Kamau's Business Blog Page - The World's 1st Black and Minority Business Blog!
Friday, October 21, 2005
CD-ROM Helps Black Women Overcome Diabetes
Diabetes: Living My Best Life, an educational CD-ROM, combines a technology-based interface with culturally engaging content for African American women working to manage type 2 diabetes. Today there are 60,000 people in the District of Columbia with type 2 diabetes.
"The result of those tests after exercising was really rewarding. I could see the number right away, from that morning number to that number after exercising. So that's keeping me motivated," reports Faith, an African-American woman in her 50's with type 2 diabetes, who is featured in the Exercise section of the CD-ROM.
Type 2 diabetes has reached epidemic status among African-American women, with one in four African American women older than age 55 reported as having the disease. This rate is two times higher than in white American women.
In the last 12 years the percentage of African Americans with diabetes has doubled from 8.9% to 18.2%. African-American women are twice as likely as white women to be diagnosed with diabetes and once diagnosed African-American women are more likely to experience severe complications, such as kidney disease and blindness. Diabetes with its related complications is the fourth leading cause of death in the African-American community and the fifth leading cause nationwide.
There is no cure for diabetes. The progression of the disease is managed through medication and changes toward a healthier lifestyle. Lifestyle modifications, such as changes in diet, weight loss, and a low-impact exercise program, can significantly reduce the complications of type 2 diabetes. However, implementing these lifestyle changes and understanding appropriate health care and medication regimens can be a challenge.
According to Gretchen Youssef, Program Director of the MedStar Diabetes Institute, "There is a real shortage of diabetes educators and we need to look at many different ways to meet the needs of a vast number of patients with type 2 diabetes." Ms. Youssef, who is responsible for 30,000 patients in the Washington, D.C.-based MedStar Health System, continues, "Diabetes: Living My Best Life includes the psychosocial aspects of managing the disease and provides a cross-cultural bridge to better serve African-American women."
Most African-American women with type 2 diabetes report a sedentary lifestyle and a high-fat diet. To date few educational materials have targeted this vulnerable population. HealthMark Multimedia developed Diabetes: Living My Best Life to address this scarcity of training and educational materials for African-American women diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
"I do eat more fruits and vegetables now. I did not think I would like the different types of vegetables, until I tried flavoring them," claims Angel in her early 40's, who tells her story in the Food and Nutrition section.
About Diabetes: Living My Best Life
Diabetes: Living My Best Life uses the tradition of African-American storytelling to engage users in diabetes education and self-management planning. Four African-American women with type 2 diabetes share their experiences to provide a framework for understanding the real-life challenges of monitoring blood sugar levels, planning food and nutrition, increasing exercise and physical activity, and improving medical care.
Betty in her early 60's has used the techniques in this CD-ROM to manage her care through careful monitoring of her blood sugar levels. "I have been able to manage my blood sugar with exercise and eating properly."
Accompanying each story is in-depth educational content and interactive tools for skills practice in reading food labels, controlling portions, monitoring blood sugar, overcoming exercise barriers, and other essential tasks related to self-management. Computer simulations and learning activities enhance retention and encourage application through skill rehearsal and self-testing. Music, individual self-assessment and feedback help motivate and encourage users. Printable fact sheets and follow-up questions help implement personal goals and facilitate communication with health care providers, Tangie, in her early 50's, relates how she has learned to deal with her diabetic neuropathy, a disease of the nerve endings. "I met with specialists about various complications I have. It so happens that mine [neuropathy] is in my legs. It's caused me some serious problems."
Initial feedback from women in Washington, DC who have used the CD-ROM has been very positive, with measurably improved knowledge of the disease. A 78 year-old who has had diabetes for a number of years noted that she hadn't known that she was supposed to call the doctor when her blood sugar was 350 [mg/dl] or go to the hospital when it reached 500 [mg/dl]. A woman who had been diagnosed just a year ago stated that she learned a lot that she didnt know. Women also noted various ways that having the CD ROM enabled them to build awareness of diabetes in their family and community.
Diabetes: Living My Best Life is designed to be used by health professionals, diabetes educators, counselors, churches, and individuals with type 2 diabetes and their family caregivers. The institutional version that includes a CD-ROM for unlimited users and the instructor's guide, Diabetes: Living My Best Life: Guide for Diabetes Education, is now available at www.DiabetesBestLife.com
About HealthMark Multimedia
HealthMark Multimedia, LLC, a certified woman-owned business, combines graphics, audio, video, and text to develop award-winning interactive, user-friendly software and web sites for patient education, self-management, and decision making. HealthMark Multimedia uses an established network of medical experts, as well as patients and lay caregivers to review and test products for accuracy, relevance, and usefulness.
