effect here, like it did everywhere else.

But the trends -- the trends have been going on for quite some time.

I was just visiting with President Green, with some of the students here in the biotech field -- wonderful people, from every walk of life. You had folks who had just gotten out of high school, and you had folks who had -- were in midlife and had been laid off from a manufacturing job and had come here to retrain. But a bunch of them mentioned, well, I was laid off because the textile industry has moved away here in North Carolina. I was laid off because the furniture industry has moved away here in North Carolina.

Those were long-term trends. And that means we’ve got to have a longterm vision about where we want to be 10 years from now, 20 years from now, 30 years from now. (Applause.)

Just like past generations did, we must be prepared to answer these questions in our time. And over the next several weeks, I’m going to be meeting with my economic team, with business leaders and others to develop specific policies and budget recommendations for the coming year. Today I want to outline the broader vision that I believe should guide these policies -– and it’s a vision that will keep our economy strong and growing and competitive in the 21st century.

And that vision begins with a recognition of how our economy has changed over time. When Forsyth Technical opened 50 years ago, it was known as Forsyth County “Industrial Education Center.” Right? That’s a mouthful. (Laughter.) Machine shops and automotive mechanics were some of the first classes you could take. Of course, back then you didn’t even need a degree to earn a decent living. You could get a job at the local tobacco or textile plant and still be able to provide for yourself and your family.

That world has changed. In the last few decades, revolutions in communications, revolutions in technology

have made businesses mobile and has made commerce global. So today, a company can set up shop, hire workers, and sell their products wherever there’s an Internet connection. That’s a transformation that’s touched off a fierce competition among nations for the jobs and industries of the future.

Some of you know I traveled through Asia several weeks ago. You’ve got a billion people in India who are suddenly plugged into the world economy. You’ve got over a billion people in China who are suddenly plugged into the global economy. And that means competition is going to be much more fierce and the winners of this competition will be the countries that have the most educated workers, a serious commitment to research and technology, and access to quality infrastructure like roads and airports and high-speed rail and high-speed Internet. Those are the seeds of economic growth in the 21st century. Where they are planted, the most jobs and businesses will take root.

Now, in the last century, America was that place where innovation happened and jobs and industry always took root.

The business of America was business. Our economic leadership in the world went unmatched. Now it’s up to us to make sure that we maintain that leadership in this century. And at this moment, the most important contest we face is not between Democrats and Republicans. It’s between America and our economic competitors all around the world. That’s the competition we’ve got to spend time thinking about. (Applause.)

Now, I have no doubt we can win this competition. We are the home of the world’s best universities, the best research facilities, the most brilliant scientists, the brightest minds, some of the hardest-working, most entrepreneurial people on Earth -- right here in America. It’s in our DNA. Think about it. People came from all over the world to live here in the United States. That’s been our history. And those were the go-getters, the risk-takers who came

10  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

here. The folks who didn’t want to take risks, they stayed back home. (Laughter.) Right? So there’s no doubt that we are well equipped to win.

But as it stands right now, the hard truth is this: In the race for the future, America is in danger of falling behind. That’s just the truth. And when -- if you hear a politician say it’s not, they’re not paying attention. In a generation we have fallen from 1st place to 9th place in the proportion of young people with college degrees. When it comes to high school graduation rates,

ence, and they’re focused on training and educating their workforce.

I sat down with President Lee of South Korea, and I asked him, what’s the biggest problem you have in education? He said, you know, these parents, they come to me and they are constantly pressuring me; they want their kids to learn so fast, so much -- they’re even making me import English-speaking teachers in, because they want first-graders to know English. I asked him about investment in research and development. He says, we’re putting

In 1957, just before this college opened, the Soviet Union beat us into space by launching a satellite known as Sputnik. And that was a wake-up call that caused the United States to boost our investment in innovation and education -– particularly in math and science. And as a result, once we put our minds to it, once we got focused, once we got unified, not only did we surpass the Soviets, we developed new American technologies, industries, and jobs.

So 50 years later, our generation’s Sputnik moment is back. This is our

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on the economy following a tour of Forsyth Technical College in Winston-Salem, N.C. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton) (Official White House Photo) we’re ranked 18th out of 24 industrialized nations -- 18th. We’re 27th in the proportion of science and engineering degrees we hand out. We lag behind other nations in the quality of our math and science education.

When global firms were asked a few years back where they planned on building new research and development facilities, nearly 80 percent said either China or India -- because those countries are focused on math and sci-

aside 5 percent of our gross domestic product in research and development -3 percent of it in clean energy.

You go to Shanghai, China, and they’ve built more high-speed rail in the last year than we’ve built in the last 30 years. The largest private solar research and development facility in the world was recently opened in China -– by an American company. Today China also has the fastest trains and the fastest supercomputer in the world.

moment. If the recession has taught us anything, it’s that we cannot go back to an economy that’s driven by too much spending, too much borrowing, running up credit cards, taking out a lot of home equity loans, paper profits that are built on financial speculation. We’ve got to rebuild on a new and stronger foundation for economic growth.

We need to do what America has always been known for: building, in-

11  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

see Sputnik Moment on page 12

Sputnik Moment from page 11

novating, educating, making things.

We don’t want to be a nation that simply buys and consumes products from other countries. We want to create and sell products all over the world that are stamped with three simple words: “Made In America.” That’s our goal.

(Applause.)

So I came to Forsyth today because you’ve shown what this future can look like. Half a century later, you’re still giving students the skills and training they need to get good jobs, -- but courses in machine shop and car mechanics have now broadened to degrees in mechanical engineering technology and nanotechnology and biotechnology. And meanwhile, your unique partnerships that you’re building with advanced manufacturing and biotechnology firms will ensure that the businesses of the future locate here, they come here, they stay here, they hire right here in Winston-Salem. (Applause.)

As a national leader in bioscience and innovation, North Carolina is now the country’s third largest employer in biotechnology. (Applause.) And when Caterpillar recently decided to build a plant in this community, they told President Green one of the main reasons was “…they were convinced that Forsyth Tech had the capability of providing them with the technical workforce that they need.” (Applause.)

That’s something everybody in this room should be very proud of. And I know that business leaders from throughout the community have worked intensively with President Green and others to help make this happen. And I know that your congressional delegation, as well as your governor, have worked hard to make this happen.

Now, none of this progress happened by itself. It happened thanks to the hard work of students here at Forsyth, the commitment of local leaders, foresight of local business leaders -- most importantly, it happened because there was a decision made to invest in the

collective future of this community. It happened because there was a decision to invest in this college, and there were loans and scholarships that made it affordable to go here.

To invest in the basic research and development that helped jumpstart North Carolina’s biotech industry; to invest in new buildings and laboratories and research facilities that make your work possible -- these are the kinds of investments we need to keep making in communities across America -– investments that will grow our economy and help us to stay competitive in the 21st century.

Now, I want to emphasize I say this knowing full well we face a very difficult fiscal situation. I’m looking at the books back in Washington, and folks weren’t doing a real good job with their

“The world has changed. In the last few decades, revolutions in communications, revolutions in technology have made businesses mobile and has made commerce global. So today, a company can set up shop, hire workers, and sell their products wherever there’s an Internet connection.

That’s a transformation that’s touched off a fierce competition among nations for the jobs and industries of the future. ” math for the last decade. (Applause.)

So now that the threat of a depression has passed, and a recovery is beginning to take hold, reducing our longterm deficit has to be a priority. And in the long run, we won’t be able to compete with countries like China if we keep borrowing from countries like China. (Applause.) We won’t be able to do it. (Applause.)

So we’ve already started making some tough decisions. And they’re un-

popular and people get mad, but we’ve got to make some decisions. I’ve proposed a three-year freeze in all spending that doesn’t have to do with national security. And I proposed a two-year freeze in the pay for federal workers.

That’s why we’re currently studying recommendations of the bipartisan deficit reduction panel that I commissioned. We’re going to have to be bold and courageous in eliminating spending and programs that we don’t need and we can’t afford.

But here’s where there’s going to be a debate in Washington over the next year and over the next couple of years and maybe over the next five years, because I will argue and insist that we cannot cut back on those investments that have the biggest impact on our economic growth because -- (applause.)

I was talking with President Green, and he said much of the equipment here would not be here if it hadn’t been for the assistance of the Recovery Act, the assistance of the Department of Labor. (Applause.) All this stuff that we’ve done over the last couple of years that people were questioning, you can see it translated in the classrooms right here.

The work that we’re doing on student loans and Pell Grants, you can see it in the students who are able to finance their retraining right here. (Applause.)

So we can’t stop making those investments. The best antidote to a growing deficit, by the way, is a growing economy. To borrow an analogy, cutting the deficit by cutting investments in areas like education, areas like innovation -that’s like trying to reduce the weight of an overloaded aircraft by removing its engine. It’s not a good idea. (Applause.) There may be some things you need to get rid of, but you got to keep the engine. (Laughter.)

That’s why even as we scour the budget for cuts and savings in the months ahead, I will continue to fight for those investments that will help America win the race for the jobs and industries of the future -– and that means investments in education and innovation and

12  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

infrastructure. I will be fighting for that.

(Applause.)

In an era where most new jobs will require some kind of higher education, we have to keep investing in the skills and education of our workers. And that’s why we are going -- we are well on our way to meeting the goal I set when I took office two years ago: By 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world. That’s a commitment that we’re making. (Applause.)

So to get there, we’re making college more affordable for millions of students. We’ve made an unprecedented investment in community colleges just like this one. And just like Forsyth, we’ve launched a nationwide initiative to connect graduates that need a job with businesses that need their skills.

We’re reforming K-12 education –not from the top down, but from the bottom up. Instead of indiscriminately pouring money into a system that’s not working, we’re challenging schools and states to compete with each other –- to see who can come up with reforms that raise standards, and recruit and retain good teachers, raise student achievement, especially in math and science.

We call it Race to the Top -- (applause) -- where you get more funding if you show more results -- because part of the argument here is, is that if we’re going to have a government that’s smart and helping people compete in this new global economy, then we’ve got to spend our money wisely. And that means we want to invest in things that are working, not in things that aren’t working just because that’s how things have always been done.

Now, once our students graduate with the skills they need for the jobs of the future, we’ve also got to make sure those jobs end up right here in America. We’ve got to make sure that the United States is the best place to do business and the best place to innovate. (Applause.) So it’s time, for example, that we have a tax code that encourages job creation here in America. (Applause.)

“ ...the winners of this competition will be the countries that have the most educated workers, a serious commitment to research and technology, and access to quality infrastructure like roads and airports and high-speed rail and high-speed Internet. Those are the seeds of economic growth in the 21st century. Where they are planted, the most jobs and businesses will take root. ” And to boost our recovery, I’ve already proposed that all American businesses should be allowed to write off all the investments they do in 2011. We want to jumpstart, starting next year, plants and equipment investment right here in Winston-Salem and all across North Carolina, and all across the United States of America. (Applause.)

To encourage homegrown American innovation we should make it easier to patent a new idea or a new invention. And if you want to know one reason why more companies are choosing to do their research and development in places like China and India, it’s because the United States now ranks 24th out of 38 countries in the generosity of the tax incentives we provide for research and development. So that’s why I’ve proposed a bigger, permanent tax credit for companies for all the research and innovation they do right here in America. All of it. (Applause.)

Now, what’s also true is a lot of companies don’t invest in basic research because it doesn’t pay off right away.

But that doesn’t mean it’s not essential to our economic future. Forty years ago, it probably didn’t seem useful or profitable for scientists and engineers to figure out how to increase the capacity of integrated circuits. Forty years later, I’m still not sure what that means. (Laughter.) What I do know

is that discoveries in integrated circuits made back then led to the iPod and cell phones and GPS and CT scans -– products that have led to new companies and countless new jobs in manufacturing and retail, and other sectors.

That’s why I’ve set a goal of investing a full 3 percent -- not 2 percent, not 2.5 percent -- a full 3 percent of our Gross Domestic Product into research and development. That has to be a priority.

(Applause.)

If this is truly going to be our Sputnik moment, we need a commitment to innovation that we haven’t seen since President Kennedy challenged us to go to the moon. And we’re directing a lot of that research into one of the most promising areas for economic growth and job creation –- and that’s clean energy technology. (Applause.) I don’t want to see new solar panels or electric cars or advanced batteries manufactured in Europe or in Asia. I want to see them made right here in America,

by American businesses and American workers. (Applause.)

I also want to make it easier for our businesses and workers to sell their products all over the world. The more we export abroad, the more jobs we support at home. We’ve got to change the formula. We’ve got to flip the script, because what’s been happening is, is that we’ve been doing all the buying; somebody else has been doing all the selling. (Applause.) We’ve got to start selling and have them do some buying.

(Applause.) And that’s why we’ve set a goal of doubling U.S. exports in five years. (Applause.) And that’s why I’m pleased that last week, we came closer to meeting that goal by finalizing a trade agreement with our ally, South Korea.

This is a nation that offers one of the fastest-growing markets for American goods.

Now, here in North Carolina and all across the country, there are a lot of people that say, trade, we’re not sure that that helps us. It seems like maybe it’s hurt us in areas like furniture. Look, right now the status quo -- South Korea

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see Sputnik Moment on page 15

Sputnik Moment from page 13

is selling a whole bunch of stuff here and we’re not selling it there. The current deal is not a good one for us.

Think about -- there are a lot of Hyundais on the road. (Laughter.) But there aren’t a lot of Fords in Seoul, because the formula has been: Let’s sign any trade agreement, let’s cut any deal, without thinking ahead about how this is going to impact America. What this deal does is boost our annual exports to South Korea by $11 billion. That means it will support at least 70,000 American jobs -- 70,000 American jobs.

(Applause.)

Now, the final area where greater investment will lead to more jobs and economic growth is in America’s infrastructure -– our roads, our railways, our runways, our information superhighways. Over the last two years, our investment in infrastructure projects -yes, through the Recovery Act -- have led to thousands of good private sector jobs and improved infrastructure here in North Carolina and all across the country.

But we’ve got a long way to go.

There is no reason that over 90 percent of the homes in South Korea have broadband Internet access, and only 65 percent of American households do.

Think about that. There’s no reason why China should have nearly 10,000 miles of high-speed rail by 2020, and America has 400. Think about that number. They’ve got 10,000; we’ve got 400. They’ve got trains that operate at speeds of over 200 mph -- and I don’t know how fast our trains are going.

(Laughter.)

We’re the nation that built the Transcontinental Railroad. We’re the nation that took the first airplane into flight.

We constructed a massive Interstate Highway System. We introduced the world to the Internet. America has always been built to compete. And if we want to attract the best jobs and businesses to our shores, we’ve got to be that nation again.

And throughout history, the investments I’ve talked about –- in education and innovation and infrastructure -– have historically commanded the support from both Democrats and Republicans. It was Abraham Lincoln who launched the Transcontinental Railroad and opened the National Academy of Sciences. He did it in the middle of a war, by the way. But he knew this was so important we had to make these investments for future generations. Dwight Eisenhower helped build our highways. Republican members of Congress worked with FDR to pass the G.I. Bill.

More recently, infrastructure bills have found support on both sides of the congressional aisle. The permanent extension of research and development tax credits was proposed by both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Our education reforms have been praised by both Democratic and Republican governors.

“That’s why even as we scour the budget for cuts and savings in the months ahead, I will continue to fight for those investments that will help America win the race for the jobs and industries of the future -– and that means investments in education and innovation and infrastructure. I will be fighting for that.”

So the point is there should not be any inherent ideological differences that prevent Democrats and Republicans from making our economy more competitive with the rest of the world.

If we’re willing to put aside short-term politics, if our objective is not simply winning elections but winning the future -- (applause) -- then we should be able to get our act together here, because we are all Americans and we are in this race together. (Applause.)

So those of us who work in Washington have a choice to make in the coming weeks and months. We can focus on what’s necessary for each party to win the news cycle or the next election.

We can do what we’ve been doing. Or we can do what this moment demands, and focus on what’s necessary for America to win the future.

For as difficult as the times may be, the good news is that we know what the future could look like for the United States. We can see it in the classrooms that are experimenting with groundbreaking reforms, and giving children new math and science skills at an early age. We can see it in the wind farms and solar plants and advanced battery plants that are opening all across America. We can see it here at Forsyth -– in your laboratories and your research facilities -- and over at the biotechnology firms that are churning out jobs and businesses and lifesaving discoveries.

You see it in the faces of the young people who we just visited to -- visited with, Dr. Green and myself -- some not-so-young faces, but people who, despite layoffs, despite hardships, felt confident in their future.

Just the other month, I saw part of America’s future during a science fair we held at the White House. It was the first science fair we’ve ever held. And we talked to some of these amazing young people. It was probably as much fun as I’ve had in several months. Now, that’s a low bar, given -- (laughter.) But there was a team from Tennessee that had designed a self-powered water filtration plant so that homes in Appalachia could have access to clean water.

And then there were these young people -- these are all high school, some younger than high school -- there were young people who had designed a way to make an entire town more energyefficient.

And there were young people who had entered into rocket contests, and they were showing me all the rockets that they had been shooting up, and

15  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

see Sputnik Moment on page 73

New Telecommuting Law Encourages More Federal Workers to Work From Home

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pproximately five percent of the federal workforce telecommutes, but the government wants to increase this number to cut help costs, reduce energy consumption, and relieve traffic congestion.

President Obama just signed into law the ‘‘Telework Enhancement Act of 2010,’’ which requires federal agencies to come up with policies within the next six months to promote telecommuting.

By law, all eligible federal employees will be given the option to telecommute. The act, first proposed in March 2009, requires agencies to establish telework policies and appoint “telework managing officers” to oversee the programs. Of course, this mainly pertains to white-collar or executive personnel.

Those with “on-site activity that cannot be handled remotely or at an alternate worksite” or involved in managing emergency situations are not covered

by the act.

Along with the energy and environmental benefits of fewer cars on the road, telecommuting improves employee productivity and satisfaction, not to mention the ability of organizations to recruit quality talent. In September, SmartPlanet colleague Andrew Nusca posted results of a survey that showed 93% of federal workers would value the telecommuting option if it were made available to them.

One of the challenging management aspects of telework is that telecommuting employees don’t have the exposure to workplace opportunities that on-premises employees have. They are somewhat invisible. The new law attempts to address this by mandating that federal agencies treat teleworkers and non-teleworkers the same for purposes of “periodic appraisals of job performance of employees; training,

rewarding, reassigning, promoting, reducing in grade, retaining, and removing employees; work requirements; or other acts involving managerial discretion.”

The law — passed in the wake of the WikiLeaks brouhaha — also attempts to address information security, requiring the director of the Office of Management and Budget, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, to provide technology security guidelines.

To sweeten the incentives to encourage telecommuting, the law also enables agencies to test programs to cover the travel expenses of telecommuting employees who still need to occasionally come into their workplaces.

The huge wheels of government have been turning in the right direction on a number of fronts, including the embrace of cloud computing to cut IT costs and social media to increase innovation and better connect with the people. The telecommuting push is one more example of applying technology to improve the agility and responsiveness of the world’s largest organization.

A link to a full copy of the bill is available at the US Government Printing Office site - www.gpo.gov/fdsys/ pkg/BILLS-111hr1722enr/pdf/BILLS111hr1722enr.pdf.

16  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

By Joe McKendrick www.smarterplanet.com

Minority Business Development Agency Offers Series of Webinars on Exporting in Support of the National Export Initiative (NEI)

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he Commerce Department’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is conducting a series of online webinars to aid businesses across the nation gain a greater understanding of the challenges and benefits of exporting. You may read more about the sessions and register to participate at www.mbda.gov.

12/15/2010 - 2:00pm-3:00pm A Basic Guide to Exporting: Understanding Export Controls - Webinar Know the law controlling what you can export and to whom. Learn the legal and practical aspects of dual-use items; Trade sanctions; and, sales to foreign militaries.

