All Articles Tagged "entreprenuership"
Nine Organic Food Companies to Chew On
You probably know this by now, but a food revolution has begun… an organic food revolution that is. More and more people are beginning to shop smarter, realizing that eating organic foods are not just for those with certain diseases or who have declared themselves vegans or vegetarians. Here are nine organic food companies producing some of the tastiest organic brands in America.
The Network Journal Announces its 15th Annual List of 25 Most Influential Women in Business
Mistress of Ceremonies, Michelle Miller. via Twitter
Well it’s here! The Network Journal announces its 15th annual list of the 25 Most Influential Women in Business. These 25 women were selected to be recognized amongst hundreds of nominees including professionals and entrepreneurs.
If you’re not familiar with it, The Network Journal is a black business magazine published six times each year, with each publication providing news and commentary that addresses the growth of entrepreneurship and the advancement of professionals in the workplace. Most of its readers are black professionals, corporate executives and small business owners.
The select group of women are profiled in the March issue of the magazine and will also be honored during Women History Month at the 15th Annual 25 Influential Black Women in Business Awards Luncheon on Thursday March 21st. The Mistress of Ceremonies for the event will be CBS correspondent Michelle Miller, who is also the recipient of the National Association of Black Journalists’ Award of Excellence.
If you are an influential woman in your own right, or aspiring to be one and want to rub elbows with these powerful women, you can purchase tickets for $300 before March 15th or $350.00 thereafter. The event will be held at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City Thursday March 21st from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
View TNJ’s list of extraordinary women here.
New Study Looks At The Cities That Have Produced Great Entrepreneurs
AP Photo/Ron Edmonds
When people think of cities that spawn innovation, Silicon Valley, New York and Chicago might spring to mind. But according to a just released study by the not-for-profit Kauffman Foundation, more great entrepreneurs come from else where.
After analyzing 30 years’ worth of Inc 500 lists, the Kauffman Foundation found that the Washington, DC is actually the place most entrepreneurs come from. “The nation’s capital has been home to more Inc 500 companies than any other major metropolitan area. In the decade beginning in 2000, Washington, D.C. was home to 385 Inc 500 firms. By state, California and Texas rank highest in the number of Inc 500 firms they’ve produced,” reports Inc.com. The state of Virginia, which has only the 12th largest population, came in number three, followed by Massachusetts.
In terms of cities, tops for innovation included Indianapolis, Buffalo, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Louisville, KY.
Do you live in one of these entrepreneurial cities? Are you seeing a lot of innovative activity?
Audra Lowe Juggles Hit Talk Show, Marriage, Motherhood & New Clothing Line
Image via AudraLowe.com
Move over Oprah. Since 2007, Audra Lowe has been hosting the nationally syndicated lifestyle New York-based TV program, the The Better Show show and hosts The Broadway Channel.
In her 25 years of broadcasting experience, Lowe has covered the gamut, from news to sports to entertainment. L.A.-born Lowe previously hosted Fox Sports’ FoxWire and the entertainment show, FoxNOW. Lowe is still a sports fanatic; basketball and NASCAR are her favorites.
Although she is concentrating on her own career, Lowe takes time to school others on the ins and outs of broadcasting. For the past 15 years, she has conducted broadcasting seminars for aspiring journalists, athletes, musicians and financial executives — anyone looking to enhance their interviewing skills. She spends a great deal of time as an adviser to the Center for Sports & Entertainment, a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing skills of youth by exposing and preparing them for diverse careers in the sports and entertainment industry.
Think Lowe is busy enough? She’s also a wife, mother and emerging entrepreneur, launching a line of products (such as maternity t-shirts) and endorsements that appeal to women of all ages.
Madame Noire: What is the most rewarding part of hosting Better?
Audra Lowe: When guests, tell me how comfortable I make them feel. It’s also rewarding knowing that, with our research, tips and guests, we may have helped someone with a part of their life. I get an overwhelming amount of viewer feedback that makes me realize that what we’re doing is effective, and is helping someone who needs a little motivation.
MN: You have been with Better since 2007. What do you still find exciting about your job?
AL: Had this been any other show, I may have been bored by now. But the fact is, no two days on our show are ever alike. Meeting celebrities isn’t what’s exciting to me. Meeting celebrities with substance is. Take actor, Tony Danza. I grew up watching him on TV and the other day, he sat down next to me in the makeup room and started chatting like we were old friends before our interview. In a matter of minutes, I realized just how intense and passionate he is about teaching and he didn’t want to talk about his TV career on the show as much as he wanted to focus on education. Taye Diggs—yes, he promoted his show but he was also so conversational, fun and engaging. We talked about being parents and he got so comfortable that we now call it “the Taye Diggs lean” on the couch!
MN: They used to say that an on-air career is shorter for women because people don’t like to see older female newscasters. Do you think this is changing?
AL: I wish I could say it is changing but personally, I think it’s either the same or—in some cases–getting worse. I wish executives would understand the value of “women over 30” and what they bring to the table.
Ask Felicia Joy: To Farm or Not to Farm?