For further information about the company, its products, and licensing opportunities, contact HealthMark Multimedia: 1828 L Street, NW, #250, Washington, DC 20036; Telephone: 202-265-0033; Fax: 202-448-6188.
HealthMark Multimedia's homepage: HealthMark Multimedia
"The result of those tests after exercising was really rewarding. I could see the number right away, from that morning number to that number after exercising. So that's keeping me motivated," reports Faith, an African-American woman in her 50's with type 2 diabetes, who is featured in the Exercise section of the CD-ROM.
Type 2 diabetes has reached epidemic status among African-American women, with one in four African American women older than age 55 reported as having the disease. This rate is two times higher than in white American women.
In the last 12 years the percentage of African Americans with diabetes has doubled from 8.9% to 18.2%. African-American women are twice as likely as white women to be diagnosed with diabetes and once diagnosed African-American women are more likely to experience severe complications, such as kidney disease and blindness. Diabetes with its related complications is the fourth leading cause of death in the African-American community and the fifth leading cause nationwide.
There is no cure for diabetes. The progression of the disease is managed through medication and changes toward a healthier lifestyle. Lifestyle modifications, such as changes in diet, weight loss, and a low-impact exercise program, can significantly reduce the complications of type 2 diabetes. However, implementing these lifestyle changes and understanding appropriate health care and medication regimens can be a challenge.
According to Gretchen Youssef, Program Director of the MedStar Diabetes Institute, "There is a real shortage of diabetes educators and we need to look at many different ways to meet the needs of a vast number of patients with type 2 diabetes." Ms. Youssef, who is responsible for 30,000 patients in the Washington, D.C.-based MedStar Health System, continues, "Diabetes: Living My Best Life includes the psychosocial aspects of managing the disease and provides a cross-cultural bridge to better serve African-American women."
Most African-American women with type 2 diabetes report a sedentary lifestyle and a high-fat diet. To date few educational materials have targeted this vulnerable population. HealthMark Multimedia developed Diabetes: Living My Best Life to address this scarcity of training and educational materials for African-American women diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
"I do eat more fruits and vegetables now. I did not think I would like the different types of vegetables, until I tried flavoring them," claims Angel in her early 40's, who tells her story in the Food and Nutrition section.
About Diabetes: Living My Best Life
Diabetes: Living My Best Life uses the tradition of African-American storytelling to engage users in diabetes education and self-management planning. Four African-American women with type 2 diabetes share their experiences to provide a framework for understanding the real-life challenges of monitoring blood sugar levels, planning food and nutrition, increasing exercise and physical activity, and improving medical care.
Betty in her early 60's has used the techniques in this CD-ROM to manage her care through careful monitoring of her blood sugar levels. "I have been able to manage my blood sugar with exercise and eating properly."
Accompanying each story is in-depth educational content and interactive tools for skills practice in reading food labels, controlling portions, monitoring blood sugar, overcoming exercise barriers, and other essential tasks related to self-management. Computer simulations and learning activities enhance retention and encourage application through skill rehearsal and self-testing. Music, individual self-assessment and feedback help motivate and encourage users. Printable fact sheets and follow-up questions help implement personal goals and facilitate communication with health care providers, Tangie, in her early 50's, relates how she has learned to deal with her diabetic neuropathy, a disease of the nerve endings. "I met with specialists about various complications I have. It so happens that mine [neuropathy] is in my legs. It's caused me some serious problems."
Initial feedback from women in Washington, DC who have used the CD-ROM has been very positive, with measurably improved knowledge of the disease. A 78 year-old who has had diabetes for a number of years noted that she hadn't known that she was supposed to call the doctor when her blood sugar was 350 [mg/dl] or go to the hospital when it reached 500 [mg/dl]. A woman who had been diagnosed just a year ago stated that she learned a lot that she didnt know. Women also noted various ways that having the CD ROM enabled them to build awareness of diabetes in their family and community.
Diabetes: Living My Best Life is designed to be used by health professionals, diabetes educators, counselors, churches, and individuals with type 2 diabetes and their family caregivers. The institutional version that includes a CD-ROM for unlimited users and the instructor's guide, Diabetes: Living My Best Life: Guide for Diabetes Education, is now available at www.DiabetesBestLife.com
About HealthMark Multimedia
HealthMark Multimedia, LLC, a certified woman-owned business, combines graphics, audio, video, and text to develop award-winning interactive, user-friendly software and web sites for patient education, self-management, and decision making. HealthMark Multimedia uses an established network of medical experts, as well as patients and lay caregivers to review and test products for accuracy, relevance, and usefulness.