• Understand what kind of products require a license.

• Learn which government agency has jurisdiction over export con-

• •

trols for your products.

Gain knowledge about the process of a applying for an export license.

Ask questions of the presentors and listen to the answers for other participants.

12/17/2010 - 11:00am-12:15pm Explore your Export Opportunities in Central America - Webinar Explore your export opportunities in Central America Webinar will gather experts and Commercial Officers covering 6 markets: Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala.

Central America is a very important market for United States exporters.

Central America is the 17th largest market worldwide for U.S. exports.

The United States exported $24 billion dollars worth of goods to the region in

2008. 50 percent of the regions imports come from the United States. Central America enjoy relative stability, growing economies, proximity to the U.S., and adequate port infrastructure, all of which make these markets attractive for U.S. exports: • Central America is a very important market for United States exporters.

Central America is the 17th largest market worldwide for U.S. exports • Gain knowledge about the export opportunities and best prospects in the Central America Region • Meet key contacts at the U.S. Commercial Service Offices in the Region • Learn more about the Trade Winds Forum 2011: Mexico and The Americas - April 6-12, 2011 - Mexico City, Mexico

17  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

see MBDA-Exporting on page 27

HHS Announces the Nation’s New Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Agenda

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he U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has unveiled Healthy People 2020, the nation’s new 10-year goals and objectives for health promotion and disease prevention, and “myHealthyPeople,” a new challenge for technology application developers.

For the past 30 years, Healthy People has been committed to improving the quality of our Nation’s health by producing a framework for public health prevention priorities and actions.

“The launch of Healthy People 2020 comes at a critical time,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “Our challenge and opportunity is to avoid preventable diseases from occurring in the first place.”

Chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, are responsible for seven out of every 10 deaths among Americans each year and account for 75 percent of the nation’s health spending. Many of the risk factors that contribute to the development of these diseases are preventable.

“Too many people are not reaching their full potential for health because of preventable conditions,” said Assistant Secretary for Health Howard K. Koh, M.D., M.P.H. “Healthy People is the nation’s roadmap and compass for better health, providing our society a vision for improving both the quantity and quality of life for all Americans.”

The Healthy People initiative is grounded in the principle that setting national objectives and monitoring progress can motivate action, and indeed, in just the last decade, prelimi-

nary analyses indicate that the country has either progressed toward or met 71 percent of its Healthy People targets.

Healthy People 2020 is the product of an extensive stakeholder feedback process that is unparalleled in government and health. It integrates input from public health and prevention experts, a wide range of federal, state and local government officials, a consortium of more than 2,000 organizations, and perhaps most importantly, the public. More than 8,000 comments were considered in drafting a comprehensive set of Healthy People 2020 objectives. Based on this input, a number of new topic areas are included in the new initiative, including: • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Adolescent Health Blood Disorders and Blood Safety Dementias, including Alzheimer’s Disease Early and Middle Childhood Genomics Global Health Health-Related Quality of Life and Well-Being Healthcare-Associated Infections Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Health Older Adults Preparedness Sleep Health Social Determinants of Health

Healthy People is also issuing a special challenge to encourage developers to create easy-to-use applications for professionals who are working with the new national health objectives and state- and community-level health data.

“This milestone in disease prevention and health promotion creates an opportunity to leverage information technology to make Healthy People come alive for all Americans in their communities and workplaces,” said Chief Technology Officer Todd Park. “The ‘myHealthyPeople’ apps challenge will help spur innovative approaches to helping communities track their progress using Healthy People objectives and targets as well as develop an agenda for health improvement.”

HHS is also launching a newly redesigned Healthy People Web site that allows users to tailor information to their needs and explore evidence-based resources for implementation. The Web site is located at: www.healthypeople.gov. For more information about myHealthyPeople, go to www.challenge.gov. 

Wishing You Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, and a

Happy, Healthy, & Prosperous

2011 19  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

HUD Launches new One-Stop Website for Economic and Housing Data

hud.gov/datamap offers detailed look at conditions at regional, state, metro and county levels •

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he U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has unveiled a new website (www. hud.gov/datamap) that consolidates a wide variety of economic and housing market data at the regional, state, metropolitan area and county levels. Using data from the Census Bureau, Labor Department, State and Local governments, housing industry sources, as well as HUD’s own field economists, the new website employs interactive maps that allow visitors to access a variety of reports – from a region-wide

an intuitive way to seek data in a number of areas of geography – from an entire region down to a particular county. In particular, the portal offers the following reports: • “Market at a Glance” reports contain economic and housing market data trends for every metropolitan area and county nationwide with employment data updated on a monthly basis. Employment data is provided from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and housing data is

look at employment and housing activity to individual county-level figures on population trends, rental activity and vacancy rates.

“This is a powerful new tool that’s easy to use and offers the public a remarkable look at their local economic and housing markets,” said Dr. Raphael Bostic, HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research.

“Current and reliable data shouldn’t be hard to come by. This is precisely why this site will be so helpful to state and local leaders, developers, the real estate industry, and the general public who need the latest available data on their markets.”

HUD’s new website displays an interactive map of the U.S. allowing visitors

derived from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

Some adjustments are made by HUD field economists based on regional information. The data are expected to be released on monthly basis for most of the metropolitan areas and counties. Eventually these reports will become “live” documents enabling field economists to include analysis as they complete more in-depth research for specific areas and monitor local conditions.

“Regional Housing Market Profiles” are based on the quarterly U.S. Housing Market Conditions report and include non-farm employment, population changes, and

•

•

building activity. These regional profiles also focus on the most recent housing rental and sales activity for the past two years. In addition, approximately 10-12 individual metropolitan areas are specifically profiled each quarter to provide these same data down to the metro area level.

“Regional Narratives” are broad overviews of economic and housing market trends within ten regions of the U.S. These narratives are based on information obtained

by HUD economists from state and local governments, from housing industry sources, and from their ongoing investigations of housing market conditions “Comprehensive Housing Market Analysis” – Periodically, HUD field economists focus on particular metropolitan housing markets to produce counts and estimates

of employment, population, households, and housing inventory. Each housing market analysis considers changes in the economic, demographic, and housing inventory characteristics during three periods: from 1990 to 2000; from 2000 to the as-of date of the analysis; and from the as-of date to up to up three years in the future.

To view the reports mentioned above for a each region of the country, or for particular states, metropolitan areas or even counties, visit HUD’s Regional Economic and Market Analysis page (www.huduser.org/portal/regional. html). 

21  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

www.hud.gov

SBA Announces New Initiatives Aimed at Increasing Lending in Underserved Communities Cathy Hughes to chair new council to advise agency on expanding opportunities for entrepreneurs in underserved communities

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ith small business owners and entrepreneurs in traditionally underserved communities continuing to face challenges accessing capital, the U.S. Small Business Administration today announced two new initiatives aimed at increasing SBA-backed loans to small businesses in these markets.

SBA Administrator Karen Mills also today named Catherine L. Hughes, chairperson and founder of Radio One, Inc., and a former SBA borrower, to chair the agency’s new Advisory Council on Underserved Communities.

SBA and U.S. Department of Commerce studies have shown the importance of lower-dollar loans to small business formation and growth in underserved communities. With that in mind, the two new loan initiatives – Small Loan Advantage and Community Advantage – are aimed at increasing the number of lower-dollar SBA 7(a) loans going to small businesses and entrepreneurs in underserved communities. The agency’s most popular loan product, 7(a) government-guaranteed loans can be used for variety of general business purposes, including working capital and purchases of equipment and real estate.

In conjunction with the implementation of these two new Advantage loan

up, and that tightening has been even greater in traditionally underserved communities, including among minorities, women and in rural areas,” SBA Administrator Karen Mills said. “These new Advantage initiatives are aimed directly at getting more loans into these markets so these small business owners can get the capital they need to start or grow their business and create good paying jobs in local communities across the country.”

Built on what the agency refers to as its “Advantage” platform, both Small Loan Advantage and Community Advantage will offer a streamlined application process for SBA-guaranteed 7(a) loans up to $250,000. These loans will come with the regular 7(a) government guarantee, 85 percent for loans up to $150,000 and 75 percent for those greater than $150,000.

Small Loan Advantage will be available to the 630 financial institutions across the country in the agency’s Preferred Lender Program (PLP). Under PLP, which includes most of the agency’s highest volume lenders, SBA delegates the final credit decisions to lenders.

With Community Advantage, the agency will expand the points of access small business owners have for getting loans by opening SBA’s 7(a) loan program to “mission-focused” fi-

initiatives by March 15, the agency will end its existing Community Express pilot loan program on April 30.

“Over the last two years, we’ve seen lending to all small businesses tighten

nancial institutions, including Community Development Financial Institutions, Certified Development Companies and non-profit microlending intermediar-

Karen G. Mills, Administrator Small Business Administration

Now is the Time for an SBA Loan!

Current incentives under the small business jobs act of 2010 will be expiring on December 31, 2010.

SBA loan fees are being waived so you can save between $500 and $17,500 on SBA Express loans and thousands more on SBA 7a and 504 loans. If you need equipment, working capital or have an opportunity to buy a commercial property for your business apply for an SBA loan before the deadline.

Up to 90% financing may be available in many cases.

Act now to get the process started before the year ends.

see SBA Loan Initiatives on page 24

23  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

SBA Loan Initiatives from page 24

ies. Community Advantage will leverage the experience these institutions already have in lending to minority, women-owned and start-up companies in economically challenged markets, along with their management and technical assistance expertise, to help make their borrowers successful.

“These two new loan initiatives tackle a couple of factors we know exist when it comes to the challenges small business owners face,” Mills said. “First, to add more incentive for lower-dollar loans in these communities, we are providing a streamlined process for lenders along with the regular 7(a) government guarantee. Second, we are taking steps that will increase the number of places small business owners in underserved communities can go to get loans. And also, with Community

Advantage, we are making sure that the additional assistance some borrowers may need through counseling and technical assistance will be available.”

Mills added that the new loan initiatives are in line with the agency’s core mission of supporting small business growth and job creation, and goals of the new Advisory Council on Underserved Communities, announced today. The Council will provide input, advice and recommendations on how SBA through its programs can help strengthen competiveness and sustainability for small businesses in underserved communities.

“Many entrepreneurs and small business owners across the country have enormous potential to drive economic growth and create good-paying jobs in their local communities, but too often they face barriers in fulfilling that potential,” said Hughes, who will chair the council. “I’m excited to be a part of this effort to strengthen the link between these entrepreneurs and the SBA’s wide variety of resources.

SBA assistance played a critical role

in my success, and I’m eager to do all I can to help make sure others have access to these same opportunities.”

The agency’s new Advisory Council on Underserved Communities will consist of 20 members from across the country. Over the next few weeks, the SBA will accept nominations for members to serve on the CUC. Members will provide a critical link between SBA and small businesses in traditionally underserved communities. It is anticipated that members will reflect a variety of key sectors, including business owners, banking and finance, community development, nonprofit and academia.

Member nominations can be emailed to underservedcouncil@sba.gov.

A Nebraska native, Hughes began a career in radio in 1969 at KOWH, a small black-owned radio station in Omaha. She came to Washington, D.C., as a lecturer at Howard University’s School of Communications, and worked at several local radio stations before she and then her husband purchased a small D.C. station and turned it into Radio One. Later, Hughes bought out her husband and became sole owner, at one point moving into the station to make ends meet. Today, Radio One owns 52 radio stations in major markets across the country, making the company the largest black-owned radio chain in the nation. In January of 2004, Hughes launched TV One, a cable television channel targeted at the African American community.  www.sba.gov

Catherine L. Hughes, Chairperson/Founder Radio One, Inc. 24  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

SBA Unveils New Website and Launches SBA Direct - A New Tool Delivering Personalized and Targeted Resources SBA.gov Demonstrates Agency’s Commitment to Transformation – Giving Small Business Owners Quick and Easy Access to the Resources they need to Succeed and Create Jobs

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s part of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s mission to ensure that small business owners and entrepreneurs have access to accurate, timely and helpful information, SBA Administrator Karen Mills today unveiled a newly re-designed SBA website. The new site also features the launch of SBA Direct (www.sba.gov/ sba-direct), a dynamic new web tool with a variety of personalization features that will help small businesses start-up, succeed and grow.

“With the launch of the new SBA. gov (www.sba.gov), we have reached a significant milestone in how the agency has evolved in using interactive web tools, social media and blogs to engage with, and better meet the needs of small business owners,” said SBA Administrator, Karen Mills. “While the SBA website has traditionally been an information-rich site, we wanted to make it easier for small business owners to navigate. With the new improved SBA.gov, business owners can access the answers they need, specific to their business profile, in an instant – it truly presents the face of the future of SBA.” While the site features a variety of enhancements including a full re-design, new content, and improved navigation, the centerpiece is a dynamic new web tool called SBA Direct.

SBA Direct allows visitors to personalize their browsing experience according to their business type, geography and needs. SBA Direct then delivers relevant and targeted information on all aspects of running a business such

as the steps involved in getting started, business growth strategies, and how to stay compliant with current laws and regulations. SBA Direct also provides information on the available SBA programs that can help businesses succeed, such as financial assistance, exporting and government contracting opportunities, counseling and training.

“Transforming the SBA into a proactive, responsive and ‘customer-centric’ organization that better serves the needs of the nation’s more than 29 million small businesses is an exciting, yet enormous effort,” said Mills.

“We’ve made significant progress, and the new SBA.gov is just one example among many, including record growth capital financing, expedited loan approvals and the acceleration of disaster assistance resources and funds of how SBA has, and will continue to support the growth of small businesses and job creation.”

Other new features to the web site include: • SBA’s small business search that improves the accuracy and relevancy of search results —saving time and frustration.

• Improved navigation that gives users one-click access to the information they need. Combined with the personalization features of SBA Direct, users no longer have to mine through pages of information to find answers.

• Integration of Business.gov content including a variety of guides and tools that collate information

•

•

from across government agencies to help business owners comply with laws and regulations, and take advantage of government programs.

Interactive location-based maps that allow users to quickly find small business resources in their area, including local SBA offices, and other sources of training and support.

User-rated content gives visitors to the site direct control in determining the most useful and relevant information to feature by small business topic.

SBA’s commitment to using web services to provide small businesses with greater access to the pool of government resources available began in 2006 with the launch of the award-winning Business.gov (www.business.gov) website, and later with the Business. gov Community (http://community. business.gov/bsng) initiative in 2009 (the first government-sponsored online community built specifically for small businesses), and more recently with SBA’s own social media presence on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

The new SBA.gov built on these achievements and best practices as a driver for its transformation. The project is also a flagship for the agency’s Open Government Plan (www.sba. gov/about-sba-services/open-government), with the goal of building an online presence for SBA that is transparent, participatory and collaborative. 

25  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

California Recovery:

Starting Point for Statewide Construction of High-Speed Rail Approved

he Authority Board has selected the starting point for construction on California’s high-speed rail system, which will connect the Bay Area to Los Angeles/Anaheim via the Central Valley. As Board Members and staff agreed, this initial starting point will make the best use of available funding and lay the foundation to extend tracks both north and south.

“We’re in the business of connecting major metropolitan centers across our state, and we won’t have a true highspeed rail system until we tie every part

from the Federal Railroad Administration in October that directed that all federal funding awarded to the project so far must be dedicated to a single portion of the project in the Central Valley.

Authority staff considered that direction, other requirements of state and federal law and how to create the core of a statewide system when they recommended beginning with a 65-mile stretch of track in the Central Valley. It would start north of Fresno near Madera, include the construction of two new stations – one in downtown Fresno and the other east of Hanford – and continue to Corcoran, north of Bakersfield.

“Other states are shrinking from

of this state together,” said Authority Vice Chair Tom Umberg. “It’s not one town or one region versus another; it’s about connecting one region to another. ‘’ The decision followed a mandate

the challenge of high-speed rail. In California, we’re rising to meet it,” Umberg said. “And we’re sending a clear signal to Washington – we’re ready to put those dollars to use – north toward Merced and the Bay Area and south to-

ward Bakersfield and Los Angeles.”

The Board considered three other options for beginning the project, but each of them would leave more money unused and might fall short of some state and federal requirements. This initial segment will use about $4.15 billion of the available $4.3 billion to build two new stations, acquire rights of way, construct viaducts, prepare the site, grade, restore vegetation, build rail bridges, realign roadways and relocate existing railways and utilities.

No construction can begin until the Authority completes its environmental reviews of the project. The federal deadline for completing these reviews is September 2011, and construction is expected to begin in 2012 and finish in 2017.

For detailed information visit the High-Speed Rail Authority website at www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov. 

able payment terms are important, U.S. companies should consider all financing options available in order to be as competitive as possible.

Gain knowledge of the export financing resources, tax, accounting, and legal considerations needed before selling to Mexico. Experts in this areas from the US and Mexico will be presenting: The Mexican legal system differs in many significant ways from the U.S. system.

More than ever, U.S. exporters are advised to be cautious and seek counsel when negotiating contracts in Mexico. Once negotiated, be prepared for the unexpected.

It can be difficult to collect from Mexican buyers in cases of non-payment. It is often necessary to travel to Mexico to meet with the buyer.

There are no controls on the transfer of U.S. dollars into and out of Mexico.

This means that profits can be repatriated freely. 

T

MBDA-Exporting from page 17

01/18/2011 - 11:00am-12:15pm Financial and Legal Considerations when Exporting to Mexico - Webinar U.S. exporters should be aware that Mexican lending rates are significantly higher than in the U.S., ranging from 15 - 20% per year. Requiring payment either by Confirmed Letter of Credit or Cash In Advance can cost U.S. exporters sales opportunities. While favor-

27  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

CONTRACTING/TRADE/GRANTS…

28  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

Ashoka’s Changemakers

Trade Opps

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hallenge.gov works when you tell people you care about an issue, or participate in a challenge. The government posts challenges in many areas of public concern - health, employment, environment and more. Citizens share the challenge information with friends and neighbors.

Then, talented and caring people find and offer suggestions for resolving problems and support the resolutions they think best meet the challenge.

When you read about a challenge at www.challenge.gov that you or someone you know has the concern, knowl

Challenges/ Contests WWW.CHALLENGE.GOV

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shoka’s Changemakers is looking for innovative solutions that engage communities, entrepreneurs, and key institutions in collaborating to integrate and develop affordable, inclusive, and sustainable urban housing that respects the environment, local cultures, and practices.

This competition is being launched in anticipation of the 2012 Summit of the Americas, and in support of U.S. President Barack Obama’s Energy and Climate Partnership for the Americas (ECPA). It is funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, and is a joint effort of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of State, and the American Planning Association.

Submit your solutions, or nominate a project, in this competition to collaborate on sustainable urban housing for liveable and inclusive cities.

From November 5 through February 2, 2011, you can nominate or submit a solution for sustainable urban housing. The entry form is also available for download.

Early Entry Prize: The two best entries submitted by 5PM EST, December 12, 2010 will each be eligible to win a prize of US $500.

Online Winners Prizes: The top three entries submitted by 5pm EST, February 2, 2011 will win US $10,000 each.

The most competitive entrants will be showcased and reviewed at an event that closes the competition in June 2011 at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. where they will be viewed by public and private partners, including prospective funders.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook to receive regular updates and to give us your feedback. 

C

hallenge.gov works when you tell people you care about an issue, or participate in a challenge. The government posts challenges in many areas of public concern - health, employment, environment and more. Citizens share the challenge information with friends and neighbors.

Then, talented and caring people find and offer suggestions for resolving problems and support the resolutions they think best meet the challenge.

When you read about a challenge at www.challenge.gov that you or someone you know has the concern, knowledge and experience to formulate and

submit a suggested resolution, Sign Up and participate. New challenges are posted periodically and many challenges are in progress right now, so visit the challenge.gov website regularly to stay abreast and to participate.

