11-Aug

August 2011

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

Building for the Future!

I

n what I would describe as “high wire political drama”, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a $2.4 trillion debt-ceiling increase on the 1st of August, 2011 .. one day before avoiding the catastrophic and historical conseqences of the U.S. government defaulting on its obligations.

The backdrop of this political drama was President Obama’s art of negotiating and compromising to get a deal done. However, not all were pleased.

Both liberals and conservatives were upset by parts of the deal.

The House vote was 269-161, with 95 Democrats joining 66 Republicans in voting NO. The negotiated package raised the debt cap by up to $2.4 trillion in three steps. It cuts $917 billion in spending over 10 years, and creates a congressional committee to close the deficit by an additional $1.5 trillion.

What impact might this have on small and minority businesses? This further illustrates a potential smaller footprint for procurement and contract opportunities for minority businesses.

For example, out of the proposed $917 billion spending cut, $350 billion is from defense. The government, for better or worse, has consistently promoted diversity and equity for business contractors. Many small and minority businesses, specifically those in engaged in IT and Data Management, the Department of Defense is a source of revenue. Where might one gather more information? Continue to read the Black Business News for updates.

Also, we will be covering MED Week - the largest federally funded sponsored annual event focused on minor-

ity enterprise development in this country, September 27 to 30, 2011 in Washington DC. Speaking of Washington DC., the Black Business Association (BBA), held a highly successful “meet and greet” event honoring Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Mignon Clyburn at the Los Angeles City Club.

Numerous elected local officials, both current and past, we on hand, as well as a number of minority businesses engaged in this communications sector of our economy.

Communications, particularly the communications of content and entertainment, has been a bellweather for minority entrepreneurs. From the likes of Oprah Winfrey of Harpo Productions, Robert “Bob” Johnson of BET and Cathy Hughes of Radio One, the FCC and the medium of communications, have provided a platform and portal to launch the careers of some of our most successful African American entrepreneurs and personalities.

Communications, including wireless and broadband, continues to be a hot topic in this country. With the potential acquisition of T-Mobile by AT&T, Comcast’s acquisition of a majority stake in NBCUnivesal in the early part of this year, and the continued merging of voice and data, this market arena will continue to serves to create and influence trends and create opportunities for African American businesses throughout for many decades to come.

Mark your calendars for the West Coast Expo, August 12th through the

14th at the Los Angeles Convention Center. West Coast Expo (WCE) is an exposition and trade show for small, medium, and large businesses with goods, products and services to market on the West Coast. The featured pavilions are Business, Technology, Green & Health. Each offers attendees unique, informative and exciting opportunities to interact with experts, specialists and vendors, enabling them to learn about, evaluate, test and purchase products and services. For further information, call (323) 905-1306.

The California Black Chamber of Commerce (CBCC) will host its annual Ron Brown Commerce Summit & Gala at California’s state capitol in Sacramento, August 18th through 20th. Over a 3-day period, the CBCC will host small businesses, government agencies, and industry partners in an effort to build relationships and encourage partnerships, and contracting success. For more information, call the CBCC at (916) 463-0177.

As your source for news dealing with Black commerce and economic development, please continue to read the Black Business News. 

3  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

About the Black Business News…

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.

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

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Steven D. Turner

PRODUCTION MANAGER Narishima Osei

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS LaSandra Stratton • Dean Jones • Steven Turner

GRAPHIC DESIGN

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 preneurs sharing innovative design and d creative cultural content that exposes them m to the history of black enterprises and ex-cite them to participate in the USA’s future..

•

Black Business News P.O. Box 43159, Los Angeles, CA 90043 323-291-9334 Fax: 323-298-5064

advocating and promoting on behalf off 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.

emerging entre-

Sarah Harris

STORY EDITORS Wanda Flagg ▪ Jennifer Marie Hamilton

PHOTOGRAPHY Ian Foxx ▪ Sabir • Narishima Osei

CONTENT ADMINISTRATOR LaSandra Stratton

LAYOUT/TYPESETTING Lion Communications Copyright © 2011 by Black Business News All Rights Reserved.

T The posting of stories, commentaries, reports, documents aand links (embedded or otherwise) on this site does not in aany way, shape or form, implied or otherwise, necessarily ex express or suggest endorsement or support of any of such posted material or parts therein.

AWARDS U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

2007 Journalist of the Year Award LA/Minority Business Opportunity Center (LA/MBOC)

2010 Media Firm of the Year 4  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

FEATURES…

3

August 2011

8 18 23 26 30 37 39

Publisher’s Message: The Art of the Deal

8 SPECIAL SECTION-WEST COAST EXPO… The Next Big Thing - West Coast Expo

18 GOVERNMENT… Our Collective Responsibility as Americans Bipartisan Debt Deal Where Does Our National Debt Come From?

Strong Cities, Strong Communities MBDA: Online Tariff Tool Aids Exporters SBA Licenses 1st Impact Investment Fund Partner

42 BUSINESS… 42 48 53 62 67

82

Resources for Going Global What Are QR Codes? Do I Need One? Micro-Lending with Kiva Travel Industry Plan to Create 1.3 Million Jobs Black Business Institute Success Story

72 PUBLIC INTEREST/COMMUNITY… 72 77 81 84 Columns 56 - Take A Look!

103 - Books to Consider...

107 - Calendar Action Alerts 02 - AEG Supplier Portal Sponsors 07 - Black Business Association

Pan-African Film Festival Call for Submissions HBCU TV Debuts Let;s Move - USDA Offering Health & Fitness Tips BBA Honors Commissioner Mignon Clyburn

88 INTERNATIONAL… 88 90

Islam Goes Trendy President Obama Meets African Heads of State

94

Zambians Prepare for National Elections

95

War on Malaria Takes a Big Step Forward

Cover image - Sarah Harris

87 King Memoria l to Open In August 5  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

SERVING THE INDUSTRY and the TRADE PIPE - VALVES - FITTINGS - METALS - TOOLS PROCESS CONTROLS - INSTRUMENTATION - WATER WORKS

Brandon Supply Corporation is a world class distributor of industrial supplies.

Brandon has been proven to be a dependable source of supply to the petrochemical, power generation and waterworks industries providing fast and reliable service.

Brandon, in maintaining the policy of selling only superior products, represents only the nation's top manufacturers.

SBA CERTIFIED We offer a full range of valves for all piping applications, pressure tubing in all sizes and schedules, a complete line of fittings, flanges and couplings in all metallurgies.

We also offer a full range in PVC, HDPE and other materials.

Clarence D. Scott, CEO CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS 14120 Gannet Street Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670

MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 5354 Buena Park, CA 90623

Phone: 562-921-0407 | FAX: 562-921-5945 800.238.5906 (Outside California) www.brandonsupply.com | cdavis@brandonsupplycorp.com

ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED

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. 

Upcoming Events

October (TBD) 2011 Minority Business Development Conference “Commercial Real Estate Acquisition”

November 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  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Business | Technology | Green | Health Expo

SAVE THE DATE August 12, 13 & 14, 2011 Los Angeles Convention Center

Special Section-West Coast Expo

This is an OurWeekly/Urban Media Foundation event

Join us for Business Workshops, Job Fair, Jr. Business Camp, Celebrity Fashion Show, Gospel Show, Healthier You Competition, Celebrity Chefs, Food Demonstrations, LA-Live VIP Mixer, and much more!

Search for West Coast Expo on Facebook

$5 in advance, $7 at the door Exhibit space available. Reserve you booth before March 31 and mention this ad to receive 10% off. Call today (323) 905-1306

www.westcoastexpo.biz

PRESENTING SPONSORS

West Coast Expo: The Next Big Thing in Business Expanding Beyond the Recession

By Juliana D. Norwood, OW Staff Writer

W

six short years continued to expand its product line to include the Urban Media Foundation, an innovative after-school program for students ages 14 to 17, which uses journalism to positively impact at-risk youth; Healthier You magazine, a bimonthly healthcare magazine that provides the African American community with vital information on health and social issues; the Antelope Valley edition of Our Weekly, and Careers and Education, a magazine that gives students and their families a comprehensive look at what is available from scholarship opportunities to jobs in the emerging “green” economy.

And now the West Coast Expo has been established for Aug. 12-14 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

The Expo is a multicultural exposition and trade show for small, medium and large businesses that have goods, products and services to market.

The Expo will feature pavilions for Business, Technology, Green issues and Health, and will offer those who attend unique, informative and exciting opportunities to interact with experts, specialists and vendors, and enable them to learn about, evaluate, test and purchase products and services.

This three-day signature event will bring together professionals from these sectors, as well as ecofriendly companies with a focus on sustainability to collaborate, educate, innovate, and share their expertise with business owners through: • Nutritional demonstrations, health clinics and workshops • Business support necessary to grow and thrive in today’s global market • Technology usage to promote learning, facilitate growth and enable businesses us to stay connected, informed and share information cost-effectively

An estimated 50,000 persons are expected to attend the West Coast Expo but preparation has been made to accommodate at least twice that number.

The Expo was created to strategically target a wide demographic, with emphasis on African American, Hispanic and Asian consumer markets, thereby offering the power of four expos under one roof and providing an experience that those in attendance cannot receive from any other expo.

Its costs to vendors parallel those of similar expos in the 1980s, affording an outstanding opportunity to small businesses who might otherwise be priced out.

“We recognize the recession, and understand difficulties businesses might be facing in these times,” said Natalie Cole, CEO and publisher of Our Weekly, LLC, “thus we want to help them grow their existing business and increase new business through our pricing strategy and by introducing an innovative business and social media network.”

“As a result of our recent recession, small to medium businesses have suffered significantly. Many began to rebound in 2010, while others unfortunately closed their doors.

The West Coast Expo will help to reenergize the local business climate, allowing exposure to new and notso-new goods and services while affording businesses the opportunity to reach a robust multicultural consumer with great spending power.”

Said Our Weekly, LLC, Chief Operating Officer David Miller: “Natalie and I have over the past six years tried to come up with an annual signature event that would give our readers something to look forward to and an opportunity to build relationships with various businesses across the board.

“The West Coast Expo is not just for California businesses. We wanted it to be more of a global trade show that would include Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Arizona. The first time out of the gate may not draw that attention.

However, as time progresses, we think it will.

“In taking on a major project, there

9  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

see West Coast Expo on page 11

Special Section-West Coast Expo

est Coast business is expected to receive a massive jolt this summer, something that may kick-start a revolution among both small and large entrepreneurs.

The groundwork has already been laid.

Minority business ownership has grown significantly faster than the national average for more than a decade, according to data released by the Census Bureau.

While overall business ownership in the United States increased by 10 percent between 1997 and 2002, the number of Black-owned businesses jumped 45 percent, Hispanic-owned businesses increased by 31 percent, and Asian-owned businesses 24 percent.

Businesses owned by women, regardless of race, grew 20 percent.

From 2002 to 2007, the number of Black-owned businesses increased by 60.5 percent to 1.9 million, more than triple the national rate of 18 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Business Owners. Over the same period, receipts generated by Black-owned businesses increased 55.1 percent to $137.5 billion.

“Black-owned businesses continued to be one of the fastest growing segments of our economy, showing rapid growth in both the number of businesses and total sales during this time period,” said Census Bureau Deputy Director Thomas Mesenbourg.

However, according to a study by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) impressive gains made by minorityowned businesses over the past few years stand to be squandered unless new growth strategies are adapted to compete in a rapidly changing business market.

That’s where the West Coast Expo comes in.

Our Weekly has over the course of

• Lessons on sustainability

Special Section-West Coast Expo

West Coast Expo from page 9

is always the question of whether it’s the right time, but we felt it was now or never for us to bring a trade show of this magnitude to the market. We are coming out of a major recession and the Expo will give businesses a chance to display their products and services to more than 50,000 attendees over a three-day period.”

In order to provide participants with the ultimate experience, the Expo has partnered with some of the largest companies across America.

Corporations such as Mattel, Wells Fargo, Toyota, Verizon, Sempra Energy, Wal-Mart, US Bank, AEG and AT&T have joined with Our Weekly to produce an event that will generate the kind experience that will translate into market success and brand loyalty.

The Expo is divided into four distinct pavilions, offering a wide range of information through seminars workshops, presentations plus a job fair.

The Business Pavilion

Technology Pavilion This pavilion will offer a wide range of state-of-the-art technology services and products such as computers, home theater equipment, personal electronics, cell phones, Bluetooth devices, toys, cameras, digital service providers, software, hardware, etc. to meet the needs of both consumers and business operators.

There will also be a Kids Zone in which the young and the young at heart can interact with a wide range of devices and games.

Seminars in the technology pavilion will include business solutions, smart technology, social media and establishing a website.

Green Pavilion This pavilion will inform the public of leading-edge green products and best practices for sustainability. There will be a concerted effort to recruit the commerce and consumer communities as full participants in the national campaign to reverse global warming, ensure good water quality for all, encourage innovation in sustainability, green lifestyles and improve the health of all citizens, especially the health of youth. Exhibits will display a wide range of technology solutions, innovative products and lifestyle information.

Informational presentations will address the importance of adopting a green approach to business and lifestyle and how such choices affect national healthcare costs, access to

affordable and sustainable energy, food production, and business and job opportunities.

Health Pavilion This pavilion will focus on preventative measures that foster healthier living and fitness. Complimentary blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, prostate, HIV/ AIDS, and glucose testing will be offered.

Because consumers are currently focused on making better and more informed choices in their quest to adopt healthier lifestyles, the Health Pavilion will emphasize organic foods and natural products.

This pavilion will also have cuttingedge products and services that promote looking and feeling good, including weight loss, skin care, hair care, and investing in a wardrobe.

Seminars and workshops will include cooking alternatives that minimize fat, sugars, salts and bad cholesterol, and emphasize fitness and exercise instructions.

West Coast Expo participants can also expect a Junior Business Camp (JBC). The camp is part of the Urban Media Foundation’s Youth Entrepreneurship Project. Conducted every summer, it incorporates a variety of educational techniques, including classroom instructions, interactive activities, building-a-business lab, a business assessment and consultation center, and a field trip to the University of Southern California’s Marshal School of Business.

Classes will be offered to students ages 14 to 17 and are designed to introduce each participant to the idea of becoming the owner of a real business. Young people learn practical skills such as team building, leadership development, financial management, professional communication and business etiquette.

“This undertaking has required us to go out and find individuals who have an expertise in putting this all together for us,” said Miller. “We have a solid team of professionals who were able to get the ball rolling in a short period of time.

“Natalie and I have been thinking about this idea for some time now, but it wasn’t until November that we put it in black and white and shopped for

11  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

see West Coast Expo on page 17

Special Section-West Coast Expo

This pavilion will focus on the marketing and selling of goods and services to consumers and entrepreneurs. Key seminars (business and consumer) will focus on literacy in business and personal finance.

The pavilion is the result of collaboration with local colleges, chambers of commerce, economists, and industry professionals and will provide a wealth of data and information on financial fitness.

Financial fitness is a key component for healthy living as it relates to both healthcare and retirement planning.

With that in mind, the West Coast Expo has invited several key industry professionals to lecture and provide opportunities for limited consultation.

Business owners and entrepreneurs will also have access to a wide array of financial experts, services and products.

Entrepreneurs will have access to workshops on leading business indicators and methods to thrive in business in an uncertain future.

There will also be a premiere fashion event called “Lights, Camera, Runway,”

and a gifting suite, celebrating media personalities, their lifestyles. In addition to immediate and exclusive access to the paparazzi-themed event celebrating the lifestyle of media personalities, celebrities, political leaders and sponsors, participants will have an opportunity to extend their brand reach via the web, newspaper photo ops, promotional videos and social media.

The West Coast Expo estimates more that its mixed-media impressions will reach more than 1 million persons.

This event is targeted to professionals, the social elite, and entertainment enthusiasts. The host and participants are among the most influential celebrities and style icons in the fashion and media industries.

Going Green: The Facts and The Health Benefits Rolling Back Plastic Bags and Bottles

By Jennifer Thompson, OW College Intern

I

Special Section-West Coast Expo

n the process of sustaining and reserving our environment, the idea of “going green” has expanded the drive for recycling and conserving resources by adopting an earth-friendly approach to living.

Activities aimed at “greening” our society are at an all-time high and are

increasing rapidly.

Ever sat back and wondered whether the popular plastic bottles from everyone drinks, or the plastic bags everyone uses to carry groceries are good for health? Most people tend to believe that all bottled water is pristine and healthy.

Not so, says environmentalists who tend to dislike plastic bottles. It would be better for both the water-drinker and the environment to use special storebought environmentally safe bottles.

Considering that water is normally the healthiest drink, chemicals used

in most plastic water bottles consist of hydrocarbon molecules and other substances added to give them color and flexibility. According to a 2009 study

by German scientists, polyethylene terephthalate water bottles contain trace amounts of chemicals that can mimic hormones when ingested.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is an inexpensive and lightweight plastic that in is “harmful to human health,” according tto lead researcher Martin Wagner, an ecotoxicologist at Goethe University in e Frankfurt.

F Once these plastics are recycled, tthey can be “down cycled” to make a lower quality form of plastic. lo Recycled PET plastic bottles are used to make products such as carpets, u and are sold under the name Resistron a and Permalon, says the Environmental a magazine, Earthtalk. Beneficial in m polyester carpets, the high quality of p resins included in PET plastic bottles r helps prevent stains, resist fading, and h do d not require harsh cleaning. Although PET may be harmful to human health P if ingested it is useful in applications such as car parts, insulation, pillows s and a furniture stuffing. To prevent PET carpet c fibers from being harmful to humans h requires good maintenance and the avoidance of consumption or inhalation into our systems.

Plastic bottles aren’t the only products that contain chemicals and offer major health concerns.

The nonprofit Center for Environmental Health (CEH) found that about 10 percent of the reusable plastic bags tested in 2010 contained lead. Local grocery stores have begun banning plastic bags and many now recommend that customers use their own reusable shopping bag.

Plastic grocery bags have the

possibility being harmful to the groceries in the bags and can lead to food poisoning. According to the magazine Earthtalk, plastic reusable shopping bags are petroleum-derived and may contain other contaminants, including lead, especially if they feature designs or patterns.

While reusable plastic bags are being sold at retail stores as an alternative to throw-away bags and may be a step closer to helping restore our environment compared to disposable plastic and paper bags, but they may contain harmful contaminants. Some reusable plastic bags contain lead above 100 parts per million, and have been pulled from the store shelves.

To ensure you’re not at risk, cloth reusable bags are highly recommended because they are free from lead and other potential hazardous substances.

Cloth bags could last for more than a year, but should be washed frequently to prevent contaminants and bacteria.

The West Coast Expo, Aug. 1214, will feature a Sustainability/ Green Pavilion that will address the importance of adopting a green approach to both businesses and everyday lifestyles. The pavilion will showcase sustainable products and services, which demonstrate green technology applicability and information for both commercial and residential usage. Highlights of the pavilion include seminars and workshops such as The Green Marketplace, Reducing Our Carbon Footprint, Water Conservation, Green Life Pavilion’s seminars, and many more. Each workshop and seminar will feature eco-friendly products, ways to improve the quality of water, ways to conserve/upgrade energy, and most of all “best practices” for sustainability. 

12  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

West Coast Expo: Focus on Business Trends Workshops will Discuss How to Ride the Waves

By Juliana D. Norwood, OW Staff Writer

N

it a good time to take advantage of deflation by considering various investment opportunities.

Many contractors, suppliers, and landlords are desperate for business and highly discount their products and services for those in position to take advantage of these situations.

In times of great upheaval in society, the very foundations of life and business undergo changes that transform industries and companies, and redefine the way business is conducted and profits are realized.

One emerging trend, according to economist Peter Dawson, is the frugal consumer.

“Consumerism will not be the same following the great recession. We have entered an era of the frugal consumer.

This is a shift towards a more permanent condition of consumerism, which will change the way businesses operate.

Companies of all sizes will need to re-evaluate old business assumptions and adapt to new conditions. People of all income and demographic levels are reducing compulsive spending and carefully looking for value and products that provide greater meaning to their lives.”

Another emerging trend comes with the aging of the millennial generation.

Also known as Generation Y, and including those born between 1978 and 2000, this group is 75 million strong. Having lived the digital life, their entrance into the work force has enabled them to be more adaptable, collaborative and innovative than any other generation.

Generation Y is much more accepting of diversity and how they embrace all cultures, classes and community.

Neil Howe has been a great predictor of generational impact on American society. Howe sees the nation entering a crisis point and believes the millennials

will lead the country out of it and that businesses will have to embrace the youth unlike ever before.

Green business is nothing new, yet what is different that it’s now becoming a movement for many companies.

Given a presidential push, the green movement has accelerated into overdrive. With billions in government stimulus funds and venture capital, the earth-friendly companies in biofuels, solar, wind and more will stand to reap big rewards going forward as the face of commerce changes for the benefit of Mother Earth.

“These business trends will pose a challenge for business and society as a whole. What we see now is an entire restructuring of the world as we know it. Business will need the agility and adaptability to ride these trends into the future,” says Dawson.

Our Weekly is doing its part to keep up with the trends by following the business experts’ advice with the introduction of the West Coast Business, Technology, Green and Health Expo. Not only has the company decided to expand its business portfolio in the middle of a recession, but it has also managed to incorporate green living and sustainability into the Expo.

And it has, from the beginning, strived to keep up with the times with emerging technology and a relatively young staff.

Visitors to the Expo, which will be held on August 12-13 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, will get to witness Our Weekly’s innovative prowess and experience the numerous business workshops, job fair, Jr. Business Camp, celebrity fashion show, Gospel concert, Healthier You competition, celebrity chefs, food demonstration, and much more. Businesses interested in participating should call (323) 9051306. Also, check the website at www.

WestCoastExpo.biz. 

13  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Special Section-West Coast Expo

o one needs to tell any entrepreneur in California that the business climate in the state is constantly wavering. But a report by the California State Assembly has confirmed it.

California is experiencing drastically higher costs of doing business compared with the rest of the nation.

A survey of these components showed there are weaknesses that threaten California’s long-term economic strength. In particular, the state needs to improve its government fiscal policies so that it can make longterm investments in infrastructure, K-12 education, and work-force development. If the state does not regain competitiveness in these areas, it is expected that the state’s advantages in entrepreneurship, finance and technology will erode.

According to the survey, 66 percent of small business owners felt the business climate in California was poor or very poor, with the top issues being the rising cost of healthcare, quality of education, infrastructure, regulations, energy, taxes, immigration, workers compensation and access to capital.

With the economy struggling in its current state, many businesses are wondering what they can do to stay afloat during these difficult economic times.

The No. 1 thing businesses have always been advised to do is to save during the good times so that they are able to invest during the bad times.

The worst thing businesses can do during hard economic times, according to the experts, is cutback on marketing and advertising. While the competition is cutting back, small businesses are able to spend their way to increased market share, making their businesses stronger.