For further information about the company, its products, and licensing opportunities, contact HealthMark Multimedia: 1828 L Street, NW, #250, Washington, DC 20036; Telephone: 202-265-0033; Fax: 202-448-6188.
HealthMark Multimedia's homepage: HealthMark Multimedia
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Earth to Google -- Get Your Head Out of the Stratosphere
Earth to Google -- Get Your Head Out of the Stratosphere
Google, in route to becoming both the librarian and card catalog of all human knowledge is quickly expanding its reach beyond the information found on the Internet and World Wide Web. Google is also becoming more accessible on wireless devices like cell phones and PDAs (or what I call the cyber or digital ether).
Not long ago Google purchased a company called Keyhole, which gave them access to aerial maps of the world shot by satellites circling the Earth. The purpose of this service seemed to be similar to the wildly successful Yahoo! Map service.
However Google Earth, the outgrowth of buying Keyhole, is truly more like a map service on steroids.
With Google Earth, a service like Yahoo! Maps is truly elevated to the next level. Google Earth's tagline is -- a 3D interface to the planet.
In theory not only can you get a map and directions to drive to a location, you can even now see high resolution pictures of the streets and neighborhood of your destination.
You can even see areas around the world without getting on a plane.
Not a bad technology right? But lets take a closer look at this development.
Let me digress slightly and state some people who read my blogs and articles on a regular basis may think Google is the company I love to hate. Not really, I just want them to step off their high holy horse of Internet Iconomy.
I know Iconomy is not a word, but what better term to describe a major established Internet brand shot full of hubris. Google has many times been found to be one of the worlds strongest corporate brands by marketers who do this type of research.
But Google is a lot more than a major corporate brand. It has become an Internet Icon synonymous with search. The term googling is becoming a phrase used for searching the web on the search engines.
Moreover, just criticize Google, as I have been known to do on occasion, and see how much email you get from people who seem to take on the role of Google apologists.
Google has become a major Internet Iconic brand without major media advertising. In short, the major Internet surfing community at-large has elevated Google literally into the stratosphere on top of online search.
Since the Internet community, purported to be 1/4th of the worlds population, has built Google into an Iconic brand it has a vested interest in protecting the brand. Although we all either love or revere Google, can we afford to let it do whatever it wants?
Of course Google is a company with a bounty of capital. More impressive however is Google has even more intellectual capital. I guess for such a company a little hubris is to be expected.
However, at some point they have to come back to earth with their product Google Earth. Recently in India and also other so called third world countries they are asking that Google Earth not show high resolution satellite photographed images of their capitals.
Governments abroad are asking for privacy because they are afraid terrorists will get their hands on these aerial photos and plan attacks. I think this is a reasonable fear these foreign governments face. It is also reported that Google has backed away from providing photos of the US capital and government buildings.
The big companies and governments may be able to negotiate privacy from Google's peering eyes, but the rest of us seem like an after thought to Google's grand scheme of domination of the digital ether.
Earth to Google -- not just governments, but we regular people need some privacy protection too!
Can you imagine a stalker or criminal watching your house and observing your movements from a remote location for days in order to attack or rob you?
This is on the heals of Google providing autolink features to add links to webmasters pages, and image search which enables web searchers to rip-off webmasters copyrighted art files. Is it just me -- or is Google totally out of control?
Earth to Google -- get your head out of the stratosphere, and give us mere mortals down here on earth -- a hearing and a chance!
Privacy protection should not die on the altar of your lofty and ethereal goals for omni-info domination.
Google's plan seems to become the search engine of all human knowledge and information. It isn't their plan or end goal that is so questionable, but their means to achieve this goal is what is so threatening at times.
A prominent technologist once said "privacy is dead... get over it."
But Earth to Google -- even a regular guy like me knows if you erode privacy isn't freedom ultimately also the next causality?
Kamau Austin is publisher of www.eInfoNEWS.com and runs www.SearchEnginePlan.com. He is author of Always On Top "How to Get the Highest Search Engine ranking for your website. See more about his strategies at Always On Top
Google, in route to becoming both the librarian and card catalog of all human knowledge is quickly expanding its reach beyond the information found on the Internet and World Wide Web. Google is also becoming more accessible on wireless devices like cell phones and PDAs (or what I call the cyber or digital ether).
Not long ago Google purchased a company called Keyhole, which gave them access to aerial maps of the world shot by satellites circling the Earth. The purpose of this service seemed to be similar to the wildly successful Yahoo! Map service.