Contracts WWW.USASPENDING.GOV

29  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

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he Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) of 2006 requires that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) establish a single searchable website, accessible to the public at no cost, which includes for each Federal award: • • •

• •

the name of the entity receiving the award; the amount of the award; information on the award including transaction type, funding agency, etc; the location of the entity receiving the award; and a unique identifier of the entity receiving the award.

USAspending.gov was first launched in December 2007 to fulfill these requirements. Prime award information shown on the website is provided by Federal Agencies through four main source systems (see Sources of Data).

USAspending.gov receives and displays data pertaining to obligations (amounts awarded for federally sponsored projects during a given budget period), not outlays or expenditures (actual cash disbursements made against each project). Read the latest OMB-issued memoranda M-09-19, “Guidance on Data Submission under the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act” as it provides guidance to agencies on how to report information to USAspending.gov.

USAspending.gov has been recently updated in October 2010 to display of first-tier sub-award data (subcontracts and subgrants). Sub-award information shown on the website is provided by FSRS (see Sources of Data). The latest guidance documents pertaining to sub-award reporting can be found under News.

Grants HUD MAKES $35 MILLION AVAILABLE TO HOUSING AUTHORITIES TO CREATE NEW EDUCATIONAL, JOB TRAINING FACILITIES FOR RESIDENTS Due Date: January 14, 2011

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he U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced that it is offering

$35 million to public housing authorities to develop facilities that will provide early childhood and adult education, and/or job training programs for public housing residents. The new Capital Fund Education and Training Community Facilities Program (CFCF) further illustrates the Obama Administration’s commitment to link affordable housing with education reform and early childhood education. The Notice of Funding for CFCF was posted on Grants.gov in October.

“Education offers a path to a better life,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. “This new program will provide public housing authorities the necessary resources to give their residents educational and enrichment opportunities that will open doors to boundless opportunities.”

Housing authorities have until January 14, 2011, to apply for CFCF funding to construct new facilities, rehabilitate existing structures or purchase facilities that will provide early childhood and adult education, and/or job training programs for public housing residents based on an identified need. The funding can also be used to revitalize an existing community center that will offer comprehensive integrated services to help public housing residents achieve better educational and economic outcomes resulting in long-term economic self-sufficiency. While use of the facility is primarily for public housing residents, families in the community may utilize and benefit from the new centers and their resources.

The maximum grant award is $5 million. Applicants must “leverage” or have financial commitments of at least five percent of the grant amount and identify at least one education or training supportive service provider, such as a community college, that will partner with the housing authority to provide the services required. Agencies that are awarded funding are given four years to have an operating facility.

CFCF, which is being funded though

a special set-aside from HUD’s Capital Fund Program, adds to the Obama Administration’s commitment to including educational components to its housing programs. Both the Choice Neighborhoods (CN) and HOPE VI Revitalization Programs, that are currently taking applications, require providing early childhood educational opportunities a priority.

The Choice Neighborhoods initiative aligns quality educational opportunities with community development resources for long-term, economically viable neighborhood transformation. Now in its pilot year, the competitive program will award up to $65 million to public housing authorities, local governments, nonprofit organizations, and for profit developers that apply jointly with a public entity to extend neighborhood transformation efforts beyond public and/or assisted housing, to link housing revitalization with education reform and early childhood education. CN builds on the success of the HOPE VI Revitalization Program that has for nearly 20 years transformed neighborhoods with distressed public housing into revitalized mixed-income communities.

THE FOLLOWING GRANT OPPORTUNITY POSTINGS DETAILS MAY BE FOUND ON WWW.GRANTS.GOV USDA: DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE/ FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE •2011 SUMMER HOME DELIVERY & FOOD BACKPACKS DEMO PROJECTS, MODIFICATION 1 •WWW07.GRANTS.GOV/SEARCH/SEARCH. DO?&MODE=VIEW&OPPID=58525 USDA: DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE/ NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

•BIOTECHNOLOGY RISK ASSESSMENT GRANTS PROGRAM, MODIFICATION 1 •WWW07.GRANTS.GOV/SEARCH/SEARCH. DO?&MODE=VIEW&OPPID=58827 USDOJ: DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OFFICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS/ BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE •BJA FY 11 RESIDENTIAL SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT (RSAT) FOR STATE PRISONERS PROGRAM, MODIFICATION 1 •WWW07.GRANTS.GOV/SEARCH/SEARCH. DO?&MODE=VIEW&OPPID=58917

see Contracting/Grants on page 30

30  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

Contracting/Grants from page 30

NEH: NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES PROGRAMMING GRANTS TO ACCOMPANY NEH ON THE ROAD EXHIBITIONS, GRANT WWW07.GRANTS.GOV/SEARCH/SEARCH. DO?&MODE=VIEW&OPPID=58945 DOT: DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION/ FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION POSITIVE TRAIN CONTROL (PTC) FOR COMMUTER AND REGIONAL RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEMS, GRANT WWW07.GRANTS.GOV/SEARCH/SEARCH. DO?&MODE=VIEW&OPPID=58958 DOT: DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION/ FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION RAIL TRANSIT SIGNAL AND CONTROL SYSTEMS (RTSCS) RESEARCH - COMMUNICATION-BASED TRAIN CONTROL (CBTC) FOR A HEAVY AND LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEM, GRANT WWW07.GRANTS.GOV/SEARCH/SEARCH. DO?&MODE=VIEW&OPPID=58960 HHS: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES/NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH MECHANISMS OF ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS IN CHILDREN (R01), GRANT WWW07.GRANTS.GOV/SEARCH/SEARCH. DO?&MODE=VIEW&OPPID=58962 HHS: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES/NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH MECHANISMS OF ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS IN CHILDREN (R03), GRANT WWW07.GRANTS.GOV/SEARCH/SEARCH. DO?&MODE=VIEW&OPPID=58963 DOT: DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION/ FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION RAIL TRANSIT SIGNAL AND CONTROL SYSTEMS (RTSCS) RESEARCH - TECHNOLOGY TO ENFORCE TEMPORAL SEPARATION FOR

SHARED-TRACK OPERATIONS, GRANT WWW07.GRANTS.GOV/SEARCH/SEARCH. DO?&MODE=VIEW&OPPID=58964

IMLS: INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES NATIONAL LEADERSHIP GRANTS, GRANT WWW07.GRANTS.GOV/SEARCH/SEARCH. DO?&MODE=VIEW&OPPID=58965 HHS: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES/NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NIH SUMMER RESEARCH EXPERIENCE PROGRAMS (R25), GRANT WWW07.GRANTS.GOV/SEARCH/SEARCH. DO?&MODE=VIEW&OPPID=58966 HHS: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES/HEALTH RESOURCES & SERVICES ADMINISTRATION HIV EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES (EIS) PROGRAM EXISTING GEOGRAPHIC SERVICE AREAS (EISEGA), MODIFICATION 5 WWW07.GRANTS.GOV/SEARCH/SEARCH. DO?&MODE=VIEW&OPPID=58967 HHS: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES/CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF A POPULATIONBASED COHORT OF PEOPLE WITH LUPUS (U01), GRANT WWW07.GRANTS.GOV/SEARCH/SEARCH. DO?&MODE=VIEW&OPPID=58968 DOI: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR/NATIONAL PARK SERVICE VANCOUVER NATIONAL HISTORIC RESERVE GROUP TOUR PROGRAM, GRANT WWW07.GRANTS.GOV/SEARCH/SEARCH. DO?&MODE=VIEW&OPPID=58969 HHS: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES/NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH STUDIES IN NEONATAL HYPOGLYCEMIA (R03), GRANT WWW07.GRANTS.GOV/SEARCH/SEARCH. DO?&MODE=VIEW&OPPID=58970 AND

(R01) 58971 DHS: DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY/OFFICE OF PROCUREMENT OPERATIONS - GRANTS DIVISION EXPLORATORY RESEARCH, GRANT WWW07.GRANTS.GOV/SEARCH/SEARCH. DO?&MODE=VIEW&OPPID=58972 HHS: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES/NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH STUDIES IN NEONATAL HYPOGLYCEMIA (R21), GRANT WWW07.GRANTS.GOV/SEARCH/SEARCH. DO?&MODE=VIEW&OPPID=58973 HHS: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES/CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT: BEHAVIORAL RISK FACTOR SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM, GRANT WWW07.GRANTS.GOV/SEARCH/SEARCH. DO?&MODE=VIEW&OPPID=58974 HHS: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES/CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION JOHNSTON COUNTY OSTEOARTHRITIS PROJECT (U01), GRANT WWW07.GRANTS.GOV/SEARCH/SEARCH. DO?&MODE=VIEW&OPPID=58975 HHS: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES/CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT: BEHAVIORAL RISK FACTOR SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM (PACIFIC JURISDICTIONS), GRANT WWW07.GRANTS.GOV/SEARCH/SEARCH. DO?&MODE=VIEW&OPPID=58976

Bid Opps Project: RFP No. 309-10 Biological Treatment Pilot Test at the Tujunga Wellfield

31  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

see Contracting/Grants on page 51

BUSINESS SUCCESS TOOLS…

32  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

Tips for Building Your Business For Success The Importance of Ownership

O

ne of the keys to economic independence for African American business owners is the acquisition and ownership of commercial real estate. By controlling the buildings and land that house the means of generating revenue, an entrepreneur can better attain the goal that underpins what being in business is all about: maximum selfdetermination.

With interest rates now at historically low levels and the economy growing at a slow pace, now is a prime time for many business owners to consider the purchase of commercial real estate. The benefits and drawbacks to commercial real estate ownership vary from business owner to business owner, but potential buyers should educate themselves about the obvious and sometimes hidden benefits to the ownership of a commercial property. Below are some of the major benefits to real estate ownership, versus leasing a commercial space.

cide to retire. In such cases, the equity appreciation on commercial property can be significant. An owner can decide either to sell the property upon retirement to cash in on equity appreciation, or lease the property to another business for a continuous retirement income stream. In fact, in some situations, a business owner may be able to lease out an unused portion of the property, such as a spare office, before retirement for additional income.

ADDED VALUE TO BUSINESS Unlike some residential loans, many commercial loans are assumable. This makes the business and its real estate much easier for a buyer to acquire, and enhances the value of the business tremendously.

NO TAXES TO PAY ON YOUR RENT TAX DEDUCTIONS For many Black business owners, a primary benefit of commercial real estate ownership is the tax deductibility of property that can be taken on the interest portion of the monthly commercial loan payment. These deductions can be substantial and each business owner should consult a qualified tax specialist about his or her unique situation.

EQUITY APPRECIATION On average, commercial real estate properties will appreciate about two to three percent above inflation over the long term. Paying rent provides no appreciation or equity. Quite candidly, many Black business owners have been paying rent for a decade or more, with no equity accrued and never having positioned themselves to benefit from any hope of equity appreciation. Using some of the most conservative estimates, potential equity appreciation can result in significant financial gains over a period of decades.

A RETIREMENT FUND Through various circumstances, many minority and small business owners will not receive a pension when they de-

When a business leases its real estate, sales tax is paid on the rent paid to the landlord. When you own the real estate there is no tax to pay on the rent. The savings can be significant.

EASY ACCESS TO FINANCING Historically-low, thirty-year fixed interest mortgage rates are now available for owner-occupied commercial properties. Furthermore, there are flexible interest-only options from which entrepreneurs can benefit. In fact, in some instances, with strong financials a business owner may qualify for loan financing up to 100% of the purchase price for commercial real estate. A business owner should consult an experienced commercial mortgage adviser before making an offer on a commercial property, so that in addition to the tangible benefits outlined above, the business owner will have the satisfaction that only comes with property ownership. Truer words have never been spoken: “God bless the child that’s got his own”.

The Black Business Association (BBA) will soon launch a nationwide program to assist African American business owners in acquiring commercial and industrial real estate.

Contact our office for more information: www.bbala.org and 323-291-9334. 

34  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

Chef Marilyn: California’s “Queen of Soul Food”

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hen Chef Marilyn opened her first soul food kitchen she never dreamed that 20 years later she would be wearing the moniker “California’s Queen of Soul Food.” Having achieved such a title is humbling for the young woman who, with no formal culinary training, began cooking on Sunday’s for family and friends.

“It makes me emotional to think that I’m considered ‘California’s Queen of Soul Food,’ especially since when I was growing up my sisters and I never cooked. My mother was Creole and she always cooked. Instead of us cooking, she had my sisters and me volunteering a lot,” says Chef Marilyn Cole.

Today, through ingenuity and entrepreneurial savvy coupled with a love for what she does and for her

community, Chef Marilyn has become a household name throughout California and a 21st century soul food icon.

Coining the phrases “99 cents Soul Food,” and “Soul Food Express,” Chef Marilyn has created two signature restaurants that have morphed into the most popular take-out eateries for authentic soul food dishes in Southern California. On any given day passersby and patrons will encounter long lines wrapped around the block at the restaurants located at 2638 Crenshaw Boulevard and 5068 Pico Boulevard, in Los Angeles.

“Chef Marilyn is the Queen of Soul Food. Her food is nothing less than fabulous. If you like soul food, real soul food, better than home soul food, Chef Marilyn is the place to go,” says Earl “Skip” Cooper, president of the Black Business Association (BBA). “If you

want to know why they have a long line, they have a long line because the food is ‘off the hook’ and the prices are reasonable.”

According to Chef Marilyn, she created the “99 cents Soul Food” fare to enable people who may have limited funds to eat healthy, nutritious meals at a reasonable price on a daily basis. For less than $4.00 customers can receive a well-balanced, nutritious healthy helping of collard greens, black-eyed peas, meat entrée and cornbread muffin—just one of many 99 cent combinations that can include red beans and rice, fried cat fish, chicken, spinach, lima beans and more.

The restaurants also serve as a hub of community activity where customers, while standing in line, become involved in heated sports debates, obtain information about what’s going on in the community, donate to toy drives and funerals and even register to vote.

“It’s been a vision to have these take out places throughout Los Angeles. You look up and there’s a Chef Marilyn’s just like McDonald’s,” she said.

A fixture on the party scene since the doors opened, Chef Marilyn has also won the title of “Soul Food Chef to the Stars.” Her delectable dishes are in constant demand by Hollywood’s elite and Los Angeles’ political powerbrokers. Just ask Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Stevie Wonder, song stylist Vesta, Thelma Hopkins, Nancy Wilson, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Los Angeles Council members Herb Wesson, Jan Perry and Bernard Parks, State Senator Curren Price, Congresswoman Dianne Watson or Congresswoman Maxine Waters.

Who do you call to cater weddings, funerals, theme and specialty parties, swearing in ceremonies, office parties, etc.? Who else but Chef Marilyn.

Much of her success can be attributed to her strong desire to give back and reach out to the community, a desire see Chef Marilyn on page 36

35  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

Chef Marilyn from page 35

grounded in her youth. At the age of 14, she was volunteering with the American Red Cross and the Queen of Angels hospital. That giving spirit is still evident. When Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana, Chef Marilyn, at her own

expense, personally travelled to New Orleans to cook, provide clothing and donate other necessities. She regularly donates meals and her services to a variety of non-profit organizations including Hear Zero, Inc., the House of Hope women’s shelter, and the Asian American Drug Abuse Program.

Understanding the difficulties male and female felons face in transiting back into society, Chef Marilyn has no problem offering employment opportunities and second chances to parolees, at-risk youth and individuals who are considered “unemployable.”

“My mother instilled in me that if you give back and help the community in which you live, in return you would receive true happiness,” she says.

Chef Marilyn’s flair for soul food, Creole dishes and Jamaican fare led Smart and Final Inc., the warehouse grocery provider, which operates more than 235 stores for food and restaurant supplies in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho and northern Mexico, to select her as the featured chef for their nationwide Kwanzaa campaign in 2007. A picture of Chef Marilyn, along with two of her most popular recipes—Creole Spaghetti and Louisiana Red Bean Soup—was featured in advertisements in all Smart and Final stores.

“Never in my fondest years did I think that would happen,” says the renowned chef, who says she is fulfilling her mother’s dreams.

Chef Marilyn has received numerous citations, awards and honorable mentions for her culinary skills and commitment to the community from a plethora of groups and organizations

including the California State Assembly, California State Senate, and Los Angeles City Council. She has been featured on ABC’ Channel 7’s “Eye on L.A.” and has received rave reviews in the Los Angeles Times, Wave, Los Angeles Sentinel and other local and regional publications.

“It’s a blessing to be able to do something you love,” says Chef Marilyn, who has been selected a certified vendor for the National Basketball Association’s (NBA)’s 2011 All-Star game that will be held at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles in February.

What’s next for this culinary giant?

According to “California’s Queen of Soul Food,” she wants to open a training center, expand and franchise the Soul Food Expresses and open a sit down-styled restaurant called Chef Marilyn’s Heritage House.

For more information about Chef Marilyn’s “99 cents Soul Food,” Soul Food Express, or catering services call 323737-8101.  Story provided by Chico Norwood ccncommunications@ hotmail.com

36  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

Black Farmers’ Settlement Bill Clears the House

T

he House of Representatives has passed landmark legislation to fund claims filed by Black farmers who say that the U.S. Agriculture Department denied them loans and other assistance because of their race.

It was a bittersweet moment for John Boyd, Jr., president of the National Black Farmers Association (www. blackfarmers.org), who observed the historic vote from the House gallery.

“We won,” Boyd said wistfully. “But it’s been an uphill battle and the process has not been pretty.”

The measure appropriates $1.15 billion to settle discrimination claims made by farmers who missed the 1997 filing deadline for the class action suit now known as Pigford I that was settled in 1999. It also includes $3.4 billion to compensate Native American farmers for the Interior Department’s mishandling of American Indian trust funds and land, gas and other royalties.

President Obama issued a statement applauding the bill and said the administration will continue efforts to resolve past discrimination claims made by women and Hispanic farmers.

Boyd feels like the biggest hurdle is behind him and already thinking about educating farmers about the claims process. But as even Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack conceded in a conference call with reporters on Monday, the next steps will be “very complicated and detailed.”

To be eligible, claimants must have filed a late-filing request under the Pigford I consent decree after October 1999 and before June 2008, Vilsack said. Those not included on that filing class list will be required to provide

“significant and independent documentary evidence” that they are in fact part of it.

“We’re also going to have a number of steps inherent in the review of these claims by the comptroller general and

by USDA’s inspector general to make sure that we are performing the settlement process appropriately, that we are legitimately reviewing these claims, and that we’re paying those who are entitled to payment,” Vilsack said. An independent arbitrator also will be appointed to review all claims.

These provisions were added to the Senate version of the bill passed on November 19 in response to Republican lawmakers who have charged that the settlement is akin to reparations and that many Pigford claims are riddled with fraud. But some Black lawmakers are countering that they set a disproportionately high burden of proof for black farmers.

“I have concerns with language added in the Senate that could have a chilling effect on farmers settling claims.

The Senate-added language calls for a ‘Neutral Adjudicator’ who has the authority to demand additional information from claimants, beyond what was required to qualify for the class action suit,” said Majority Whip James Clyburn (South Carolina). “I hope the unprecedented processes laid out in this bill do not become tools for witch hunts and intimidation.”

Boyd says that the discrimination that led to the settlement was so pervasive

that farmers won’t have any problems proving their case. “We have a lot [of proof] in our favor that Republicans choose to not recognize. They’re trying to turn this into a fraud case,” he said.

“When things happen for blacks there’s always a tougher road to tread and this situation is similar.”