Dear Felicia,
I am a 19-years-old business student. I recently inherited land from my grandfather and have decided to cultivate it and go into crop farming. I’m in the process of getting a low interest loan from an agricultural development bank, and am working on everything else such as labor, equipment, nursery and customers. My family has told me to seriously think about it because I am more of a girly-girl who likes nails, make up, dresses, fashion and modeling. They say it is not for me since it will be a lot of hard work, but I really want to do this. Do you think I should? I’d really appreciate your advice. Thanks.
Diamond J.
via Facebook
Dear Diamond,
I am so proud of you for being ready to take action and grow the value of your inherited land. So many people sell their inherited real estate and then blow through the money, squandering what a relative worked so hard to build and leave behind. Kudos to you for proactively pursuing wealth; you are one smart girl.
That said, a farming business? And you’re a girly-girl? You are brave for even considering that option!
To be a wise steward of your inheritance without becoming a frustrated business owner, think about these three steps:
1. Get some experience: Clearly you want to start a business. I’m not sure how you came up with the farming idea. From what you’ve shared with me it doesn’t seem like a natural fit, but only you know the answer. Before you start farming or any other business, write down a list of businesses you think you might be interested in. Research the market for those businesses and consider whether you want to start a business that will remain local or that has regional or global reach. Do you plan to live where you are now after graduation? In researching your business ideas, find out whether growth trends are flat or moving upward or downward. Using this information, narrow your list down to three businesses you might like to start and find internships in those areas. Commit to each internship for a minimum of three months. If you find you are really enjoying one of the internships, extend your time to six months so you can learn more.
2. Lease your land to someone else for another purpose until you figure out what you want to do: Perhaps one of the reasons you were eager to start farming is because you wanted to make good use of the land and generate income from it. You can still achieve that outcome. Earn income on the land by leasing it to someone else for farming or another purpose while you intern to decide what business you would like to pursue. Be sure to get an ironclad leasing contract in place. Know the eviction laws in advance just in case you have the unfortunate responsibility of removing and replacing a tenant who is not paying on time or at all. Also, charge the first month’s leasing fee up front.
3. Revisit starting a business after you have done your homework: After your three internships you will know which business you like best. Get help from one of your professors and use all the resources available to you on campus to write a plan for that business. During your time of learning and preparation you will have collected nine to 12 months of leasing fees. Save most of that money. This way, you will have a great new business to pursue, experience in that industry as a result of your internship, plus assets and money to pursue it.
Write to me at ask@feliciajoy.biz and let me know how it’s going. Good luck!
Felicia Joy is a nationally recognized entrepreneur who created $50 million in value for the various organizations and companies she served in corporate America before launching her business enterprise. She is often called on to discuss the ins and outs of entrepreneurial success and has appeared on CNN, FOX and in other national press. Felicia operates Ms. CEO Inc., a company that helps women entrepreneurs achieve more success, faster — as well as Joy Group International, LLC, a business development and consulting firm. Send her your questions at ask@feliciajoy.biz or www.twitter.com/feliciajoy.
Magic Johnson Says Selling Stakes in Lakers, Starbucks Made Sense
(LA Times) — Magic Johnson, who created a buzz this week by selling his minority stakes in the Lakers and Starbucks, said he did those deals because they were good business decisions. Johnson said Wednesday he will “look at every opportunity” in the future to become a majority owner of a sports team, but that he hasn’t joined forces with anybody yet. However, Johnson said he wants to play a role in bringing the NFL back to Los Angeles.
How to Build a Bootstrapping Culture
(Inc) — Ask an MBA how to start a business, and they’ll likely tell you to craft a business plan, pitch it to investors, secure a healthy dose of initial funding and start cranking the PR engine. But the reality is that most entrepreneurs just use homegrown ideas to take their start-ups to the next level — without much help from the venture capital circuit.
Bootstrapping, or the art of building a business with little or no money, is the most common way to start a company. Most are launched with $10,000 or less, according to a Wells Fargo/Gallup study. And some, such as Apple and Dell, became industry juggernauts, dominating their sectors and reaping billions of dollars in revenue — with $1,000 or less to start off with.
4 Things to Consider When Creating a Business Logo
(Mashable) — With all the noise on the web today, good branding is more important than ever. Even if your business is not a cutting edge tech startup, the overall identity of your face on the web, social media, and your storefront should be unified, clean, and compelling.
Entrepreneurs Starting Businesses During the Recession
(City Flight) — The five African Americans entrepreneurs featured in this story each started their business for different reasons, such as need resulting from losing a job, or family obligations that required a lot of their time. There is one theme that resonates throughout that drives them to succeed in running their businesses– they love the new-found freedom of being the boss. They love being creative, spontaneous and making their own business decisions. Also, they each seem to understand that it takes time before seeing a profit in their business, but because they are doing what they love, they know the money will follow.
Despite Recession, U.S. Entrepreneurial Activity Rises in 2009
(Market Wire) — Rather than making history for its deep recession and record unemployment, 2009 might instead be remembered as the year business startups reached their highest level in 14 years — even exceeding the number of startups during the peak 1999-2000 technology boom. According to the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, a leading indicator of new-business creation in the United States, the number of new businesses created during the 2007-2009 recession years increased steadily year to year. In 2009, the 340 out of 100,000 adults who started businesses each month represent a 4 percent increase over 2008, or 27,000 more starts per month than in 2008 and 60,000 more starts per month than in 2007.