However Google Earth, the outgrowth of buying Keyhole, is truly more like a map service on steroids.
With Google Earth, a service like Yahoo! Maps is truly elevated to the next level. Google Earth's tagline is -- a 3D interface to the planet.
In theory not only can you get a map and directions to drive to a location, you can even now see high resolution pictures of the streets and neighborhood of your destination.
You can even see areas around the world without getting on a plane.
Not a bad technology right? But lets take a closer look at this development.
Let me digress slightly and state some people who read my blogs and articles on a regular basis may think Google is the company I love to hate. Not really, I just want them to step off their high holy horse of Internet Iconomy.
I know Iconomy is not a word, but what better term to describe a major established Internet brand shot full of hubris. Google has many times been found to be one of the worlds strongest corporate brands by marketers who do this type of research.
But Google is a lot more than a major corporate brand. It has become an Internet Icon synonymous with search. The term googling is becoming a phrase used for searching the web on the search engines.
Moreover, just criticize Google, as I have been known to do on occasion, and see how much email you get from people who seem to take on the role of Google apologists.
Google has become a major Internet Iconic brand without major media advertising. In short, the major Internet surfing community at-large has elevated Google literally into the stratosphere on top of online search.
Since the Internet community, purported to be 1/4th of the worlds population, has built Google into an Iconic brand it has a vested interest in protecting the brand. Although we all either love or revere Google, can we afford to let it do whatever it wants?
Of course Google is a company with a bounty of capital. More impressive however is Google has even more intellectual capital. I guess for such a company a little hubris is to be expected.
However, at some point they have to come back to earth with their product Google Earth. Recently in India and also other so called third world countries they are asking that Google Earth not show high resolution satellite photographed images of their capitals.
Governments abroad are asking for privacy because they are afraid terrorists will get their hands on these aerial photos and plan attacks. I think this is a reasonable fear these foreign governments face. It is also reported that Google has backed away from providing photos of the US capital and government buildings.
The big companies and governments may be able to negotiate privacy from Google's peering eyes, but the rest of us seem like an after thought to Google's grand scheme of domination of the digital ether.
Earth to Google -- not just governments, but we regular people need some privacy protection too!
Can you imagine a stalker or criminal watching your house and observing your movements from a remote location for days in order to attack or rob you?
This is on the heals of Google providing autolink features to add links to webmasters pages, and image search which enables web searchers to rip-off webmasters copyrighted art files. Is it just me -- or is Google totally out of control?
Earth to Google -- get your head out of the stratosphere, and give us mere mortals down here on earth -- a hearing and a chance!
Privacy protection should not die on the altar of your lofty and ethereal goals for omni-info domination.
Google's plan seems to become the search engine of all human knowledge and information. It isn't their plan or end goal that is so questionable, but their means to achieve this goal is what is so threatening at times.
A prominent technologist once said "privacy is dead... get over it."
But Earth to Google -- even a regular guy like me knows if you erode privacy isn't freedom ultimately also the next causality?
Kamau Austin is publisher of www.eInfoNEWS.com and runs www.SearchEnginePlan.com. He is author of Always On Top "How to Get the Highest Search Engine ranking for your website. See more about his strategies at Always On Top
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Women Of Color Tech Conference Attracts 100+ National Recruiters
Free Career Fair Boasts Fortune 500 Corporations Seeking Women of Color
Atlanta, GA (BlackNews.com) - The National Women of Color Technology Awards Conference celebrates its 10th Anniversary at the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel in Atlanta, October 20 - 22, 2005.
Along with a free Career Fair featuring over 100 leading corporations exclusively seeking women, the increasingly popular conference offers a variety of networking events, workshops, and seminars including: Managing a Team When You're the Only Woman, Mission Possible: Balance for the Superwoman, and The Corporate Game - Three Rules for Winning hosted by Sun Microsystems.
The Boeing Company, Daimler Chrysler, General Motors, Gulfstream Aerospace, IBM, Lockheed Martin, MITRE Corporation, Raytheon and Wal-Mart are just a few of this year's sponsors.
Founded and produced by Career Communications Group, Inc. (CCG), publishers of Women of Color (technology) magazine, Hispanic Engineer & IT magazine, Science Spectrum magazine and US Black Engineer & IT magazine, the conference addresses the under representation of minority women in technology and the many areas of business where technology is making a tremendous impact.