Rep. Artur Davis (D-Alabama) believes that success of the process, which he agrees is less than ideal, will largely depend on the farmers securing strong representation and the government’s commitment to righting historic wrongs, which were problems during Pigford I. “It’s better than nothing, but how well it works will depend on the quality of the claimants’ lawyers and whether they are diligently and aggressively representing the interests of the farmers and not their own, and whether the Agriculture and Justice departments are vigilant about the resolution of the claims,” Davis said. 

37  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

by Joyce Jones www.blackenterprise.com www.blackfarmers.org

Soul D’Licious

ww.bbala.org •Contracting Information •Employment Opportunities •Links to Sponsor Websites •Event Announcements •Resources:

• President’s Message • Financial Management • Meeting Management • International News • BBA Publications • Other Information

Southern Cooking with a Creole Twist

Chef D’

Executive Chef/Owner 562-326-6863 • Chefsouldlicious@yahoo.com www.souldlicious.net

A taste that will have your Soul begging for more. 

Catering to your Soul...

Corporate Events • VIP Presentations Movie/Video Sets • Wedding/Baby Showers Special Events • Private Chef Banquets Full Service Catering & Seasons Company, We Come to You…

LosAngeles Works! New Support Resource for Area Businesses from OEBP

T

he Mayor’s Office of Economic and Business Policy (OEBP) has launched a new website (www.losangelesworks.org) as a resource for LA’s business community.

Some features of the new Los Angeles Works site: • Provides easy access to key agencies, departments, and business support resources within the City, including the Office of Economic and Business Policy’s Business Concierge team; • Helps users start, grow, lower costs, find procurement opportunities, and relocate their businesses in Los Angeles; • Demonstrates that Los Angeles is

BANK OF AMERICA Recognizes VEDC as a 2010 Neighborhood Builder In honor of the impact of VEDC’s programs and commitment to our small business communities, Bank of America has presented the Valley Economic Development Center (VEDC) with the 2010 Neighborhood Builder Award through the BofA Neighborhood Excellence Initiative®.

Congratulations!

For information on the VEDC programs visit www.vedc.org

Where the World Creates and Innovates: promoting the unique assets and characteristics that make Los Angeles an incredible place to do business, including information about the LA economy and its world-class human capital.

OEBP: Your Business Concierge Service in City Hall The Mayor's Office of Economic and Business Policy is a committed partner at every step of your business. As part of this dedication to service, we offer direct assistance to businesses of all sizes to help them move, start, and grow in L.A. We provide facilitation and guidance

to new businesses interested in establishing operations in the City of Los Angeles, and to existing companies seeking assistance from City departments.

In addition to services and information to be found on the Los Angeles Works! website, personalized assistance and support is available, please contact the OEBP office via e-mail at jobs@lacity.org.  www.losangelesworks.org

FUTURALLIA 2011 Comes to Kansas City Global Business Event to be Held in United States for First Time After editions in Belgium, Poland, Canada, Qatar, and most recently France, the sixteenth edition of FUTURALLIA 2011 will take place in Kansas City, Missouri, next May. Whether you call it business matchmaking, business speed dating, or B2B meetings, FUTURALLIA is a fast-paced and intense business event where, all in all, more than 9,000 meetings will take place.

The concept is simple: to gather more than 800 entrepreneurs from countries across the globe for two days of pre-selected and pre-arranged one-on-one networking meetings. Futurallia’s proprietary match-making software system has been perfected with twenty years of experience. The Kauffman Foundation is proud to be a sponsor of Futurallia KC 2011. For more information, and to register for this event, visit www.FuturalliaKC2011.com

For information on the Bank of America Neighborhood Excellence Initiative® visit www.bankofamerica. com/foundation

39  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

10,000 Small Businesses at Long Beach Community College District 10,000 Small Businesses is a 5-year initiative to unlock the economic growth and jobcreation potential of 10,000 small businesses across the United States through greater access to business education, financial capital, and business support services. Goldman Sachs has partnered with local organizations to help small business owners in communities across the country grow their companies and create jobs. Long Beach Community College District has opened enrollment for the 2011 - 10,000 Small Businesses Business and Management Education program.

About 10,000 Small Businesses Program Selected scholars meet for 11 sessions in classes mostly on alternating Saturdays from 9:00am - 6:00pm, and commit to 6-8 hours per week to out of class activities to work on their business. The benefits of the program include: • • • • • • •

Business education curriculum developed by a leading national educational institution and taught by local educators and business experts Integrated, comprehensive business support services One-on-one business advising Peer-To-Peer learning with fellow CEOs in class, and peer relationship building Mentors and technical assistance Alumni services Access to capital

Target Applicant 10,000 Small Businesses is designed for business owners who operate a business that is poised for growth. Applicants must be the owner or co-owner of a business that meets the following criteria: • • • • •

Business in operations for at least two years Business revenues between $150,000 and $4.0 million in the most recent fiscal year Business with a minimum of 4 employees (including the business owner) Operations in economically underserved areas In addition, broad characteristics of business owners targeted to participate include, but are not limited to: limited access to a business and management education program; limited financial resources to obtain a similar level of education; limited access to capital; a desire and motivation to grow the business and create jobs

LBCC Information Sessions: Tuesday, November 9, 2010 Wednesday, November 10, 2010 Thursday, November 11, 2010 Tuesday, November 16, 2010 Wednesday, November 17, 2010 Thursday, November 18, 2010

9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., Rm. 235 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., Rm. 235 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m., Rm. 235 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., Rm. 234 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., Rm. 235 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m., Rm. 235

Please make a reservation to attend one of our information sessions taking place at Long Beach City College.

Contact: Vivian Shimoyama Address: 4900 E. Conant Street, Bldg. 2, Long Beach, CA 90808 Email: 10000sb@lbcc.edu Telephone: 562-938-5054 Website: http://www.lbcc.edu/10000smallbusinesses/app.cfm Please check the website regularly for 2011 program enrollment periods and information session schedule.

For February training, the 2011 cohort applicants must submit their applications prior to 5:00pm PDT on Monday, December 6. This deadline applies to all forms of submittal of applications: e.g. electronic submission, hand delivered, mailed, and faxed applications, etc.

www.ideasforacoolerworld.org

Technology:

If you are looking for examples of successful climate changing projects that are also activities that create jobs and new industries, visit this site (and

Take a Look!

by LaSandra Stratton Check out what these firms and organizations have to offer for your personal interests, personal wealth building, and business expansion opportunities.

combined have now been downloaded more than 34 million times.

The next step seemed logical. The company asked what people really wanted and needed to do with PDF, and the result is a solution that makes working with digital documents as simple as pen and paper.

Nitro Reader is the fruit of their vision to provide a better option to a world of users.

www.box.net Since 2005, Box.net has helped more than 3 million individuals, small businesses and Fortune 1000 companies access and share their content from

anywhere. We want to reinvent what businesses can do with their content through Box’s cloud content management platform, made for a new kind of worker, a new kind of workplace and a new kind of IT. Box makes it simple for businesses to share, manage and access all their content online. It’s a single, flexible solution that can serve and adapt to all your business sharing needs.

Online file system: Access, manage, share and view all your files on the web with confidence Document & media management: Manage & view documents and media in one place.

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Data rooms: Get deals done in an online workspace and manage contracts, statements and more.

FTP replacement: Share files securely, without the hassles of traditional FTP solutions.

Pricing is Free to Enterprise. Visit www.box.net for details.

http://books.google.com/ebooks

click on English if you do not read German).

In more than 50 fascinating features, DW-TV, Germany’s international broadcaster, showcases people and projects whose innovative ideas are helping combat global warming from Thailand to Honduras, Jordan, India and Laos. A multinational team of authors, researchers, TV and online reporters is working on a multimedia presentation of the projects.

The result is GLOBAL IDEAS. The online platform offers video content as well as background information on the topics.

The featured climate projects are “Best Practice” models - ideas that help make a difference and inspire others to do likewise. The focus is on developing and newly industrialized countries.

The projects are supported by the German environment ministry as part of the International Climate Initiative.

www.nitroreader.com Five years ago, this company launched the award-winning Nitro PDF Professional — the world’s first

true Adobe® Acrobat® alternative.

Two years ago, they started building a family of free PDF solutions, which

Google eBooks is all about choice, so you can use just about any device you own to read any book, anywhere.

Access all your ebooks wirelessly, no matter where you go. Google eBooks stores your library in the digital cloud, so you can read all of your favorite books using just about any device with an Internet connection. Google eBooks is compatible with Android phones, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, web browsers and many supported eReaders. Whenever you open one of your books, we’ll pick up right where you left off.

With millions of books to choose from in every imaginable category, finding what you want to read on Google eBooks is still easy. Read nearly 3 million free ebooks and hundreds of thousands of titles that are ready for purchase; with Google eBooks, you have access to the world’s

largest selection of ebooks and unlimited storage in the digital cloud.

Get your favorite ebooks from the Google eBookstore, or buy Google eBooks from a growing number of independent booksellers and retail partners. No matter where you buy your Google eBooks, you’ll enjoy the same access and usage rights and privileges.  Submitted by LaSandra Stratton, Chief Content Administrator of the Black Business News.

41  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

Learning Business and Entrepreneurship Through the Black Business Association’s Business Entrepreneur Training Institute (BETI)

work hard and not give up [on] having my own business,” Nanci Freeman, from the Law Office of Nanci Freeman.

The insight of the BBA to even offer such a course in a down market and in these hard economic times, which has greatly been referred to as the Great Recession, and especially where small businesses have definitely not been immune to the downturn in the economy, is very incisive. Because of high uncertainty in employment, which has caused low economic spending, and has therefore, in turn, lowered the profit expectations of many existIN PARTNERSHIP WITH ing business owners, who would dare sponsored by dream of starting a ing program that [would] teach new business, let alone invest energy, reentrepreneurs the “nuts & bolts” of op- sources, money and time into offering erating a highly successful business.” a course in entrepreneurship, where After taking this course, I definitely feel unemployment rates remain high and I have the ability and the knowledge family income low, as a result of high to start and operate a very successful job loss and failing industries? Obvibusiness of my own, as was the overall ously, however, the BBA had a different feeling from my other classmates. For perspective. Perhaps Earl “Skip” Cooexample one classmate, Kristin Par- per, II, president of the BBA, knew that nell, of Festive Flair Events, an event it had been shown in history that most planning business, has stated, “The multi-million, and in some cases, even class has given me momentum…”, and billon dollar businesses have actually yet another classmate has said, “…as got their start during poor economic I engage in attempting to be a pioneer, times. Businesses like, just to name [the class] has inspired me to

BUSINESS ENTREPRENEUR

TRAINING INSTITUTE

I

f I did not believe I could start my own business at the beginning of the 12week Entrepreneur course given by the Black Business Association (BBA), then imagine my enthusiastic surprise when that certainly all changed once I reached week 12. As a fellow classmate, Kenneth Brooks, of the business venture, X-Factor Industries, a software development company, put it, “This class made the impossible – possible.” The Business Entrepreneur Training Institute (BETI) was launched by the BBA, in partnership with West Los Angeles College, and sponsored by Citi, as “a 12-week train-

42  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

a few, Hewlett Packard, originating in 1935, Estee Lauder, also getting its start in 1935, and the Carlson Companies, beginning in 1938, with a $55.00 dollar loan, are now all multi-million dollar companies, with the exception of the Carlson Companies, which is a billion dollar company today, that each got their start in the midst of the Great Depression. Interestingly, the Entrepreneur class, itself, also brought together a diverse group of entrepreneurs and businesses. Everyone represented businesses from all forms of industry, such as a business for a restaurant, new application software for cell phones, bakery, Nubian art, dance, theatre, clothing invention for men, language activity invention for children, internet based businesses, fashion boutique, hand bag line, unique clothing line, career management coaching, non-profit facility management, law, and real estate. Perhaps, “Skip’s” insight in offering an Entrepreneur course, at this time in history, has provided for the launch of yet other great businesses to be well on their way to becoming multi-million or even billion dollar companies in the future, as well.

The way the class was prepared, organized, and taught enhanced a higher level of learning by providing quality instruction, rich in diversity and invaluable in resources. The BBA planned the course very well, by making Kevin and Katrina Smith to be our very first instructors.

From the very beginning, I and my fellow classmates were emerged in business instruction given, of course, over eighty business terms needed to communicate within the business world. Kevin and Katrina Smith, who are both authors, business owners, and who both have their MBA’s, ever so wisely knew the necessity of first being able to speak the language of business before any of us would ever be able to maneuver within the business world.

By being so equipped, we could avoid potentially being characterized as incompetent to those we would encounter in the market. Words we would find especially helpful when we would possibly need to go before investors, loan officers, bank representatives, or any other business offices needed in order to get funding or help to generally get

started and run a successful business.

Therefore, the class was given a list of business terms with which to familiarize ourselves and to study. Fellow class-

mate, Vonda Whitaker, who is an artist specializing in vibrant, original, Nubian art, design pieces summed up what see Training Institute on page 62

Elizabeth Laine On Her New Luxury Handbag Business

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ike many entrepreneurs, Elizabeth Laine (www. elizabethlaine.com/ Elizabeth_Laine/Home. html) started her business on passion and patience. She’s a relative newbie to the world of entrepreneurship, having started her line of luxury handbags earlier this year.

As an up-and-coming retail entrepreneur, we talked to Laine about how she started her line and how she keeps it going.

Did you always want to start a handbag business?

I have always wanted a business since I was very young. I didn’t know that it would be a handbag line but knew it had to be something I had a passion for.

What experience in design or retail did you have prior to launching this line?

I graduated college with a major in Fashion Design. I have 7 years of retail sales & management experience for high end boutiques. I have also interned for 3 well established contemporary clothing designers.

How did you decide on a handbag and purse line?

The ideal for my handbag business came when I made a case that I could carry either my cell phone or camera in. After the excitement of making a such a stylish case, I began to show family & friends. To my surprise they also wanted a case for their selves & the orders started rolling in. After gaining confidence from sales of the cases I decided to go bigger & better by focusing on making a luxury handbag business that expresses the many

sides of me, from business to casual.

Can you describe the process it takes to produce a handbag?

The process of making a handbag starts with a sketch. Next you decide what materials to use. The last step of the process is making a sample.

Do you do the designs yourself and where do you manufacture your product?

All designs are created by me from the sketch of the handbag to making the pattern & selecting the materials for each style. The handbags are made in Los Angeles. It was very important to keep production in the United States for two reasons. With our country being in a recession I felt it was necessary for me to make sure my business recycled the American dollar. The second reason

43  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

see Elizabeth Laine on page 79

Our Goal: Advancing Better Trade Agreements for American Workers and Businesses

E

xperts from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative travelled to Seattle, Washington, to

hammer out the legal language for the landmark trade agreement President Obama announced earlier this month:

improvements on the US-Korea trade deal that make the pact better for American workers and businesses, particularly in our recovering auto sector.

That agreement was reached after the President walked away from an earlier offer at the G20 meeting in Seoul, Korea.

What our Korean counterparts put on the table wasn’t good enough for you then, and the President chose to take more time to get the agreement right. The result of that bold decision was an agreement that won wide acclaim on announcement, and we’re eager to work with its supporters on both sides of the aisle in Congress to advance it as quickly as possible.

Many are asking whether two other pending trade agreements - those with Colombia and Panama - should move forward with the Korea deal. A see Trade Agreements on page 74

Rainbow PUSH LA Trade Bureau The Rainbow PUSH LA Trade Bureau (RPC/Bureau) is focused on the implementation of economic, social, and education initiatives, as well as growing the office to become a strong voice for our constituents and Trade Bureau Members.

Rainbow Push LA is connecting our Trade Bureau members with our Trading Partners for the purpose of doing business.

Rainbow Push LA is committed to connecting our members to new opportunities that will not only bring us through the recession, but beyond it. Our innovative ideas are expressed through powerful programmatic pieces that are designed with everyone in mind.

Please use the information below to contact the Los Angeles office to request a contact information form that may be completed then faxed or e-mailed to us. The information will reconnect us with you and will aid Mr. Israel in his upcoming meetings with corporate trading partners.

Regina Black, Office Manager Rainbow PUSH/CEF Los Angeles, 1313 W. 8th Street, Suite 232, Los Angeles, CA 90017 Office Number: 213.483.3500 Fax Number: 213.483.3577 Email: rblack@rainbowpush.org Website: www.rainbowpushla.org

End Of Year Tax Relief: Charitable Giving Time

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reminder: It’s that time of year again. Yes, It’s time to give, it’s time to help.

When it’s time to pay taxes in April you will remember that you passed up the opportunity to reduce that tax bill even a little bit.

This month we are featuring a variety of organizations that we think are deserving of your consideration when it is time to open your purse.

In addition, we suggest that you give extra support to the Black business support organization(s) in your area. Send in a donation or become a member. Memberships make these organizations stronger and better able to serve and support the minority business community.

Thank you in advance for sharing your wealth even in these challenging financial times.

Father Albert B. Byaruhanga Foundation The Father Albert B. Byaruhanga Foundation (www.fr-albert-byaruhanga-foundation.org) was registered in Uganda, East Africa as a company

limited by guarantee on 19th May 2010, Certificate. Number 118644.

Fr. Albert was a philanthropist, a friend to many, a father to the fatherless, a presidential advisor, and above all, a humble priest serving God as selflessly as he did. He was a hard working man of God, a very good at keeping time and multitasking all his assignments, he was an exceptional man.

He supported various humanitarian projects and education was a major activity that he pursued dearly both for himself and for others. At his passing, he had a number of students he was looking after in terms of catering for their tuition fees. He had various projects and was a member of a number of Executive Boards at which he deliberated either as Chairman, Vice Chairman or as a strong advocate for the well being of humanity.

The Foundation is very certain that he is in a much better place, but we would like to have his work, disciplined ethics and all his good virtues to continue as we consolidate his various projects that he handled. We request you to join us as his family and friends to continue lighting his candle and to remember his good works and legacy through the objectives of THE FARTHER ALBERT B B. BYARUHANGA FOUNDATION THE FABB Foundation.

Programs of the Foundation include: • Support Education for the Orphans • Health care to the needy and vulnerable groups • Provision of assistance to support the welfare of the needy • Engage in development activities

that will generate funds to sustain the foundation To donate to the Foundation transfer funds (US dollars) to DFCU BANK, Impala house branch, Kampala, Uganda, US Dollars a/c NO. 02013500182843.

For funds transfer information visit the DFCU Bank website at: www.dfcugroup.com.

The Foundation extends thanks and appreciation for all contributions. Contact the Foundation at: Chairperson Board of Directors, Fr. Albert Byaruhanga Foundation, P.O.Box 12348, Kampala, Uganda East Africa or info@ fr-albert-byaruhanga-foundation.org.

Village Water: Sustainable Water and Sanitation In Zambia most rural villagers do not have access to enough clean water.

A village woman often spends three hours a day carrying one 20-litre plastic container of water. This is not sufficient water for drinking, cooking and washing. Diarrhoea and other waterborne diseases are common and lifethreatening.

To date, we have succeeded in serving over 60,000 people in 240 villages.

Village Water (www.villagewater. org ) provides hygiene education and sustainable water from wells for rural villages in western Zambia. We only install protected shallow wells with manual water pumps that allow the people to draw uncontaminated water from underground.

Diarrhoea is one of the leading causes of infant mortality in Zambia and a major contributor to malnutrition.

The safe disposal of human excreta, coupled with basic hygiene practices such as hand washing with soap are key to breaking the cycle of disease transmission for diarrhoea, particularly

45  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

see Charitable Giving on page 46

Charitable Giving from page 45

amongst children under five.

The village-by-village project works like this: • Each community must set up a village Water Committee.

• The committee treasurer collects small monthly donations from each working adult. This allows them to fund spare parts and keep the pump in good repair.

• Two villagers, one man, one woman, are trained as pump minders.

• Embark on a sanitation programme where they dig their own pit latrines, one per family.

• Use the cement and other materials, that we donate for digging latrines, but they must provide the labour.