Additionally the recession makes

West Coast Expo: Technology for Business and Consumers

By Gregg Reese, OW Staff Writer

“Technology is and always will be the wave of the future. There’s just no end in sight. This is the train you’re forced to ride, if you’re in business. You either get on or get run over. But it’s also fun if you line up with it.” —Natalie Cole, publisher and chief executive officer of Our Weekly

Special Section-West Coast Expo

T

he West Coast Expo’s (WCE) founders and business partners Natalie Cole and David Miller conceived it as a signature event to be looked forward to by the business community every year.

Their goal is to bring a diverse, multicultural component to local commerce, ideally encompassing the surrounding western states in years to come, and, of course, bringing in a cash return for participating businesses.

Miller, Our Weekly’s chief operating officer is optimistic and upbeat about the potential for growth in the inaugural year of this, his latest enterprise. Since the highly lauded “information age” is now several decades old, he promotes communications as the hot commodity for consumers and small entrepreneurs seeking to establish a foothold in this tenuous economy. Miller sums up his economic assessment by declaring that “the smartest way of doing business is to stay on top of technology.”

West Coast Expo director Myra Wallace echoes this sentiment and expresses her own hope for what Expo guests will take out of the venue.

“We see the technology pavilion as a place where we can take the fear

and intimidation out of the mind of the consumer, and replace it with easy, user-friendly options,” she says.

Acknowledging the shift in ethnic diversity, the wireless business industry seeks to make its promotions more attractive to the multicultural populace, which makes up an estimated 35 percent of its market. As the associate director of that marketing team, Verizon’s Christina Gonzalez revealed her company’s plan to offer services tailored to these specific groups at WCE. To highlight the speed of their latest 4G technology, the Verizon exhibit will feature demonstrations of an assortment of tablets and 4G (fourth generation technology) handsets along with live 4G streaming.

One of the most visible components of their consumer promotion is their FiOS bundled home communications service. As the first major American carrier to offer residential access to fiber optics networks (superior to traditional electrical transmission methods by virtue of greater bandwidth, less electrical interference from power lines, utility cable, and metallic objects), Verizon offers customers Quad-playwired voice, data, and wireless services.

Quad-play is a unique package that incorporates Internet, telephone, and television service within one bundle.

FiOS also offers its Flexview technology for home entertainment.

This is Verizon’s version of video on demand that enables the viewer to enjoy their video purchases on televisions, personal computers, or

other hand-held devices within their home environment.

In keeping with the Expo’s focus on small business expansion, Verizon is also showcasing its ability to utilize the Intuit software program for business and finance applications.

Meanwhile AT&T, which is another WCE sponsor, has demonstrated its commitment to improved consumer support via its $18 billion improvement on its network infrastructure in 2010, and a pledge to equal that amount during the current fiscal year.

Specifically included in this upgrade are 1,465 targeted areas in the Los Angeles metropolitan area alone.

Angela Gibson, director of AT&T External Affairs, sums up their corporate policy.

“AT&T’s continued commitment and investment into our communications infrastructure is an immense benefit to small businesses and residents,” she says. “The network upgrades will make a positive impact in the day-today activities of small businesses and residents as they communicate with customers, associates, contractors and family and friends.”

AT&T and Verizon will share the Technology Pavilion at the WCE with a host of other corporate sponsors.

Expo visitors are encouraged to keep an open mind, and take advantage of all the exhibits including features not necessarily on their immediate agenda, since as Miller emphasizes “what works today may not necessarily work tomorrow.” 

14  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

West Coast Expo: Spotlight on Health Free Screenings and Education

By Brittney M. Walker, OW Staff Writer

M

disease, live a healthy lifestyle and even answer those tough questions.

There will also be several special segments on men’s health, discussing prostate cancer, and other personal issues men tend to shy away from at the doctor’s office.

According to the doctor’s executive assistant and executive producer of the show, Karen Dick, special topics include children’s nutrition, women’s health, exercise and active lifestyles, current healthcare policies and legislation, and of course kidney health.

Anthony and his crew of doctors and nurses will be on site to answer questions, recommend treatment and provide information about sleep disorders, which may lead to hypertension and other diseases.

Kidney wellness isn’t the only topic for discussion. Cancer, the second leading cause of death in America, is an issue that can’t go unexplored at the Expo.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) will be delivering free information and brochures to curious passersby; volunteers will also be readily available to answer any questions people have.

People often miss out on the information and resources the Cancer Society offers patients and their families, explained Karen Martel,

director of corporate communications.

The nonprofit organization not only informs patients of the things they may endure while in treatment, but it also provides various support programs.

“We have a program called ‘Look Good, Feel Better.’ If patients are diagnosed with cancer and they are going through treatment and they are losing their hair, it can be tough especially for women who often go through vanity issues,” Martel said.

“Licensed cosmetologists provide seminars in hospitals and patients come and get wigs and makeup that are donated by high-end cosmetic companies.”

Also, prostate cancer patients are welcome to join supportive groups with other men to discuss challenges and get questions answered that might otherwise be embarrassing to ask.

Other counseling services are also available.

Martel also emphasized that the organization can help with free transportation services for patients who are unable to get to and from treatment.

More information is available at cancer. org or call 1-800-227-2345.

Other exhibitors and sponsors include Great Beginnings for Black Babies and The Children Collective Agency. 

15  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Special Section-West Coast Expo

ost people understand that the quality of their life is only as good as their health. That’s why at the West Coast Expo next month, attendees will have the opportunity to learn how they can better their lives, not only in business and technology, but also in health.

Dr. Vincent Anthony, a kidney and hypertension specialist and Kidney Care Institute (KCI), will offer free kidney screenings as well as blood sugar checks, and other free tests.

Established in 2005, KCI has been treating and educating patients and showing individuals ways to prevent the spread of kidney disease.

From detecting it early on to treating those who are in need of a transplant, Anthony understands the importance of keeping a healthy kidney for the overall health.

“We are here to educate people and treat patients,” he said. “One of the focuses we have is lower cost of healthcare, not only for the patient by providing quality, but also for the payer sources (insurance companies). “One in 9 people have kidney disease. A large part of the population does not understand the effects on the whole body, because it’s not talked about. We are going into the community, because it’s an epidemic that is extremely quiet.”

“Those with kidney disease are two times as likely to die from [a disease] than those who don’t [have it],” he continued.

He further explained that kidney disease can cause or exacerbate a health problem if not diagnosed or treated properly.

The physician’s passion is for educating the masses and helping community members make better decisions for their health.

This fall, Anthony will launch a health show called “Lifeline with Dr. Anthony” on Hosanna Broadcasting Network. On the show, he’ll discuss overall health and wellness, including ways to prevent

12 Trade Show Marketing Tips to Resuscitate Some Classic Lead-Gen Tactics Many have pronounced tradeshow marketing dead. But with the right strategy, hard work, and flawless execution, tradeshows can still be a productive part of your marketing plan.

H

ere are 12 ways to breathe new life into your tradeshows.

Special Section-West Coast Expo

1. Start planning early Maybe you have received a call from a tradeshow sales rep offering an unbelievable discount to replace an exhibitor that just backed out two or three weeks before the tradeshow.

But getting into a tradeshow at the last minute is almost never a good idea. It shows you are being reactive with a major investment of time and money, and that is never a good sign.

If you start planning well in advance, however, you have the opportunity to obtain a quality booth space, get on the speaking agenda, secure adequate sales engagement, and plan appropriate pre- and post-show promotion. Your chances of having a positive experience are much higher.

Remember that most of the tradeshow cost is T&E (travel and entertainment), collateral and sign production, drayage, labor, rentals, etc.—so a last-minute deal on the exhibit cost is not really much of a deal.

2. Make sure the audience is a good fit Most shows will publish a Web page for attendees that includes a “who should attend” description. Read it to determine whether the show is a good match for your target market.

In a LinkedIn discussion about the topic, one of the participants suggested asking for the previous year’s attendee list. It doesn’t have to have full contact information; the company name and

title for each registrant would give you a good idea if the audience is right.

Ask for the entire list so you can factcheck the salesperson’s claim about last year’s attendance number, and also to gauge wheat-to-chaff ratio.

Don’t expect every registrant to be from your target audience, but determine whether the ratio is acceptable.

3. Get on the presentation agenda I talked to a colleague recently who told me she has pared down her tradeshow participation plan by doing only the ones at which she is able to get a slot on the presentation agenda.

Pretty smart.

It is much more likely to be worth attending a show if you can get on the agenda; it is validation that your message is on target for the audience.

Conversely, it might not be worth doing a show if you are not on the presentation agenda. Exhibiting alone might not be a large enough value proposition to warrant the investment

in tradeshow marketing.

Tradeshow attendees in North America are so jaded about walking the exhibit floor, especially at the executive level, that exhibitor presence alone might not be worthwhile. A speaker slot ensures your message will be delivered to a large audience and gives your speaker a chance to mention your booth number for follow-up discussions.

4. Establish a service level agreement with sales Do not do tradeshows without appropriate Sales buy in. Tradeshows should be a shared effort between Sales and Marketing.

Work with the sales manager to establish a service-level agreement for Sales to work hard to promote your participation before and after the show, engage attendees during the show, and follow up aggressively and systematically after the show.

If you can’t get Sales to agree, you are better off just renting the list of

16  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

see Trade Show Tips on page 17

Trade Show Tips from page 16

attendees and focusing on marketing for lead generation.

The service-level agreement goes both ways, so be sure to outline all the investment and hard work Marketing will deliver, and be sure to stick to your commitments.

5. Negotiate for the full list of registrants A one-time blast or a pre- and postshow blast will probably be offered as part of the exhibitor package. That might be good enough, but negotiate for unlimited use of the full list, if possible.

6. Promote your participation to customers and prospects prior to the show

7. Demand aggressive and professional performance from booth staff Again, this is part of the service-level agreement with Sales. Mandate uniform attire so visitors know who is working.

Prohibit any phone or BlackBerry use in the booth area; it interferes with engagement. Have a practiced elevator pitch and engagement question ready.

Get out into the aisle and engage with everyone who walks by.

I once worked with a company that was an absolute barracuda on the tradeshow floor. Sales management worked the booth and led by example.

They harassed and cajoled the sales staff to work with a high level of aggressiveness. And marketing staff members were expected to work equally hard. Staff members from

8. Capture detailed lead information Obviously, rent a badge scanner.

Also, preprint a stack of 8.5” x 5.5” cards that have qualifying questions on them and room to take notes.

Salespeople should put their own names on the cards and take notes on every conversation. Staple business cards or badge scan printouts to these note cards, and deposit the cards in some sort of basket or box.

9. Provide giveaways, raffles, and tchotchkes I consider it a sad reflection on humanity, but such gimmicks do work to drive booth traffic! Give away something small (a blinking pen), and raffle off something bigger (an iPad).

Have collateral, printed analyst reports, or free trials on hand for serious visitors who aren’t into the gimmicks.

10. Enter all leads into a CRM system for Sales follow-up No exceptions. Add notes from the note cards (see above) to the customer relationship management (CRM) record (there is nothing more annoying to a sales prospect than having a long conversation with the sales rep at the booth that is completely forgotten when the follow-up call is made).

There is always temptation for salespeople to cherry-pick the best conversations and follow up with those prospects directly “offline” because they don’t want to wait for the CRM system to push them the leads. Eliminate the temptation for offline lead follow-up by getting the leads into the CRM quickly and completely, and by pushing them immediately for sales follow-up.

Measure lead conversion carefully, and report back to Sales. Sales followup should include a relevant offer (analyst report, free trial) for leads who require further nurturing before they are ready to buy.

11. Continue post-show marketing with an appropriate offer Send “thanks for joining us” emails to leads captured at the booth, and “sorry we missed you” emails to customers and prospects within a 100-mile radius.

Even if they did not attend the show, prospects will perceive you as being active in their locality.

Include a valuable business offer (analyst report, free trial) to encourage further engagement.

12. Hold a post-mortem review with Sales and Marketing One week after the show, conduct a post-mortem meeting with all marketing and sales participants to determine whether the show was of good quality and should be considered again next year.

Evaluate the performance of Sales and Marketing vs. the servicelevel agreement. Identify areas for improvement. Track CRM performance of the leads; it would be premature after only one week, but schedule follow-up meetings for ongoing tracking. Tabulate all costs.

Document the post-mortem discussion so you don’t forget your analysis when you are considering next year’s show.

That’s 12 solid tips. Did I miss anything?

Read more: http://www.marketingprofs. c o m / a r t i c l e s / 2 0 11 / 5 3 0 1 / i s tradeshow-marketing-dead-12-tipsto-resuscitate-a-classic-lead-gentactic#ixzz1RuAIAbu2  Bob Hebeisen for www. marketingprofs.com

West Coast Expo from page 11

sponsorships. By the end of December, we had received verbal commitments from several major sponsors that they were in on it. We are really excited about this opportunity and look forward to making it happen.”

For additional information call (323) 905-1306 or visit www.westcoastexpo. biz and www.facebook.com/ westcoastexpo. 

17  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Special Section-West Coast Expo

All tradeshows are local, so the saying goes. Promote your presence at the show within a 100-mile radius via marketing and sales. Mandate a sales call campaign in that territory as part of the service-level agreement mentioned above. Promote it at least two weeks in advance to give members of your audience time to arrange their attendance if they so desire. Promote a relevant offer they can collect by visiting your booth. Get free exhibitor passes from tradeshow management, if possible.

surrounding booths would look at us wide-eyed, as if we were possessed. It was part of the sales culture, and we got excellent results from tradeshows.

An aggressive approach can mean the difference between driving 50 leads and driving 500 leads from the same tradeshow.

Government

President Barack Obama talks with members of his staff in the Oval Office following a meeting with the Congressional Leadership. Pictured with the President, from left, are: Chief of Staff Bill Daley; Rob Nabors, Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs; Bruce Reed, Chief of Staff to the Vice President; National Economic Council Director Gene Sperling; Jason Furman, Principal Deputy Director of the National Economic Council; Office of Management and Budget Director Jack Lew; Senior Advisor David Plouffe; and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Our Collective Responsibility as Americans THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, everybody.

Congress has now approved a compromise to reduce the deficit and avert a default that would have devastated our economy. It was a long and contentious debate. And I want to thank the American people for keeping up the pressure on their elected officials to put politics aside and work together for the good of the country.

This compromise guarantees more than $2 trillion in deficit reduction. It’s an important first step to ensuring that as a nation we live within our means.

Yet it also allows us to keep making key investments in things like education and research that lead to new jobs,

and assures that we’re not cutting too abruptly while the economy is still fragile.

This is, however, just the first step.

This compromise requires that both parties work together on a larger plan to cut the deficit, which is important for the long-term health of our economy.

And since you can’t close the deficit with just spending cuts, we’ll need a balanced approach where everything is on the table. Yes, that means making some adjustments to protect health care programs like Medicare so they’re there for future generations. It also means reforming our tax code so that the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations pay their fair share.

And it means getting rid of taxpayer subsidies to oil and gas companies, and tax loopholes that help billionaires pay a lower tax rate than teachers and nurses.

I’ve said it before; I will say it again: We can’t balance the budget on the backs of the very people who have borne the biggest brunt of this recession. We can’t make it tougher for young people to go to college, or ask seniors to pay more for health care, or ask scientists to give up on promising medical research because we couldn’t close a tax shelter for the most fortunate among us. Everyone is going to have to chip in. It’s only fair. see Collective Responsibility on page 19

18  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Collective Responsibility from page 18

back from recess, I will urge them to immediately take some steps -bipartisan, common-sense steps -- that will make a difference; that will create a climate where businesses can hire, where folks have more money in their pockets to spend, where people who are out of work can find good jobs.

We need to begin by extending tax cuts for middle-class families so that you have more money in your paychecks next year. If you’ve got more money in your paycheck, you’re more likely to spend it. And that means small businesses and medium-sized businesses and large businesses will all have more customers. That means they’ll be in a better position to hire.

And while we’re at it, we need to make sure that millions of workers who are still pounding the pavement looking for jobs to support their families are not denied needed unemployment benefits.

Through patent reform, we can cut the red tape that stops too many inventors and entrepreneurs from see Collective Responsibility on page 21

19  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Government

That’s the principle I’ll be fighting for during the next phase of this process.

And in the coming months, I’ll continue also to fight for what the American people care most about: new jobs, higher wages and faster economic growth. While Washington has been absorbed in this debate about deficits, people across the country are asking what we can do to help the father looking for work. What are we going to do for the single mom who’s seen her hours cut back at the hospital? What are we going to do to make it easier for businesses to put up that “now hiring” sign?

That’s part of the reason that people are so frustrated with what’s been going on in this town. In the last few months, the economy has already had to absorb an earthquake in Japan, the economic headwinds coming from Europe, the Arab Spring and the [rise] in oil prices -- all of which have been

very challenging for the recovery. But these are things we couldn’t control.

Our economy didn’t need Washington to come along with a manufactured crisis to make things worse. That was in our hands. It’s pretty likely that the uncertainty surrounding the raising of the debt ceiling -- for both businesses and consumers -- has been unsettling, and just one more impediment to the full recovery that we need. And it was something that we could have avoided entirely.

So, voters may have chosen divided government, but they sure didn’t vote for dysfunctional government. They want us to solve problems. They want us to get this economy growing and adding jobs. And while deficit reduction is part of that agenda, it is not the whole agenda. Growing the economy isn’t just about cutting spending; it’s not about rolling back regulations that protect our air and our water and keep our people safe. That’s not how we’re going to get past this recession. We’re going to have to do more than that.

And that’s why, when Congress gets

20  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Collective Responsibility

responsibility as Americans. And I’ll be discussing additional ideas in the weeks ahead to help companies hire, invest and expand. from page 19 So, we’ve seen in the past few days quickly turning new ideas into thriving that Washington has the ability to focus businesses -- which holds our whole when there’s a timer ticking down, and economy back. And I want Congress when there’s a looming disaster. It to pass a set of trade deals -- deals shouldn’t take the risk of default -– the we’ve already negotiated -- that would risk of economic catastrophe -– to get help displaced workers looking for new folks in this town to work together and do their jobs.

Because t h e r e ’ s already a quiet crisis going on in the lives of a lot of families, in a lot of communities, all across the country.

T h e y ’ r e looking for work, and they have been for a while; or they’re m a k i n g do with fewer hours or fewer President Barack Obama meets with Congressional Leadership in the Cabinet Room of the White House c u s t o m ers; to discuss ongoing efforts to find a balanced approach to the debt limit and deficit reduction, July 13, 2011. or they’re Pictured, from left, are: House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, House trying Speaker John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. just to make (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) ends meet. jobs and would allow our businesses America, and Congress needs to break That ought to compel Washington to sell more products in countries in that impasse now –- hopefully before to cooperate. That ought to compel Asia and South America, products that the Senate adjourns -– so these folks Washington to compromise, and it are stamped with the words “Made in can get back to work. ought to compel Washington to act.

America.”

So these are some things that we That ought to be enough to get all of us We also need to give more could be doing right now. There’s no in this town to do the jobs we were sent opportunities to all those construction reason for Congress not to send me here to do. We’ve got to do everything workers out there who lost their jobs those bills so I can sign them into law in our power to grow this economy and when the housing boom went bust. right away as soon as they get back put America back to work. That’s what We could put them to work right now, from recess. Both parties share power I intend to do, and I’m looking forward by giving loans to private companies in Washington, and both parties need to working with Congress to make it that want to repair our roads and our to take responsibility for improving happen. bridges and our airports, rebuilding our this economy. It’s not a Democratic www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/06/13/presidentinfrastructure. We have workers who responsibility or a Republican obama-presented-ideas-accelerate-job-growthneed jobs and a country that needs responsibility; it is our collective and-america-s-competitivenessrebuilding; an infrastructure bank would help us put them together.

And while we’re on the topic of infrastructure, there’s another stalemate in Congress right now involving our aviation industry which has stalled airport construction projects all around the country and put the jobs of tens of thousands of construction workers and others at risk -– because of politics. It’s another Washington-inflicted wound on

Government

21  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Bipartisan Debt Deal: A Win for the Economy and Budget Discipline?

T

Mechanics of the Debt Deal • Immediately enacted 10-year discretionary spending caps generating nearly $1 trillion in deficit reduction; balanced between defense and non-defense spending.

• President authorized to increase the debt limit by at least $2.1 trillion, eliminating the need for further

increases until 2013.

• Bipartisan committee process tasked with identifying an additional $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction, including from entitlement and tax reform. Committee is required to report legislation by November 23, 2011, which receives fasttrack protections. Congress is required to vote on Committee recommendations by December 23, 2011.

• Enforcement mechanism established to force all parties – Republican and Democrat – to agree to balanced deficit reduction.

If Committee fails, enforcement mechanism will trigger spending reductions beginning in 2013 – split 50/50 between domestic and defense spending. Enforcement protects Social Security, Medicare beneficiaries, and low-income programs from any cuts.

1. REMOVING UNCERTAINTY TO SUPPORT THE AMERICAN ECONOMY • Deal Removes Cloud of Uncertainty Until 2013, Eliminating Key Headwind on the Economy: Independent analysts, economists, and ratings agencies have all made clear that a short-term debt limit increase would create unacceptable economic uncertainty by risking default again within only a matter of months and as S&P stated, increase the chance of a downgrade. By ensuring a debt limit increase of at least $2.1 trillion, this deal removes the specter of default, providing important certainty to our economy at a fragile moment.

• Mechanism to Ensure Further Deficit Reduction is Designed to Phase-In Beginning in 2013 to Avoid Harming the Recovery: The deal includes a mechanism to ensure additional deficit reduction, consistent with the economic recovery. The enforcement mechanism would not be made

2. A DOWNPAYMENT ON DEFICIT REDUCTION BY LOCKING IN HISTORIC SPENDING DISCIPLINE – BALANCED BETWEEN DOMESTIC AND PENTAGON SPENDING • More than $900 Billion in Savings over 10 Years By Capping Discretionary Spending: The deal includes caps on discretionary spending that will produce more than $900 billion in savings over the next 10 years compared to the CBO March baseline, even as it protects core investments from deep and economically damaging cuts.

• Includes Savings of $350 Billion from the Base Defense Budget – the First Defense Cut Since the 1990s: The deal puts us on track to cut $350 billion from the defense budget over 10 years. These reductions will be implemented based on the outcome of a review of our missions, roles, and capabilities that will reflect the President’s commitment to protecting our national security.

• Reduces Domestic Discretionary Spending to the Lowest Level Since Eisenhower: These discretionary caps will put us on track to reduce non-defense discretionary spending to its lowest level since Dwight Eisenhower was President.

• Includes Funding to Protect the President’s Historic Investment in Pell Grants: Since taking office, the President has increased the maximum Pell award by $819 to a maximum award $5,550, helping over 9 million students pay for college tuition bills. The deal provides specific protection in the discretionary budget to ensure that the there will be sufficient funding for the President’s historic investment in Pell Grants without undermining other critical investments.

3. ESTABLISHING A BIPARTISAN PROCESS TO ACHIEVE $1.5 TRILLION IN ADDITIONAL BALANCED DEFICIT REDUCTION

23  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Government

he announced debt deal announced is a victory for bipartisan compromise, for the economy and for the American people.