"The gap is clear," says Dr. Tyrone D. Taborn, CCG's chairman and CEO. "In engineering schools women are only 15 percent of the student body. Women receive fewer than 29 percent of the bachelors degrees in computer science and only about 11 percent of all engineers are women. The National Women of Color Technology Awards Conference recognizes some of America's most distinguished technologists and business leaders, while offering encouragement and opportunities to those seeking careers in the field."
The Technology Recognition Luncheon honoring both veterans and rising stars on Friday, October 21st, Power Breakfast on Saturday, October 22nd and Career Fair featuring corporations, government agencies and educational institutions on Saturday, 10am to 4pm, are just three of this year's special 10th Anniversary highlights. The conference's signature event, the Women of Color Technology Awards Gala, takes place Saturday evening.
According to Taborn, "The most significant career barrier for women in Corporate America today is the lack of role models of the same racial/ethnic group and not having influential mentors. This is the value this conference aims to provide."
For more information and a complete list of the 2005 Women of Color awardees and sponsors, visit Women of Color or call 410-244-7101.
Atlanta, GA (BlackNews.com) - The National Women of Color Technology Awards Conference celebrates its 10th Anniversary at the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel in Atlanta, October 20 - 22, 2005.
Along with a free Career Fair featuring over 100 leading corporations exclusively seeking women, the increasingly popular conference offers a variety of networking events, workshops, and seminars including: Managing a Team When You're the Only Woman, Mission Possible: Balance for the Superwoman, and The Corporate Game - Three Rules for Winning hosted by Sun Microsystems.
The Boeing Company, Daimler Chrysler, General Motors, Gulfstream Aerospace, IBM, Lockheed Martin, MITRE Corporation, Raytheon and Wal-Mart are just a few of this year's sponsors.
Founded and produced by Career Communications Group, Inc. (CCG), publishers of Women of Color (technology) magazine, Hispanic Engineer & IT magazine, Science Spectrum magazine and US Black Engineer & IT magazine, the conference addresses the under representation of minority women in technology and the many areas of business where technology is making a tremendous impact.
"The gap is clear," says Dr. Tyrone D. Taborn, CCG's chairman and CEO. "In engineering schools women are only 15 percent of the student body. Women receive fewer than 29 percent of the bachelors degrees in computer science and only about 11 percent of all engineers are women. The National Women of Color Technology Awards Conference recognizes some of America's most distinguished technologists and business leaders, while offering encouragement and opportunities to those seeking careers in the field."
The Technology Recognition Luncheon honoring both veterans and rising stars on Friday, October 21st, Power Breakfast on Saturday, October 22nd and Career Fair featuring corporations, government agencies and educational institutions on Saturday, 10am to 4pm, are just three of this year's special 10th Anniversary highlights. The conference's signature event, the Women of Color Technology Awards Gala, takes place Saturday evening.
According to Taborn, "The most significant career barrier for women in Corporate America today is the lack of role models of the same racial/ethnic group and not having influential mentors. This is the value this conference aims to provide."
For more information and a complete list of the 2005 Women of Color awardees and sponsors, visit Women of Color or call 410-244-7101.
Union Bank of California Increases Commitment To African American Community
Los Angeles, CA (BlackNews.com) - Union Bank of California (UBOC) recently held a special reception, focusing on wealth building in the African American community.The event celebrated the banks attention to diversity as well as it's philosophy to build and preserve wealth in the African American community, a continuing tradition at UBOC.
Harold Lewis, senior vice president, Private Banking, Union Bank of California stated, "Our bank is working hard to build and preserve wealth in the black community. We are at the threshold of our second ten-year community reinvestment act commitment and have increased our level of community reinvestment to 6.5 percent of our assetsone of the highest levels among all banks in the country. I am very proud to say that this is entirely in character for us."
Johnathan Rodgers, president and CEO of TV One, served as the reception's guest speaker. Other attendees included celebrities, professionals and elected officials.
About Union Bank of California
Based in San Francisco, UnionBanCal Corporation is a bank holding company with assets of $48.1 billion at December 31, 2004. It's primary subsidiary, Union Bank of California, N.A., had 315 banking offices in California, Oregon and Washington, and 21 international facilities, at December 31, 2004. The company's web site is located Here
Harold Lewis, senior vice president, Private Banking, Union Bank of California stated, "Our bank is working hard to build and preserve wealth in the black community. We are at the threshold of our second ten-year community reinvestment act commitment and have increased our level of community reinvestment to 6.5 percent of our assetsone of the highest levels among all banks in the country. I am very proud to say that this is entirely in character for us."
Johnathan Rodgers, president and CEO of TV One, served as the reception's guest speaker. Other attendees included celebrities, professionals and elected officials.