• Install a hand washing facility at the exit of each latrine.

• Engage in hygiene education classes concerning kitchen and food cleanliness, dog control and children’s needs.

The results of the combination of community responsibility, local wells and education are: • Children can wash regularly and

•

•

•

•

good hygiene practice is maintained; avoiding the lifethreatening diseases caused by insufficient water and poor hygiene practice.

Families no longer go hungry as the water grows plentiful supplies of nourishing food.

A local source of water gives village women the time to create their own local enterprise and children the time to attend school.

A sustainable and reliable source of water allows farmers to harvest crops throughout the year instead of the single crop reliant on the rainy season. Surplus food can be sold at local markets.

Money made through their enterprise enables families to pay for medicines and an education for their now-healthy children.

Donations to Village Water may be securely completed online using a credit card at the JustGiving website (www.justgiving.com/Charity/Donate. aspx?cid=185300). Donations are made in pounds sterling (£ GBP), so you might find it useful to use a currency convertor before you donate. There

Village latrine are lots to choose from, but if you’re stuck, one that we often use is www.

XE.com (www.XE.com/ucc).

Once you know how much you’d like to donate in GBP, just enter that amount in the box under Enter an amount (e.g. if you’d like to donate £10, enter 10.00) and follow the donation process as normal.

When your donation appears on your bank statement, it will show the equivalent in your own currency. 

Competition:

Ashoka’s Changemakers is looking for innovative solutions that engage communities, entrepreneurs, and key institutions in collaborating to integrate and develop affordable, inclusive, and sustainable urban housing that respects the environment, local cultures, and practices.

This competition is being launched in anticipation of the 2012 Summit of the Americas, and in support of U.S. President Barack Obama’s Energy and Climate Partnership for the Americas (ECPA - www.ecpamericas.org). It is funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, and is a joint effort of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of State, and the American Planning Association.

Submit your solutions, or nominate a project, in this competition to collaborate on sustainable urban housing for liveable and inclusive cities at www.changemakers.com/sustainableurbanhousing.

From November 5 through February 2, 2011, you can nominate or submit a solution for sustainable urban housing.

The entry form is also available for download.

Early Entry Prize: The two best entries submitted by 5PM EST, December 12, 2010 will each be eligible to win a prize of US $500.

Online Winners Prizes: The top three entries submitted by 5pm EST, February 2, 2011 will win US $10,000 each.

The most competitive entrants will be showcased and reviewed at an event that closes the competition in June 2011 at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC where they will be viewed by public and private partners, including prospective funders.

46  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

later.

“Deduct charged expenses. Both cash and accrual basis taxpayers can charge expenses on a credit card and deduct them in the year charged, regardless of when paid.”

Macy Story, Tax Manager, BKHM CPA

Last-Minute Business Tax Deductions for 2010 If any of these ideas seem like a potential fit for you, you’ll want to discuss them with your CPA as soon as possible.

I

t’s the end of the year, and you’re already thinking about 2011. If you’re looking at your first-quarter cash flow, one thing you can do to improve it is to minimize your 2010 tax bill (or

maximize your refund). There are still several things you can do before the end of the year to claim deductions or take advantage of tax rules that are ending this year. Review the ideas offered by some financial experts. Some options may require spending a little money, while others are more a matter of timing.

If you’re planning any big-ticket purchases…

“It would be advantageous from a tax standpoint to buy any large fixed asset purchases by December 31, 2010 as opposed to January 1, 2011 because there are currently special bonus depreciation rules enacted for 2010 that allow an expense for 50 percent of the purchase.”

Brian Schlang, CPA, Morrison, Brown, Argiz & Farra, LLP And if one of them is a car...

“Maximize auto depreciation for 2010 purchases. If you buy a new car and place it in service before the end of 2010, your first year depreciation deduction will be $11,060. If you wait until 2011 (assuming Congress doesn’t extend the bonus depreciation deduction and the 2011 first year depreciation cap is the same as for 2010), your first year depreciation deduction would be only $3,060.”

David Kostmayer, CPA, Barrett & Kostmayer, PLLC Do you have business property that

Buy now, deduct now, and pay

47  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

see Tax Deductions on page 49

Saving Energy is Good Business and Good for the Planet

C

heck out Google Earth – the ‘view from above’ of your favorite American city.

And look at the roofs of the office buildings, warehouses, shopping centers, and even the homes. Most of them are probably pretty dark in color – and this means they heat up a lot when the weather is warm – up to 50 degrees hotter than light roofs. All of those dark roofs mean that as a nation we’re using a lot more air conditioning than we need to. At least a billion dollars a year in extra power bills, in fact.

And when you combine hot roofs with dark roads and parking lots, we get the ‘urban heat island’ effect: cities tend to

be 2-5 degrees hotter than less urban areas just because of all the dark surfaces.

But there’s something we can do about it: changing to a ‘cool roof.’ The Department of Energy just did this in our Washington, DC headquarters. It was time to replace our roof anyway, so for no extra cost we went to a ‘cool’ white material.

And we’re hoping others follow this lead.

A cooler roof means lower energy bills – up to 10-15% lower – when it’s warm out because your air conditioner doesn’t have to work as hard. Saving energy means lower greenhouse gas emissions because we don’t need to burn as much fossil fuel. And less heat absorbed by building rooftops means cooler communities in the summer.

Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab estimate that if just over three quarters of our nation’s commercial buildings were updated with cool roofs, the U.S. would save enough energy on air-conditioning to reduce CO2 emissions by about 6 million metric tons each year.

That’s like taking more than a million

The cleanest source of energy is the energy you don’t use.

Tax Deductions from page 47

you’ve held for more than a year and are considering liquidating?

“Due to the presumed expiration of the Bush Tax Cuts, you should review your investments and clean house as the Capital Gains rate increases to 25 percent from 15 percent as of January 1, 2011. Along with this change, the reduced tax rate treatment for some dividends also increases in a like manner.

So, if you have investments that you are looking at changing up, do it before the end of the year to save some on the tax front.”

Eric M. Anderson, CPA, www.ema-cpa. com Do you develop software? You‘re entitled to a little extra credit. see Tax Deductions on page 51

cars off the road.

Places like Bermuda and the Aegean island of Santorini got this concept long ago. Nearly every rooftop is white. These folks figured out that it’s more comfortable to use a cool roof in a hot climate than to use a dark roof and blast the AC. So if you or someone you know is planning some work on the roof of your building or home, check out whether cool roofing is a good option for your climate zone. Go to www.roofcalc. com to calculate how much money you might save.

The cleanest source of energy is the energy you don’t use. We’ve realized that in the Federal government and have gotten started on making sensible changes to save the taxpayers money.

We’re looking forward to businesses and householders joining us in saving money by saving energy – and then let’s all shout about it from the rooftops.

Cool ones, that is. 

49  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

Ian Foxx

Regional Black Chamber of Commerce SFV Annual Gala Awards Dinner On a breezy cool evening high above the bright city lights of the great Hollywood Hills, near the mouth of the Universal City Studios entrance, at the Hilton Universal City Hotel, a Star-Studded Gala Awards Dinner took place hosted by the Regional Black Chamber of Commerce SFV. This important event recognizes some of the most prolific small business owners, community volunteers, government agencies, financial institutions, and community responsible corporations, from all the Regional Black Chambers’ regions — covering more than 35 cities, and 5 exclusive empowerment zones.

City of Los Angeles Controller Wendy Gruel opened the evening event with a warm Welcome.

Hon. Supervisor Mike Antonovich office represented by Millie Jones, presented Certificates to each honoree, and Councilmember Dennis Zine delivered words of encouragement for direct community involvement in the Valley. Final Remarks were presented by President/CEO, Madame M C Townsend.

The Award Honorees for 2010 were: Small Business of the Year — Rasscom USA - Ernest Givens-an Export firm Community Volunteers of the Year — Hubert Scales, Cleo Hill-Jackson, Rebecca Fleming, William Hutchinson, Matthew Tisdale, Luky Fernandez, Shirley Hu, Timothy Shephard, Donnie McGuire, Wallace Johnson, Jacqueline Helm.

Lifetime Achievement Award — Acclaimed Actor/Producer, Obba Babatunde President’s Award 2010 — Hall of Fame/ R & B Legends / The Whispers — presented by renowned actor Dawnn Lewis Community-Responsible Corporation of the Year — Office Depot Encino Financial Institution of the Year — Luther-Burbank Savings Government Agency of the Year — Los Angeles World Airport Among the notable VIP guests were: Dr. Coppertino, Willard Pugh, Carmelita Pittman, Belinda Moore, Alma Hayes, Guadalupae/Samba Mama, Shaun Baker, Jackie Hawthorne, Hugh Fuller/KJLH, Dr. McCloud. Media: Imageart2000 & Ruth Fleming. Operations Director: Char Cole.

Upcoming events presented by RBCC: The 10th Annual Largest Business Mixer in the Valley on January 27, 2011, Studio City, California; and the Annual Community Business Summit, hosted by Disney Institute in May 2011. RSVP at 818-464-3484 or www.regionalblackchambersfv.info.

Wishing You Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, and a

Happy, Healthy, & Prosperous

2011

OUR ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN OERP

Do Business with BBA Member Businesses & Advertisers 50  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

Tax Deductions from page 49

“Assuming Congress extends the R&D Tax Credit, 2010 is not limited by AMT (Alternative Minimum Tax). In your industry, identify what you’ve spent on any software development projects, whether for in-house use, or for providing value-add to your client base.

These costs could include the salaries for your in-house coders, or the invoice dollars spent on outside developers.

And finally some food for thought, especially if you’re expecting 2011 to be significantly better than 2010...

“Normally tax professionals recommend that, to defer paying taxes, you claim whatever business deductions you can before the end of the current year and defer whatever income you can to the following year. However, 2011 is likely to see a tax increase, particularly for high-income taxpayers.

Therefore, it’s possible that a deduction claimed in 2011 will be more beneficial (save more tax) than the same deduc-

Contracts/Grants from page 31

Source: Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, Los Angeles, California Bid Due Date: January 12, 2011 We are seeking subcontractor bids from minority-owned, woman-owned, and other business enterprises in the areas of work included in, but not limited to, those listed below: • • • • •

The R&D Credit reduces your tax liability approximately 7 cents for every dollar spent on these innovative efforts.”

Brian Lefever, VP of Operations, Titan Armor Was this your first year in business, or are you considering starting a new venture soon?

“The Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 temporarily increases the amount of start-up expenditures entrepreneurs can deduct from their taxes for this year from $5,000 to $10,000 (with a phaseout threshold of $60,000 in expenditures), offering an immediate incentive for someone with a new business idea to invest in starting up a new small business today. ” Michael Kaplanidis, CPA, Managing Director and Founder, Water Street Associates

tion claimed in 2010.”

Jan Zobel EA, www.JanZtax.com As you can see, some of these options could potentially save you thousands of dollars by acting before the end of the year — not just accelerating a year of cash flow, but in actual savings. These are provided here for educational purposes — a starting point for a conversation with your CFO, CPA, and tax attorney. Keep in mind that tax planning and tax preparation are two different things. If you’ve only hired your CPA to do your tax preparation, don’t expect them to get overly creative. Have a separate conversation with them about some of these options you may want to explore — the sooner, the better.  Scott Allen www.openforum.com

Expert pilot testing support for biological treatment Pilot treatment system field construction Bench-scal testing for biological treatment Drinking water quality lab Biological treatment system equipment fabrication

If you would like to participate on our team, please submit a cover letter, qualifications specific to the scope of work, resumes, and a rate schedule to Erica.Waddell@worleyparsons.com.

Email is preferred. Email must be less than 10MB in size. Qualifications and pricing will be accepted through January 6.

Plans, specifications, and copies of the bid proposal are available for download at www.labavn.org (free account required) or can be requested from Ms. Waddell. We are willing to assist all subcontractors in obtaining bonds, lines of credit, and/or insurance.

Please contact Erica Waddell at (310) 547-6355 or Erica.Waddell@worleyparsons.com with any questions. 

OUR ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN OERP

Do Business with BBA Member Businesses & Advertisers

51  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

COMMUNITY/PUBLIC INTEREST…

52  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

Consumerism: Qualifying for Homeownership Becoming More Difficult

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s reported in consumeraffairs. com, Wells Fargo and Bank of America have raised the minimum required credit score from 620 to 640 on *FHA-insured loans that they will buy -- far beyond what the FHA requires. That may not seem like such a big deal but it is for the 6.3 million Americans whose FICO scores just so happen to fall within that range.

FHA loans account for one in five of all home purchases and recently imposed minimum credit score requirement of 500 for most loans and 580 for loans that had smaller down payments of between 3.5% and 10%. Before then there was no minimum credit score for an FHA loan, but it was just that sort of lackk of oversight that contributed to the sub-prime mortgage meltdown.

Credit scores as configured by FICO (Fair Isaac Company www.fairisaac. com), range from 300 to 850. They’re based on data such as whether borrowers have missed debt payments, balances on their credit cards relative to borrowing limits, and the length of their credit history.

Requiring a 640 credit score will eliminate as many as 15% of all FHA borrowers. FHA commissioner David

Stevens says the hardest hit will be “minorities and any borrowers in communities hardest hit by the recession... we need to find a better way to provide access to these families who are being cut out simply because lenders are putting arbitrary overlays on top of our requirements.”

The inc r e a s e in minimum credit scores by Bank of America and Wells Fargo have prompted smaller lenders to follow suit.

Quicken L o a n s , which is the ninth-largest lender, has ended most of its FHA lending to borrowers with scores below 640. JPMorgan Chase, the third-largest lender, had already been generally requiring credit scores of at least 640 on FHA loans even before Wells Fargo and Bank of America raised their minimums.  *The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) provides mortgage insurance on loans made by FHA-approved lenders throughout the U.S. and its territories.

FHA insures mortgages on single and multi-family homes, and is the largest insurer of mortgages in the world, insuring over 34 million properties since its inception in 1934.

Home For Good

H

ome For Good, a joint initiative of United Way of Greater Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, the Business Leader’s Task Force on Homelessness is comprised of business leaders from throughout the county who have come together with a commitment to end homelessness in our region.

The Task Force promotes permanent solutions to homelessness in partnership with public sector, faith, nonprofit, and civic leaders, both local and national. The Task Force aims to end chronic and veteran homelessness in Los Angeles County by January 2016, and ensure our system is equipped to swiftly end all forms of homelessness in our region.

To review the report on ways and means to end chronic homelessness visit the Home For Good website at www.homeforgoodla.org. For information on how to get involved, contact Christine Marge at cmarge@ unitedway.org. 

HOME FOR GOOD The Action Plan to End Chronic and Veteran Homelessness by 2016

Home Home For For Good a blueprint to end and veteran Good isisa blueprint to end chronic and chronic veteran homelessness homelessness County building the system mostineffi in L.A. CountyinbyL.A. building the most by efficient and effective our cient and effective system region’s plan meant region’s history.

It’s a in planour meant not simplyhistory. to put an It’s end toa someone’s life on the Rather, it isto designed to provide life homeson as athe means not simply to streets. put an end someone’s streets. individual’s vital integration into ourhomes communities.

Rather,to itan is designed to provide as a means to an individual’s vital integration into our communities.

53  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

Consumerism: New Help for CA Consumers from the California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA)

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he California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) recently unveiled a new self-help service that offers consumers a wealth of information about almost any consumer topic. Consumers can now go to DCA’s Consumer Wiki (www.dca. ca.gov/wiki) and look up answers to their questions or find the places to get the answers they need. “This powerful new tool is the exact same tool used by our call center staff use when assisting consumers,” said DCA Director Brian Stiger. “In developing it, we decided to put it out there as a self-help site for consumers to use, too.”

The Consumer Wiki was created to replace an older database of informa-

tion used by call takers in DCA’s Consumer Information Center, which handles more than a million consumer calls every year.

Consumers will find valuable information in this directory, including contact names and telephone numbers for further assistance, on thousands of subjects. Topics range from those consumer issues over which DCA has jurisdiction, such as auto repair and contractors, to other areas such as landlord-tenant issues, buying or selling a home, and financial investments.

The site is organized for ease of use and includes broad consumer topics as well as an A-to-Z listing of consumer issues. 

Quote of Note...

“We’ve got to make sure that the United States is the best place to do business and the best place to innovate. So it’s time, for example, that we have a tax code that encourages job creation here in America.”

President Barack H.Obama

President Obama Honors the late Dr. Dorothy I. Height

H

.R. 6118, the “Dorothy Height Bill” designates the United States Postal Service located at 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, Washington, DC, as the Dorothy I. Height Post Office.

Dr. Dorothy Irene Height (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Height) was a celebrated civil rights leader and Chair Emerita of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW). While at NCNW, Dr. Height devoted her energies to advancing quality of life issues for African American women and their families, impacting health, education and economic empowerment.

Dr. Height dedicated her life to ser-

President Barack Obama signs H.R. 6118, the “Dorothy Height Bill” in the Oval Office. The bill designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located in Washington, D.C., as the “Dorothy I. Height Post Office.”-----Official White House Photo by Pete Souza vice and leadership. She was a recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994. She passed away

on April 20, 2010, in Washington, DC, and The President and the First Lady attended her funeral, with the President delivering her eulogy.

54  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

LifeGivingForce Brings Safe Water to Haitians Facing Cholera Outbreak

H

20 Haiti began life as campaign in response to the recent earthquake disaster. LifeGivingForce has since served over 100,000 people with safe, clean water. Our focus is now on assisting communities and schools with long term clean water solutions to aid recovery, and assist economic development.

Over 2 million people are still living in temporary settlements and the majority don’t have access to adequate clean water or sanitation facilities.

At LifeGivingForce we are committed to provide state-of-the-art sustainable water solutions to the people who need it most, and to stick around long enough to make sure it keeps flowing for years to come.

We have real solutions, and lots of experience implementing them on the

ground, but need your help to make this happen. Help us save a Life by Giving today. With your help we can make a difference.

SOMEWHERE IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW If fresh safe water is flowing from your tap, it may be hard to imagine a line of 1,000 women and children filling plastic containers with contaminated water from a local well. But its happening, right now, somewhere in the world.

Many, many places in fact. They may have walked 10 miles for it, and do so everyday. That they are often carrying typhoid, or cholera, or diarrhea-causing bacteria right back to their home only adds insult to injury.

It may also be hard to imagine what would happen if all the infrastructure

that carries the water to your tap was destroyed overnight, such as it was in the Haiti earthquake or Pakistan’s floods, or in any number of disasters that unfold every year. In such an emergency situation, where even rudimentary sanitation systems collapse, the only water available may be contaminated water. People must drink, and in order to survive they are risking life-threatening illness. They have no choice.

Half of the world’s hospital beds hold patients suffering from water-related diseases. 4500 people die from them worldwide every day, more than all forms of violence, including war, combined.

90% of these deaths are children under the age of 5. These children are not

55  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

see Help For Haiti on page 57

WHY ARE MORE BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES USING SLATON INSURANCE GROUP? BECAUSE THEY DELIVER! Insurance Management Services As a client of Slaton Insurance Group you’ve already made the decision to work with proven resources to help your business manage its risk exposure and to stay within compliance. The independent insurance agents of the Slaton Group will help you manage risk and reduce loss while maintaining adherence to your insurance budget.

We are an integrated, single source provider for your insurance needs.

STEVEN D. TURNER Slaton Group License #0G12789 Financial Advisory / Insurance Services 16161 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 382 Encino, California 91436 Telephone: 818-585-1374 E-mail: sturner@slatongroup.com Website: www.slatongroup.com

Insurance Coverage for Clients •

Business Owner’s Policy (BOP) - Property & General Liability Coverage in one Policy form, generally for small and midsized practices. The package includes coverage for business interruption, valuable papers, accounts receivables, employee dishonesty and numerous other pertinent coverages.