The agreement: • Removes the cloud of uncertainty over our economy at this critical time, by ensuring that no one will be able to use the threat of the nation’s first default now, or in only a few months, for political gain; • Locks in a down payment on significant deficit reduction, with savings from both domestic and Pentagon spending, and is designed to protect crucial investments like aid for college students; • Establishes a bipartisan process to seek a balanced approach to larger deficit reduction through entitlement and tax reform; • Deploys an enforcement mechanism that gives all sides an incentive to reach bipartisan compromise on historic deficit reduction, while protecting Social Security, Medicare beneficiaries and low-income programs; • Stays true to the President’s commitment to shared sacrifice by preventing the middle class, seniors and those who are most vulnerable from shouldering the burden of deficit reduction. The President did not agree to any entitlement reforms outside of the context of a bipartisan committee process where tax reform will be on the table and the President will insist on shared sacrifice from the most well-off and those with the most indefensible tax breaks.

effective until 2013, avoiding any immediate contraction that could harm the recovery. And savings from the down payment will be enacted over 10 years, consistent with supporting the economic recovery.

STIMULATING OUR ECONOMY...

WELCOMING TOURISTS & CONVENTIONS...

CREATING JOBS FOR OUR WORKERS...

FARMERSFIELD.COM

BY THE END OF 2011 • The Deal Locks in a Process to Enact $1.5 Trillion in Additional Deficit Reduction Through a Bipartisan, Bicameral Congressional Committee: The deal creates a bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Committee that is charged with enacting $1.5 trillion in additional deficit reduction by the end of the year. This Committee will work without the looming specter of default, ensuring time to carefully consider essential reforms without the disruption and brinksmanship of the past few months.

• This Committee is Empowered Beyond Previous Bipartisan Attempts at Deficit Reduction: Any recommendation of the Committee would be given fast-track privilege in the House and Senate, assuring it of an up or down vote and preventing some from using procedural gimmicks to block action.

• To Meet This Target, the Committee Will Consider Responsible Entitlement and Tax Reform. This means putting all the priorities of both parties on the table – including both entitlement reform and revenueraising tax reform.

25  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Government

4. A STRONG ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM TO MAKE ALL SIDES COME TOGETHER • The Deal Includes An Automatic Sequester to Ensure That At Least $1.2 Trillion in Deficit Reduction Is Achieved By 2013 Beyond the Discretionary Caps: The deal includes an automatic sequester on certain spending programs to ensure that—between the Committee and the trigger—we at least put in place an additional $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction by 2013.

• Consistent With Past Practice, Sequester Would Be Divided Equally Between Defense and Non-Defense Programs and Exempt Social Security, Medicaid, and Low-Income Programs: Consistent with the bipartisan precedents established in the 1980s and 1990s, the sequester would be divided equally between defense and non-defense program, and it would exempt Social Security, Medicaid, unemployment insurance, programs for low-income families,

a n d civilian and military retirement.

Likewise, any cuts to Medicare would be capped and limited to the provider side.

• Sequester W o u l d Provide President Barack Obama talks with senior advisors in the Oval a Strong Office to discuss ongoing efforts in the debt limit and deficit Incentive reduction talks, Sunday, July 31, 2011. Pictured, from left, are: Vice for Both President Joe Biden; Rob Nabors, Assistant to the President for Sides to Legislative Affairs; OMB Director Jack Lew; Pete Rouse, Counselor Come to to the President; and Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett. (Official White the Table: House Photo by Pete Souza) If the fiscal committee took no action, the deal would Bush Tax Cuts – To Create Pressure automatically add nearly $500 for a Balanced Deal: The Bush tax billion in defense cuts on top of cuts cuts expire as of 1/1/2013, the same already made, and, at the same date that the spending sequester time, it would cut critical programs would go into effect. These two like infrastructure or education. That events together will force balanced outcome would be unacceptable to deficit reduction. Absent a balanced many Republicans and Democrats deal, it would enable the President to alike – creating pressure for a use his veto pen to ensure nearly $1 bipartisan agreement without trillion in additional deficit reduction requiring the threat of a default with by not extending the high-income tax unthinkable consequences for our cuts. economy.

• In Securing this Bipartisan Deal, the President Rejected Proposals 5. A BALANCED DEAL that Would Have Placed the Sole CONSISTENT WITH THE Burden of Deficit Reduction on LowPRESIDENT’S COMMITMENT TO Income or Middle-Class Families: SHARED SACRIFICE The President stood firmly against • The Deal Sets the Stage for Balanced proposals that would have placed Deficit Reduction, Consistent with the sole burden of deficit reduction the President’s Values: The deal is on lower-income and middle-class designed to achieve balanced deficit families.

This includes not only reduction, consistent with the values proposals in the House Republican the President articulated in his April Budget that would have undermined Fiscal Framework. The discretionary the core commitments of Medicare savings are spread between both to our seniors and forced tens of domestic and defense spending. millions of low-income Americans to And the President will demand that go without health insurance, but also the Committee pursue a balanced enforcement mechanisms that would deficit reduction package, where any have forced automatic cuts to lowentitlement reforms are coupled with income programs. The enforcement revenue-raising tax reform that asks mechanism in the deal exempts for the most fortunate Americans to Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare sacrifice. benefits, unemployment insurance, • The Enforcement Mechanism programs for low-income families, Complements the Forcing Event and civilian and military retirement.  Already In Law – the Expiration of the

INFOGRAPHIC: Where Does our National Debt Come From?

O

more money than we take in. In the year 2000, the government had a budget surplus. But instead of using it to pay off our debt, the money was spent on trillions of dollars in new tax cuts, while two wars and an expensive prescription drug program were simply added to our nation’s credit card.

As a result, the deficit was on track to top $1 trillion the year I took office.

To make matters worse, the recession meant that there was less money coming in, and it required us to spend even more -– on tax cuts for middleclass families to spur the economy; on unemployment insurance; on aid to states so we could prevent more teachers and firefighters and police officers from being laid off. These

emergency steps also added to the deficit.

Because neither party is blameless for the decisions that led to this problem, both parties have a responsibility to solve it.”

And it’s worth noting that, among many others, the Pew Charitable Trusts (/www.pewtrusts.org/news_ room_detail.aspx?id=85899359317) and the New York Times (www. nytimes.com/2011/07/24/opinion/ sunday/24sun4.html?_r=1) have addressed this issue too.  www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/07/26/ infographic-where-does-our-national-debtcome www.whitehouse.gov/infographics/usnational-debt

Government

ne of the fundamental things to understand when considering the debate about reducing our national debt is how we accumulated so much in the first place.

To explain the impact various policies have had over the past decade, shifting us from projected surpluses to actual deficits and, as a result, running up the national debt, the White House has developed a graphic for you to review and share: www.whitehouse.gov/ infographics/us-national-debt (and see the next page).

As you can see, we’ve also included a quote from President Obama’s speech last night that sums up the basic issues: “For the last decade, we’ve spent

President Barack Obama meets with Warren Buffett, the Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, in the Oval Office, July 18, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) 26  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Baselines and Balance: a Look a the new Joint Committee

President Barack Obama meets with Speaker of the House John Boehner on the patio near the Oval Office, Sunday, July 3, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) corporate jet owners. These types of tax changes have been a major part of the recent deficit reduction conversation and would be a smart part of an overall balanced plan. No one on any side can dispute that the Joint Committee could consider them.

Second, the Committee can consider the kind of revenue raising tax reform that has broad and growing bipartisan support.

The argument against this second claim is based on a misrepresentation of what is called “the baseline.” The “baseline” is what deficit reduction is measured against. Reports have suggested that the Committee would have to use a “current law” baseline—a baseline that assumes that all of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts expire along with relief from the Alternative Minimum tax. That would mean that any tax reform effort that raised less revenue than allowing all those tax cuts to expire would be scored as increasing the deficit. Even conservative Republican proposals for “revenue neutral” tax reform would be scored under this

Gene Sperling, Director of the National Economic Council and Assistant to the President for Economic Policy

29  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

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he budget deal sets the stage for balanced deficit reduction.

It immediately makes a down payment on deficit reduction of more than $900 billion by limiting discretionary spending and sets up a new Joint Congressional Committee charged with recommending $1.5 trillion in additional deficit reduction by the end of the year. As the President has said, that deficit reduction should be balanced and cut tax loopholes and expenditures just like it cuts traditional spending.

There are now reports that this Joint Committee won’t be able to raise revenue at all because of the way the budget deal is drafted. That is simply wrong.

The Joint Committee is tasked with deficit reduction, and the Committee can reduce the deficit by cutting spending and getting rid of tax loopholes and expenditures. Everything is on the table, as it should be.

First, the Committee can consider getting rid of tax expenditures like subsidies for oil and gas companies or

approach as increasing the deficit by more than $3 trillion.

However the claim that the Committee is required to follow this approach is simply false.

The Budget legislation specifically calls for deficit reduction – not simply spending cuts – and does not anywhere require the Committee to work off a current law baseline. Nor does it preclude the Committee from requesting CBO estimates based on alternative baselines and using those estimates for purposes of the certifying the deficit reduction achieved in the Committee.

In fact, Congressional requests to CBO to score proposals off different baselines happen as a matter of course. For example, at the request of members of Congress, CBO scored the deal being considered today using two different baselines. Or, to take another example—Paul Ryan, Chairman of the House Budget Committee, requested that CBO score his budget “Roadmap” against an “alternative fiscal scenario,” which assumed extension of the tax cuts described above. As CBO said in response (www.cbo.gov/ ftpdocs/108xx/doc10851/01-27-RyanRoadmap-Letter.pdf) to Chairman Ryan: “As you requested, the analysis in this letter compares the Roadmap with the alternative fiscal scenario.”

Relative to that baseline, tax reform— like that proposed by the bipartisan Fiscal Commission and Gang of Six— would reduce the deficit by hundreds of billions of dollars.

The bottom line is that the Joint Committee can reduce the deficit through tax reform and eliminating tax expenditures just like it can cut spending. What it ultimately does is up to the members of that Committee. We hope that they seize this an opportunity to come together and build on the down-payment in this deal to put the Nation on a sustainable fiscal course in a balanced way that cuts spending in the tax code as well in the rest of the budget. The President believes that is possible and looks forward to working with both parties to accomplish this. 

Obama Administration Launches Strong Cities, Strong Communities to Support Local Development

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Solutions Team will help Mayor Butler diversify the local economy, support small business development and revitalize the downtown.

In Cleveland, OH, Strong Cities, Strong Communities will support Mayor Jackson in his efforts to coordinate workforce and economic development and to maximize the economic potential of the Cleveland Port.

In Detroit, MI, the Community Solutions Team will partner with Mayor Bing and Governor Snyder to increase coordination and alignment on workforce and economic development issues, and to leverage U.S. DOT’s

the work being done at the local level to encourage economic growth and community development.

investments in High Speed Rail and the Woodward Avenue light rail project to spur economic revitalization in the downtown corridor.

In Fresno, CA, Mayor Swearengin and the Community Solutions Team

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he Obama Administration has launched Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2), a new and customized pilot initiative to strengthen local capacity and spark economic growth in local communities while ensuring taxpayer dollars are used wisely and efficiently. To accomplish this, federal agencies will provide experienced staff to work directly with six cities: Chester, PA; Cleveland, OH; Detroit, MI; Fresno, CA; Memphis, TN; and New Orleans, LA. These teams will work with local governments, the private sector, and other institutions to leverage federal dollars and support

Strong Cities, Strong Communities pilot locations across the country: In Chester, PA, the Community

will work to capitalize on the coming high-speed rail station to improve the downtown area, and will also build on a successful neighborhood development program.

In Memphis, TN, Strong Cities, Strong Communities will partner with Mayor Wharton and his team to pursue his vision to strengthen the education system and attract new industries.

And in New Orleans, LA, Mayor Landrieu and the Communities Solutions Team will work to integrate existing federal resources to improve the delivery of health services, manage public safety and rebuild public infrastructure.

Additionally, communities nationwide will be eligible to compete for comprehensive economic planning assistance through a grant competition designed to spark local innovation. By integrating government investments and partnering with local communities, SC2 channels the resources of the federal government to help empower cities as they develop and implement their vision for economic growth.

“Over the past two and a half years, the Obama Administration received feedback from leaders all across the country who described the kind of partnership that would be most useful to them for economic growth,” said Domestic Policy Director Melody Barnes. “The result is Strong Cities, Strong Communities, an innovative new pilot that will help strengthen local communities while also delivering federal resources and assistance more effectively.”

Added Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett, “This is exactly the kind of federal initiative that President Obama pledged to create – one that respects the wisdom of local leadership and helps mayors and other local officials utilize federal resources more effectively.

President Obama has consistently demonstrated his commitment to a robust partnership with America’s cities and counties–Strong Cities, Strong

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see Strong Cities on page 31

Strong Cities from page 30

Communities is yet another example of this important partnership.”

Through this pilot, the Obama Administration will focus on three key goals: • Improving the way federal government does business: Cutting

• Providing assistance and support – working with local communities to find ground up, not top down solutions: Providing on the ground technical assistance and planning resources tailored to local governments’ needs and helping them use the federal funds they already receive more efficiently and effectively; and • Partnering for growth: Developing critical partnerships with key local and regional stakeholders that encompass not only municipal and state governments, but also new partnerships with the business community, non-profits, anchor institutions, faith-based institutions, and other public, private, and philanthropic leaders.

In addition to building the capacity of local governments, SC2 aims to encourage partnerships among local

SC2 Community Solutions Teams: Community Solutions Teams comprised of federal employees from several different agencies will work directly with cities to support mayors in Chester, PA;

Cleveland, OH; Detroit, MI; Fresno, CA; Memphis, TN; and New Orleans, LA. Community Solutions Teams will assist cities with issues mayors have identified as vital to their economic strategies, including efforts to build on local assets, strengthen regional economies, develop transportation infrastructure, improve job-training programs and support community revitalization.

SC2 Fellowship Program: A complement to the Community Solutions Teams, a new fellowship program will select, train, and place early-to mid-career professionals to serve multi-year terms in local government positions to give cities additional capacity. An intermediary will be selected to run the fellowship program, and Fellows will be selected through a competitive national process.

The Program will be funded primarily by philanthropic partners; the Rockefeller Foundation is providing $2.5 million in initial funding.

SC2 Economic Planning Challenge: In addition to the six pilot locations,

SC2 includes an Economic Planning Challenge designed to help additional cities develop economic blueprints.

This national grant competition will enable cities to adopt and implement innovative economic development strategies to support comprehensive city and regional planning efforts. Six cities will be competitively selected to receive a grant of approximately $1 million that they will use to administer an “X-prize style” competition, whereby they will challenge multi-disciplinary teams of experts to develop comprehensive economic and land use proposals for their city. The Challenge will be administered by EDA, and EDA will assist cities in the administration of the competition.

National Resource Network: Pending authorization of funding, the National Resource Network (NRN) will aggregate public and private resources to provide a broader set of cities, towns and regions with access to a one-stop portal of national experts to provide holistic policy and implementation support.

Once funds are secured, HUD will host a competition to select an intermediary to run the NRN. Cities, towns and regions will apply to get access to the NRN, and outside experts will apply to be able to provide consulting services through the NRN. A menu of customized and comprehensive technical assistance in a variety of policy areas will be available to communities, delivered through onsite training and staff development.

The NRN will also foster peer-to-peer learning to strengthen the network of urban practitioners and thinkers.

SC2 pilot cities were selected on the basis of economic need, strong local leadership and collaboration, potential for economic growth, geographic diversity, and the ability to test the SC2 model across a range of environments.

Federal assessment teams spent time on the ground working directly with mayors and other local officials to determine needs, opportunities and gather input for the pilot initiative.  www.whitehouse.gov/africanamericans www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/upl oads/2012AfricanAmericanFactSheet.pdf www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/ uploads/2012CitiesFactSheet.pdf

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through red tape and rationalizing the federal bureaucracy to help deal with the overlapping maze of agencies, regulations and program requirements that are sometimes confusing to local governments;

community organizations, anchor institutions, businesses, foundations and government agencies, helping to leverage federal investments and increase impact. The four components of SC2 include:

Obama Administration Offers Additional Mortgage Relief to Unemployed Homeowners Adjustments to FHA and MHA requirements to allow 12-month Forbearances

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he Obama Administration announced adjustments to Federal Housing Administration (FHA) requirements that will require servicers to extend the forbearance period for unemployed homeowners to 12 months. The Administration also intends to require servicers participating in the Making Home Affordable Program (MHA) to extend the minimum forbearance period to 12 months wherever possible under regulator and investor guidelines.

These adjustments will provide much needed assistance for unemployed homeowners trying to stay in their homes while seeking re-employment.

These changes are intended to set a standard for the mortgage industry to provide more robust assistance to unemployed homeowners in the economic downturn.

The announced changes to FHA’s Special Forbearance Program will require servicers to extend the forbearance period for FHA borrowers who qualify for the program from four months to 12 months and remove upfront hurdles to make it easier for unemployed borrowers to qualify.

“The current unemployment forbearance programs have mandatory periods that are inadequate for the majority of unemployed borrowers,” U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan said. “Today, 60 percent of the unemployed have been out of work for more than three months and 45 percent have been out of work for more than six. Providing the option for a year of forbearance will give struggling homeowners a substantially greater chance of finding employment before they lose their home.”

Changes to MHA’s Home Affordable Unemployment Program (UP) will require participating servicers to extend the minimum forbearance period from 3 months to 12 months for eligible unemployed homeowners, whenever possible subject to investor and regulator guidance for each mortgage loan. Additionally, forbearance under UP will become available to borrowers who are seriously delinquent.

All FHA-approved servicers must participate in FHA’s Loss Mitigation Program, which includes the Special Forbearance program.

In addition to extending the forbearance period

and removing the up-front hurdles for borrowers, the FHA also reemphasized its requirement that servicers conduct a review at the end of the forbearance period to evaluate the borrower for all additional, applicable foreclosure assistance programs and notify the borrower in writing whether or not he/ she qualifies for any other available option. If the borrower does not qualify for any foreclosure assistance option, the servicer must provide the borrower with the reason for denial and allow the borrower at least seven calendar days to submit additional information that may impact the servicer’s evaluation.

These reforms build on successful Administration initiatives to support unemployed borrowers through the $7.6 billion Hardest Hit Fund and the $1 billion Emergency Homeowner Loan Program (EHLP). The Hardest Hit Fund, first announced in February 2010, provides support to 18 states and the District of Columbia, which represent the areas hardest hit by steep home price declines and unemployment, to design and implement programs to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure. Participating states have dedicated approximately seventy percent of program funds toward programs to help homeowners struggling with unemployment or underemployment. As of this month, each participating state is accepting applications from borrowers and providing direct mortgage assistance to those that qualify.

The EHLP program complements the Hardest Hit Fund, by serving the remaining 32 states and Puerto Rico.

Congress provided $1 billion dollars to HUD, as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, to implement the recently launched program. EHLP assists homeowners who have experienced a reduction in income and are at risk of foreclosure due to involuntary unemployment, underemployment due to economic conditions or a medical condition.

EHLP is expected to aid up to 30,000 distressed borrowers, with an average loan of approximately $35,000. 

by Stephanie Valencia, Associate Director of the Office of Public Engagement www.whitehouse.gov

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National Health Expenditures Reach Historic Low

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…more Americans will get coverage and save money and health expenditure growth will remain virtually the same… insurance coverage as a result of the Affordable Care Act.

The bottom line from the report is clear: more Americans will get coverage and save money and health expenditure growth will remain virtually the same. But the report doesn’t tell the whole story.

The Affordable Care Act creates changes to the health care system that typically don’t show up on an accounting table. We know these new provisions will save money for the health care system, even if today’s report doesn’t credit these strategies with reducing costs. These provisions include: • The Administration’s Partnership for Patients: Better Care, Lower Costs, a new private-public partnership to achieve two goals: reduce preventable hospital-acquired conditions by 40 percent and reduce hospital readmissions by 20 percent between 2010 and 2013. Over 2,000 hospitals as well as employers, physicians, nurses, and patient advocates have committed to these goals which, over the next ten years, could reduce costs to Medicare by about $50 billion and help put our nation on the path toward a more sustainable health care system.

• Support for voluntary Accountable Care Organizations that make it easier for health care providers to work together to coordinate care for an individual patient across care settings – including doctor’s offices, hospitals, and long-term care facilities. The Affordable Care Act rewards ACOs that lower health care costs while providing high quality care, and could generate as much as $960 million in Medicare savings

over three years.

• Bundled payment programs that will reward doctors and hospitals for working together to provide higher quality care to patients rather than bill for each individual procedure or test.

• Demonstrations launched by the new Innovation Center that will build and test models that will save money for both Medicare and the private sector, and then expand the use of the models that work.

• Important investments in programs that save money over the longterm like prevention and wellness programs.

Americans know that these commonsense strategies will reduce health care costs. Preventing disease and illness before it happens can keep people out of the hospital or the doctor’s office in the first place. Making health care more efficient improves the quality of care and saves money. And investing in new innovations can help generate new ideas and new delivery system reforms that reduce costs. Further, these provisions of the law represent ideas that hospitals, doctors, and employers all over America have been putting into practice for years, where they’ve been able to increase the quality of health care and reduce costs.

We are confident that these reforms – in addition to those in the law – will help make our health care system more efficient, provide better health care to millions of Americans, and bring down health care costs for all of us. 

by Nancy-Ann DeParle, White House Deputy Chief of Staff, www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/07/28/ national-health-expenditures-reach-historic-low

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he CMS Office of the Actuary hs released its report on how much the United States spends on health care now and in the future.

The report shows a 3.9 percent growth in health spending in 2010 – an historic low. Overall Medicare cost growth dropped from 7.9 to 4.5 percent between 2009 and 2010. This slowdown occurred at the same time that many seniors with Medicare received cheaper prescription drugs. According to the report, private health spending has and will continue to be low in the next few years. And the report estimates that private benefit spending growth per enrollee will be 3 percent this year, rather than 4.7 percent thanks in part to the Affordable Care Act’s policy that allows young adults to stay on their parent’s plan.

The report concludes that: Average annual growth in national health spending is expected to be 0.1 percentage point higher (5.8 percent) under current law compared to projected average growth prior to the passage of the Affordable Care Act (5.7 percent) for 2010 through 2020.

Simultaneously, by 2020, thirty million Americans are expected to gain health

34  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Why Wall Street Reform Matters to You!

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reckless risk-taking by Wall Street that put consumers in jeopardy and led to the economic crisis. And third, this law puts in place the strongest consumer protections in history.

And to make sure you can count on those consumer protections, we put a first-ever consumer watchdog in charge. It’s a new bureau – a new cop on the beat – with just one job: looking

out for families in the financial system.

Use the following address to view a quick video we put together last year to explain it: (www.whitehouse. gov/blog/2011/07/21/one-year-laterwhat-wall-street-reform-meansyou?utm_source=email122&utm_ medium=graphic&utm_ campaign=cfpbyearone) The President faced a lot of opposition when we fought for this bill.

