Black Enterprise sponsors business plan contest for girls

(Atlanta, GA) IN THE LOOP Program of Success in association with Blu Topaz, Inc. - Educational Consulting with support from Black Enterprise Magazine presents another installment of Girls Interested in Real Life Situations (GIRLS) Empowerment Seminar. This seminar will focus on Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship and will be held on Saturday, February 5, 2005.

Past seminars have focused on empowerment and the arts. Lori Wilson of CBS 46 was the keynote speaker for the inaugural seminar and talked about not being afraid. Alexandra Payne, Miss Talented Pre-Teen of Georgia, who introduced Ms Wilson said, "It was interesting to hear how she got started in television and know that there are ways to get involved as a teen."

The goal is to expose girls to available resources and help them create and maintain a positive self-image. The seminar includes a light breakfast, opening and closing sessions, lunch, and workshops that focus on business development, financial literacy, business planning, marketing/pr and entrepreneurship vs. small business.

In addition, there will be a business plan contest for seminar participants ages 9 - 17. The grand prize is a free registration for one girl and one adult to attend the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurship Conference in Dallas, TX on May 18-22, 2005. Black Enterprise has generously come aboard to sponsor the grand prize. Established girl business owners, new girl business owners or girls who just have a great idea for a business are encouraged to compete. The business plan competition is free to enter and to request an information packet, email info@intheloopprogram.com.

Registration for the seminar is $25 per girl and there is a 2 for 1 special during early registration. Early registration is December 1 - January 7. Information about registration can be obtained by contacting 404.508.4612 or girls@intheloopprogram.com.

  ¶ 12/14/2004 06:59:00 PM

 

The Power of Choice: Diversity Businesses Vote on Top Corporations

Southport, CT, Dec 09, 2004/ DiversityBusiness.com / Bank of America was today declared the Top Corporation for Multicultural Business Opportunities of 2004 by over 350,000 diversity business owners. The honor extends to another forty-nine major corporations and is collectively called the Div50. The 5th annual list was produced by DiversityBusiness.com, the nation's leading multicultural B2B online portal. The voting business owners based their decisions on such factors as the volume, consistency and quality of business opportunities granted to women and minority-owned companies. Other large companies at the top of the list are Lockheed Martin, OfficeMax, Dell, BellSouth, General Motors and IBM.

Top Honors for Top Corporations

While other awards and top lists crown companies for overall economic growth, returns to shareholders and similar metrics, the Div50 is an indicator of which organizations provide the best and the most business for diversity-owned companies. In a marketplace that is increasingly as sensitive to diversity as it is to revenues, recognizing the top buyers of multicultural products and services is becoming a natural part of the new socioeconomic food chain. Those organizations that buy the most products and services, most consistently, from diversity businesses, and that sustain the most mutually beneficial business relationships with their multicultural suppliers, should be recognized not only by the suppliers but also by the general public, said Kenton Clarke, CEO of DiversityBusiness.com.

The Business Power of Diversity

As minorities gain more buying power and their lifestyles become more affluent, multicultural markets are growing in economic muscle. This in turn attracts more corporations, as they compete for market share in minority communities. The Div50 list has become, by virtue of association, a consumer guide of sorts for women and minority consumers. As a diversity business owner, I appreciate the business we receive from corporate buyers; and in turn, when I buy products and services, either as a company or as a private individual, I am much more likely to buy from the same companies that are supporting my business, or that I know are supporting businesses like mine, said Nancy Connolly, owner of Lasertone Corporation headquartered in Littleton, MA.

The list is circulated to over 1,000 organizations that distribute it to their members and associates; it thus reaches millions of consumers every year. In 5 short years, it has become a highly valued metric of corporate excellence in the diversity procurement space.

The Div50

The Div50 is a listing of the top 50 corporate and organizational buyers of diversity products and services throughout the country. It represents the voices of over 350,000 diversity-owned (women, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Native Indian and other minority groups) businesses in the U.S., in sectors such as technology, manufacturing, food service and professional services. The Div50 is produced annually by DiversityBusiness.com, the nation's leading multicultural B2B Internet portal that links large organizational buyers to multicultural product and service suppliers.

Over 350,000 women and minority owned businesses had the opportunity to vote in the 2004 online election. The winning companies will be honored at a special awards ceremony at DiversityBusiness.com's 5th Annual Multicultural Business Conference, taking place March 30 to April 1, 2005 at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.

A complete list of the winners is available at: Diversity Business.

About DiversityBusiness.com

Launched in 1999, DiversityBusiness.com with over 27,000 members is the largest organization of diversity-owned businesses throughout the United States that provide goods and services to Fortune 1000 companies, government agencies and colleges and universities. The site has gained national recognition and has won numerous awards for its content and design. It is a membership-based exchange platform that facilitates contacts and communication, streamlines business processes and provides vital business news and information. DiversityBusiness.com is produced by Computer Consulting Associates International Inc. (CCAii.com) of Southport, CT. Founded in 1980, CCAii has garnered many awards by entities such as the Small Business Administration, Ernst & Young and Black Enterprise Magazine.

  ¶ 12/13/2004 07:00:00 PM

 

Google Suggestion Tool is Dynamic but Will Change Keyword Research

Google recently released its beta of a new search tool. When you type something into a search box it creates a drop down list of alternate keywords and the number of sites with relevant information to the keyword phrase. I tested the feature on Google and found it very helpful although not totally ready for prime time.

While this is a great feature it throws a whole new dynamic into the mix of search engine marketing. Before now you did keyword research on how users search the web. Now Google will be making suggestions to users on how they might search the web. Therefore, if you target your SEO towards a niche market that you have done keyword research on, you now have to do your keyword research on an ongoing basis (keeping in view the Google keyword suggestion box).

If you do a good deal of your keyword research based on the Overture site suggestion tool, you will now have to realize the searches on Google will be different from other search engines. This will be the case because search with Google will no longer be driven by the SE user but also Google's Suggestion Tool. This is a very important development that I will keep my eyes on.

If you need help on your search engine marketing visit: Search Engine Plan  ¶ 12/13/2004 12:22:00 PM