•

Commercial Package Policy (CPP) - Generally for larger practices/facilities; incorporates several policy forms including but not limited to general liability, property, automobile and crime policies.

•

Professional Liability - Provides protection for rendering professional services; may apply to both individual professionals and/or businesses.

•

Commercial Umbrella - An additional layer of liability protection that applies across policies to give you increased coverage limits.

•

Inland Marine - Coverage for specialized, valuable equipment or equipment that is mobile.

•

Commercial Auto Insurance - Protection for your owned, borrowed, or rental autos.

•

Worker’s Compensation - Social insurance program designed to resolve disputes between injured employees and their employers.

•

Directors & Officers

•

Employment Practices Liability

Health Care Industry: Steven Turner and his team provide solutions across the continuum of care in medical facilities coverage, ranging from small clinics to specialized facilities and hospitals. As the environment evolves in the medical services industry, Slaton Insurance Group is ready to assist you in managing risk.

Private Client Services: You’ve worked hard to provide a comfortable living for yourself and your family - we work hard to protect it. We work with you to help find personal insurance solutions that provide you the protection you need. Some of the coverage, we offer through our Private Client Services are Home insurance, Auto coverage, Board insurance, Umbrella policies, and many more converges to meet your needs.

Slaton Group is an independent insurance agency dedicated to providing quality commercial and personal insurance programs.

Since we are not limited to any one company, we can shop the marketplace to give you the best protection at the most competitive price.

56  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

Help For Haiti from page 55

dying from lack of access to water itself.

They are dying from lack access to safe water.

With our partners around the world we have been developing and implementing the world’s finest rapid-response delivery of energy independent water purification technology.

LGF 10000UF

We are in the field right now, putting these water purification systems in place.

As you read this, there are long lines of people beside these purifiers, finally having their cups filled.

There are hospitals cleaning their implements properly, sometimes for the first time since a disaster.

What we’ve accomplished is quite elegant and extraordinary. An array of solar-powered water purification systems in varying sizes, from a rolling suitcase to an air cargo shipping

pallet, which can serve the gift of a healthy life to tens of thousands of people in need.

From experience however we know that aid technologies often go to rust when the swarm of global attention has passed over an area. Even hurricane proof, marine grade systems like the LGF units. So we found another solution: We further develop micro-economic opportunities incorporating these clean water systems which encourage local ownership and maintenance, not just a distant overseeing bureaucracy, to ensure that these units will not only provide immediate relief, but will contribute to healthy and sustainable rebuilding of the community. To bring not only hope to these stricken areas, but actual opportunity.

Working With Cambry Orphanage The co-Founders of LifeGivingForce, Shane Hackett and Sung Cho, have been working in Haiti for more than 4 years.

During that period they’ve supported the Cambry orphanage in Les Cayes which houses 300 Haitian orphans. Over the last 3 years, they have financed the construction of a energy-independent technical training center (powered by solar and wind) and set up a training program for some of the ‘graduates’ of the orphanage.

Since the Haitian earthquake on January 12, 2010, LifeGivingForce Foundation has deployed numerous LGF RR 10,000UF water systems (producing upwards of 10,000 liters/day) to clinics, IDP camps, schools and orphanages in multiple regions in Haiti.

LifeGivingForce guarantees that your donation goes directly to what you care about: getting safe water to people in need, and making sure it lasts. For every $5 donated, one person will receive 3 years of safe drinking water. Make your donation by going to www.lifegivingforce. org/donate. 

57  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

Caltrans Construction

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Come by for lunch and relax to blues and jazz from our house band!

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El Camino College offers the training and advising you need to enhance your ability to bid for and WIN state highway construction contracts.

Now is the time to get bid ready with assistance in the areas of procurement, personnel, cash flow, marketing and more!

Appointments with a business advisor are available at the SBDC at no charge to you. For more information, call the SBDC at 310.973.3177.

Be sure to attend the free Economic Stimulus event on Thursday, November 19, 2009, in the City of Compton to learn more about stimulus opportunities available from Caltrans and other state and federal agencies. Visit californiasbdc.org for details.

Small Business Development Center Hosted by El Camino College 13430 Hawthorne Blvd.

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The Artful Grape will do the rest.

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58  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

In Loving Memory of Gwendolyn Marie “Gwen” Thomas Sunrise: May 21, 1947—Sunset: November 22, 2010

G

wen-Marie Thomas is in her 20th year as Professor of Business and Management at West Los Angeles Community College in Culver City, CA. While teaching full-time, she has also served as Vice-Chair of the Business Department, Council Member of WLAC UMOJA Student Program, Co-Advisor of the Phi Beta Lambda Business Club and Interim Director for WLAC Foundation.

At age 26, already nine years out of high School, Professor Thomas headed to college to earn the degree that would allow her to advance in management at IBM. The first in her family to receive a college degree, she faced many challenges as an older day student. However, she persevered and earned her AA at West Los Angeles Community College. It was the start of a journey into an entirely new career. After earning a BA and MSA in administration from the California State University, Dominguez Hills, she accepted a position as a professor of Business in 1989, in order to “give back” to the institution that had started her on her new career path.

In an effort to lead by example, Professor Thomas believed her role was to develop the “whole person” - academically, socially, culturally, globally, politically, financially and spiritually. She took an active role in her students’ lives, regularly seeking and sponsoring external learning opportunities, such as, visits to the Los Angeles Black Business Expo, China Expo Show both at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Hispanic Business Magazine EOY Conference, Pacific Stock Exchange, and LC Green Financial and Real Estate Seminars. She also organized and promoted Student Voter Registration Campaigns on campus and was a WLAC Scholarship donor for two awards: “My Heroine” and “No Stopping Me Now.” In her 20 years of experience teaching at West Los Angeles College, Professor Thomas won an extensive list of awards and recognitions.

•McGraw-Hill Publisher, National Business Textbook Task Force Advisor, Chicago, IL, 2009 •Oxford University, Certificate of Completion: Requisite Residence Member of the Oxford Round Table, Oxford, England 2009 •Turning Point Magazine, African American Business Summit, Living History Maker Honoree, Beverly Hills, CA, 2007 •African Focus, Inc. Goodwill Award, Inductee of the Ethiopian Community, Culver City, CA, 2007 •WLAC Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society, Teacher Excellence Award, Culver City, CA, 2009, 2007, 2006, 2005 •Educational Communication, Inc., Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, Austin, TX, 2006, 2004, 2000 •Manchester, Who’s Who Among Executive and Professional Women, United States, Canada, England and Australia, 2004 •Sheriff Lee Baca and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Clergy Council, Certificate of Appreciation, Outstanding Contributions in Education, 2003 •Acting Governor Gray Davis, State Proclamation, Gwen-Marie

Thomas Day, Sacramento, CA 1998 •University of Texas, Teaching Excellence Award, Austin, TX, 1993

Prof. Thomas received several scholarships to attend growth seminars worldwide, including: Overseas Council International: “Leadership Connection” with representatives from Zimbabwe, Philippines, Ecuador, China and Lebanon (2006); “The Challenges of Governance in Africa: Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe” at Wilton Park, Steyning, West Sussex, England (1999); and “Mexico: The Societal, Political and Economic Impacts of NAFTA” at Guadalajara University, Mexico (1998). She studied at the College of Chinese Language and Culture of Nankai University, Tianjin, China (2005) and taught conversational English at Zheng Zhou University, China (2002). She expanded her international perspective with travels to Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, South Africa, Taiwan and Thailand.

An educator at heart, Professor Thomas was a strong advocate for literacy, acting as a community Liaison for California Literacy, Inc. After the 1992 civil unrest in Los Angeles, however, she founded and coordinated the West Angeles Literacy Empowerment Team (WALET), an eightmember volunteer group of West Angeles Church. The organization taught homeless men and women, former inmates and adults to read, write and life skills. By 1996 the WALET tutor team was comprised of 110 people and served over 300 adults in South and Southwest Los Angeles. The organization was recognized as the largest volunteer group in the City of Los Angeles.

She also earned numerous recognitions for her volunteer work, including the National Fredrick Douglass Alumni Association, Inc.’s National Community Service Award (Washington, DC) 2009, the African Goodwill Family Induction’s Volunteer Excellence Award (2009, 2008), Community Service Award (2006) and Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding missionary service in Africa (2002), both from West Angeles Church; U.A. Census Partnership Award (2000). In 1996 she was appointed to the Mayor’s AdvisoryCouncil on Volunteerism by Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan.

Her affiliations included the American Federation of Teachers, American Society for Training and Development, National (International) Business Education Association, Los Angeles World Affairs Council, California African American Museum (CAAM) and The Schomburg Society. 

59  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

After Walk to School Month, Let’s Keep Moving

Students at East Silver Spring Elementary School in Silver Spring, Maryland celebrate Walk to School Day.

D

uring Walk to School Month (www.walktoschool.org), a record-breaking number of communities – over 3,500 – from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico celebrated an active trip to school in October 2010. The challenge – and opportunity – for all American families is to continue that excitement and focus on getting out and moving more each day, every day. Not just during the official month of celebration. many representatives from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) got out across the country to celebrate Walk to School Day and to exercise the Let’s Move! (www.letsmove.gov) message. U.S. DOT Secretary Ray LaHood and FHWA Adminis-

trator Victor Mendez joined students at East Silver Spring Elementary School (picture above) in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Walking and bicycling to school are more than good transportation options – they’re healthy choices for a lifetime.

Every Step Counts!

The Walk to School program and the Let’s Move! initiative complement the Safe Routes to School (www. saferoutesinfo.org) program that also requires community support to be successful. Safe Routes to School programs enable community leaders, schools and parents across the United States to improve safety and encourage more children, including children with disabilities, to safely walk and bicycle to school. In the process,

programs are working to reduce traffic congestion and improve health and the environment, making communities more livable for everyone.

Schools, families and communities across the country are committed to creating safe environments for children and youth. Children and youth deserve to feel safe — in their neighborhood, at school, and on their route to school, whether it be on foot, by bicycle or on the bus — and many do. Supervised “walking school buses” that collect neighborhood children to walk in a group to school, middle school students walking or bicycling to school together, and adult “corner captains” who volunteer to provide an extra set of eyes along common school routes

61  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

see Let’s Move on page 65

Training Institute from page 43

she took, in addition, from the Smiths by stating, “[I learned] the niche market and location are very important.” Ms. Whitaker was not the only one to have garnered additional knowledge from the Smiths. I too had learned the all too important and the very first lesson of business, from them both, as well, that you do what you love. Following the preparation, is how well organized the class was presented. That very first day, each student was given a notebook that included a template on how to write a business plan, the objective of the entire Entrepreneur course, as we would all be given the opportunity to present our business plans and gain constructive feedback at the end of the course. This notebook also included organizational tabs throughout to help keep notes, as well as, keep all of the various handouts, booklets, and packets, given during each class session on each respective business topic, organized and readily available. I was able to insert the class curriculum, which was promptly emailed to me once I had registered for the course through the BBA, into the front of my notebook for quick reference of what each week’s class session would cover beforehand.

These well thought-out provisions, as supplied by the BBA, Citi, and the Smiths, gave a great foundational start that got everyone prepared to begin the exciting journey in becoming successful entrepreneurs. Then, there was how well the instruction given in each class session was taught. The quality of instruction given brought an in-depth approach to learning in that it was not taught by just one instructor, who could only share one background, or set of experiences, or offer only third party hearsay on operating a business, but the course was even more dynamic, in that, it was instructed by several different persons, one or two instructors per class session, who were themselves highly credible in various areas in the field of business. Each instructor gave personal, real-life business experiences from which to learn from, either from having their own businesses, having master’s degrees in business, and/or

and

Comedy Night Join the Fun! Share the Laughs! were just working in the business world in some form of business operations within existing major organizations, like Dorothy Randle, author and marketing expert with Minority Business Opportunity Center, from the Los Angeles City Mayor’s office, as funded by the US Department of Education, who was one of our most informative instructors during the 12-week Entrepreneur course.

Hence, in the untraditional method of conducting a course where each business topic had different instructors to teach in their particular area of business knowledge, we, the students were given the benefit of learning all aspects of running a business directly from the expertise of that individual

instructor’s experience. For example, we learned legal issues of operating a business from Dr. Nicholas, a 30 year Professor at West LA, the Director of West’s ABA Paralegal Program & former Chair of West LA College Business Division. We learned accounting and QuickBooks, an accounting software program, from Steve Brown, a West LA accounting professor and owner of Elite Business Network. We learned banking and finance from Dr. Shaw a West LA professor, and Andrea De Luna from the Valley Economic Development Center. Then, the all too important area of marketing a business

62  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

see Training Institute on page 75

Holiday Shopping Guide CATERING, SPECIALTY FOODS & RESTAURANTS Aliza’s Cookies Holiday Gift Packs www.alizascookies.com Big Man Bakes 413 Main Street, 90013 213-500-4351 www.bigmanbakes.com Chef Marilyn 2638 Crenshaw Blvd . 90016 323-737-8101 www.chefmarilyn.com Gwen’s Specialty Cakes 820 N. LaBrea Ave., #D Inglewood, CA 90302 310-677-9979 Harold & Belle’s 2920 W. Jefferson Blvd., 90018 323-735-9918 Heritage Link Brands Wines of Black South African Vintners www.heritagelinkbrands.com

Honey’s Kettle Culver City & Compton, CA www.honeyskettle.com Messob Ethiopian Restaurant 1041 S. Fairfax Ave., 90019 www.messob.com PIP’s Restaurant & Lounge 1365 S. La Brea Ave, 90019 323-954-PIPS www.pizzapastasalads.com Rideau Vineyard 1562 Alamo Pintado Road 805-688-0717 Solvang, CA 93463 www.rideauvineyard.com Romeo’s Full Service Catering 714-457-8480 Rooibos Tea House 533 N Fairfax Ave., 90008 www.africaredtea.com

Southern Girl Desserts www.southerngirldesserts.com The New Townhouse 6835 LaTijera Blvd., 900xx www.townhousela.com Wing Stop 3825 Crenshaw Blvd., 90008 323-296-WING TRANSPORTATION Norman Lewis Limousine 800-400-9771 BOOKS, BOOK STORES Eso Won Books 4331 Degnan Ave., 90008 www.esowonbooks.com Malik’s Books Online www.Malikbooks.com Quackenworth Publishing P.O. Box 4747 Culver City, CA 90230 www.quackenworth.com

ZINES Jewel Magazine www.jewelagonline.com Bride Noir www.bridesnoir.com Essence www.essence.com Ebony/Jet www.ebonyjet.com Cuisine Noir www.cuisinenoir.com GIFTS-CARDS California African American Museum Exposition Park 600 State Drive, 90037 www.caamuseum.org Luxe Boutique 11724 West Pico Blvd., 90064 310-481-9914

www.shopluxeonline.com Mayme A. Clayton Museum 4130 Overland Ave. Culver City, CA 90230 www.claytonmuseum.org Museum of African American Art Macy’s 3rd Flr in Crenshaw Mall 4005 Crenshaw Blvd., 90008 www.maaala.org nobody jones boutique 4703 Crenshaw Blvd., 90043 323-291-7177 www.nobodyjones.com Runway Boutique 807 S La Brea Ave., 90036 323-965-1877 www.runwayboutiquela.com SHOPPING CENTERS Crenshaw Mall Crenshaw & King Blvds.

Los Angeles, CA 90008 Leimert Park Crenshaw & Leimert Blvds.

43rd Street-43rd Place Los Angeles, CA 90008 Little Ethiopia Fairfax Boulevard between Pico & Olympic Los Angeles, CA Lucy Florence Culture Center 3351 W 43rd Street Leimert Park Village, 90008 PERSONAL SERVICES Carol Lewis Certified Trainer Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Aid & Certified Personal Trainer.

Nutrition and mobility educator/motivator.

Your Health is Your First Wealth 323-445-8633 Los Angeles, CA COMMUNICATION 1-800-UNITE-US

What’s In It For Me? •Local, National & International News

•Government & Corporate Contracting and Supplier Opportunity Information •Links to Annual Event Sponsor Websites •Special Event Announcements •Business Operation Education and Information 

Where Do I Find It? www.BBA.org

•Black Business News monthly publication •Black Business News/ International - quarterly publication 

How Do I Participate & Benefit?

•Advertise in the Black Business News publications

OUR ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN OERP

Do Business with BBA Member Businesses & Advertisers

64  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

Let’s Move

Listen to

from page 61

are all ways that Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs make the environment around schools safer for students.

The Personal Security and Safe Routes to School guide book is available for download at: www.saferoutesinfo.org/resources/collateral/Per-

KDEE 97.7FM The California Black Chamber Foundation’s Radio Station sonal_Security_and_SRTS.pdf.

As First Lady Michelle Obama says, “Let’s Move! aims to end childhood obesity within a generation, and encouraging our children to be more physically active is a cornerstone of this ambitious goal. Walking or biking to school also helps kids get a head start on being active for 60 minutes each day, the goal set by the Presidential Active Lifestyle program.

I know that by getting students moving, we can help ensure they will live full and healthy lives.” 

LIVE on Your Computer

www.kdeefm.org

65  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

International…

66  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

International:

Poland’s First Black Member of Parliament

P

oland’s first black lawmaker, John Godson, says the colour of his skin has helped him get ahead in his overwhelmingly white adopted country and he now wants to promote contacts between Poles and Africa.

Nigerian-born Godson, a former Protestant pastor, took up his parliamentary seat this week as a member of Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s ruling centre-right Civic Platform after replacing a colleague who became a city mayor in recent local elections.

“Being a black... has helped me in my political service because at least it has made me conspicuous. It makes me kind of visible in the things that I do. So I think it has helped me,” Godson, 40, told the Reuters Television in an interview. Poland, home to Europe’s largest

Jewish community before World War Two, is today one of the most ethnically homogeneous countries in Europe. Its main ethnic minorities are white Ukrainians and Belarussians and a sprinkling of Vietnamese.

Godson’s election to Poland’s lower house of parliament, the Sejm, comes shortly after Slovenia, another excommunist state, elected the first black

International:

Myths, Mistakes, Risks and Best Practices Affecting U.S. Exporters Discussion with United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Attorneys

January 12, 2011 (7:30AM-3:30PM)

Irvine, CA

T

his USPTO expertise will be with us in Orange County, CA, to address your international questions related to protecting and enforcing patents, trade secrets, trademarks, copyrights and domain names.

Southern California firms, large and small, will benefit from this opportunity. Join us to discuss common misunderstandings and mistakes that U.S. businesses often make in attempting to protect and enforce their intellectual property rights (IPR). This discussion will include issues related

to China, where counterfeiting and piracy are critical concerns for U.S. firms. Each of the USPTO attorneys will identify and explain problem areas related to their specific IPR focus.

Participants will have an opportunity to pose questions related to export issues involving patents, trade secrets, trademarks, copyright and domain names.

More information, agenda & registration: www.buyusa.gov/newportbeach/ pto.html (949) 660-1688.

ONE ON ONE MEETINGS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

mayor in eastern Europe.

Godson, who speaks fluent Polish, said he had suffered some racial abuse in his 17 years here and in the early days was beaten up twice in the street, but attributed this to ignorance and said having a different appearance was less dangerous in Poland than in countries with large racial minorities.

“What we have in Poland is as a result of ignorance or lack of contact with other cultures... We only have about 4 000 Africans in Poland, a nation of almost 40 million,” he said.

“What we have here is not racism, it is low inter-cultural competence,” he said, adding that today things had changed a lot and that he now attracted mostly smiles in Warsaw thanks to strong Polish media interest in his life and career.

In many ways Godson, who lives with his Polish wife and children in the central city of Lodz, fits well into Polish society, which is generally more conservative, religious and family-oriented than in many Western countries.

For example, his opposition to abortion is a stance widely shared in this still staunchly Roman Catholic country.