An army of lobbyists and lawyers were looking to preserve the status quo, and one year later, they’re still at it. The special interests are trying to water down what we passed, and spending tens of millions of dollars to get their way. And they’ve got friends in high places.

But President Obama has made it clear: he’s not going to let them win.

He’ll veto any effort to weaken or repeal Wall Street Reform. He’s not going to let them take us backward.

We can’t afford to go back to the days when consumers were ripped off by misleading fees and deceptive lending and our economy was vulnerable to greed and recklessness -- not when we know that millions of middle class families are still hurting because of the

Sincerely, David Plouffe, Senior Advisor to the President www.whitehouse.gov

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Government

ne year ago, after a tough battle with the special interests in Washington, President Obama signed Wall Street Reform into law.

That law does three important things.

First, it brings to an end taxpayer funded bailouts, so taxpayers will never again be left paying the bill if a big bank fails. Second, it stops the

damage that was done.

So we have a lot of work to do to rebuild this economy. We’ve got to rein in the deficit to put our economy on stronger footing and ensure that seniors and middleclass families aren’t bearing the entire burden when millionaires and billionaires, oil companies, hedge fund managers and corporate jet owners are let off the hook.

We’ve got to keep money in your pockets by preventing payroll taxes from going up for working people.

We’ve got to continue to make smart investments in clean energy, innovation and technology to create the good paying jobs of the future.

But we’ve also got to keep up the fight to solve the problems that led us into this economic mess in the first place.

It comes down to this. You shouldn’t need to have lobbyists on the payroll to have your voice heard in Washington.

And in your financial dealings, you deserve a basic measure of protection against abuse. You should have the freedom to buy a home or open a credit card or take out a student loan with confidence that you’re getting a fair deal.

That’s what these consumer protections will do. That’s why Wall Street Reform matters. 

Minority Business Development Agency New Online Free Trade Agreement Tariff Tool Will Help Small Businesses Take Advantage of Export Opportunities

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ore than a quarter million American small businesses export from across all fifty states.

They sell U.S. products and services around the world - thereby increasing their revenues, broadening and diversi-

fying their customer base, and supporting good jobs in their communities. A particular priority of President Obama’s National Export Initiative (NEI) is to expand exports by small businesses.

This will contribute to his goal of doubling U.S. exports by the end of 2014 in order to support two million additional

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico.

However, the United States is a party to 17 FTAs with partners around the world, like the five Central American countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua) and the Dominican Republic, Chile, Peru, Singapore, Australia, and Morocco.

Agreements with Korea, Colombia, and Panama are pending. Small and medium-sized businesses represent the vast majority of U.S. exporting companies to these countries.

Trade agreements have helped to open the door to American small business exports with key partners around the world. This new FTA Tariff Tool will empower many more small and medium-sized firms to take advantage of these trade opportunities.

Go to http://www.export.gov/FTA/ FTATariffTool/ to discover cost-saving tariff reductions for your product, and consider an FTA market for your next foreign sale.  Christina Sevilla, Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Small Business

37  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

http://trade.gov/nei

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David Hinson, National Director, MBDA

jobs for American workers. We invite more small and medium-sized businesses to join us in this national effort to grow our economy through exports.

To help do that, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the Department of Commerce and the Small Business Administration have unveiled a new Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Tariff Tool. This is a free online tool available to businesses and the public for the first time.

The new FTA Tariff Tool empowers the user to perform, instantly and at a glance, searches for tariff treatment for specific industrial products under each U.S. FTA. This will help small manufacturers with planning to enter into new export markets. The tool also enables the user to access market and sector reports and other FTA-related information useful for small businesses seeking new opportunities to sell goods and services abroad.

As a small business owner, manager, or employee seeking to begin or expand your exports, which foreign markets should you consider? Some markets are easier to do business in than others. U.S. FTA partner markets are a very good place to start looking. Most U.S. small firms begin by selling to our

…the United States is a party to 17 FTAs with partners around the world…

Turning Innovation Into Jobs: SBA Licenses First Impact Investment Fund Partner As a critical part of that, SBA made a commitment to invest up to $1 billion in underserved communities and emerging sectors over the next 5 years.

Recently, we were delighted to announce the first public-private partnership of this Impact Investment Fund (www.sba.gov/content/sba-licensesfirst-impact-investment-fund-michigan). This first effort will focus on growing businesses in Michigan.

Why Michigan?

Karen G. Mills, Administrator Small Business Administration

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tartups and “high-growth” small businesses are responsible for the lion’s share of net new job creation in the U.S. each year. That’s a key reason that we launched an Administration-wide effort called Startup America earlier this year.

First, the need is there. Unemployment is high in Michigan, with over 90% of counties in economic distress as defined by the Commerce Department.

It’s an economy in transition.

Second, the opportunity is there.

Michigan has one of the highest engineers-per-capita of any state. It also has a well-trained workforce with great universities. Many high-growth firms in Michigan simply need more capital to grow, scale up, and hire.

We also saw a number of key players who shared a vision for greater entrepreneurship and growth in Michigan, including experienced investors who

already had a track record of investing in small businesses across the state.

Through this new partnership with Michigan Growth Capital Partners and Michigan-based Dow Chemical Company, we can leverage even more money into Michigan’s small businesses – up to $130 million, with up to $80 million coming from SBA. And, importantly, this SBA program is subsidyneutral, so we can do it at no cost to taxpayers.

At a time when even the most promising small businesses face challenges getting access to capital, the Impact Investment Fund is a great example of a public-private partnership that is stepping in to meet a critical need. We look forward to announcing more partners in the future in other regions and sectors.

Through Startup America and critical efforts like the Impact Investment Fund, we will continue to accelerate entrepreneurship and turn innovation into jobs. Find out more about this effort by visiting www.sba.gov/content/ impact-investment-initiative. 

Startup America: The First 180 Days

by Karen Mills and Aneesh Chopra

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trepreneurs with experienced mentors. Now, we have launched new mentorship and education opportunities for thousands of cleantech entrepreneurs, military veterans and undergraduate engineers.

• We said we would travel the country to get firsthand input from entrepreneurs about how to reduce barriers. Now, we have completed an eight-city tour and we will soon release a report on the ideas we heard.

We have already taken action to dramatically streamline requirements facing entrepreneurs in cleantech and telemedicine, as top Administration officials continue to hit the road to engage with young entrepreneurs, urban entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs in healthcare, cleantech and learning technology.

• We said we would get more taxpayer-funded research innovations from the lab to the marketplace. Just last week, the National Science Foundation launched its new Innovation Corps to do just that, while over twenty other agencies – including SBA – have cooperated to fund regional entrepreneurial ecosystems.

…we understand that young companies are responsible for virtually all new job growth across the U.S., and we are committed to accelerating entrepreneurial success.

This is not a job for government alone. In response to the President’s call to action to join this effort, the new Startup America Partnership, an independent privatesector alliance, has already mobilized more than $400 million in private-sec-

tor commitments to provide products, services, mentorship and funding to scale and grow tens of thousands of U.S. startups over the next three years.

This is just the beginning of an allhands-on-deck effort to ensure that America remains the greatest place on earth to start and grow a new company.

Tomorrow, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Alejandro Mayorkas and the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness will highlight steps the Administration is taking to ensure that we continue to attract the best and brightest from around the world to invest their talents, skills, and ideas to grow our economy and create American jobs – watch it live.

Of course, policy pronouncements are one thing – what does all of this mean to actual startups? Over the next week, the White House blog will highlight how these Startup America policy initiatives have made a difference for real entrepreneurs who are taking bold risks and creating jobs across the country.  Follow all of the information links (blue) at: www.whitehouse.gov/ blog/2011/08/01/startup-america-first180-days Karen Mills is Administrator of the Small Business Administration Aneesh Chopra is U.S. Chief Technology Officer and Associate Director for Technology in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

41  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

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ix months ago, we celebrated the launch of Startup America.

In President Obama’s words, “Startup America [is] a national campaign to help win the future by knocking down barriers in the path of men and women in every corner of this country hoping to take a chance, follow a dream, and start a business.”

Throughout this Administration, we understand that young companies are responsible for virtually all new job growth across the U.S., and we are committed to accelerating entrepreneurial success. So what has the Obama Administration accomplished over the past 180 days since launching the Startup America initiative?

• We said we would drive up to $2 billion in private investment into highgrowth companies over the next five years, at no cost to taxpayers. Just recently, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the first Impact Investment Fund in Michigan, providing up to $130 million in capital to job-creating businesses throughout the state.

• We said we would use the tax code to incentivize more private investment in the early-stage companies that need it most. Now, the President’s budget includes a permanent, 100% exemption from capital gains taxes for investors in small businesses, and we have proposed new rules to simplify tax credits for investment in entrepreneurs revitalizing low-income communities.

• We said we would connect more en-

RESOURCES FOR GOING GLOBAL

Business

Summer greetings to all!! We are featuring some top-notch workshops that will help your bottom-line and lead to more global sales revenues.

The Utilizing Your Online Presence to Maximize International Sales seminar will discuss the latest in sales technology via the Internet.We have plenty of compliance-related programs, too.The National District Export Council (DEC) will take place in early November in Las Vegas and you won’t want to miss this event either. Finally, see the new YouTube Export Video competition and think about entering!

1. Event: Trade Connect Export Workshop:Introduction to Exporting for Small Businesses 2. Event: BIS Export Regulation Course 3. Event: Utilizing Your Online Presence to Maximize International Sales 4. Event: Arizona Export Compliance Summit 5. Event: 2011 California-China Trade & Investment Conference 6. Event: 2011 National District Export Council Conference & Exposition Please scroll down to learn more about each opportunity. If you have any questions about these initiatives, please contact your local U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist.To find the trade specialist nearest you, visit http:// export.gov/california/ca/socal/index. asp. ᏊᏊᏊᏊᏊ Event: Trade Connect Export Workshop:Introduction to Exporting

for Small Businesses Venue: Anheuser - Busch -15800 Roscoe Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 91406 Budweiser Room Date/Time: Thursday, August 4, 2011; 8:00am - 11:30am Register: dwinters@economicalliance.org; http://thevalley.net/businesses/events/ port-los-angeles-trade-connect-workshop You do not want to miss this program.

Come learn about Port of Los Angeles and Los Angeles World Airport services; Finding & Expanding Overseas Markets; Financing & Insuring Overseas Sales; Export Documentation & Logistics, and Export Readiness Education & Counseling. There will also be an optional tour of the Anheuser Busch facility.

Event: BIS Export Regulation Course Venue: LAX Gateway Sheraton, Los Angeles, CA Date: August 10-11, 2011 Register: http://export.gov/california/ irvine/events/bistt/eg_us_ca_028301. asp This two-day program is led by BIS’s professional counseling staff and provides an in-depth examination of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). The program will cover the information exporters need to know to comply with U.S. export control requirements on commercial goods. We will focus on what items and activities are subject to the EAR; steps to take to determine the export licensing requirements for your item; how to determine your export control classification number (ECCN); when you can export or reexport without applying for

a license; export clearance procedures and record keeping requirements; Export Management Compliance Program (EMCP) concepts; and real life examples in applying this information.

Presenters will conduct a number of “hands-on” exercises that will prepare you to apply the regulations to your own company’s export activities. This program is well suited for those who need a comprehensive understanding of their obligations under the EAR. Event: Utilizing Your Online Presence to Maximize International Sales Venue:Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce Date/Time: August 24, 2011; 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Register: http://export.gov/california/ losangeleswest/tradeevents/onlinetools/index.asp This half-day seminar will focus on the practical uses of the Internet for businesses, not on the technical details. It will introduce and demonstrate ways you can: Develop your global brand presence and authority using business networking platforms such as company blogs, Linkedin, Viadeo and Orkut; Work with your distributors to define social strategies to include foreign language sites; Use Global English language platforms and foreign language sites to reach local markets.

You will also learn how to: Market your brand online to overseas customers through search engines, both in the U.S. and in overseas markets; Keep international visitors on your website by localizing your website for particular markets or regions, and get paid while

42  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

see Going Global page 43

Going Global from page 42

avoiding fraud.For more information, please contact Julie Anne Hennessy at julieanne.hennessy@trade.gov and 310.235.7206.

Event: Arizona Export Compliance Summit Venue: Scottsdale, AZ Date: September 7-8, 2011 Register: http://www.regonline.com/Register/Checkin. aspx?EventID=961934 Please join us for a hands-on, application-focused two-day review and update of the compliance challenges facing technology exporters, manufacturers, brokers, freight forwarders and academic institutions of all sizes.

Insightful speakers will review a wide range of issues facing trade compliance executives, empowered officials and practitioners at all levels including: automation in trade compliance; best practices; export control reform; merger and acquisition due diligence; enforcement, disclosures and investigations; real world case studies, lessons learned from industry peers; and more.

At the 2011 California-China Trade & Investment Conference Venue:Developing Stronger Commercial Ties between California & China, you will have a productive day of learning from prominent private sector and government speakers from China and America.Learn from the pros how to make money in China. This year we will again have a panel of experts from a wide variety of trade sectors discussing the insider information on how they became successful in China. The U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Dept. of Commerce will provide case histo-

Event: 2011 National District Export Council Conference & Exposition Venue: Las Vegas, NV Date: November 2-5, 2011 Register Online: http://www.decconference.com The 2011 National District Export Council Conference and Exposition will be held November 2-5, 2011, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This is North America’s largest conference and trade show solely dedicated to exporting U.S. goods and services and exchanging best practices with attendees that will number in the thousands. This year’s theme is “Exporting Means Jobs”, and we will focus on how to enable attendees and exhibitors to increase their exporting initiatives. We will feature simultaneous education tracks, a complete Export University certificate program, an Exhibition Hall that will include an International Pavilion and the opportunity to speak to U.S. Commerce staff from around the world and Consuls General from more than 30 countries. To learn more, contact the NV DEC Chairman, Randy Innis, at rinnis@cox.net.

Nominations Open for 2011 Exporter of the Year Awards Nominations are now being accepted for the 2011 ThinkGlobal Exporter of the Year Awards. The awards are made annually to recognize American exporters in a dozen different industry categories that are listed online at http://www.export. gov/cnusa. ThinkGlobal is a print and online publishing company that publishes Commercial News USA, the official export promotion magazine of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Commercial News USA is a catalog-style magazine that reaches more than a quarter million readers in 178 countries worldwide. To be eligible for the award, a company must currently be exporting from the U.S. Companies may nominate themselves for the award. The deadline for nominations is September 17, 2011. For more information, or to submit a nomination, call 1-800581-8533, x 802 or visit http://www. exporteroftheyear.com ᏊᏊᏊᏊᏊ The U.S. Commercial Service Your Global Business Partner.

With offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration uses its global Network and international resources to connect U.S companies with international buyers worldwide.

If you have any questions about these initiatives, please contact your local U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist. To find the trade specialist nearest you please visit http://export. gov/california/ca/socal/index.asp. 

43  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

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Conference: 2011 California-China Trade & Investment Conference Venue: Hyatt Regency - 200 South Pine Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802 Date/Time: October 20, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Register: http://www.decsocal.org/ NewsEvents/CalChinaConf/CalChinaConfRegister2011.html

ries of how they have provided valuable services to build successful U.S.-China trade relationships. Edward Nixon, youngest brother of President Richard Nixon, will give the keynote address.

Take this opportunity to make personal contacts with the Southern California Chinese business community and other California leaders exporting to China. For more information, please contact California-China Co-Chairs: Patrick D. Mulcahy 714.424.9999; pdmulcahy@gmail.com or Hud Warren 310.984.6996; hwarren@chinawestllc. com.

If You are African American and Suffered Farm Loan Discrimination by the USDA Between 1981 and 1996, You may be eligible for money from a $1.25 billion class action Settlement Fund (Heirs/Kin may be included)

Business

There is a proposed class action Settlement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) involving racial discrimination against African American farmers between 1981 and 1996.

This Settlement is only for certain people who tried to file a late claim in the original Pigford case, or their heirs (kin) and legal representatives. The current Settlement (sometimes called Pigford II) provides benefits in some of those late filers.

received a payment in the original Pigford case.

What does the Settlement provide?

You may be eligible for a substantial cash payment and USDA loan forgiveness from the Settlement. You will need to file a claim to be eligible for these benefits. The claims deadline may be as early as February 28, 2012. The Court has appointed lawyers to help you file a claim under the Settlement. You do not have to pay them or anyone else to help you with the claims process.These attorneys will ask the Court for fees and expenses of between 4.1% and 7.4% of the Settlement Fund, and the Court will decide how much they are paid.

You may hire your own lawyer, if you wish, at your own expense. If you have questions or need more information, call 1-877-810-8110.

Am I Included?

You may be included if you: • Between 1981 and 1996, were discouraged or prevented from applying for or were denied a USDA farm loan or other benefit, or you were given a loan with unfair terms because of racial discrimination, • Were eligible for a payment in the original Pigford case, and • Submitted a late-filing request that was What else should I know? denied or never considered because it was The Court will hold a hearing on September late.

1, 2011 to consider whether to approve the Settlement and a request for attorney’s fees If you are the heir or kin of someone who and expenses. If you want to object to or died who fits this description, you may file a comment on the Settlement or appear at the claim for a payment that would become part hearing, you need to file a letter with the Court of the deceased person’s estate. If you are not by August 12, 2011. If the Court approves sure if you (or someone for whom you are the the Settlement, you will not be able to sue legal representative) are included, please call the USDA about your farm loan discrimination 1-877-810-8110. You are not included if you claims in the future.

For more information or to begin the claims filing process: Call: 1-877-810-8110 Visit: www.BlackFarmerCase.com 44  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Search for 50 Startups with High-Growth Potential Begins with Launch of 2011 Startup Open Competition Promising young companies with a ‘startup moment’ can vie for recognition and prizes announced during Global Entrepreneurship Week

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second year, is open to entrepreneurs who have a “startup moment” between GEW 2010 and GEW 2011 (Nov. 22, 2010 to Nov. 20, 2011). A startup moment is defined as any action related to launching a new business, such as incorporating a company; officially opening the doors for business; completing a first sale; or securing outside funding.

Startup Open applicants will be judged on concept, growth projections and knowledge of their industry. A handful of companies winning the top honors and prizes will be announced on Nov. 14 as GEW 2011 gets underway.

The Startup Open 2010 grand prize winner received a trip to Richard Branson‘s privately owned Necker Island. Winner Olivier Ceberio, founder of Resolute Marine Energy (RME) in Boston, MA, recently returned from his trip, where he took part in multiple networking sessions with Branson and other successful entrepreneurs.

Additional activities included a sailboat race with Branson and a trip around the island in the “Necker Belle” catamaran.

45  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

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tartup Open, a competition that recognizes startups with highgrowth potential, has launched its search for the 50 most promising new startups around the world as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) 2011. The “GEW 50” will be announced on October 15, 2011, with those companies then competing for the top honors and prizes.

“Economic growth and job creation is directly tied to young businesses with the potential to become part of tomorrow ‘s Fortune 500, so recognizing and rewarding those most promising startups on the path to success may inspire others to follow their examples,” said Carl Schramm, president and chief executive officer of the Kauffman Foundation.

Startup Open is a featured competition of GEW (www. unleashingideas.org), an initiative founded by the Kauffman Foundation to spur new ideas, ingenuity and firm creation through local, national and global activities in more than 100 countries. The competition, now in its

Ceberio won the top prize at GEW 2010 for his RME plan to develop wave energy converters that generate clean energy from ocean waves. The goal of RME is to aid the 1.2 billion people worldwide who lack access to safe drinking water.

“During my stay in Necker Island, I had the opportunity to learn from and exchange ideas with some the brightest and most inspiring entrepreneurs in the world,” said Ceberio. “I am very grateful to the Kauffman Foundation for providing me with this invaluable experience that will help expand my network as I improve and grow my business.”

Last year‘s second and third places winners received two days of mentoring at Kauffman Labs for Enterprise Creation, a Kauffman Foundation program. Entrepreneurs Stas Samarin of PulmoCAD, LLC in St. Louis and Kahoru Watanabe of Wing Power Inc in Sarasota, FL, had the opportunity to hear new ideas and feedback on how to improve their business models from every angle.

Startup Open applicants will have until September 15, 2011 to submit their startup moment. For more information on how to enter and the 2010 winners, please visit www.startupopen.com.

For more information, visit www. unleashingideas.org, and follow @ unleashingideas on Twitter. 

Business Development

Building Your Business for Success: The Importance of Ownership

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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 self-determination.

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.

Tax Deductions

Added Value To Business

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.

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.

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, the BBA has members who 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 decide 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.

No Taxes To Pay On Your Rent 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 will soon launch a program to assist African American business owners in acquiring commercial and industrial real estate.

What is a QR Code and Why Do You Need One?

by Mark Lyne

W

e all know that one of the keys to great SEO is making sure you keep your website updated, new and fresh. Whether you do this with a blog, or you change your homepage with new offers, coupons or new products, it serves to show Google that your site is “alive.” For many small businesses in particular, this is a real challenge.

So you already have great, fresh content on your site—what’s next? Do you know what is here that may benefit your small business?

Have you heard of QR codes yet?

Here is a quick introduction:

Business

What are QR codes?

They come to us from Japan where they are very common. QR is short for Quick Response (they can be read quickly by a cell phone). They are used to take a piece of information from a transitory media and put it in to your cell phone. You now see QR Codes in magazine adverts, on billboards, web pages or even on someone’s t-shirt.

Once it is in your cell phone, it may give you details about that business (allowing users to search for nearby locations), or details about the person wearing the t-shirt, show you a URL which you can click to see a trailer for a movie, or it may give you a coupon which you can use in a local outlet.

The reason why they are more useful than a standard barcode is that they can store (and digitally present) much more data, including url links, geo coordinates, and text. The other key feature of QR Codes is that instead of requiring a chunky hand-held scanner to scan them, many modern cell phones can scan them. Read the full Wikipedia description here (http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/QR_Code).

How does the cell phone read the code?

The cell phone needs a QR code reader, like one from Kaywa (http://

If you add them to your website, the search engines will see that your pages have changed, and that you are updating pages. The search engine will see a new image and index it accordingly. At some point soon, the search engines will likely recognize QR codes and possibly index the content in them.

Will your customers use them?

qrcode.kaywa.com). It takes literally 1 minute for someone with an iPhone or Android phone to find and install the reader.

How do you generate a code?

You can easily generate a QR code using a site like Kaywa.com or you can use the Open Source code to generate codes for you if you have a smart developer on hand. Google and other software service providers also offer QR code generating tools.

How can you use QR codes to benefit search marketing?

We are only just scratching the surface of how they will be used. We have added one to every business listing in our directory. Here are a few examples on YouTube of how others are using them.

A business card company showing how they are using them for businesses: www.youtube.com/watch?v=V EuX23iy2A4&feature=player_ embedded#at=16 In print that links the user straight to a web site: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wL39o ZYpU0&feature=player_embedded Skip to half way in this video to see some examples: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc7INs QOTG4&feature=player_embedded You can also watch this BBC Click interview on YouTube: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=EBja1blJ3GU

How will Google and other SEOs see them?