About Union Bank of California
Based in San Francisco, UnionBanCal Corporation is a bank holding company with assets of $48.1 billion at December 31, 2004. It's primary subsidiary, Union Bank of California, N.A., had 315 banking offices in California, Oregon and Washington, and 21 international facilities, at December 31, 2004. The company's web site is located Here
6 Steps to Attracting Black Customers Online
SUMMARY: You've built your Web site, now what? Still stumped on how to get more Web sales for your Afrocentric merchandise, African-American themed gifts, or services for the Black community? Check out these six steps to boost your Web traffic and get MORE SALES!
ARTICLE BODY:
6 STEPS TO ATTRACTING BLACK CUSTOMERS ONLINE
by Jamila White, "The E-Commerce Diva"
In the rush to keep up with technology, many African-American business owners are so busy trying to add the latest bells and whistles to their Web sites, get to the top of the search engines, and learn the latest database technology that they often forget this simple fact: people do business with other *people*, not computers. Understanding the importance of relationships is key to attracting African-American buyers online. Here are a few practical tips to getting Black customers to buy more
from your Website.
Step 1: Make a personal connection... put a face on it.
Adding photos of realistic-looking people to your Web site will
increase your sales. Photos jump out from a page, so even if someone just skims over the words, the photo will create a lasting impression. If you don't have photos of your actual employees or customers, use stock
photography.
Here are a few of my favorite sources for photos:
o FotoSearch: http://www.fotosearch.com
o Getty: http://www.gettyimages.com
o Corbis: http://www.corbis.com
Royalty-free images start at around $19-35 per image and are much less expensive than rights-managed images. If you have a bigger budget, you can purchase CDs with entire collections of African American stock photographs and illustrations.
Step 2: Establish trust.
When you walk into an establishment, you usually can tell right away if you feel comfortable doing business there. You can see if the place is clean and well maintained, brightly lit, and whether someone friendly is available to greet and help you. On the Internet, your Web site has to do all the talking and all the handholding. If this is a potential customer's first
visit to your Web site, they may be uncertain if you're a legitimate business and if they can trust you.
There are a number of ways to alleviate these fears and give your
customers peace of mind. First, provide full contact information -- including a telephone number -- on your Web site. Second, show a picture of your location and employees, if applicable. Third, if you are a member of any professional organizations, such as the Better Business Bureau and/or professional trade organizations, this is a great time to display your membership logos. Most importantly, display quotes and testimonials for your current happy customers to show how what great quality
products and service your company provides.
Step 3: Use the "word of mouth" network.
From the griots of Africa to barbershops and hair salons to the chat rooms on BlackPlanet.com, at the center of African American culture is the oral tradition. Use this ready-made network to your advantage, and give people the tools to tell their friends and colleagues about your products. A greatway to do this is with an instant "Tell a Friend"
button on your Web site. Constant Contact (see Step #6) includes this service as part of it's
e-newsletter management program.
Step 4: Network with other Black Web sites.
One way to jump-start the flow of traffic to your Web site is by
recruiting customers from other high-traffic sites. You can buy ad space on a well-trafficked site that also attracts a high percentage of your target market. A cheaper alternative is to swap ads with a business that offers products or service that complement, but don't compete with, your own offering. For example, if you offer Web site design, look for
someone who offers Web site hosting or network services. This strategy can work both with ads on a Web site, but don't overlook swapping ads in each business' promotional e-mail newsletter. (NOTE: Do *not* swap customer databases or lists of email addresses unless you have specific permission from your customers to do so.)
Step 5: Give your customers a reason to act now.
How many times have you visited a Web site and thought to yourself:
"What a great product! I'd like to buy it, but I think I'll come back later." Did you actually go back and buy it? Perhaps not. Help your customers make their decision today: make them an offer they can't refuse. For example, use promotions like "limited time only", "this week only", "act today and take $10 off," etc.
Step 6: Keep in touch.
Remember, it's about relationships. Did you know that customers who buy online usually do so on the fourth to eighth visit to your Web site, and not the first visit? So you’ll need to come up with a strategy to get them back to your Web site a second, third, and fourth time. The easiest, simplest, and cheapest method, hands down, is an e-mail list. It isn't enough just to
collect e-mail addresses on your Web site and at your vending events -- you have to actually *write* and *send* messages to the list! Strive to get your newsletter out at least twice a month, but if you're just getting started, do quarterly, then build up to monthly, and then build up to every other week.