Godson said he wanted Poles to pay more attention to Africa.

“I believe that Africa has a lot of potential that is not being harnessed by Poland. You know, countries like China, the United States, Germany, France and Russia are present in Africa. I would like Poland to be also present in Africa, to do business in Africa,” he said.

“Polish missionaries are doing wonderful, wonderful, fantastic work in Africa. I also think Poland should partake in what is happening in Africa.” said Godson, who still has parents and brothers living there.

Godson said he might like to take on some kind of “ambassadorial role” to help Africa’s development but said he had no plans to return to Nigeria.

“At the present time I feel strongly, strongly connected with Poland,” he said.  Reuters

67  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

Business Development Mission to Egypt & Morocco The U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, and U.S. Commercial Service is organizing a Business Development Mission to explore ports and infrastructure development opportunities in Egypt (Cairo and Alexandria) and Morocco (Casablanca and Tangier).

This mission, will focus on the opportunities in port logistics, infrastructure projects, safety and security, and energy infrastructure. The mission will include one-on-one business appointments with prescreened potential buyers, agents, distributors and joint venture partners; site visits to ports and free trade zones, meetings with government officials, and networking receptions for companies interested in expansion into the North African, Middle Eastern and Southern European markets.

Egypt The mission will include briefings in Cairo by representatives of the major firms involved in port activities in Egypt, and a visit to the port of Alexandria. Egypt has 3,500 kilometers of navigable waterways and the Government considers the maintenance and expansion of its ports a top priority. The port of Alexandria, the largest of the country’s nine ports, was recently revamped, resulting in an increased cargo handling capacity of 44 million tons per year, which represents about 60 percent of Egypt’s trade. Port projects will include a new container terminal and container-handling piers, new storage facilities and handling equipment and improvements to wharfs and marinas.

Morocco

(the only African nation with a Free Trade Agreement with the U.S)

Construction of Tanger-Med II, an additional set of cargo terminals and storage, is currently underway and the port will begin issuing tenders for equipment and services in the next 12 - 18 months. As part of a national logistics program, the Moroccan government recently announced a 20-year, $13 billion project to build port, rail, highway, and airport logistics centers, with port management, vessel tracking and management, cold storage, warehousing, railways, bridges, and distribution centers. Government tenders are now being issued for these projects, and the plans are to spend $7 billion on the project by 2015 including: A $69 million project to convert the old port, located near the City of Tangier, into a tourist center and passenger terminal and Nador West Med, a new industrial port for the coastal city of Nador

Registration Deadline to Participate: January 21, 2011 For more information send an email to U.S. Commercial Service Domestic Contacts at EgyptMoroccoTM@Trade.gov Trade Promotion Programs Africa, Near East and South Asia Anne Novak Sal Tauhidi Tel: 202-482-8178 Fax: 202-482-9000 Tel: 202-482-1322 Fax: 202-482-5179 Bobby Hines bobby.hines@trade.gov 444 S. Flower St, 34th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071 TEL: 213-894-4231 FAX: 213-894-8789 TELL US ABOUT YOU: http://www.buyusa.gov/downtownlosangeles FEATURED U.S. EXPORTER: http://www.buyusa.gov/home/fuse.html AFRICA PORTAL: http://www.export.gov/africa

Entrepreneurship Talk and Action in the Maghreb Reported by: Jonathan Ortmans, President, Public Forum Institute

I

have just returned from a brief last minute visit to Algiers where I spoke at a conference focused on the Maghreb countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania. The objectives of the Maghreb Entrepreneurship Conference, a follow-on to President Obama’s Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship held in April 2010 in Washington, DC was to discuss strategies to promote job creation through entrepreneurship.

Hosted by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S.-Algeria Business Council, the conference brought together business talent and public officials from participating countries, including entrepreneurs of the North African Diaspora. The U.S. delegation to the conference was led by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and Business Affairs, Jose W. Fernandez, who was eager to continue the work to encourage entrepreneurship and create partnerships with the Muslim world.

Among the announcements of concrete initiatives was the U.S. Department of State’s new public-private sector partnership, the North African Partnership for Economic Opportunity (NAPEO), which will build links between entrepreneurs and business leaders in the United States, Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia. The NAPEO also plans to sponsor a regional initiative for start-ups in new technologies, and support science, math and technology training.

The conference paid special attention to youth entrepreneurship in North Africa. With over 50% of the population under 25, the Maghreb countries face see Entrepreneurship - Maghreb on page 71

68  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

“A FEW NOTES ON AFRICA” Google Doodle Honors Nigeria’s Independence The October 1, 2010 Google Doodle (www.google.com/logos) was a display in honor of the celebration of the 50th year of independence for the Republic of Nigeria.

Google invites the public to submit variations on the company logo in special recognition of individuals, institutions and events.

relevant to immigrants in the USA. It is a privately managed site set up to provide and share information with Zambians, friends of Zambians, anyone interested in doing business in Zambia, and those interested in information about living in the United States.

The information contained on this site is from publicly available sources so users are urged to exercise due diligence and verify accuracy of the information with the respective organizations. The information has been arranged into categories and is provided in a combination of text, YouTube videos and links to external sites to add to the learning experience.

Half-Billion Subscribers New Online Information Resource Center on Zambia The Zambian Resource Center (http:// zambianresourcecenter.com) is a central web-based location set up to compile and disseminate information considered

The African mobile market exceeded half a billion subscribers during the third quarter of this year, hitting about 506 million at the end of September. GSM subscribers in the continent accounted for 10% of the global subscriber base. The African continent continues to offer great opportunities for investors in the voice

segment in under penetrated markets and also in the non-voice segment with mobile broadband and mobile money services taking off. The landing of a series of new submarine cables on both the East and West coasts of Africa over the past 18 months has given the continent a good level of international connectivity for the first time, and has greatly expanded the opportunities for data services.

Economy in Recovery The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has commended Zimbabwe’s steady progress towards economic recovery, noting that efforts to strengthen policies and favourable shocks have buoyed the economy after a decade of decline. The inclusive Government’s economic recovery programmes and policies had seen the economy completing two successive years of buoyant growth after 10 years in decline.

SEE YOU ON THE CONTINENT. 

Export:

ACCESS 2011 International Trade Conference Learn about Opportunities in Africa, Middle East and South Asia Markets The Westin Galleria Houston Houston, Texas April 26 & 27, 2011

E

xport markets are not only vital to economic development but also to your company’s growth.

Find out how the U.S. Commercial Service can help your company to: • Identify new export markets and opportunities • Obtain the resources necessary to succeed in foreign markets • Develop market entry strategies Join 19 Senior Commercial Officers

in Houston, Texas on April 26 and 27, 2011 for the annual meeting of the U.S. Department of Commerce Senior Commercial Officers from the Africa, Middle East, and South Asia regions including: Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, India, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates.

The U.S. Commercial Service will

sponsor the two-day business conference that will consist of: • Sessions on market entry strategies, financing, and mitigating risk • Concurrent sessions covering country and industry specific information and opportunities • Pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings with Foreign Commercial Service Officers • High-profile keynote speakers • Numerous networking opportunities Contact Bobby Hines bobby.hines@ trade.gov for participation information or visit www.buyusa.gov/austin/access2011conference.html information and registraton. 

69  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

Best of Africa Trade Show 1st February 2011 - 30th April 2011

Information & Registration is at

www.businessglobal.com

The USA Exports Show 1st December 2010 - 28 February 2011

T

his virtual trade show is designed to increase the volume of trade and investment between American exporters and importers (particularly SME’s) and businesses outside the USA. The USA Exports Show will attract international B2B buyers, distributors, governmental agencies, and entrepreneurs from the USA’s most significant trade partners.

This one-of-a kind online trade fair is a golden opportunity for exhibitors to build brand awareness, establish new markets, create franchising partnerships, reach new customers and recruit new suppliers. With thousands of daily B2B trade visitors, USA Exports Show is the perfect vehicle for businesses and organisations worldwide seeking B2B trade opportunities and investments within North America.

The USA’s top ten trade partners are Canada, Mexico, China, Japan, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, Brazil and Belgium – in 2008, the country exported approximately $1.287 trillion worth of goods. For decades, the USA has been the global leader in imports and one of world’s top three exporters, producing roughly $15 trillion worth of goods and services in 2008 (China, the world’s second-largest economy, produced approximately $12 trillion for the same period).

The USA is the leading industrial power in the world and boasts a highly diversified and technologically advanced economy. According to the IMF, US GDP of $14.4 trillion was 23% of gross world product for 2008 – per person, the American economy has the fourth largest output on average, more than $45,000 for every man, woman and child.

The UCLA Anderson School of Management has predicted average US quarterly economic growth of 2.7% in 2010 and 4.1% in 2011.  What are Virtual Trade Shows?

The BusinessGlobal.com virtual trade show platform provides end-users with a 3-D, multi-user trade expo environment that recreates the experience and functionality of a conventional or ‘physical’ trade show online, enabling live interaction between visitors and exhibitors.

Virtual trade exhibitions give your organisation the opportunity to reach market segments heretofore unavailable at conventional trade shows, which are often prohibitive to potential attendees and potential exhibitors because of fees, time constraints, travel expenses and these shows are available to a much larger audience for a much longer period.

B

est of Africa is a country specific online trade show bringing competitive products and resources from Africa’s rapidly growing economies to an international marketplace. As the demands of the global marketplace evolve and the world economy recovers from the fiscal crisis of 2008 - 2009, the Best of Africa international trade fair provides a unique and timely opportunity for African exhibitors to increase brand awareness, establish new markets, develop franchising partnerships, reach new customers and recruit new suppliers globally. Visitors can find African suppliers, manufacturers and distributors in one place.

Rich in natural resources, Africa offers vast reserves of oil, metals and precious stones. With thousands of pristine travel destinations, the tourism industry, including health & wellness tourism, continues to grow steadily. Best of Africa is a golden opportunity for African enterprises to connect with thousands of motivated buyers, and for international businesses seeking investment and B2B trade opportunities in Africa.

BusinessGlobal.com has partnered with the Pan-African Development Corporation (PADC) to create this virtual trade fair. The PADC is devoted to the development of commerce and enterprise in Africa – the organisation’s mission is to bring Africa to the world, and the world to Africa. BusinessGlobal.com, in partnership with the PADC, is particularly proud to showcase many of Africa’s finest businesses to the rest of the world.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Africa has made remarkable gains in promoting growth and achieving economic stability, averaging more than 6% over the past five years. The IMF has increased financial support to African countries affected by the economic crisis, revised its lending instruments to make them more flexible, and is working to double concessional lending. The Fund continues to provide advice and technical assistance for strengthening economic policymaking in Africa, and to design more sophisticated frameworks for improved integration into the world economy. With global efforts such as these to encourage growth in this region, it is an opportune time for African businesses to access international markets.

In recent years, Africa has built increasingly stronger ties with China – in 2007 Chinese companies invested a total of US$1 billion in Africa, overtaking Britain as Africa’s thirdlargest business partner and catching up with France. Trade between China and Africa reached USD $100 billion in 2008 and is expected to top USD $100 billion in 2010.

Africa now supplies a third of the oil fuelling China’s economic boom, with Angola surpassing Saudi Arabia as the largest exporter of oil to China. With more oil reserves than North America, and an estimated 40% of the world’s potential hydroelectric power, Africa is on the verge of becoming a major global energy provider. With major world players now paying attention, African businesses have the opportunity to expand into new markets worldwide. 

70  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

Entrepreneurship Maghreb from page 68

the challenge of a large number of educated but unemployed young people.

To highlight role that a startup culture can play in deploying such talent as an asset rather than worrying about it

as a threat, regional American embassies selected 10 rising entrepreneurs to attend. Their stories were impressive, with business innovation outside the domains of oil and gas, the region’s main exports. For example, Omar Abdelaziz Abdelati al-Obeidi, who has been blind since he was 2 years old, started Libya’s first Internet café for the blind and the Arab world’s first online library for the blind.

The young entrepreneurs also expressed their views on how to overcome the challenges facing the region, such as the cumbersome procedures to register a business. For example, Algeria ranks 150th among 183 economies in this regard, according to the World Bank. Here, average start-up costs are high at 12% of GNI per capita. In Mauri-

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tania, entrepreneurs must spend an average of 696 hours per year to prepare, file and pay taxes (compared to 199 hours in OECD countries). In Morocco, poor ICT infrastructure is not supportive of entrepreneurial activity. Libya’s weak economic institutions prevent dynamic entrepreneurial activity.

The challenges are many, but the willingness to overcome them is stronger among the entrepreneurs. People in the Maghreb region have the right attitude for the goals of the conference.

For example, 95% of Moroccans believe that hard work allows people to get ahead, placing the country seventh

highest on this variable. In Tunisia, 80% of respondents to a 2009 survey felt that their city or local area was a good place to start a new business.

These signs of hope encourage initiatives to support entrepreneurs, in parallel with new policies to strengthen the environment for entrepreneurship and innovation in the region. Let’s hope those countries with a lesser understanding of the value of their young potential entrepreneurs to their national welfare listen to their Maghreb neighbors in Morocco and Tunisia who are already well on their way to becoming startup nations. 

71  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

Black Business News Black Business News International • Get the News You Need • Find the Information that will Make a Difference • Promote Your Business to The BBN Community • Send Your Contact Information to mail@bbala.org and we will send BBN and BBN-I to You. •Name News Black Business •Company •Industry •Website •E-mail ion

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Feature Articles: Constructisve “Strategies For the Engagement with African Diaspora” gement: “Diaspora Enga Beyond” Remittances &

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twins recently orpaned , III in Ghana with Rev. Leon R. Perrysee Corporate Giving page 21

Sputnik Moment from page 15

they had won an international contest, and explained to me the designs of these things -- and robots that were running around in the State Dining Room and bumping into things. (Laughter.)

And then the last person I spoke to was a young woman from Dallas, Texas, and her name was Amy Chyao.

She’s 16 years old. She’s a child of immigrants. Her parents came to the United States from China, but Amy was born here. And when she was a freshman in high school, she got interested in cancer research. She had studied biology and she got interested in cancer research. So she decided -- get this -- she decided to teach herself chemistry over the summer. And then she designed a device that uses light to kill hard-to-reach cancer cells while leaving the healthy ones untouched.

This is her summer science project -(laughter) -- 16 years old.

“If we’re willing to put aside short-term politics, if our objective is not simply winning elections but winning the future -- then we should be able to get our act together here, because we are all Americans and we are in this race together.”

She goes on to win the international science competition. All these kids from all around the world -- she wins the competition. So now she’s being approached by laboratories all across the country who want to work with her on developing this potential breakthrough cancer drug that she’s designed. Sixteen years old.

And I’m talking to Amy and pretending like I understand what she is explaining. (Laughter.) And as I’m listening to her, I’m looking at the portrait of Abraham Lincoln that hangs over her head in the State Dining Room. And

I remembered all that we’ve been through and all that we’ve overcome.

And I thought to myself, you know what, the idea of America is alive and well. We are going to be just fine. (Applause.)

We are going to be just fine as long as there are people like Amy and her parents, who still want to come to this country and add to our story; as long as there are people like the men and women here at Forsyth Technical, who are keeping us at the top of our game; as long as we are willing to look past the disagreements of the moment and focus on the future that we share -- we will be fine.

If we can do that, I have no doubt that this will be remembered as another American century. We will meet that

Publisher’s Message from page 3

sources that enhance the viability of its members. Accordingly, please take a minute to join or renew your membership and permit the BBA to serve the community for the needed time ahead.

Being in the black in business represents the new gold of America, you will definitely want to be a financial member during this exciting new gold rush!

On behalf of the Black Business News, I am pleased to wish you a happy and prosperous new year! 

Sputnik moment, but we’re going to all have to do it together.

Thank you very much, everybody.

God bless you. God bless America. 

73  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

A Positive Economic Turn Around in the USA is in Our Hands

The

Black Business News Wishes You Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, and a



Buy Products Made or Assembled in the USA Hire One New Employee Eat an Extra Meal Out Each Week Start a Business to Generate Wealth & Jobs 

Buy Black - Save Black - Invest Black Trade Agreements from page 44

story posted on the Politico website Friday caused some confusion about our position on that question, but it is exactly the same as it has been. While the President has not yet discussed a timeline for moving the Colombia agreement or the Panama agreement, he has said consistently that he wants his Trade Representative, Ron Kirk, to resolve outstanding issues with these agreements. The USTR office is working to do so for the express purpose of moving each agreement forward at the right time for Congress’s consideration.

This is a solid promise. The President’s determination to get the Korea deal right resulted in a landmark achievement with significant support, and we’ll seek the same on other trade

pacts. We intend to conclude the best deals possible for American workers and businesses - agreements that are responsible and responsive to Americans’ concerns, and that can soon bring home the jobs and economic prosperity that come when trade is done right.

Happy, Healthy, & Prosperous

2011

That’s been our commitment from the start, and it’s our commitment today.

We look forward to working with the new Congress to fulfill it.

Robert Gibbs, White House Press Secretary www.whitehouse.gov

www.healthcare.gov

74  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

Training Institute from page 62

was taught by the much beloved Gwen Marie Thomas, a Business and Management Professor with West Los Angeles College, who passed away one week after profoundly touching each student’s life with a wealth of business

insight that left us all wanting more.

As Ms. Thomas endearingly referred to herself as a Lamp Lighter and not a teacher, saying, “I love being a Lamp Lighter. Not a teacher, but I love to light the minds [of students], and they pass [it] on to others,” I am confident that the light of the knowledge she imparted to the Entrepreneur class she taught on, November 10, 2010, will continue to grow ever so brightly in each individual who was fortunate enough to have been in her class. I am also sure we will all pass that knowledge of light on to others, as well, as was her only wish for sharing her breadth of wisdom with all of her students throughout her lifetime.

In addition, who better to instruct us in the computer technology side of managing a business than the owner of his own computer technology company, Phallu Morgan. Thereby, learning from each instructor’s personal business experience in each of these areas, added value, depth, and tangibility to the knowledge gained in the class. In essence, it brought theory to life. This approach made the aspects of

running a successful business all the more real to us, as it provided a platform that made our dreams of owning and running our own businesses successfully that much more reachable and doable. According to, Dennis Tryon, a student in the class, with his own real estate investment business, he stated, “[The class] helped me to refine what I was trying to do.” Also, helped by the instruction given were Tahanna and Shavondee Whitaker, of Shays Sweet Shack, a family owned bakery, who passed out samples of their delicious Sock-It-To-Me cake while presenting their business plan on the last day of the course. They stated, “We registered our logo and are now looking to turn our business from a sole proprietorship into a LLC. [We also] learned a lot from the technology and accounting classes.” For Marsha Tekeste, of OMG Wings Grill, a new style, family, Sports Bar, Restaurant, she stated, “[The class] helped me put on paper a business I have had in my head for a while.” Yet, another fellow student, Dion Demetries Diogioes, of D3 Creative Networking, has stated, “I realized after taking the class that I have a lot more research to do… [and I learned that] as a business owner you must learn your business for yourself… because at the end of the day the business is yours, even if you have hired others to help you.” Therefore, having a variety of instructors from the business world to come in and teach a course on entrepreneurship in a setting of students who, themselves, were all from various stages within their own business endeavors and possessing varying levels of business knowledge, was a most appropriate fit.

As a result of the Entrepreneur course, the BBA can be considered a strong resource for all of our respective businesses. Therefore, gaining a free membership into the BBA organization, as a result of taking the class, made taking the course all the more worth it.