Today, few may use them, but those that do will certainly appreciate your tech knowledge, and those that don’t will certainly be inquisitive, which may open the door for conversation and a potential sale. Those that do use QR codes will definitely have a high tech know-how and may be more receptive to your presence on the web, your Twitter presence, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube etc.

How could you use a QR code?

Your business, no matter how small or large, could use QR codes in a number of ways. You might auto generate one next to every product on your web site containing all the product details, the number to call and the URL link to the page so they can show their friends on their cell phone. You could add one to your business card containing your contact details so its easy for someone to add you to their contacts on their cell phone.

Add them to any print advertising, flyers, posters, invites, TV ads etc containing: •Product details, •Contact details, •Offer details, •Event details, •Competition details, •A coupon, •Twitter, Facebook, MySpace IDs, •A link to your YouTube video.

Want to know more about QR codes?

Check out these articles: •QR Codes: Are You Ready For PaperBased Hyperlinks?

•How To Use QR Codes In Social Media •Microsoft Tags: A Compelling Alternative To QR Code Hyperlinks •Close-Up With Google’s New QR Code Generator

searchengineland.com

Opinions expressed in the article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land.

48  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

E-Commerce Summer School: Capture Back-to-School Sales by by Linc Wonham

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What to expect This year’s consumers are still very budget-minded, as they have been the past four years, and a survey by the National Retail Federation reveals that shoppers will likely hold back on their spending on school supplies in 2011.

The study indicates a decrease of

When to act Right now, if not yesterday. Thirtyfive percent of respondents from the NPD Group’s annual back-to-school spending report are starting their shopping on August 1 – today – or have already begun. Sixty percent will begin their shopping before September 1, and a scant 5 percent will begin after September 1.

So, offer time-sensitive deals to every group – the early birds, the later shoppers and the procrastinators.

Nothing makes consumers feel better than getting a great deal for having beaten the rush or having gotten in just in the nick of time.

Who to target Every retailer knows that moms are the primary back-to-school shoppers, but a recent study has concluded that men will spend more than women on

What you can do According to the NPD survey, school supplies (77 percent) were the runaway winner over apparel (58 percent) and footwear (45 percent) for what this year’s shoppers will be purchasing.

Following those were school bags (30 percent), electronics (27 percent), accessories (17 percent), beauty products (13 percent), bedding (10 percent), calculators (8 percent) and small appliances (5 percent).

More data from that survey tells us that 2011 back-to-school shoppers place value (82 percent) higher than anything else on their list, including if the item is required (45 percent), needs to be replaced (30 percent), if their child just wanted it (22 percent) or if it was just plain trendy (12 percent).

With August 1 the official start to the back-to-school season, here are a few more quick things to consider to make sure your Web business thrives during this peak time. Expand your keyword list to include every back-to-school product in your inventory and be sure to create relavent promotions and new advertisements specific to this fastapproaching season.  www.websitemagazine.com/content/ blogs/posts/archive/2011/08/01/ecommerce-summer-school. aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_ medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter

49  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

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ost students won’t see the inside of another classroom until the end of the month, if not later. But for online retailers, there are just a few days left before the peak of the back-to-school shopping rush is upon us.

That’s why WM felt that a crash course in the latest data and expectations for the 2011 season was necessary, helping merchants better target their audiences, price their products and fine-tune their promotions. Dozens of research firms and countless marketing analysts have been working hard to paint an accurate picture of what retailers can expect this year, and below we have shared the most valuable points of data from numerous comprehensive studies.

0.5 percent in overall spending from 2010 – meaning that most families are expected to spend a little more than $600 on back-to-school supplies this year. Other studies have that number closer to $800, and one as low as $300, but the total spending is expected to surpass $68 billion – so the opportunity is there.

Online spending is expected to overtake brick-and-mortar spending this year, however, partly because of higher gas prices and the propensity for bargains on the Web. So get your promotions out now, and offer customers increased benefits for shopping online, i.e. coupons and discounts as well as free shipping and loyalty rewards.

school supplies in 2011. The reason is two-fold, and it comes with a footnote for retailers.

Traditionally, men buy more technology items than women, which accounts for a high percentage of backto-school spending. However, e-tailers should also know that women do more than 60 percent of the online searching for back-to-school items – excepting the computer and electronics category – and then send their spouses out to do a lot of the brick-and-mortar shopping.

So, don’t forget to include dads as well as moms when targeting your back-toschool audience.

As for age demographics, the 3549 group is more focused on clothing and apparel while the categories most popular with people under 25 are text books and college dorm room-related furnishings.

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.

50  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

BBA Young Leader Launches Talk Radio Show for S. CA’s Young Urban Professionals and Entrepreneurs

By Starlett Quarles, President, urban X marketing, Host, THE Dialogue

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tarlett Quarles never saw herself becoming a radio talk show host. Growing up professionally in the world of community economic development, she often envisioned herself endorsing the message of “Next Generation Leadership” and ‘Urban Legacy Building’ to her peers of young urban professionals through the vehicle of real estate and homeownership.

and among others. “The mission of THE Dialogue is not only provide a community voice to Southern California’s young professional network, but to also provide a Call-toAction for this generation to ‘Step up to the Plate’ by engaging in conversations that are relevant to our community’s legacy building and overall economic development strategy,” Quarles explains.

While THE Dialogue is poised to be a platform for the young progressive voice, it already shows promise to be more than merely a talk radio show, but an opportunity to identify, meet and expand upon the dynamic network of young urban leaders who are shaping the City of LA into a global and sustainable environment that will thrive for generations to come.

To listen to THE Dialogue with Host Starlett Quarles and Co-Host, Comedian/Entertainer Lewis Dix, Jr. tune into KTYM 1460 AM every Wednesday from 5pm to 6:00pm. You can also stream THE Dialogue LIVE and listen to past shows log onto www.

TheDialogueLA.com.

For more information on affordable marketing and radio ad campaigns for your business, organization or group, please contact Starlett Quarles at 323547-7748 or via email at SQuarles@ urbanXmarketing.com. 

51  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

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“However, as a growing third generation community developer, she recognized that in this economy the purchase of real estate; while viable, it not a realistic wealth-building strategy for many of us today,” says Quarles.

“In contrast, as a budding young entrepreneur and an urban marketing expert, I passionately understand that the best time to build is in a down economy; and that niche marketing and strategic branding can be the lifeline to any new and existing business in this economic recession.”

In 2005, Starlett formed the urban branding company, urban X marketing (urban x), a niche marketing company that specializes in reaching a generation. “Not just any generation,

but the ‘neXt’ generation of urban entrepreneurs, professionals and community leaders, explains Quarles. “With a target audience of young professionals ages 25 to 45, we are ‘Xperts’ in increasing the socioeconomic mobility of the young minority marketplace, and specialize in urban marketing and branding.”

As a company, urban x provides an array of creative and communication services that helps build the brand awareness of small-to-medium-sized businesses and professionals within emerging markets. As a “gen next” firm, they function as a business to business resource, helping to increase the branding and visibility of this country’s young minority professional network.

In an effort to further empower and awaken the next generation of urban legacy leaders, in October 2010, Starlett launched THE Dialogue, a radio show with today’s young professionals in mind. With the tagline “Real Talk. Real People,” each week The Dialogues presents lively and relevant discussions that are are generated around the thoughts, concerns, challenges, opportunities, and responsibilities faced by many of today’s young professionals and generational leaders.

Topics of Interest Include Entrepreneurship, Politics, Lifestyle, Financial Literacy, Wealth Building, Family, Relationships, Education, Parenting, Entertainment, News,

52  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Microlending with Kiva & Visa in Your Town Microlending website Kiva and payments provider Visa announced a program that will provide microloans to small businesses in U.S. cities with the greatest need.

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can to help our economy by adding as little as $25 to a small business owner’s loan,” said Premal Shah, co-founder of Kiva.org. “But as our study shows, the needs in the U.S. are widespread and many regions simply don’t have microfinance institutions operating at scale.

Now, spurred by Visa’s commitment to small business, we are able to expand our reach and, as a result, open new avenues of capital for small business owners across the country.”

According to a new study commissioned by Kiva and Visa, the Economist Intelligence Unit, 20 of the nation’s 50 largest metropolitan statistical areas have lost at least one percent of their small businesses from 2006 to 2008 - representing approximately 15,000 businesses.

Kiva.org Kiva.org is a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world.

We envision a world where all people - even in the most remote areas of the

globe - hold the power to create opportunity for themselves and others.

We believe providing safe, affordable access to capital to those in need helps people create better lives for themselves and their families.

100% of every dollar a partner lends on Kiva goes directly towards funding loans; Kiva does not take a cut. Furthermore, Kiva does not charge interest to our Field Partners, who administer the loans.

Kiva is primarily funded through the support of lenders making optional donations. We also raise funds through grants, corporate sponsors, and foundations.

We are incredibly thankful for the support that has enabled us to do the work that has touched the lives of so many people.

For information on becoming a lender or a borrower visit www.kiva.org.  www.websitemagazine. com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2011/06/29/microlendingwith-kiva-amp-visa-in-your-town. aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_ medium=email&utm_ campaign=newsletter

53  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

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ccording to the official announcement, the Kiva City (www.kiva.org) program “aims to spur job growth and economic recovery by connecting Kiva’s global network of 592,000 individual lenders with the owners of small businesses throughout the country”.

The Kiva City program was launched in June in Detroit which ranked fifth in the study’s list of U.S. small business trouble reports. Kiva City Detroit was launched in partnership with Michigan Corps, the Knight Foundation and ACCION USA. In addition to Detroit, several other regions including Cleveland, Miami, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Orlando, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Providence, and Milwaukee are also able to join the network.

“Since launching in the U.S. two years ago, we have worked with our partners to replicate our successful global model, empowering each and every Ameri-

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hough all racial and ethnic groups in America have lost ground in the era of the “Great Recession,” the drop was steeper and more dangerous for Hispanic and African-American households, which saw some of the economic gains made over the last two decades erode.

The Pew Research Center’s latest survey found the financial median wealth of white households now is 20 times that of African-American households and 18 times that of Hispanic households. The “lopsided wealth ratios” are the largest since the government began publishing such data a quarter century ago and roughly twice the size of the ratios that had prevailed between the three groups for the two decades prior to the Great Recession that ended in 2009.

The Pew Research Center analysis attributed the lost gains to “the bursting of the housing market bubble in 2006 and the recession that followed from late 2007 to mid-2009.” The recession brought job loss and higher unemployment rates. Nationwide, the AfricanAmerican unemployment rate is 16.2 percent while the rate for whites is 8.7 percent.

All of this contributes to a loss of household wealth. From 2005 to 2009, inflation-adjusted median wealth fell by 66 percent among Hispanic households and 53 percent among AfricanAmerican households, compared with just 16 percent among white households. The typical African-American household had $5,677 in wealth (assets minus debts) in 2009, the typical Hispanic household had $6,325 in wealth and the typical white household had $113,149. Approximately one-third of African American (35 percent) and Hispanic (31 percent) households had zero or negative net worth in 2009, compared with 15 percent of white households. In 2005, the figures had been 29 percent for African Americans, 23 percent for Hispanics and 11 percent for whites.

There Goes the Neighborhood Pew’s findings were not surprising to many African Americans, whose neigh-

The ‘Great Recession’ is not Colorblind

borhoods have been drained of wealth by a triple economic punch: predatory lending practices, disproportionately high unemployment rates and foreclosures. The financial losses extended far beyond walls of financially struggling homeowners, according to Dan Immergluck, a professor of city and regional planning at Georgia Institute of Technology.

Immergluck’s 2005 report on Chicago called, “There Goes the Neighborhood,” found even then that foreclosures were dramatically sapping home values in many minority neighborhoods. Cook County now is home to 1.28 million African Americans.

“Less conservative estimates suggest that each conventional foreclosure

within an eighth of a mile of a property results in a 1.136 percent decline in that property’s value and that each foreclosure from one-eighth to one-quarter mile away results in a 0.325 percent decline in value,” Immergluck wrote.

“This less conservative finding corresponds to a city-wide loss in singlefamily property values of just over $1.39 billion. This corresponds to an average cumulative property value effect of more than $371,000 per foreclosure,” he concluded.

According to Pew, while home equity declined for white homeowners, the declines were steeper in AfricanAmerican and Hispanic neighborhoods. White homeowners saw home

54  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

see Colorblind page 55

Colorblind from page 54

equity decline from $115,364 in 2005 to $95,000 in 2009, while home equity for African Americans dropped from $76,910 in 2005 to $59,000 in 2009.

There was little or no change during this period in the homeownership rate for whites and African Americans; it fell from 47 percent to 46 percent among African Americans and was unchanged at 74 percent among whites, Pew reported.

As the wealth gap widens, what happens to the South?

Metropolitan areas with high percentages of African Americans stand to lose the most from the growing wealth gap.

In a 2002 report, Scott Dolan, who has been a tireless advocate for growth in the South, said the gap between black and white wealth has a greater impact in the South.

Dolan’s report, titled “Black Wealth/ White Wealth: An Issue for the South,” sounded the alarm that wealth disparity could hurt the region’s ability to produce home-grown entrepreneurs and job creators.

“Anything that negatively impacts the financial well-being of blacks has a much more dramatic impact on the South’s economy than on the rest of the nation,” Dolan wrote. ”The lack of financial assets owned by blacks means that the South loses billions of potential dollars in savings that could be invested in Southern businesses and communities.”

Since then, many African Americans in northern cities – some of them displaced by foreclosures – have returned to their extended family down South. In 2010, the Census found that the South is now home to 57 percent of the nation’s African Americans, which is four percentage points higher than it was in the 1970s.

A Local Perspective: Optimism? No. Hope? Yes Roby S. Williams is President Black Business Association. The Tri-State Defender asked him to view the Memphis area in the context of The

Pew Research Center’s latest survey.

Tri-State Defender: Does the Pew research analysis of the wealth gap hold true in Memphis?

Roby S. Williams: Absolutely! A number of dynamics are in effect here. In Memphis, we enjoy the distinction of

hope must be our persistent pursuit of excellence in all things, beginning with education.

Also, we must weather the housing market crisis and not sell our primary assets at a loss. It may take some time for the market to rebound. But, it would be unwise to sell your home at a loss.

being a community where one can grow one’s assets, wealth and net worth through home ownership. Much of the wealth accumulated by African Americans in this region are associated with home ownership. If one was to examine personal financial statements of African Americans in this region, real estate would prove to be a place where much of our asset compostion is held.

There would not be a great deal of listed and unlisted securities, governments and the like.

Therefore when the housing market downturned, African Americans lost a great deal of their accumulated wealth.

There are far more complex reasons for the widening of the wealth gap, but the decline in Real Estate values disproportionately affected African Americans.

TSD: Any reason to be optimistic?

R.S. Williams: Optimism is a bit too thin. I know of no reason for optimism.

But, and I hastily add, there is some reason for hope. Hope must have a foundation. And, the foundation for our

This is particularly true for persons in stable neighborhoods.

Further, we would be wise to engage professional financial planners to diversify our portfolios, such that when Roby S. Williams one sector of the economy experiences a headwind/crisis, all our eggs are not in that particular basket.  Roby S. Williams, President Black Business Association of Memphis http://tri-statedefenderonline.com/ articlelive/articles/6485/1/The-GreatRecession-is-not-colorblind/Page1. html www.whoswhopublishing.com

55  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Technology:

Take a Look!

by LaSandra Stratton

time. It’s free for them. No downloads or headaches. iMeet® puts a face with the name. Guests can see you.

And of course, you can see them too.

No more staring at the speakerphone with a puzzled gaze. When someone

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

www.laserfiche.com/en-us

Business

Laserfiche, a document and business process management company, has released Laserfiche Mobile (http:// itunes.apple.com/app/laserfiche/ id440318265), an iPhone app that allows the user to capture an image with the phone’s built-in camera and then put it into the stream of a managed workflow. Laserfiche’s two primary products, Rio and Avante, both provide management of digital

documents, allowing an organization to automate and streamline paperbased processes.

The mobile edition exploits the iPhone’s touch screen, gesture recognition, and high resolution interface to provide access to those processes from Apple’s mobile devices. The free app allows a user to: •Create and upload new documents with the iPhone camera; •Crop, straighten, and enhance captured information and do text recognition; •Copy, move, rename, download, email, print, and delete materials; •Browse for documents in a folder structure or search a repository; and •Participate in workflow automation processes by accessing metadata fields.

Laserfiche Mobile is available now as a free app for iOS.

https://imeet.com/ Your own meeting room online. Talk through your computer from anywhere in the world. Or connect to any phone or mobile device at no extra charge. Invite guests – up to 15 at a

talks in an iMeeting, their cube glows green for all to see. Find common ground beyond the business chatter. To see bios, pictures and all that social networking stuff, just click on someone’s cube.

Show your stuff: Kick the meeting off with a cool video or great pictures.

Or dive right in to your awe-inspiring presentation deck. With iMeet®, it’s painfully simple to share just about anything.

Email files straight to your room: Need to show something to the crew?

Email it right in.

Invites are easy: Grab a guest by phone, email, text or IM in a snap. Tell them you’re holding their spot.

Pricing: Always free for guests. Only $69 for hosts.

Name Your iMeet Room: With iMeet®, you get your own room. So choose a name and stake your claim.

No Software or Downloads: Getting together on iMeet® couldn’t be easier. Just enter your personal iMeet® Web address and go. No bulky apps to download. No huge files sucking up your hard drive.

www.filanthropists.com For the charitable consumer, Filanthropists.com serves as a one-stop online shopping mall for the purchase of cause-related products. The site features a variety of products from merchants and local and national

organizations that are committed to the sale of these products to support fundraising efforts for their specific cause. The site is fully searchable and visitors can search for causerelated product by category, charity name or cause type. Filanthropists. com also seeks to celebrate these individuals who have chosen to make a difference. Consumers can upload their photo and include a brief statement about why they chose to support their particular cause.

For charities / non-profits and product vendors, Filanthropists.com provides a way to engage in fundraising through e-commerce and as a way of finding like-minded partners with whom to explore and build business opportunities. Fundraising is accomplished through the shopping mall where cause-related products are showcased and sold. The “Unite” feature, a search enhanced social networking function, enables charitable organizations and product manufacturers to find each other.

http://contxts.com/ Contxts is so much more than a professional social network. It’s a way to make meaningful connections while out and about. Never run out of business cards and help the environment!

By using SMS, built into every mobile phone, you can easily and rapidly distribute your credentials.

- Exchange all of your professional information with a single text message - Keep all of your professional contacts organized in one place - It’s eco-friendly (txt messages don’t kill polar bears) - Rid yourself of “old school” business cards - Link with other professionals You just got back from your gathering of professionals and you want to connect with all of the people that you met. So you pull out your stack of cards and you go through your social network of choice searching for each one by one. Why? How about we solve this problem.

56  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Take A Look!

Instead of giving your new friends your printed business card how about you, save a tree and, txt them your virtual one. This action automatically places them in your online contact list and if they have a profile on contxts. com you both are connected. No more searching or fumbling in the dark!

Your txt business card is not just an exchange of credentials. It’s also a

www.fiftyone.com

FiftyOne helps merchants sell to and engage with more than 1.4 billion online consumers around the world.

The FiftyOne Global Ecommerce solution is the only third-party-managed service that extends a retailer’s ecommerce platform globally without adding infrastructure or introducing change to their existing business operations. Your international shoppers get a first-class customer experience and can buy with the same confidence and certainty they would if your retail operation was just across town. FiftyOne is the partner of choice for many of the leading U.S. retail brands. 

Submitted by LaSandra Stratton, Chief Content Administrator of the Black Business News.

57  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

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from page 56

request to connect profiles through our network. Each and every contact that you make is added to your virtual rolodex. From here you get access to whatever additional information they provide (flickr, twitter, linked-in).

If the person that you are connecting with doesn’t have a profile yet no problem. When they do create a profile all of their information in your rolodex is automatically updated.

- Manage your contacts in one easily accessed place - Export your contacts to Mac or PC - Make meaningful connections when you meet new colleagues Contxts is currently in beta. That means that we’re letting you and all of your friends join for FREE. If you feel comfortable with giving us a little bit of your information then we’ll gladly provide you with a way to distribute your credentials without killing more trees.

Why You Should Attend the California Black Chamber of Commerce ‘Ron Brown’ Business and Economic Summit, August 18-20, 2011 in Sacramento

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two years with outside firms and they currently have a state – wide initiative to use more minorities? Do you know the criteria to engage? Do you have a relationship with the decision maker? The decision makers will be present for one on one personal interview’s.

Underlining all of the above is the California Black Chamber Commerce firm belief that unlimited business opportunities await us in the California ‘Green Initiative.’

Every facet of your business model should or must be aligned to this.

Panelist will tell you where these opportunities exist both in your business and community. Anyone serious about business opportunities in the State of California must embrace and find out all they can about this initiative.

Of course the Summit will afford you the opportunity to build business and social life long relationships through our opening and mid summit receptions and our renowned awards banquet gala Saturday August 20, 2011.

Our goal is to provide you the most professional environment possible to gain knowledge and create contract opportunities possibilities encircled with a professional social setting to relax and build relationships.

We the California Black Chamber Commerce have done our part, now the rest is up to you- 

Hope to see you in Sacramento!!!

Aubry Stone,

President and CEO California Black Chamber of Commerce 916-463-0177

Business

on Barden will be remembered as a groundbreaking entrepreneur whose rise to the top of the corporate world showed AfricanAmericans just how high they could soar.

A key role of the California Black Chamber Commerce is to create the environment that allows our members and affiliates to grow and prosper! Such an opportunity will exist August 18-20 in Sacramento at the Ron Brown Business and Economic Summit.

We at the Chamber fully understand the economic challenge that many of you are currently experiencing, but like all things in life we have choices, Give up or find creative ways and means to fight through it. Share auto transportation rather than fly, share room space.

Between breakfast, lunch and evening receptions there are no food cost, but these are just a few thoughts.

We are determined to provide you the most up to date information so you can prosper both in and outside the state of California. A special panel on High Speed Rail who and what agencies is in charge of contracting (note: Senator Price has a bill passing through legislation to mandate small / micro business in all High Speed Rail contracting) this bill should be passed before the Summit: High-Speed is a 6.3 Billion dollar, 10 year project to begin in the Central Valley.

A panel will be held to discuss on CalTrans, Department of General Services, the California Utilities, ands Small Business Association business opportunities, like High Speed. The Department of General Service will be mandated to spend a minimum of 25% of their 11 Billion dollar annul budget with small businesses, woman owned and disabled veterans. Are you certified, do you have personal relationships with the buyers of your goods and services. Are you familiar with the states $250,000 two bid process, which can be done in multiplies?

To our professional colleagues operating, owning minority law and accounting firms, are you aware that Public Utilities spent over 20 million dollars in the last

Photo Michael Douglas jobs and business opportunities that will result from the development project.

The forum is hosted by Dr. Anthony A. Samad, Ph.D. (the Black Business Association 2011 Community Advocate of the Year Awardee).

The Urban Issues Forum Breakfast is a monthly forum designed for the discussion of relevant urban social, economic and political issues in Los Angeles Central City Communities. For more information on the forum visit www.urbanissuesforum.com. 