Here are a few e-mail list services I like:
o Aweber: http://www.aweber.com/?203887
o Constant Contact: http://www.roving.com
o YahooGroups (free): http://www.yahoogroups.com
Essentially, what successful online marketing boils down to, regardless of ethnicity, is relationships, relationships, relationships. Find meaningfulways to connect with your customers, and they will not only reward you with
their loyalty, but they’ll be happy to spread the word about your Web site as well.
© Copyright 2004 Jamila White. All rights reserved.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jamila White, “The E-Commerce Diva”, is an Internet Strategist, Web
Designer, and E-Commerce instructor in the Washington D.C. area. For a FREE subscription to her "Sell More Online" e-newsletter, go to eCommerce Diva.
ARTICLE BODY:
6 STEPS TO ATTRACTING BLACK CUSTOMERS ONLINE
by Jamila White, "The E-Commerce Diva"
In the rush to keep up with technology, many African-American business owners are so busy trying to add the latest bells and whistles to their Web sites, get to the top of the search engines, and learn the latest database technology that they often forget this simple fact: people do business with other *people*, not computers. Understanding the importance of relationships is key to attracting African-American buyers online. Here are a few practical tips to getting Black customers to buy more
from your Website.
Step 1: Make a personal connection... put a face on it.
Adding photos of realistic-looking people to your Web site will
increase your sales. Photos jump out from a page, so even if someone just skims over the words, the photo will create a lasting impression. If you don't have photos of your actual employees or customers, use stock
photography.
Here are a few of my favorite sources for photos:
o FotoSearch: http://www.fotosearch.com
o Getty: http://www.gettyimages.com
o Corbis: http://www.corbis.com
Royalty-free images start at around $19-35 per image and are much less expensive than rights-managed images. If you have a bigger budget, you can purchase CDs with entire collections of African American stock photographs and illustrations.
Step 2: Establish trust.
When you walk into an establishment, you usually can tell right away if you feel comfortable doing business there. You can see if the place is clean and well maintained, brightly lit, and whether someone friendly is available to greet and help you. On the Internet, your Web site has to do all the talking and all the handholding. If this is a potential customer's first
visit to your Web site, they may be uncertain if you're a legitimate business and if they can trust you.
There are a number of ways to alleviate these fears and give your
customers peace of mind. First, provide full contact information -- including a telephone number -- on your Web site. Second, show a picture of your location and employees, if applicable. Third, if you are a member of any professional organizations, such as the Better Business Bureau and/or professional trade organizations, this is a great time to display your membership logos. Most importantly, display quotes and testimonials for your current happy customers to show how what great quality
products and service your company provides.
Step 3: Use the "word of mouth" network.
From the griots of Africa to barbershops and hair salons to the chat rooms on BlackPlanet.com, at the center of African American culture is the oral tradition. Use this ready-made network to your advantage, and give people the tools to tell their friends and colleagues about your products. A greatway to do this is with an instant "Tell a Friend"
button on your Web site. Constant Contact (see Step #6) includes this service as part of it's
e-newsletter management program.
Step 4: Network with other Black Web sites.
One way to jump-start the flow of traffic to your Web site is by
recruiting customers from other high-traffic sites. You can buy ad space on a well-trafficked site that also attracts a high percentage of your target market. A cheaper alternative is to swap ads with a business that offers products or service that complement, but don't compete with, your own offering. For example, if you offer Web site design, look for
someone who offers Web site hosting or network services. This strategy can work both with ads on a Web site, but don't overlook swapping ads in each business' promotional e-mail newsletter. (NOTE: Do *not* swap customer databases or lists of email addresses unless you have specific permission from your customers to do so.)
Step 5: Give your customers a reason to act now.
How many times have you visited a Web site and thought to yourself:
"What a great product! I'd like to buy it, but I think I'll come back later." Did you actually go back and buy it? Perhaps not. Help your customers make their decision today: make them an offer they can't refuse. For example, use promotions like "limited time only", "this week only", "act today and take $10 off," etc.
Step 6: Keep in touch.
Remember, it's about relationships. Did you know that customers who buy online usually do so on the fourth to eighth visit to your Web site, and not the first visit? So you’ll need to come up with a strategy to get them back to your Web site a second, third, and fourth time. The easiest, simplest, and cheapest method, hands down, is an e-mail list. It isn't enough just to
collect e-mail addresses on your Web site and at your vending events -- you have to actually *write* and *send* messages to the list! Strive to get your newsletter out at least twice a month, but if you're just getting started, do quarterly, then build up to monthly, and then build up to every other week.