As one student had put it, “The 75.00 dollar charge for registering for the course was probably to low,” is a heartfelt testament to how the overall feeling

was for how valuable the knowledge was that was gained by those who took and completed the course. In addition, each and every one in the class had a business they wanted to not only establish locally but also on a global scale, and the BBA’s Entrepreneur class has given us the tools to do just that. Consequently, I, in particular, learned how to build a business from start to finish. I guess it can be called faith, as I did not know what business I wanted to start when I had registered for the course, but it had always been a dream of mine to own my own business. Therefore, once I heard about the course, I went ahead and jumped at the opportunity.

By the end of the class, I could see how an idea I had had for a business long ago could really be developed into a viable business venture. I know now from taking the BBA’s Entrepreneur course the right way to develop a business, by writing a business plan, and how to operate it successfully. I can confidently say the BBA’s Entrepreneur class has equipped me with the right tools and resources needed to start making my business venture come to life.

In conclusion, there are several organizations and initiatives offered today to help start and/or to help keep small businesses growing, and I applaud the BBA for being one of them and for its foresight in providing the Business Entrepreneur Training Institute during this time in our economy. The BBA offered not only the opportunity for training in

75  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

JWFA

Jamaal Wilkes Financial Advisors, LLC M a n a g i n g We a l t h I n t e l l i g e n t l y

WHY OWN GOLD IN YOUR IRA/401k Changing jobs creates a great opportunity for you to switch, or rollover, your former employer’s retirement plan into an IRA. Plus, it usually provides you with more investment options than if you left the money in your former employer’s plan or rolled the money into your new employer's retirement plan.

The early 1980s presented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to buy stocks. Today, economic and political conditions appear to offer a similar opportunity in tangible assets such as physical gold. With the global economic environment growing more uncertain, physical gold has become the #1 alternative for IRA, 401k, 403b, and Pension Plans, as well as for non-retirement funds.

Gold is produced primarily for accumulation while other commodities are produced primarily for consumption. Gold’s value does not arise from its usefulness in industrial or consumable applications. It arises from its use and historical worldwide acceptance as a store of value. Gold is money. A healthy measure of gold clearly belongs in every portfolio for the “Four Ps” – Personal Purchasing Power Protection.

There are six primary reasons why investors own gold: As a hedge against inflation.

As a hedge against a declining dollar.

As a safe haven in times of geopolitical and financial market instability.

As a commodity based on gold’s supply and demand fundamentals.

As a store of value.

As a portfolio diversifier.

According to Bloomberg.com, on October 15, 2009, Paul Tudor Jones of Tudor Investment Corp, who manages about $11.6 billion out of Greenwich, Connecticut, told its investors, “I have never been a gold bug… but Gold is just an asset that, like everything else in life, has its time and place. And now is that time…Gold appears to be cheap. In our view, gold’s value should increase as its scarcity relative to printed currencies increases.”

JAMAAL WILKES FINANCIAL ADVISORS makes 401(k) rollovers easy with just a few simple steps. Please call us at (310)209-8298 or email gold@jamaalwilkes.com for a web seminar presentation.

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Richard Russell: The Most Profitable Gold Rally Is Yet To Come It would seem that Russell has basically given up on trying to time the market’s gyrations, writing recently that “the stock market is too unsettled, too questionable, for me or my subscribers to assume an all-out bullish or bearish position.”

But he continues to be an unabashed gold bull. This is the one market he has been pounding the table about for quite a long time and he has been absolutely correct. To my chagrin, it took me far too long to realize that gold is indeed in

…

phase of a bull market than is made in the first and second phases combined. This can mean that the late-comers to bull markets often make a fortune, more than those who had the courage to buy early in the game, but they have to have fortitude to sit in the highly volatile second/third phases.

6. Obviously, I could be wrong, but I believe that gold and silver are both still a buy.

7. I’ve said this before, but I’ll repeat it. You do not trade in-and-out in a confirmed primary bull market. You take an

a secular gold bull market. And of course, the next thought after that is the dread that it will be soon over.

Russell puts those thoughts to rest writing recently: “I’m going on the thesis that the highly speculative phase of the gold bull market lies ahead. Now I’m depending on my experience with other bull markets: 1. Most great bull markets go higher and further than almost anybody thinks possible.

2. Most bull markets progress in three psychological phases.

3. I believe the first phase of the gold bull market has passed. It’s over. This is the phase where students of great values take their initial positions.

4. I believe we are deep into the second phase of the gold bull market. This is the phase where the institutions and funds join in the bull market show.

5. Often, more money is made in the third or speculative

early position and add to your position as the bull market progresses.

8. Great bull markets don’t usually provide marvelous entry points. Those who are waiting for the ideal or “safe” place to enter the bull market in precious metals may have a long and frustrating wait.

9. In a great primary bull market, you just “shut your eyes and buy.”

10. Are you buying right or are you buying wrong? Great bull markets tend to bail you out of your mistakes. Perfect timing is nearly impossible in a great bull market. You’re either in or you’re out.

11. Great or fabulous primary bull markets may come along once or maybe twice in a generation. I believe the bull market in precious metals is just such a one — a once-in-ageneration bull market. We may never see another one to see Gold Rally Coming on page 79

Malik’s Books Online

M

alik’s Books has closed operations in the Baldwin Hills Mall.

Malik’s is now operating as an online bookstore. Malik’s is now available to serve our customer’s needs 24/7 via the world wide web with bigger deals and a larger selection. We will remain as active in the South Los Angeles community as we have always been.

Please visit us at www.Malikbooks.com and/or www.autographbooks. com. For other information give us a call at 818-564-5694.

If you want to coorespond with us, send letters to Malik’s Books, 3939 Crenshaw Boulevard, #324, Los Angeles, CA 90008.

Thank You again for all your support and patronage over the years and visit us on the Web. 

Books to Consider...

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www.Malikbooks.com • www.autogrpahbooks.com malikbooks@att.net • 818-564-5694

Give the Gifts of Knowledge, Inspiration, Entertainment.

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Holiday Gift Giving Time Christmas, Graduation, Kwanzaa 323-294-0324 www.esowonbooks.com //esowon.booksense.com for Calendar of Events

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

by Atty. Michelle Alexander “For every century there is a crisis in our democracy, the response to which defines how future generations view those who were alive at the time. In the 18th century it was the transatlantic slave trade, in the 19th century it was slavery, in the 20th century it was Jim Crow. Today it is mass incarceration. Alexander’s book offers a timely and original framework for understanding mass incarceration, its roots to Jim Crow, our modern caste system, and what must be done to eliminate it. This book is a call to action.” —Benjamin Todd Jealous, President and CEO, NAACP

“Michelle Alexander’s brave and bold new book paints a haunting picture in which dreary felon garb, post-prison joblessness, and loss of voting rights now do the stigmatizing work once done by colored-only water fountains and legally segregated schools. With dazzling candor, Alexander argues that we all pay the cost of the new Jim Crow.“ —Lani Guinier, professor at Harvard Law School and author of Lift Every Voice: Turning a Civil Rights Setback into a New Vision of Social Justice and The Miner’s Canary: Enlisting Race, Resisting Power, Transforming Democracy. 

78  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

Financial Planning:

Beware of Drastic Changes in Estate Tax in 2011

I

f you and your spouse have a combined net worth of $1 million or more, or if you are single and have a net worth of $ 1 million or more, having an estate tax plan in place before the end of the year is essential. And remember, the IRS counts all assets including life insurance policies and retirement accounts; so, you may have a higher net worth than you realize.

How Does the Math Work Starting January 1, 2011?

Gold Rally Coming from page 77

match this one in our lifetimes.

12. I started writing Dow Theory Letters 52 years ago in 1958. Three times I’ve staked my reputation and my business on a bullish market call. The first instance was in 1958, when I told my subscribers that the third phase of the bull market lay ahead, and it was time to load up on stocks. I said so in my first Barron’s article. That call and that article put me in business. I thank Barron’s late, great editor Bob Bleiberg (who had faith in me and went out on a limb for me).

In late-1974 at the end of that horrendous bear market, I told my subscribers that I thought the bear market was over, and it was time to buy stocks.

In the year 2000 I told subscribers that I thought the bear market in gold was over, and that it was time to buy

Henry and Joan are a married couple with no estate plan and a total of $1,725,000 in net worth, which they own equally. This includes their house, retirement accounts, investments, the face value of their life insurance and all other property they have.

Henry passes away first leaving everything to Joan. Six months later, Joan passes away. At Joan’s death, the first $1 million is exempt from all estate tax, but the remaining $725,000 is subject to estate tax (2011 rates will range from 41% to 55%). So, nine months after Joan’s death, her heirs will need to file an estate tax return and remit a total amount of $231,450.

Failure to find out whether or not you need to do estate and tax planning can end up costing your loved ones dearly. If the estate tax repeal is allowed what was left of the gold stocks and “put ‘em away.” I told my subscribers that we should treat the gold shares (many under five dollars) as perpetual warrants. “Buy ‘em and forget them.”

13. Lucky thirteen. I’m confirming what I said in 2000. Buy gold and silver, put ‘em away and sit tight. The great speculative phase of the precious metals bull market lies ahead. My advice is concentrated in four words — Buy, and be patient.”

Looking at the very long term chart of gold, the base at the millennium is apparent, as is the unrelenting march of the secular bull market. While it does deviate from time to time away from the long term trend, it quickly returns to it.

Right now we are above the trend but not at an extreme point that has historically lead to regression to the mean: Currently the price of gold is trading at 16.3% premium relative to its 200 day moving average. Historically tops have corresponded with a premium of

to sunset as scheduled, the highest marginal estate tax rate for 2011 will be 55%! This means that estate taxes could take quite a bite out of the assets you plan to pass on.

An estate plan brings certainty and stability to the lives of your loved ones and preserves your hard earned assets for your family.

For further information please see our website at www.collinslawgroup. com or call 310-677-9787 ext. 5. 

Elizabeth Laine from page 79

is because having quality handmade products is the main focus of my brand.

It is top priority for me to be able to monitor the production of the handbags being made.

Is this a full time project for you or a part-time project?

This has been a part-time project for me. With sales increasing, I’m in the process of making it a full-time position.

How many people work for the business?

I work by myself currently. Any additional assistance I need is contracted out.

What is the greatest lesson you’ve learned since starting this business?

The greatest lesson I’ve learned is to stay focused on the bigger picture.

It is important to motivate yourself and not wait for the acceptance of others.

[Another lesson I’ve learned] is hard work always pays off.

What are your short term goals and long term goals for your business?

The short term goal I have for my business is to be recognized as a luxury brand internationally. My long term goal for the business is to expand the brand by adding shoes, ready to wear garments & home decor. 

by R. Asmerom The Atlanta Post 20%+ so we still have some room the upside in this most recent cycle. And as Russell so eloquently puts it, quite a ways still from the “highly speculative phase”. 

79  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

Advertorial-Jamaal Wilkes Financial Advisors, LLC:

Precious Metals Dearer Than Ever

past two years, while platinum is up 63 percent, as both metals also benefit from their growing commercial use.

“Resource scarcity is now entering our lives,” says Jim Puplava, chief executive officer of money management

from page 79

F

inancial advisors have long recommended that investors have some precious metals (www. cnbc.com/id/33057388) in their portfolios, but years of solid gains, as well as heightened interest in inflation hedges and safe havens, have made metals more alluring than ever.

What was once a 5 percent allocation is now as much as 10 percent, with some advisors even adding rarer metals like platinum to the usual gold-andsilver mix.

UBS, for instance, is recommending top clients hold 7-10 percent of their assets in precious metals.

“Paper has counter-party risks,” says Paul Mladjenovic, author of Precious Metals Investing for Dummies. “Gold and silver are the few investments that retain value.”

Every time the gold rally appears to have peaked, another leg appears. No wonder that gold (www.cnbc.com/id/32988158) is up 379 percent over the past ten years. Private ownership stashes now exceed what’s in public gold vaults, as wealthy investors stock stock up on bars of gold during uncertain times.

In Abu Dhabi, it is as easy as using a gold ATM (www.cnbc.com/ id/37124207).

Meanwhile, silver prices (www.cnbc. com/id/32990158) have doubled in the

firm PFS Group in San Diego. “More countries are competing for precious metals, driving up prices.”

As alternative investments go, precious metals offer more than the usual ways to get in the game. There’s bullion, mining companies, mutual funds, see Precious Metals on page 83

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81  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

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International Edition

Black Business News Tuesday, Jan 11th “For everyone interested in doing business with Metro”

Watch & Support the Africa Channel!

Time Warner • Comcast Don’t have the Africa Channel in your area? Call Time Warner at: 1-888-892-2253 and ask that the Africa Channel be broadcast to ALL regions of your state.

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82  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

Precious Metals

Training Institute

from page 81

from page 75

exchange traded funds, futures, coins and more.

Three Metals, Multiple Options Many experts recommend owning the actual bullion. It’s less volatile and it’s a pure play. Puplava recommends buying American Eagle gold-bullion coins. Any bullion or coin dealer sells them.

The coins are sold at a premium of 5 percent to 10 percent above the spot gold price. They’re affordable and come in half-ounce and quarter-ounce sizes. Another option is to buy 50- to 100-ounce gold bars and store them in a vault.

“People haven’t bought so much gold since it was discovered over 5,000 years ago,” says Jeffrey Christian, managing director of CPM Group in New York City, putting the rally in perspective.

There are now more than two dozen gold ETFs (http://etf.stock-encyclopedia.com/category/gold-etfs.html) traded on exchanges in various countries.

Silver’s current allure has been aided by its growing industrial use. It’s the best metal for conducting heat and electricity, making it useful in electronic devices, such as cell phones.

Silver investors can opt for Silver Eagle coins or bars. “They buy the actual metal and put it in storage,” says Mladjenovic. “That’s a safer play.” Safer, he adds, than buying some silver or gold ETFs, which may hold futures contracts in their portfolio.

Finally, platinum (www.cnbc.com/ id/32990189) is usually a play on a strengthening economy, as it is used in the catalytic converters in automobiles.

It’s sold as American Platinum Eagle coins and in bars.

Puplava recommends a precious metals portfolio that is 50 percent gold, 40 percent silver and 10 percent into platinum, advocating dollar-cost averaging to compensate for some of the

entrepreneurship, but it also provided an environment of direction; motivation; encouragement and support; where black entrepreneurs felt welcomed, to learn in an innovative, creative, positive, and relaxed atmosphere. Thus, by coming together, as Nanci Freeman, had put it, ” …this class had brought some connection…where in the field of law, and opening my own law practice, …I felt isolated, …where only 3% of attorneys in the Los Angeles area are African-American.” To add, Roslyn Francois, of Collective Vision Investments, LLC, a realestate investment company, similarly stated, “I felt very inspired to see other black folks like me in the class, [as] I have finalized my business plan, and a lawyer is now looking at our draft private placement memorandum.”

Additionally, because of the wide range of businesses and instructors involved throughout the 12-week course, many networking opportunities had presented themselves within the class that will last well beyond the room where we met each week. These networking opportunities have provided a strong support system with which students can draw upon for guidance, knowledge, and resources when needed now and in the future. The BBA’s Entrepreneur class has afforded black entrepreneurs, the reassurance that we are not alone in starting or building upon business ventures in a world full of those who would rather we not even have a viable business presence –locally or globally.  Jennifer Marie Hamilton Career Management Coach/Resume Services

volatility.

“Platinum is the trickier investment of the three and silver is more volatile than gold,” says Mladjenovenic. “Don’t rely on a single precious metals investment. There are so many risk factors that are political.” 

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83  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

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OUR ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN OERP

Do Business with BBA Member Businesses & Advertisers

84  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION Please complete then submit this form with your payment. Please type or print.

Name: Title: Company: Address: City: State: Zip Code: Telephone: E-mail: URL: Type of Business: W/MBE Certified by:

Fax:

Year Established:

NAICS Codes: Briefly describe your products and/or services

New membership Renewal Membership

Select Type of Membership Regular Member-$200 annual dues 51% African-American owned, Voting membership

Corporate Member-$2,500 annual dues Major corporation, Non-voting membership Associate Member-$100 annual dues Non-business owner, Non-voting membership Student Member-$25 annual dues Full-time registered student, Non-voting membership Amount enclosed $ Payment type: credit card Visa MasterCard Card #: Signature Fax Payment to: 323-291-9234

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Payment type: check/money order—make payable to: Black Business Association Mail to: P.O. Box 43159, Los Angeles, CA 90043 USA For information Call: 323-291-9334 Email: mail@bbala.org Website: www.bbala.org

Calendar December…

1st Green Trade Network Summit Salinas, California. www.mbita.org/greentradenetwork/summit2010.html for information

1st-5th National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) 34th Annual Legislative Conference The annual legislative conference will be held at the Loews Atlanta Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia.

Find event details and registration information at www.nbcsl.org/conference2010/index.html.

4th 45th WATTS INVITATIONAL CHRISTMAS PARADE PARADE ROUTE: North on Central Ave. from El Segundo Blvd. to 103rd Street (Charcoal Alley) to the Watts Train Station. Bring your convertible auto and a car sign to participate.

13th The African Network (TAN) The topic of the meeting is: How Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation is Transforming Sub-Saharan Africa. The session starts at 5:30 pm at the Fenwick & West Building, 801 California Street, Mountain View, CA. www. theafricannetwork.org.

January 2011…

Announcing the Launch of

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8th Start the New Year as an Entrepreneur!

Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation invites you to enroll in the Entrepreneurial Training Program (ETP).

Whether you are an emerging entrepreneur contemplating the next innovative business idea or an established business owner on your way to the Fortune 500, this free program is for you! New sessions of the 3-week level I and 8-week level II business plan class start

business. For detailed information contact the Black Business Association at mail@bbala.org or by phone at 323-291-9334.

January 8, 2011 covering marketing, legal considerations, operations and management, and financial planning among many other topics. To enroll, visit http://tinyurl.com/etpwinter for class descriptions/schedule and to download an application or call 323.789.4515! Sponsored

by Vermont Slauson EDC and the City of Los Angeles Business Assistance Program. Get the training you need to ‘Own Your Own’ in 2011!

24th-28th

11th-14th

March…

14TH ANNUAL WALL STREET PROJECT ECONOMIC SUMMIT Using the theme “A More Perfect Union: Time to Rebuild America”, RPC will explore and discuss the dialogue on the nation’s financial recovery.

Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers, 811 7th Ave at 53rd Street, New York City. Get information and register at www.rainbowpush.org.

Art Walk in the Crenshaw Plaza Annual art show is accepting participant applications. Contact Julien Dothard at 818-4198639 or send e-mail to dothard@sbcglobal.net for detailed information.

26th BBA Salute to Black Women Annual Salute to Black women and their achievements in business and the civic/social worlds. For detailed information contact the Black Business Association at mail@bbala.org or by phone at 323-291-9334.

15th

May…

CaTwalk Queenz Annual Fashion Show Wish Ultra Lounge, 3001 Knox St., #210, Dallas Texas, 7pm to 10pm. For information on attending, advertising, modeling or participating as a fashion designer contact Charles Brown at 770256-9732.

6th-7th

February…

24th Black Business Association Annual Awards Dinner Annual Salute to Black business owners and executives and the private and public sector entities that support the advancement of black

Black Business Expo 2011 Marlton Square (Old Santa Barbara Plaza, Crenshaw area). Emphasis will be on the Tom Bradley Business Institute and the future of Black Folk’s in America.

August…

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Deducation Ceremony For details on the event and to make contributions contact the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc., 401 F Street, NW, Suite 334, Washington, DC 20001, 1.888.484.3373. 

86  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

Reach Thousands of African American Entrepreneurs YOUR LINK TO AFRICAN AMERICAN BUSINESS OWNERS

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The Black Business Association, SBA 2007 Journalist of the Year and MBDA 2009 Media Firm of the Year, invites you to be an integral part of our publication, Black Business News - Your Link to African American Business Owners. The Black Business News is the ofÀcial voice through which public and private entities advertise contract and business opportunities available to African American entrepreneurs.

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87  December 2010  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

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