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imothy J. Leiweke, President/CEO of AEG, was the keynote speaker at the Urban Issues Forum Breakfast held at the historic Crenshaw District Maverick’s Flat, July 29, 2011. More than 250 African American businesses owners and entrepreneurs were on hand to hear the latest updates on the future Farmers Field stadium and the modernization of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Mr. Leiweke presented AEG’s vision of the future of downtown Los Angeles, as well as the myriad new

U.S. Travel Industry Reveals Plan to Create 1.3 Million American Jobs competitive in the global travel market, which in turn will expand U.S. exports, create new jobs and drive economic g r o w t h .

The report recommends: • America must align U.S. State Department resources with market demands;

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• America reduce interview times to 10 or fewer;

he U.S. Travel Association has unveiled a plan to create 1.3 million U.S. jobs and add $859 billion to the U.S. economy by 2020 by reforming an antiquated visa process that often drives international travelers to other countries. The heart of U.S. Travel’s plan is to increase staffing, reduce visa interview wait times and expand the Visa Waiver Program.

“As a nation, we’re putting up a ‘keep out’ sign,” said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. “The United States imposes unnecessary barriers on international visitors, and that inhibits our economic growth. If we institute a smarter visa policy, we can create 1.3 million U.S. jobs.”

By failing to keep pace with the growth in global long-haul international travel between 2000 and 2010, the United States lost the opportunity to welcome 78 million more visitors and generate $606 billion in direct and downstream spending – enough to

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support more than 467,000 additional U.S. jobs annually over these years.

U.S. Travel’s report, “Ready for Takeoff: A Plan to Create 1.3 Million U.S. Jobs by Welcoming Millions of International Travelers,” is the first comprehensive review of the negative impact that inefficient and unpredictable U.S. visitor visa and entry processes have on U.S. jobs, economic growth and exports. The report documents that travel is America’s largest industry export sector, and the easiest export sector to expand, since the barriers to increased international visitation to the United States are largely selfimposed. Additionally, the report shows how common-sense reforms that are relatively easy to implement could create 1.3 million more U.S. jobs and add $859 billion to the U.S. economy by 2020 – all with little or no cost to taxpayers.

The report’s comprehensive, fourstep plan will help the United States achieve its goal of becoming more

must visa wait days

• The U.S. State Department must improve planning, measurement and transparency; and •

America must expand the Visa Waiver Program.

“Increasing travel to the United States is the most effective form of economic stimulus,” said Dow. “Travel supports communities, injecting billions into the U.S. economy and creating millions of new jobs.”

Coinciding with the release of the report, U.S. Travel will reactivate the Discover America Partnership to unite a diverse group of stakeholders behind a focused and intensive campaign to advance the report’s recommendations. Joining the new Partnership at the leadership level are the American Hotel and Lodging Association, National Restaurant Association, National Retail Federation and U.S. Chamber of Commerce, with U.S. Travel serving as chair.

To download the report, visit smartervisapolicy.org (www. smartervisapolicy.org/site). 

62  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

www.ustravel.org

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significant step was taken last year when Congress passed and President Obama signed the Travel Promotion Act (TPA). This was a major milestone for the Travel Industry. It signaled that the federal government is finally recognizing the critical role that travel and tourism plays in driving economic growth and job creation, and an understanding that our nation is in a fierce competition for global tourism and the billions of dollars in economic benefits that market represents.

The TPA led to the creation of the Corporation for Travel Promotion (www.corporationfortravelpromotion. com) a public-private partnership that will spend up to $200 million per year to help the U.S. compete in the global travel market. Industry veteran Jim Evans was appointed to head the new CTP, an inspired choice to lead this new partnership between

President Obama signs the Travel Promotion Act. the travel and hospitality industry and government. Under Jim’s leadership, at long last, we will have the resources to compete with governments that invest lavishly in advertising, trade shows and other tools aimed at attracting visitors.

And the United States will do it without spending a dime of taxpayer money.

Other countries competing for travelers recognize the imperative of infrastructure investments, and they are not standing still. As President Obama noted in his latest State of the Union address, countries in Europe and Russia invest more in their roads and railways than we do. In Dubai, the United Arab Emirates have built the largest airline hub in the Middle East. In China, the Civil Aviation Administration recently announced plans to invest $230 billion to build 56 new airports over the next five years.

Fortunately, many industry leaders and public officials are becoming increasingly focused on the infrastructure issue, and are developing innovative proposals to address it. One of the most promising is America Fast Forward (AFF)

(http://americafastforward.org). Under this plan, communities that dedicate local tax revenue to transportation projects will be able to use that longterm revenue for upfront, low-interest bonds and loans from the federal government. Major projects that would otherwise take decades to fund could be built in a fraction of that time with much smaller financial burden on the federal government. AFF is on track to be part of the next federal transportation bill with strong support from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO. Both the Chamber and the AFLCIO have also thrown their support behind bipartisan federal legislation to create a national infrastructure bank (www.infrastructurist.com/2011/03/16/ kerry-hutchison-propose-nationalinfrastructure-bank-legislation).

Broadly speaking, the bank would leverage traditional public funding with private investment from global pension funds, private equity and sovereign wealth funds to pump billions into infrastructure investments. 

63  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Business

Travel Promotion Act the USA is Open for Tourism

Tech Tools: How to Use Foursquare for Small and Local Business oursquare (https://foursquare. com is a location-based mobile platform that makes cities easier to use and more interesting to explore.

By “checking in” via a smartphone app or SMS, users share their location with friends while collecting points and virtual badges. Foursquare guides real-world experiences by allowing users to bookmark information about venues that they want to visit and surfacing relevant suggestions about

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Foursquare by the numbers (last updated April, 2011)

• Users: Over 10 million worldwide • Check-ins per day: Over 3 million, with over 750 million check-ins total • Businesses: Over 500,000 using the Merchant Platform (more information at foursquare.com/business) • Employees: Over 75 between headquarters in New York, NY and an office in San Francisco, CA Based on the numbers above, if you’re a small business owner, it’s likely that people are checking in to your business every day even if you’re not aware of it. It begs the question: what key customer information are you missing out on?

Foursquare services are free and come with more than just a place to list your brick and mortar locations. Once

Claim Your Business marketing works best when you can create a dialog between you and your customers.

So the sooner you get your business set up on Foursquare, the sooner you can participate in the conversation.

In other words, to effectively use Foursquare you’ll need to create an account, then list and/or claim your business.

Whether you’re a mom-and-pop shop, a national chain, or a brand, foursquare can provide you with tools to engage with your customers and fans.

Please visit foursquare. c o m / business for information on how you can start working with foursquare.

Social

media

Create A Special Research has shown that many users follow businesses on social media, and check-in applications in particular, in order to find deals on the products and services they buy. Foursquare offers a range of Specials designed to attract those customers, reward them for

checking in, and maintain their loyalty to your brand.

Foursquare Pages and Partner Badges There are two different types of brands that use foursquare: •Brands with physical locations, like Starbucks, Sports Authority or the Museum of Modern Art. The foursquare Merchant Platform offers easy tools for engaging your customers. Click here to learn more.

•Brands that are not tied to a specific physical location, like a consumer packaged good, TV channel, university, manufacturer, or an upcoming movie release. We have worked with hundreds of brand partners to reach millions of users on foursquare, including Bravo TV, Louis Vuitton, The New York Times, Havaianas, Microsoft Windows Live, the History Channel, Syracuse University, Red Bull and NASA. For these types of partners, foursquare provides two main

marketing tools – Pages and Custom Badges - that help lead your consumers and fans to do interesting things in their neighborhoods and communities.

The instructions below outline how to get started promoting your brand on foursquare.

Visit Foursquare and study the guides to get the most for your business out of this social media service. 

65  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

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nearby venues. Merchants and brands leverage the foursquare platform by utilizing a wide set of tools to obtain, engage, and retain customers and audiences.

you’ve claimed your business you can attract new customers and retain your existing loyal base with specials.

Foursquare even offers statistics that will help you adapt to the evolving social consumer. That’s why every business owner needs to know the basics behind promoting a business or brand on the network.

37th Annual Bethune Recognition Luncheon Saturday, October 22, 2011 • Double Tree Hotel Torrance/South Bay 323-301-4697 for information, sponsorship, reservations Introducing...

SoLaTea House presented by

Cultural Interiors West & Lucy Florence Cafe

Now Open for Business!

5669 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles vabeard@gmail.com 562-253-6347 Featuring High Tea, Princess Parties, Sunday Brunch and much more! A nice, quiet place to study or just want to grab a cup of tea? We offer free wi-fi to all customers and a variety of teas to suit your mood. You may also enjoy a warm slice of gingerbread cake, a delicious scone, or one of our scrumptious cupcakes.

Our tea house features adequate space for groups up to 20 persons, with catering services for your next event. (Please call for more information.)

Bernahu Asfaw or Getahun Asfaw

1041 S. Fairfax Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90019

323-938-8827 or 323-938-8806 Fax: 323-932-6047 messob@gmail.com • www.messob.com

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Rooibos Tea House

African Red Tea Imports

323-658-7832 533 N. Fairfax Avenue Los Angeles

www.africanredtea.com Nira Levy Maslin, CEO

A Royal Blend of all natural West African herbs and fiery spices www.kingspepper.com 323.291.4267

Before you grill, Before you bake,

Buy King’s Pepper

Artwear Artwear may be found at: Sika’s / 4330 Degnan Ave., Leimert Park Baldwin Hills Plaza Farmer’s Market each Saturday 10am-3pm

www.gbabyartwear.com

& Shake, Shake, Shake!

68  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

City of Los Angeles Business Inclusion Program The City of Los Angeles is striving to increase the participation of small, emerging, veteran, women and minorityowned businesses in City contracts.

All City departments utilize the City’s electronic marketplace, Los Angeles Business Assistance Virtual Network (www.labavn.org), to post all opportunities subject to advertising.

We encourage business owners to register on www.labavn.org to receive notifications of contracting opportunities as well as updates on implementing the program.

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hile servng as the Interim District Director for the Los Angeles Small Business Administration (SBA) Office, Monique Fortenberry visited Chef Marilyn’s Place, located at 2638 Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angeles.

Chef Marilyn Cole received the Outstanding Community-based Business Award at the Black Business Association Salute to Black Women Business Conference and Awards Luncheon held in March 2011 in recognition of Women’s History Month. 

Visit www.losangelesworks. org for additional information regarding doing business in and with the City of Los Angeles.

Mayor’s Office of Economic & Business Policy

69  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Business Sector Growth Projected for the Next 5 Years - Smart City Technologies

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and information systems, to maximize transportation efficiency and reduce traffic delays, cutting fuel waste and carbon emissions.”

According to ABI, smarter cities are sharing their modernized network infrastructure, information and communications technologies with local businesses, enabling business intelligence and analytics to pervade the private

and public sector as well as spreading out the capital expenditure burden.

Projects range from collective community intelligence based on smart growth projections and the planning of regional development, to social and sustainability efforts that balance benefits to citizens against the protection of valuable natural resources.

“Due to city-by-city project differences, a one-size-fits-all approach cannot be applied to smart cities,” said Fisher. “In the long term, the adoption of open standards will be of paramount importance as the basis for technology choices underpinning any smart city development.”

This study clarifies the meaning of the term “Smart City” through an examination of more than 50 actual Smart City projects around the world.

It also provides insights and data from a range of ABI Research studies that cover many of the technologies that can be used to make a municipality and its various agents more communicative and responsive to its citizenry, while allowing its transportation and other infrastructures to use energy more efficiently and cost-effectively.

What Questions Does This Report Answer?

•What is a Smart City?

•What makes a city Smart?

•How many Smart City projects are currently in progress?

•How can cities utilize RFID to increase efficiencies by tracking people, items, and documents?

•What is the role of Public Safety/ First Responder Communications in a Smart City?

•How do Smart Cities incorporate Intelligent Transportation Systems and Traffic Information Systems?

•What is the role of the Smart Grid in a Smart City?

•How can electric vehicle owners take advantage of the Smart Grid aspects of the Smart City?

More details can be obtained in ABI Research’s “Smart Cities: Municipal Networking, Communications, Traffic/Transportation and Energy” report (www.abiresearch. com/research/1007213-Smart_Cities), which analyzes 50 ongoing smart-city projects, providing up-to-date data worldwide.  R. Colin Johnson for www.smartertechnology.com/c/a/OptimizedSystems/Smart-Cities-Investments-toSkyrocket/?kc=STNL07122011STR2

71  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

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ccording ABI Research (www. abiresearch.com), smart city technologies will expand across the board, to more than $39 billion annually by 2016.

During the recession, many cities faced budget crises, which prompted them to cut services, firing teachers and running impassioned public relations campaigns to pass bond issues and gain support for other supplemental funding sources. As cooler heads prevail of late, more and more cities are realizing that smarter management and modernization of their infrastructures can reap long-term savings not attainable today from taxweary voters.

Harnessing the same analytics that businesses are increasingly using to boost productivity and efficiency in operations, cities are increasingly implementing smarter strategies to cut costs without cutting services or firing employees. Simultaneously, these smarter cities are improving the quality of life in their locales, generally making their everyday urban environment a better place to live and work.

According to ABI, more than $8 billion was invested globally into making cities smarter in 2010, but over the next five years more than $116 billion more will be spent, ending in an annual expenditure of over $39 billion per year for smarter cities by 2016.

“Certain technologies are in wide use among most smart-city projects and programs, including communication-based technologies, such as broadband, WiFi, and RFID,” said ABI Research practice director Larry Fisher. “Others target improved energy efficiency through the incorporation of smart meters and the smart grid. Some municipalities are deciding to utilize elements of intelligent transportation

The Pan African Film Festival Announces Call for Submissions

Community/Public Inerest

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he Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) is proud to announce its 20th anniversary of taking movie goers on a cinematic journey with international film screenings from around the globe. PAFF will be held on February 9-20, 2012 in Los Angeles. The film festival is the nation’s largest and most prestigious Black film festival. Over the years, it has showcased films from all parts of the world, representing such countries as Angola, Austria, England, Bermuda, Canada, Egypt, Ethiopia, Brazil, Kenya, Mexico, South African, Nigeria, and of course, the United States. With the pulse on the international film market, PAFF has opened the minds of its audiences, and transported them to lands far away and back home again. “Over the years, the filmmakers from around the world have become more sophisticated in telling their stories,” says Asantewa Olatunji, the director of programming for PAFF. Currently, PAFF is accepting submissions of independent features, shorts, narratives and documentary films made by or about people of African descent.

Applications are available via the PAFF website at www.paff.org, by emailing ao@paff.org or calling (310) 337-4737.

Eligibility: The PAFF is currently accepting applications for films and videos made by and/or about people of African descent. (Please note: the filmmaker(s) need not be of African descent.) Films should preferably depict positive and realistic images and can be of any genre -- drama, comedy, horror, adventure, animation, romance, science fiction, experimental, etc. PAFF accepts features and shorts both narrative and documentary. The film festival will accept submissions of works in progress; however, films and videos must be completed no later than December 31, 2011.

Competition: The PAFF competition categories are: Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary (short or feature length), Best Narrative Short, Jury Award, Director-First Feature, Festival

Award and Audience Favorite. Films in competition must be copyrighted no earlier than 2011. With the exception of Audience Favorite and Festival Award all films are judged by industry professionals, selected by PAFF. Submission: For information about the festival, submission procedures, fees and registration, visit www.paff. org or call 310. 337-4737. Submissions will be accepted from July 1, 2011 through October 31, 2011. Official selection announcements will be made beginning December 15, 2011.

About the Pan African Film Festival The Pan African Film and Arts Festival (PAFF) is America’s largest and most prestigious Black film and arts festival. PAFF holds the distinction of

being the largest Black History Month event in the country.

PAFF was founded in 1992 by awardwinning actor Danny Glover, Emmy Award-winning actress Ja’Net DuBois and executive director, Ayuko Babu.

PAFF is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the promotion of ethnic and racial respect and tolerance through the exhibit of films, art and creative expression.

The goal of PAFF is to present and showcase the broad spectrum of Black creative works, particularly those that reinforce positive images, help to destroy negative stereotypes and depict an expanded vision of the Black experience. PAFF believes film and art can lead to better understanding and foster communication between peoples of diverse cultures, races, and lifestyles, while at the same time, serve as a vehicle to initiate dialogue on the important issues of our times. 

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72  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

President Barack Obama talks with Willie Mays and manager Bruce Bochy in the Blue Room of the White House before an event honoring the 2010 Major League Baseball champion San Francisco Giants. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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resident Obama welcomed the 2010 World Series winners, the San Francisco Giants, to the White House. He congratulated the team on their first championship in 56 years. Baseball legend Willie Mays, who was a 23-year-old outfielder for the Giants the last time they won the title, joined the team for the meeting in the East Room.

The President commended the Giants for their commitment to giving back to the community, from their work with the Wounded Warrior program to their leadership as the first professional sports team to join the “It Gets Better” campaign against bullying.

The President was generous in his praise of the team but couldn’t resist a shout out to his own hometown heroes: “For this team, winning the World

Series means remembering their roots -- especially when those roots run deep. Last year, after all the confetti had been cleaned up and the players had gone home, Willie Mays took the trophy back to the site of the old Polo Grounds in New York. And he visited students at P.S. 46, on the spot where the stadium once stood, and told them stories about playing stickball with the neighborhood kids all those years ago.

So that’s what this team is all about: characters with character.

And so once again I want to congratulate this team and wish them all the best of luck in the rest of the season -- unless the White Sox are in the World Series,

which right now is not a sure thing.” 

73  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Community/Public Inerest

President Obama Welcomed the World Series Champion San Francisco Giants

Honoring the Life & Community Service of my long time friend.

Frank Edward Thomas ••••

Earl “Skip” Cooper, II

Community/Public Inerest

Publisher Black Business News Group

Frank & Annette Thomas with Earl “Skip” Cooper, II

74  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Black Business News Entrepreneur Spotlight…

Coach Bobby Hosea’s pioneering tackling technique has protected football players from devastating head injuries since 1997. In June, 2011 his “Hosea Method” was scientifically proven to lower the Helmet first impact by 43%

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In June, 2011 a scientific study commissioned by LA84 Foundation conducted by ETS (Exercise Testing Specialist) determined that the “Hosea Method” does indeed lower the Helmet first impact by 43% while increasing the overall tackling impact force by 4 G’s. A safer game – with more efficient tackling!

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75  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Community/Public Inerest

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ǥ “Coach Bobby sees it more than saving the player’s ability to walk and think…he sees it as saving the sport …one youngster at a time.”-

Community/Public Inerest

Additionally, the “24/7, 365-day-ayear” network will offer education, entertainment and lifestyle programming, the network stated.

Also, the channel will make the unprecedented move of providing a 20% equity position to the HBCUs, “offering direct financial benefit and long-term sustainability,” the network announced.

“The idea and vision behind the creation of the HBCU Network is to preserve and celebrate the African American colleges and universities, while also providing opportunities for their growth and further prosperity,” said CEO Curtis Symonds. “At the same time, we are passionate and excited about building a strong media brand and network from the ground up.” 

77  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Community/Public Inerest

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n Atlanta-based company is set to partner with ESPN to launch a new sports, education, entertainment and lifestyle channel dedicated to the 105 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the US.

The HBCU Network is currently negotiating programming alliances with ESPN, which includes rights to the black college conference games where ESPN currently has exclusive rights deals, and TV One, which targets adult African American viewers.

The channel, from Atlanta-based C3 Media, LLC, is set to launch in about 10 million households in 2011, and is billed to fill a void in college sports by becoming the official destination of all four major HBCU Conferences (MEAC, SWAC, SIAC and CIAA), including Division I and Division II black college sporting events, according to the network.

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78  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

HBCU Leaders Discuss Financial Challenges

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receive the grant.

“That is very significant,” Wilson said.

“When you defend Pell, you’re defending America. This is a national thing.

If the others had succeeded in going back to 2008 levels, it would’ve been immediately devastating.”

Morgan State University President David Wilson said he has been talking with Maryland’s congressional delegation to address the issue. “If the Pell Grant is reduced in the next budget … I can see where our enrollment at Morgan could very well suffer a huge decrease,” said Wilson. He said 90 percent of his students receive a form of financial aid. “On one hand, we have a complete college America goal, and on the other hand, we are talking about not investing in those students who would be critical in the nation achieving that goal.”

Kentucky State University President Mary Evan Sias agreed. “You shouldn’t have to divide and say access or success,” she said. “At a time when we need to be graduating more students, we can’t afford to drop the amount of money that we’re giving those students.”

Clark Atlanta University President Carlton Brown said the president’s goal is realistic, but only under certain conditions.

“We have to

understand that there has to be some investment in pre-college education and a whole new standard of outcomes,” Brown said. “It’s possible, but we need the political will.  http://hbcufdn.org http://hbcuconnect.com/ www.edonline.com/cq/hbcu/c_state.htm

79  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Community/Public Inerest

s American colleges and universities gear up to meet a presidential goal to deepen the nation’s pool of college grads, historically black institutions face extra pressure from threats to the financial support that many of their students depend on, the presidents of some colleges said.

About 100 presidents of historically black colleges met in Atlanta to discuss their role in President Barack Obama’s call for America to have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020.

Meanwhile, Pell Grants are under fire as some members of Congress look at cutting such programs to trim the budget. Many minority students depend on the needs-based grants to stay in school.

To meet the president’s goal, John Wilson, executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, says the country will need to produce about 8 million more graduates - 2 million of whom need to be African-American, and 200,000 from historically black colleges.

“HBCUs and their productivity are built into the way we see this problem being solved,” Wilson said. “That means we have to go from about 36,000 graduates per year to somewhere north of 50,000 a year. That is a big challenge.”

Wilson said Obama is committed to preserving the Pell Grant program, which has grown from 6 million recipients when he took office to 9 million, and is expected to reach 10 million by 2012. He pointed out that while the program channels almost $1 billion into HBCUs alone, far more white students

Let’s Move!

USDA Unveils New, Simple Tips to Stay Healthy, Active and Fit

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Some Features on ChooseMyPlate Daily Food Plan: Want to know the amount of each food group you need daily? Enter your information in the chart to find out and receive a custom-

ized Daily Food Plan.

Steps to a Healthier Weight: Reaching a healthier weight is a balancing act. The secret is learning how to balance your “energy in” and “energy out” over the long run. To do this the strategy is simple – the challenge is putting it into practice every day. If you are overweight or obese, follow the basic steps offered by MyPlate to help you gradually move toward a healthier weight.

Print Materials: MyPlate provides a long list of posters, brochures, pamphlets that individuals, parents and teachers may use to keep on track in the process of improving our health.

Community Partners: Individuals

and organizations may commit to any level of involvement to promote the Dietary Guidelines ― from developing an outreach program for their community to posting a link to ChooseMyPlate. gov to incorporating Federal nutrition content into a communication product.

There are over 2,500 partners in the program.

Interactive Tools: ChooseMyPlate provides a useful set of tools that can help each of us learn about and then stick to our plans for improved health.