Here are a few e-mail list services I like:
o Aweber: http://www.aweber.com/?203887
o Constant Contact: http://www.roving.com
o YahooGroups (free): http://www.yahoogroups.com
Essentially, what successful online marketing boils down to, regardless of ethnicity, is relationships, relationships, relationships. Find meaningfulways to connect with your customers, and they will not only reward you with
their loyalty, but they’ll be happy to spread the word about your Web site as well.
© Copyright 2004 Jamila White. All rights reserved.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jamila White, “The E-Commerce Diva”, is an Internet Strategist, Web
Designer, and E-Commerce instructor in the Washington D.C. area. For a FREE subscription to her "Sell More Online" e-newsletter, go to eCommerce Diva.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Urban League of Philadelphia & Microsoft Seeking Youth Interested in Technology
From: "Aprille Ericsson, Ph.D."
The Making the Business: Youth IT Challenge is designed to engage minority high school students in the development of an original business idea, which leverages technology as its base. The program teaches students about entrepreneurship, the fundamentals of writing a business plan and the importance of technology, to starting, growing and sustaining a business.
At the end of the program, students from each city participate in a local business plan competition for the chance to travel to the national competition where they will compete against students from Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, New York, Seattle, St. Paul and Washington, DC. The winners are awarded a variety of prizes including hardware, software, and savings bonds.
The specific goals for the Youth IT Challenge (YITC) are as follows:
-- Increase technology awareness and excitement among minority youth in target cities.
-- Provide minority youth with usable skills in idea generation,
written and verbal communications, analysis, and budgeting and plan development.
-- Provide minority-owned businesses tangible examples of how
technology can fuel business creation.
January 2006 will be the start of next year's program and recruitment has already begun! The Urban League would love to see area students participate in this exciting program and hopefully go on to represent Phily at the 2006 National Competition in Atlanta, GA. The Urban League
of Philadelphia needs your help to make this happen.
They are looking for all minority high school students living in the Philly Metro area between the ages of 14-18, with a 2.5 or higher GPA, who are interested in honing their technology skills and entrepreneurial abilities.
Info:
David Bounds, dbounds@urbanleaguephila.org
or (215) 561-6070, x208
Youth Challenge
The Making the Business: Youth IT Challenge is designed to engage minority high school students in the development of an original business idea, which leverages technology as its base. The program teaches students about entrepreneurship, the fundamentals of writing a business plan and the importance of technology, to starting, growing and sustaining a business.
At the end of the program, students from each city participate in a local business plan competition for the chance to travel to the national competition where they will compete against students from Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, New York, Seattle, St. Paul and Washington, DC. The winners are awarded a variety of prizes including hardware, software, and savings bonds.
The specific goals for the Youth IT Challenge (YITC) are as follows:
-- Increase technology awareness and excitement among minority youth in target cities.
-- Provide minority youth with usable skills in idea generation,
written and verbal communications, analysis, and budgeting and plan development.
-- Provide minority-owned businesses tangible examples of how
technology can fuel business creation.
January 2006 will be the start of next year's program and recruitment has already begun! The Urban League would love to see area students participate in this exciting program and hopefully go on to represent Phily at the 2006 National Competition in Atlanta, GA. The Urban League
of Philadelphia needs your help to make this happen.
They are looking for all minority high school students living in the Philly Metro area between the ages of 14-18, with a 2.5 or higher GPA, who are interested in honing their technology skills and entrepreneurial abilities.
Info:
David Bounds, dbounds@urbanleaguephila.org
or (215) 561-6070, x208
Youth Challenge
Magazine Publishers of America Fellowship Grants
MPA to award grants, fellowships to boost diversity among magazines (October 17, 2005) Magazine Publishers of America (MPA) has created the MPA Foundation Award Program to increase recruitment and retention of professionals of color in the magazine industry, it was announced today by Nina Link, President & CEO, MPA, during her presidential address at the American Magazine Conference.
Grants and fellowships, which will begin to be awarded in 2006, will be determined by a selection committee comprised of members of MPAs Human Resources Advisory Council.The goals of our diversity efforts are to continue attracting, hiring and retaining the best industry talent, said Link. By doing so, magazines will better reflect the multicultural face of American readership.
Story continued at ...
Target Market News
Courtesy City Lights Reporter
Grants and fellowships, which will begin to be awarded in 2006, will be determined by a selection committee comprised of members of MPAs Human Resources Advisory Council.The goals of our diversity efforts are to continue attracting, hiring and retaining the best industry talent, said Link. By doing so, magazines will better reflect the multicultural face of American readership.
Story continued at ...
Target Market News
Courtesy City Lights Reporter