Try building your personal Daily Food Plan as a first step. 

81  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

www.letsmove.gov www.choosemyplate.gov

Community/Public Inerest

e all know that what we eat matters - MyPlate offers a visual reminder to make healthy food choices when you choose your next meal. MyPlate can help prioritize food choices by reminding us to make half of our plate fruits and vegetables and shows us the other important food groups for a well-balanced meal: whole grains, lean proteins, and low fat dairy.

MyPlate is only the first step in a multi-year effort to raise awareness and educate consumers of every age.

We’ll continue working closely with First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative and other stakeholders to deliver tips and information necessary to adopt healthier eating habits balanced with physical activity.

Head over to www.ChooseMyPlate.gov for information, tools, “howto” materials about healthy eating.

While you’re there, check out the interactive tools like the customizable Daily Food Plan or Food Tracker. We hope that MyPlate becomes your plate in the months and years ahead. We’d love to see what’s on your plate so snap a photo of your next meal and share with us on Twitter using the hashtag #MyPlate.

If you missed the event announcing the new MyPlate icon, check out this video announcing the new food icon, MyPlate: www.youtube.com/watch?v =SEFmSk08LIE&feature=player_embedded.

Quote of Note... “…You did not elect me president to duck the tough issues. You elected me president to do the tough things.”..”

President Barack H.Obama

82  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Lillian Mobley:

Queen of the Community Succumbs

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“She was a leader that advocated everyday of her life. She loved her community, she lived in her community, she celebrated her community and held people accountable to her community,” said Charisse Bremond-Weaver, executive director of the Brotherhood Crusade, who called Mobley a mentor and a hero. “She was a special treasure.

She was the Queen of South Central Community. When you sacrifice your entire life of giving back for your people, it’s an amazing gift. She didn’t want anything from the community, she gave to the community.”

Born in Macon, GA, on March 29, 1930, to Charlie and Corene Basley Harkless, Lillian Harkless graduated from Macon’s Hudson High in 1948.

That same year she married James Otis Mobley. The couple moved to California in 1951. Her activism started when her children began school.

“It started with the PTA, the girl scouts, the camp fire girls. All of the stuff my kids were involved in growing up,” she said in a 2009 L.A. Watts Times interview.

In 1967 she became involved in the Neighborhood Adult Participation Project, an anti-poverty program designed

Kenneth Mobley, 310-938-2250

83  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Community/Public Inerest

illian Mobley, a teacher, leader, activist, icon and “Queen of the South Central Community” died July 18 at Centinela Medical Center from natural causes. She was 81.

Ms. Mobley received the 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award at the Black Business Association’s Salute to Black Women.

Lillian Harkless Mobley is known throughout south Los Angeles for her efforts to spearhead programs, services and activities for African Americans and the poor.

Following the 1965 Watts Riots, Mobley joined with Mary Henry, Caffie Green, Johnnie Taylor and Nona Carter to spearhead the fight to bring a hospital to the residents of South Central.

The result was Martin Luther King Hospital, which opened in 1977. The group was also instrumental in the opening of the Charles Drew Medical School, which opened doors for African Americans and other minorities to train in the health care field.

Mobley was also a member of the Founders, the committee that included Odessa Cox and others who labored tirelessly to get permanent buildings constructed at Southwest College.

to provide training and employment opportunities for adults in poor neighborhoods. As a member of the project, she worked as a community worker, health and education specialist and center director.

In 1980, Mobley was elected a delegate to the National Democratic Convention and a year later was a delegate to the State Conference on Aging.

She started the South Central Multipurpose Center in 1982 where she and staff provided a variety of services to the community.

“She had a great impact on the lives of the community and many individuals,” said her son Kenneth.

According to Brenda Marsh-Mitchell, when rioting erupted in South Los Angeles in 1992, the Red Cross would only venture as far as Manual Arts High School. Mobley, Marsh-Mitchell said, immediately responded to the crisis.

Mobley and the Mothers In Action set up tents and provided three meals a day, housing and health services to the community.

“Mrs. Mobley would stay out there 12 to 14 hours a day,” said Marsh-Mitchell, who along with Mobley founded Mothers In Action. “She was selfless. She always looked at the community as a whole, who would benefit from it.”

Despite being on dialysis since 2005 and unable to drive, Mobley could be seen walking through the doors of the Lillian Mobley South Central Multipurpose Center everyday at 10 a.m. where she would hold court a variety of weekly education and health commission meetings.

“Up until the time she went into the hospital she was still fighting for us,” said Bremond-Weaver.

“Ms. Mobley was one of our true community activist in the purest sense” said Earl “Skip” Cooper, II, President/ CEO, Black Business Association.

Mobley is survived by her husband, James; three sons, Kenneth, Philip, Charles; 10 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren, three great-great grandchildren and host of other relatives. Her daughter, Corene Mobley Bowie, preceded her in death. 

4

Lamar Lyons, BBA Board of Directors, Mignon Clyburn, Denise Peoples, BBA Board iod Directors, Earl “Skip” Cooper, II, CEO, BBA

Stan Washington, Mignon Clyburn, and guest

Hyepin Im, Larry Ortega, Cecilia Mota, NIU Coalition Members w/ Mignon Clyburn

Mignon Clyburn, guest, Karen Slade, KJLH VP & General Manager

Richard Benbow, TimeWarner Cable, Mignon Clyburn

Mignon Clyburn

Kevin Murray, Kimberly Brandon, Mignon Clyburn, CPUC CommissionerTimothy A. Simon

Mignon Clyburn, w/ BBA,s Gwen Moore & “Skip” Cooper

PACE News Reports:

Black Business Association Holds Reception for FCC Commissioner, Mignon Clyburn

Earl “Skip” Cooper, Mignon Clyburn, Gwen Moore, and Steven Turner.

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(l-r) assemblyman Steven Bradford. Larry Ortega, Richard Benbow, CPUC Commissioner Timothy Simon, FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, Gwen Moore, Zeke Patten and Earl “Skip” Cooper. Story and Photos by Gloria Zuurveen

of the Public Service Commission of South Carolina since 1998. The commission regulates South Carolina’s investor owned public utilities, including providers of telecommunications services. The South Carolina General Assembly elected Clyburn as a Commissioner representing the Sixth Congressional District.

She served in this capacity after having been a publisher and general manager of the Coastal Times, a Charleston-based weekly newspaper that focused primarily on issues affecting the African American community.

She owned and operated the familyfounded newspaper following her graduation from the University of South Carolina, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Banking, Finance, and Economics.

Gloria Zuurveen She is active in many community organizations.

Clyburn was introduced by Timothy Simon, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission. The evening with Clyburn was an unforgettable one due to the fact that she is at the table and looking out for our interest at the FCC. I know I will be giving her a call if I need to especially with all the merger mania going with telecommunications. 

85  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Community/Public Inerest

here is a saying that big things comes in small packages, well after meeting with Mignon Clyburn recently at a Black Business Association’s (BBA) meet and greet at the City Club in downtown Los Angeles, the first African American woman to serve on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), I can earnestly say it is true because Clyburn, who is a petite woman, has a very large personality and it comes across with so much honesty and conviction, especially talking about her role as a member of the FCC. After many of the guests were greeted with her big smile and pleasant demeanor, it was time for her to educate us on how we are responsible to let her know what are our desires and when we have an issue do not hesitate to give her a call.

She spoke, not like a politician, but like one who had the best interest of people at the forefront of her agenda and not just happy to be a part of the gang whereby she simply go along to get along but that she will work on behalf of the people to ensure that the commission does what is right.

She spoke very highly of Earl “Skip” Cooper, II and said she was excited to have been invited. She said that many times individuals in her line of work doesn’t understand the importance of diversity and she has to keep the importance at the top of her priority.

Clyburn was nominated as a member of the FCC in June of 2009 and was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate. She has been a member

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Martin and led our country forward, relying Luther King, Jr. Memorial exclusively on non-violent means. The on the National Mall in Memorial will be a lasting tribute to Dr.

he Dedication of the

Washington, DC will take place at 11 a.m. on Sunday, August 28, 2011, and this site, Dedicate The Dream (www. dedicatethedream.org) is the official information resource.

The Dedication promises to be a historic event for the U.S. and nations around the world, as Dr. King’s vision and timeless beliefs continue to resonate with people of all lands. World leaders, civil rights pioneers, citizens who remember the hard days of segregation and those leading the next generation closer to Dr. King’s dream, will assemble together for the longawaited celebration and remembrance.

This ceremony will be the culmination of a week of events, inspired by the establishment of a permanent honor to one of our nation’s greatest citizen leaders. Dr. King was a profound teacher, whose lessons were anchored in the primacy of human dignity. He enacted irreversible social change

King’s legacy and will forever serve as a monument to the freedom, opportunity and justice for which he stood.

Whether you live in the Washington, DC area, or are planning to visit for this momentous occasion, the Dedicate The Dream website will offer the latest available information to help you plan.

Please visit often, for it will be updated frequently as Dedication planning progresses.

We look forward to sharing with you a joyous and historic day for our nation.

Final Financial Challenge But I also can’t take my eye off our financial situation. We have one more challenge to overcome before we can unveil our magnificent statue to the world: to raise the final $8 million to complete this Memorial.

That’s why I am reaching out to the community again and asking for a special “Three Month Countdown” Gift of $90 to the Memorial today.

I know we all have a lot on our plates and have many financial responsibilities. But I hope many of you will be able to donate to the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation this year.

While a symbolic donation of $90 would be a tremendous help, any amount that you can send will be deeply appreciated. Donations may be made online at www.mlkmemorial.org.

From the bottom of my heart and on the behalf of everyone here at the Memorial, I want to thank you for your continued generosity that will enable current and future generations of Americans to remember and honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King.

Sincerely, Harry E. Johnson, Sr. President & CEO Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc.

87  July 2011  Black Business News  www.bbnews.org

Islam Goes Trendy

International

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ijab is traditionally known to be the black dress worn by Muslim women, covering almost every part of their body. Black is just about the only colour known, but designer Aisha Muwonge says that this should not be the case.

She says that if this is the reason Muslim youths are abandoning descent wear then they will have to rethink their decision. Islam is going trendy with availability of more hijabs in more colours, designs and makes, courtesy of a UK-based Islamic design house.

Recently Muwonge showcased trendy hijabs at Grand Imperial under her label Silk Route. “We are introducing new colours though keeping it to conservative colours still but Muslims can be able to dress in sports hijab, t-shirts, hoodies and Islamic bags, Islamic vase and pins et cetera.”

She says the purpose of ‘Silk Route’ is to connect the emerging W e s t e r n cultures with the thriving Eastern traditions. Silk’s new introduction is therefore a revival of exciting new women’s clothing brand.

Muwonge argues that Silk Route Brand was born with today’s Muslim in mind: The Muslim who interacts with and enriches the diverse communities she lives in. “Sisters wanting to convey their faith and identity through a stylish and contemporary look will find that the Silk Route Jilbab

reaches beyond all expectations,” she explains.

She adds that these designs are to appeal to those looking out for simple yet sophisticated look and to those who love to express their uniqueness t h r o u g h empowering design concepts.

And the showcase made a statement loud that whether size, everyone can be

smart and trendy, as the runaways did not just attract slim models but those with ‘full-blown’ African figures.

“You will be able to get the hijabs and other Muslim attires in cotton, denim,

silk so we can go back to what the Quran requires without being indecent be it in office, mosque, at a party and sports eventsm,” Muwonge added. 

88  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

http://silkrouteclothing.com

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World Bank Managing Director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

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orld Bank Managing Director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has resigned her post in order to become Nigeria’s new finance minister, spurring hopes of reform in sub-Saharan Africa’s second biggest economy.

Ms. Okonjo-Iweala will take up an expanded position as Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance in Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan’s new cabinet, World Bank President Robert Zoellick said in a statement.

“Her desire to serve her country is truly a big loss for the World Bank but a major gain for Nigeria as it works to craft its economic way forward,” he said.

“We think President Goodluck Jonathan’s selection of the World Bank MD will result in a vote of confidence for his administration, and suggests he is

serious about initiating fiscal reforms,” Renaissance Capital said in a research note.

Ms. Okonjo-Iweala laid out her vision for the Nigerian economy during her screening by the Senate on Wednesday, pledging she would create jobs and ensure the country “lives within its means” if approved as a cabinet minister.

The high cost of government has been a major concern for economists and investors. Recurrent expenditure accounts for well over half of spending despite poor public services.

The inclusion of Ms. Okonjo-Iweala in the cabinet could lend more weight to his reform ambitions, although sceptics question whether she will have the full political backing she needs.

“As a reformist, her reputation speaks for itself,” said R. Khan, head of Africa research at Standard Chartered. 

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89  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

International

World Bank Officer to be Named Nigeria’s Finance Minister

The New Africa book series is well on its way to being a useful and favorite collection of books sharing a fresh perspective on doing business and investing in Africa for entrepreneurs, non-institutional investors, and SMMEs. The books offer both strategy and practical insights for readers.

International

President Barack Obama makes a statement to the press after meeting with democratically elected African heads of state, including, from left, President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger, President Boni Yayi of Benin, President Alpha Condé of Guinea, and President Alassane Ouattara of Cote D’Ivoire, in the Cabinet Room of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)

President Obama Meets with African Heads of State

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ell, I just wanted to publicly welcome four very distinguished leaders to the White House: President Yayi of Benin; President Conde of Guinea; President Issoufou of Niger; and President Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire.

Although, obviously, we’ve got a lot of things going here in Washington today, it was important for us I think to maintain this scheduled appointment with four leaders of nations that represent Africa’s democratic progress, which is vital to a stable and prosperous and just Africa, but is also critical to the stability and prosperity of the world.

All these leaders were elected through free and fair elections. They’ve shown extraordinary persistence in

wanting to promote democracy in their countries despite significant risks to their own personal safety and despite enormous challenges, in some cases -- most recently in Côte d’Ivoire -- in actually implementing the results of these elections.

But because of their fortitude and because of the determination of their people to live in democratic, free societies, they have been able to arrive at a position of power that is supported by the legitimate will of their peoples.

And as such, they can serve as effective models for the continent.

These countries all underscore what I emphasized when I visited Ghana and gave a speech about Africa as a whole -- this is a moment of great opportunity

and significant progress in Africa.

Politically, the majority of Sub-Saharan African countries are now embracing democracy. Economically, Africa is one of the fastest-growing regions in the world.

And we just had a very productive discussion where we discussed how we can build on both the political progress, the economic progress, and address the security challenges that can continue to confront Africa. And I emphasized that the United States has been and will continue to be a stalwart partner with them in this process of democratization and development.

Despite the impressive work of all these gentlemen, I’ve said before and I think they all agree, Africa does not

90  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

UN-Backed Investment to Help Poor Farmers in Togo Almost Doubles Its Returns

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prices in 2007 and 2008 to r e s t a r t production.

Two years on, FAO estimates at - 4.7 million the total value of what they have produced - 9,634 tons of maize, 675 tons of rice, 85 tons of sorghum, 3,522 tons of tomatoes, 350 tons of onions and 85 tons of green chillis.

Rural Togolese were already suffering from malnutrition, exacerbated by demographic pressure and the collapse of cotton cultivation, a major cash crop.

In 2006, almost 50 per cent of the population was underfed, according to figures from the UN World Food

need strong men; Africa needs strong institutions. So we are working with them as partners to build effective judiciaries, strong civil societies, legislatures that are effective and inclusive, making sure that human rights are protected.

With respect to economic development, all of us agree that we can’t keep on duplicating a approach that breeds dependence, but rather we need to embrace an approach that creates sustainability and capacity within each of these countries, through trade and investment and the development of human capital and the education of young people throughout these countries.

We discussed as well that not only do we want to encourage trade between the United States and each of these respective countries but we want to encourage inter-African and regional trade, and that requires investments in

infrastructure in those areas.

We are partners in resolving conflicts peacefully and have worked effectively with ECOWAS and the African Union to resolve crises in the region. And we appreciate very much the assistance that we’ve received on battling terrorism that currently is trying to gain a foothold inside of Africa.

And, finally, we discussed how we can partner together to avert the looming humanitarian crisis in eastern Africa. I think it hasn’t gotten as much attention here in the United States as it deserves. But we’re starting to see famine developing along the Horn of Africa, in areas like Somalia in particular. And that’s going to require an international response, and Africa will have to be a partner in making sure that tens of thousands of people do not starve to death.

So let me just close by saying that many of the countries here are -- either

Programme (WFP).

Under the UN-EU initiative 15,000 farmers received seeds and fertilizer to grow staple crops such as maize, rice and sorghum, while 5,500 more received inputs for market gardening.

“We have provided some oxygen to farmers,” said Marc Casterán, in charge of rural development at the EU Delegation in the Republic of Togo, explaining that the project aimed at helping the country move towards longterm food security.  have celebrated or are in the process of celebrating their 50th year of independence. As President Issoufou pointed out, I’m also celebrating my 50th of at least existence. (Laughter.)

And when we think about the extraordinary progress that’s been made, I think there’s much we can be proud of. But of course, when we think about the last 50 years, we also have to recognize there have been a lot of opportunities missed. And so, these leaders I think are absolutely committed to making sure that 50 years from now they can say that they helped to turn the tide in their countries, to establish strong, democratic practices, to help establish economic prosperity and security.

And we just want you to know the United States will stand with you every step of the way.

Thank you very much, everyone. 

91  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

International

United Nations-European Union initiative to help Togo cope with high food prices and bad weather by providing seeds, fertilizers and other input for 20,000 rural farmers has produced returns that are almost double the cost.

“Our prime objective, to improve the level of nutrition and to increase the income of vulnerable farmers, has been accomplished,” said Alfred Andriantianasolo, UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) emergency coordinator for the West African country.

Under the scheme, the European Union (EU) channelled -2.5 million through FAO in 2009 to help more than 20,000 Togolese farmers most affected by floods and sharp increases in food

5 International

F

th Biannual Forum Africa 2011 Conference

orum Africa invites you to join them at their 5th Biannual Forum Africa 2011 Conference, on September 5-8, 2011, in Montreal, Canada.

Hosted at the Hotel Fairmont Le Reine Elizabeth, in one of the world’s most beautiful cities and international business centers— the biannual Forums are one of North America’s premier venues dedicated to developing sustainable international business linkages, joint venture partnerships and substantive opportunities for trade, investment, and economic development ventures in Africa’s emerging markets and industries.

Organized by Afrique Expansion Magazine and its sister firm, Afrique Expansion, Inc., a leading media relations and international business development consultancy firm based in Montreal, Canada; in partnership with the Canadian Council on Africa and the African Business Roundtable; with the support of the African Development Bank Group, the African Export-Import Bank, and other key partners and stakeholders--over the past several years the bilingual (French/English) Forums have established a successful track record for delivering viable opportunities and results oriented programs on behalf of our constituents.

The mission of Forum Africa is to leverage the increasing enthusiasm

and interest in exploring and developing Trans-Atlantic partnerships and opportunities in Africa’s fast growing economies and the world’s last frontier markets; The Forum attracts over 500 senior decision makers and delegates— including Fortune 500 corporate CEOs, senior government officials, leading businesses and entrepreneurs; and senior representatives from economic development institutions, international trade and investment agencies, and foreign policy organizations.

This year’s Forum Africa will showcase opportunities in several key industries and markets (i.e., Infrastructure, Information and Communications Technology, Investments and Project Finance; Agriculture, and the Forestry, Logging, and Wood Processing Industry). And each year the Forum’s forward looking agenda and programs are customized to target current and potential opportunities in the continent’s leading sectors, including but not limited to: • Infrastructure (Transportation & Energy/Power) • Shipping, Logistics, Supply Chain Management • Information Technology and Communications • Investment Capital and Project Finance

• Banking and Financial Services • Agriculture, Agribusiness, and Food Processing • Forestry, the Logging Industry • Mining, Oil & Gas, Mineral Resources • Manufacturing, Value-added Processing • Travel, Tourism, Hospitality • Housing, Commercial Real Estate, Construction • Professional Services, Education & Training • Healthcare & Medical Industries Registration: Please note that the registration fee on the web site is in Canadian Dollars (CAD), and that there are three registration categories for this event: 1). International (Category-1).

This is the full service package for overseas participants attending the Forum from countries outside of North America; and who are members or affiliates of the Forum’s partners, sponsors, and networks.

The Category-1 registration package include the conference registration fee, in addition to a host of premium logistical and protocol support services (i.e., assistance with coordinating the Canadian visa process, personalized

92  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbusinessnews.net

ForumAfrica 2011 from page 92

letters of invitation, meet/greet airport arrival and transfer service; ;reservations and accommodations at the conference hotel site; all conference materials, and participation in all conference events and activities-including conference meals, the gala dinner, and networking and social events; and a special one-on-one business matchmaking program).

Registration does not include airfare expenses.

(Note: Category-1 registration is fully booked and closed out. We are no longer accepting registration for this Category).

Shelvin D. Longmire. US Director Afrique Expansion, Inc. Shelvin@afriqueexpansion.com www.afriqueexpansion.com www.entreprise.afriqueexpansion.com MAGAZINE

3) Local Registration (Category-3).

This category is for participants from North America (i.,e, Canadians, invited attendees from the US, and all other US based organizations). It includes all conference materials; and participation in all conference activities, events, and services indicated in Category 1 & 2 above (including conference meals, the gala dinner, and networking events). However, It does not include the business matchmaking program, airport reception and transfer, and hotel arrangements--or the other logistical and protocol support services. Attendees in this category are responsible for coordinating their own arrangements for airport transfer and hotel accommodations. Visit the event website for details.

Please note that space is limited

and registrations will be accepted on a first come-first served basis. To expedite your registration process, please include the following special code behind your name or the name of your company/organization on the registration site: (DCXP).

For additional information and current updates on the Forum, please refer to our conference web site at www. forumafricanada.com/us/home. We at ForumAfrica are looking forward to seeing you in Montreal! 

Two Year Subscription for the Price Of One!!

This offer is valid in Canada and the United States until August 15, 2011.

Subscribe now! www.afriqueexpansion.com/abonnement.html 93  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbusinessnews.net

International

2) International (Category-2).

This category is for other overseas participants and include the registration fee, airport meet/greet and transfer service to designated hotels; all conference materials; participation in all conference activities, events, and services indicated above in Category-1 (meals, networking, gala, etc.,). However, it does not include the expense or arrangements for hotel accommodates, visa processing support, the personalized letter of invitation, and the one-on-one business matchmaking program. Please note,

that attendees in this category are responsible for making their own arrangements for hotel accommodations.

(In addition to the conference hotel site, a list of recommended alternative hotels in the vicinity of the conference venue is attached to this email).

“A FEW NOTES ON AFRICA” Zambia Has New Tourism Brand

Respect for New Code of Conduct Urged as Zambians Prepare for National Elections

By Moses Kuwema

Zambia has unveiled the new logo and slogan for their travel marketing efforts.

The country had been marketed for over 30 years under the brand name and slogan ‘Zambia the Real Africa’, which has been replaced with ‘Let’s Explore Zambia’ as of last week.

International

PROMOTE 2011 The 4th International Exhibition for Enterprises SMEs and Partnerships of Yaounde, Cameroon - December 3rd11th, 2011 Conference Center of Yaoundé Cameroon.

PROMOTE has become the first economic gathering in Central Africa. Over 1,000 exhibitors from nearly thirty countries from all the continents, and more than 120,000 visitors, of all conditions, are expected in 2011. To learn more or to participate go to www. salonpromote.org.

East Africa Famine African Union forces have launched an offensive to keep aid agencies safe as they bring food and supplies to the thousands of refugees in Mogadishu.

Make a donation to the International Medical Corps at www.networkforgood. org/donation/MakeDonation.aspx?ORGI D2=953949646&source=YWWS&cmpgn =NPO9&vlrStratCode=5MLAiZi%2fmMFr CbZWMyF6LgQ66kuA%2bnxdVV2a%2bj zs4rfsTZBl6YFBR9En37HRl2Jx. SEE YOU ON THE CONTINENT. 

Honorable Justice Ireen Mambilima, Chairperson, Electoral Commission of Zambia THE Electoral Commission of Zambia chairperson Justice Ireen Mambilima has challenged all the stakeholders in the electoral process to ensure that the code of conduct is respected and its provisions complied with.

During the launch of the translated version of the Electoral Code of Conduct at Mulungushi International Conference Centre yesterday, Justice Mambilima said the launch of the code was a defining moment for all stakeholders and it was her prayer that stakeholders would show leadership and abide by the code regardless of who they were.

“Please be reminded that the Electoral Commission is only a facilitator in the electoral process. It depends on your cooperation and support for success.

Coming up with an Electoral Code of Conduct is one thing; enforcing it is quite another. Whatever our role in the electoral process, whether we belong to political parties, civil society, the

media, the Church or electorate, we all have a duty in enforcing the code of conduct,” Justice Mambilima said.

Justice Mambilima said the code was a first step at resolving and minimising conflicts in the 2011 elections saying there was already intense competition even before the campaign period has been officially declared.

And United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) country director Viola Morgan said it was important for the all stakeholders to promote peace by embracing the critical principles such as upholding the rule of law, inclusiveness and transparency.

Morgan urged all the stakeholders to make the implementation of the code of conduct a success by abiding by its provisions.

The code of conduct has been translated into the seven major local languages namely Nyanja, Bemba, Tonga, Lozi, Kaonde, Lunda and Luvale. 

94  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbusinessnews.net

Using Smelly Socks to Attract Mosquitoes — and Combat Malaria

By Christina Hernandez

I

n an effort to combat malaria, researchers in the United Republic of Tanzania are developing devices that use human foot odor to lure mosquitoes. By targeting malaria transmission outdoors, the devices would complement other malariareducing methods, such as bed nets and indoor insecticide sprays, which protect people in their homes.

Dr. Fredros Okumu

You developed a device that uses human foot odor to lure mosquitoes. What does the device look like and how does it work?

We have two devices that we’re moving forward with. Both of them are essentially boxes. They’re made of materials that we can find in malariaendemic countries, particularly in Tanzania where we’re working at the moment.

The first device is a box with a wooden framework and converse covering.

It essentially looks like a miniature house. It allows in mosquitoes. They are attracted with a synthetic attractant or socks that we put inside the device.

When the mosquitoes come into the device, either they can be trapped or they can be contaminated and left to fly away. If they are contaminated, they die within days.

Why do you use foot odor to attract mosquitoes and how do you use it?

We knew mosquitoes could not see people. Instead, mosquitoes smell people. The important chemicals that attract mosquitoes are lactic acid from our sweat glands, triglycerides on our skin and carbon dioxide that comes off our breath.

Once we knew which chemicals would attract mosquitoes, we put the chemicals together in certain combinations to see if they would mimic a human being. We set up two experimental houses where human volunteers slept under bed nets. We had another two experimental houses where we put this synthetic mixture of chemicals. We counted the number of mosquitoes that entered these houses.

The houses baited with the synthetic mixture were getting at least four times more mosquitoes than the houses baited with human volunteers. This was strong evidence that the synthetic mixture was not only mimicking

Are the devices already being used in Africa?

This is still an early stage of development. We do not foresee these being used for the next two to four years.

The work started one and a half years ago when we got $100,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Now we have additional funding from the Gates Foundation, but also from Grand Challenges Canada. With this additional funding we’re moving on to try to make this a reality. We’re trying to do four things: • Improve upon the prototypes of the devices we first made • Measure the level of epidemiological impact we can expect from these devices • Find the right place to put these devices • Develop practical ways to implement this technology in rural areas Why is it important to keep focusing on combating malaria?

What toll does it take?

Malaria remains one of the major causes of death in Africa. In most places, it’s the No. 1 cause of death of children under the age of five. There are districts where 30 percent of residents or more have malaria. You see the effects of the disease in people not being able to go to school, people not being able to go to work. This translates to the poor performance of the economy. The disease is a challenge worth tackling yesterday. We hope to start tackling it as a disease we can eliminate in the next 10 or so years. 

95  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

www.smartplanet.com

International

Here are excerpts from an interview with Dr. Fredros Okumu of the Ifakara Health Institute.

The second device is much smaller.

It’s a black box with landing surfaces on the sides. Inside we put a synthetic attractant, so mosquitoes think it is a human. When mosquitoes think it’s a human being, they land on its surfaces.

Because they don’t find blood, they fly away shortly afterwards. Even if they fly away shortly afterwards, they carry with them a killing agent. We have tested two killing agents — a chemical insecticide and mosquito-killing fungi.

If you keep this device around people’s houses for a year or two, every night mosquitoes will be contaminated.

We hope eventually we’ll be able to reduce the density and survival of malaria mosquitoes to such an extent that malaria transmission will be reduced to such low levels that we can start talking about malaria elimination in some of these endemic areas.

humans, but was bringing in more mosquitoes. With our original grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we developed a physical device that used the synthetic attractant.

Socks tend to trap a lot of the chemicals that come off your skin.

These chemicals remain on the sock for a long time. If you stick the socks inside a trap, you can attract mosquitoes. This is something scientists have known for a long time. We would like to pursue this technology further for the simple reason that it is easy to find this kind of smell, as opposed to a synthetic attractant.

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Export.gov

Trade Mission to South Africa 9/19-23/2011

T

97  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

International

he United States Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service (CS) is organizing a Trade Mission to South Africa, September 19-23, 2011 (www.export. gov/eac/show_detail_trade_events. asp?EventID=31747&InputType=EV ENT). Led by a senior Department of Commerce official, the mission is intended to include representatives from a variety of U.S. industry suppliers and service providers with targeted industries being energy equipment and technologies, agricultural equipment, and educational services and skills development.

South Africa is a country of 50 million people, rich in culture, people and natural heritage. With remarkable macroeconomic stability and a probusiness environment, South Africa is a logical and attractive choice for U.S. companies to enter Sub-Saharan Africa. Growth of South Africa’s consumer base also provides ample opportunity for U.S. exporters. With stops in Johannesburg and Cape Town, this trade mission will introduce U.S. companies to potential buyers and allow them to explore new business opportunities in the dynamic South African market. The mission will include one-on-one business appointments, briefings and evening receptions.

The cost for a SME (fewer than 500 employees) is $2,125.00. The cost for a large company is $2,565.00. Each additional representative is $450.00.

Pre-Register for this mission at: https:// emenuapps.ita.doc.gov/ePublic/newRegistration.jsp?SmartCode=1R1G

Contacts for this mission: Larry Farris, Johannesburg Senior Commercial Officer Phone: 27 11 290 3316 Larry.Farris@trade.gov Teresa Yung, Trade Event Programs International Trade Specialist Phone: 202-482-5496 Teresa.Yung@trade.gov. 

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.

Jamaal Wilkes Financial Advisors is an independent Registered Investment Advisor www.jamaalwilkes.com Phone: (310)209-8330 6601 Center Drive West, Suite 500 Los Angeles, CA 90045

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The Shadow Gold Price: $10,000 An Ounce

By Mac Slavo

W

e realize that experts the world over say gold is not money, but we can’t help but consider that if central banks are stocking up (ex-US), pension funds are stocking up, big money investors are stocking up, and individuals on the street are moving to diversify into something other than stocks and bonds, that there might be something to this whole “gold is money” theory: QB Asset Management calculates the socalled “Shadow Gold Price” (“SGP”). It divides the US Monetary Base by U.S. official gold holdings, the same formula actually used during the Bretton Woods regime to fix the exchange value of the dollar at USD 35.00/ ounce. It would be the theoretical price of gold today were the Fed to depreciate the USD to a level that would cover systemic bank liabilities (transform a debt-based into a asset backed currency). The current Shadow Gold Price would be just under USD 10,000. This figure illustrates the magnitude of monetary inflation already embedded into the system, sitting latent and threatening to increase the general price level.

At the moment less than 2.6% of US government debt is covered by gold, which is clearly below the long-term median of 5%. Should the gold price therefore double, the coverage would only rise to the long-term median. But this would also require stable government debt, which is less than likely.

The highs of the ratio dating from the 1980s would only be reached at a price of about USD 15,000.

If one were to fully cover the current debt with gold, the price would have to increase to USD 57,000/ ounce. That said, a full coverage is extremely unlikely; at its highs the ratio was at 55% in 1915 and at slightly less than 25% in 1980.

We find the following quote from Horace most applicable given the chart above: Naturam expellas furca, tamen usque revenit.

-Horace (65-8 BC) (You may drive nature out with a pitchfork, she will nevertheless come back) The manipulators can play with precious metals all they want, but thousands of years of historical precedence simply cannot be erased by the ideologies of a handful of central bankers and politicians.

We would certainly advise our readers to prepare for future calamity by investing in long-term food storage, water reserves, tools, equipment, skills development and other preparedness supplies, but the future potential value of gold in a collapsing economy cannot be discounted. For those with the ability to do so, we recommend looking into silver first, and then gold, as a wealth preservation asset.

After the SHTF, those with real money will be able to use it to acquire assets that will have reached their bottom – for example real estate – and then ride those assets to higher values as the global economy resets and recovers. And in a worst case, even if the entire grid goes down and stock exchanges no longer function, there will always be a buyer for precious metals somewhere. 

99  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

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

100  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Legal Notice

If You Have or Had Medi-Cal or Medicare and Filled a Prescription in 2008 at a Pharmacy Other Than Target Your rights could be affected by a class action settlement A settlement has been proposed in a class action lawsuit called Rodriguez v. NDCHealth Corporation (Case No. 2:10-CV-3522), which is pending in the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

Who Is Included?

You are included in the Settlement as a “Class Member” if you live in California and (1) you obtained prescription drugs or related services from pharmacies other than Target Pharmacy between February 1 and December 31, 2008 (a “Non-Target Prescription”), (2) you were a Medi-Cal or Medicare cardholder at the time, and (3) you were included in a group of people whose Non-Target Prescription claim information was transferred to Target Pharmacy by a company called RelayHealth in October and November 2009. You can find out if you were included in this group by contacting the Settlement Administrator.

What Is The Case About?

The lawsuit claims that NDCHealth Corporation, more commonly known as RelayHealth, and McKesson Corporation (both called the “Defendants”) violated California law by transferring the Non-Target Prescription claim information to Target Pharmacy. Defendants deny that they broke the law and strongly deny they did anything wrong.

Summary Of The Settlement Under the Settlement, which must be approved by the court, RelayHealth will put additional protections in place to help prevent future transfers of confidential medical information to unauthorized persons or companies. A list of the protections RelayHealth will put in place can be found at www.RXprivacyClass.com or by calling 1-888-270-9628.

The Defendants have also agreed to pay $4,000,000 into a fund for patient and medical privacy purposes. After paying certain administrative fees and expenses, including court-approved payments to the class representatives and court-approved attorneys’ fees and expenses (which will not be more than 25% of the total of the $4,000,000 plus the administrative expenses), the money will be distributed to one or more organizations that focus on patient or medical privacy issues. THE SETTLEMENT DOES NOT PROVIDE FOR ANY MONEY TO BE PAID TO INDIVIDUAL CLASS MEMBERS (EXCEPT FOR THE CLASS REPRESENTATIVES WHO BROUGHT THE LAWSUIT).

Do I Have A Lawyer?

Yes. The court has appointed lawyers to represent Class Members (“Class Counsel”).

You will not be charged for these lawyers. The lawyers appointed as Class Counsel are: Marcarian Law Firm, 15260 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 2250, Sherman Oaks, California 91403, (818) 995-8787.

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What Should I Do? You should get more information from the Settlement Administrator and make a decision about your legal rights. As a Class Member, you have three options.

(1)You can do nothing. You will remain a Class Member. You will be bound by the court’s decisions in the lawsuit. You will not have the right to sue separately about the issues in the lawsuit.

(2)You can remain a Class Member but object to the Settlement. You will be bound by the court’s decisions in the lawsuit. To object you must send, via first-class mail or overnight delivery, a written letter identifying yourself as a Class Member and explaining why you object. Your objection must be sent to the Settlement Administrator (not the court) and be postmarked no later than April 23, 2011. You may also choose to pay for and be represented by a lawyer who may send the objection for you.

(3)You can exclude yourself from the Settlement completely and preserve your right to file a separate lawsuit by mailing a request form to the Settlement Administrator (not the Court). The form is available from the Settlement Administrator and must be postmarked no later than April 23, 2011.

Can I Get Money From The Settlement?

No, there is no money available to individual Class Members.

Fairness Hearing The court will have a hearing on June 13, 2011 at 1:30 p.m. to decide whether to approve the Settlement. Class Counsel will represent the Class Members at the hearing or, if you object to the Settlement, you can have your own lawyer represent you at the Fairness Hearing at your expense.

For more information, contact the Settlement Administrator:

Visit: www.RXprivacyClass.com Call: 1-888-270-9628 Write: Prescription Privacy Settlement, Rust Consulting, Inc. P.O. Box 2438, Faribault, MN 55021-9138

101  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

Give the Gifts of Knowledge, Inspiration, Entertainment.

Shop the

Black Book Stores!

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African American Books 4331 Degnan Ave., Leimert Park, Los Angeles “Give Books as Gifts to Friends & Family” Check out our unsurpassed collection of books, music, video, children’s books, and games!

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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 818-5645694.

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. 

Malik’s Books

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Books to Consider...

A Man from Another Land How Finding My Roots Changed My Life

by Isaiah Washington

within the African American community; complicity of African ancestors in selling other African tribes into slavery; the U.S. government’s policies toward African nations; and, of course, the dark and complicated history of diamond mining in Sierra Leone.

Isaiah’s DNA discovery not only confirmed his longtime dream, but it awakened in him a long-suppressed yearning for a deeper identity as a black man and sparked in him a new passion to serve his ancestral kinsmen. In sharing his story, Washingron walks you through his dates with destiny and the obstacles he faced, including the media blow-up on Grey’s Anatomy that came in the midst of his efforts. Washington truly embodies the inner strength and withstanding courage that reclamation of African identity is about.

The African American Odyssey of John Kizell A South Carolina Slave Returns to Fight the Slave Trade in His African Homeland

by Kevin G. Lowther

I

n this personal narrative about his lifelong yearning for that something that is powerfully and palpably missing in the self-image of so many young black men. Washington shares his adventure toward a strong, holistic embrace of both his American and African identity.

This is the adventure story of Washington’s quest to experience his ancestral African ties. From his humble beginnings in Houston, Texas, to his rise and fall in Hollywood, to his ultimate victory as an esteemed citizen of both the U.S. and Sierra Leone, it is a trip packed with self-discovery.

It all reinforces Washington’s determination to redefine the image of darkskinned black men. He stumbles upon, and is challenged to find, the courage to address a wide range of issues: the pervasive and insulting color prejudice

T

he inspirational story of John Kizell celebrates the life of a West African enslaved as a boy and brought to South Carolina on the eve of the American Revolution. Fleeing

his owner, Kizell served with the British military in the Revolutionary War, began a family in the Nova Scotian wilderness, then returned to his African homeland to help found a settlement for freed slaves in Sierra Leone. He spent decades battling European and African slave traders along the coast and urging his people to stop selling their own into foreign bondage. This in-depth biography—based in part on Kizell’s own writings—illuminates the links between South Carolina and West Africa during the Atlantic slave trade’s peak decades.

Seized in an attack on his uncle’s village, Kizell was thrown into the brutal world of chattel slavery at age thirteen and transported to Charleston, South Carolina. When Charleston fell to the British in 1780, Kizell joined them and was with the Loyalist force defeated in the pivotal battle of Kings Mountain. At the war’s end, he was evacuated with other American Loyalists to Nova Scotia. In 1792 he joined a pilgrimage of nearly twelve hundred former slaves to the new British settlement for free blacks in Sierra Leone.

Among the most prominent Africans in the antislavery movement of his time, Kizell believed that all people of African descent in America would, if given a way, return to Africa as he had. Back in his native land, he bravely confronted the forces that had led to his enslavement. Late in life he played a controversial role—freshly interpreted in this book—in the settlement of American blacks in what became Liberia.

Kizell’s remarkable story provides insight to the cultural and spiritual milieu from which West Africans were wrenched before being forced into slavery. Lowther sheds light on African complicity in the slave trade and examines how it may have contributed to Sierra Leone’s latter-day struggles as an independent state. A foreword by Joseph Opala, a noted researcher on the “Gullah Connection” between Sierra Leone and coastal South Carolina and Georgia, highlights Kizell’s continuing legacy on both sides of the Atlantic. 

103  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbusinessnews.net

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At Comerica Bank, we choose to care about the dreams and visions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We choose to celebrate equality and diversity among all people, and we’re dedicated to ringing the bells of freedom. Choose to celebrate the dream with us.

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104  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

BLACK MEETINGS & TOURISM LAUNCHES DIGITAL MAGAZINE

T

he digital version of Black Meetings & Tourism magazine is now available on-line.

The current issues, as well as archived issues, can be viewed by visiting www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com and click on the image link located on the home page.

The digital version is just a small part of BM&T’s expanded on-line presence, which includes a host of new departments, the twice-monthly e-newsletter, an increased focus on leisure travel, and many new marketing opportunities. Our newly designed website offers a guest blog page, a video page and a variety of interactive and custom advertising products that will allow vendors direct access to the more than 45 billion dollar African-American travel market. 

Tuesday, August 9th “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.

For information on the Africa Channel visit www.theafricachannel. com or send an e-mail inquiry to info@theafricachannel.com.

International Edition

Black Business News View the International Edition at www.bbala.org and www.blackbusinessnews.net

105  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

U.S. Sm

Reach Thousands of Southern California’s Most Influential African Americans

all Bus

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ess Adm 2007 A inistra tion WARD W “Journ alist of INNER! the Yea r”

YOUR LINK TO BLACK BUSINESS ENTERPRISE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA The Black Business Association, SBA 2007 Journalist of the Year, is pleased to invite you to be an integral part of our publication. Black Business News - Your Link to Black Business Enterprise in Southern California. The Black Business News is the ofÀcial voice through which public and private entities advertise contract opportunities available to black business enterprise. Gain access to a highly afÁuent target market via outreach and advertising opportunities.

• Outreach to Black Businesses • Advertorial/Feature Story Advertising • Profiles and Business Listings • Classified Ads and Bid Opportunities

Black Business News

Our readers are BBA members, Black business owners, corporate buyers, prime contractors, community organizations and elected ofÀcials, who all turn to the Black Business News for business development news and information to take their business and project efforts to the next level of proÀtability and success!

No

In Th vember 2008 is Iss ue…

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For more information contact: Earl “Skip” Cooper, II at 323-291-9334 E-mail: mail@bbala.org

Calendar August…

12th-14th West Coast Expo

tions and our renowned awards banquet gala Saturday August 20, 2011. Call 916-463-0177 for detailed information.

28th 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.

September…

West Coast Expo (WCE) is an exposition and trade show for small, medium, and large businesses with goods, products and services to market on the West Coast. Our featured pavilions: Business, Technology, Green Life, and Health & Beauty will offer attendees unique, informative and exciting opportunities to interact with experts, specialists and vendors enabling them to learn about, evaluate, test and purchase products and services. Visit www.westcoastexpo.biz for detailed information.

14th UNCF - An Evening with the Stars Taping the annual fund raising program will take place at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium beginning at 6PM. For details visit www.uncf.org.

18th-20th Ron Brown Business and Economic Summit California Black Chamber of Commercer’s summit will afford you the opportunity to build business and social life long relationships through our opening and mid summit recep-

19th-23rd Trade Mission to South Africa The US Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service (CS) is organizing a Trade Mission to South Africa, Sept. 19-23, 2011 (www. export.gov/eac/show_detail_trade_events. asp?EventID=31747&InputType=EVENT).

The mission is for representatives from a variety of U.S. industry suppliers and service providers. The targeted industries are energy equipment and technologies, agricultural equipment, and educational services and skills development. . Contact Teresa Yung, Trade Event Programs International Trade Specialist at 202-482-5496 or Teresa.

Yung@trade.gov.

October…

TBD 2011 Minority Business Development Conference To address the benefits of acquiring commercial and industrial real estate, including but

not limited to cost-benefit analysis, tax savings implications and lease vs. purchase decisions.

Although consensus of economic data highlights the tremendous advantages for business owners owning their places of business, minorities are disproportionately under-represented as owners of industrial, warehouse, office and commercial. Contact Earl “Skip” Cooper, II at 323-291-9334 or mail@bbala.org.

13th-15th 2nd Annual Pan African Global Trade Conference Exhibits, business roundtables and seminars on current bilateral investment and business opportunities in Africa and the African Diaspora.

For information contact: Al Washington, AfricaUSA Chamber of Commerce, 626.321.7041 or alwashington@africa-usa.org.

22nd 37th Annual Bethune Recognition Awards Luncheon Call 323-301-4697 for information.

November…

TBD Procurement Exchange Summit & Awards Luncheon Annual business conference provides oneto-one exchange between business owners and ageny/corporate representatives. Event includes workshops and an awards luncheon.

To participate contact Earl “Skip” Cooper, II at 323-291-9334 or mail@bbala.org.

February 2012…

9th-20th Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) 20th anniversary of this world class international film screenings from around the globe held in Los Angeles, California. Applications to submit films for the festival are available via the PAFF website at www.paff.org, by emailing and inquiry to ao@paff.org or calling 310-337-4737. 

107  August 2011  Black Business News  www.blackbbusinessnews.net

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 info@blackbusinessnews.net and we will send BBN and BBN-I to You Name, Company, Industry News Black Business Website, E-mail ion

International Edit

l African Economic

Serving the Globa

Community

Fall 2008 USD$5.00

Contents g: EOY charitable Corporate Givin houshealth, education, opportunities in ing, and more.

in Africa’s tour-

t Tourism: Investment vital and is eviden ism industr y is active, nt. all across the contine

Feature Articles: Constructisve “Strategies For the Engagement with African Diaspora” gement: “Diaspora Enga Beyond” Remittances & le: Moyo District InvestmentofProƤ Uganda of the Republic

tory Professional Direc tments

Charitable Inves

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