It seems that the entrepreneurial spirit is reaching new highs as boosted by a rough economy and uncertain employment circumstances for a majority of Americans. Moonlighting has resurged as a way to provide some insulation from insecurity while also allowing would-be-CEOs and freelancers to test the waters while still employed during the day. This article from Tech Cocktail provides some resources that will assist you in simplifying the virtual worker or independent contractor process so that you can focus more on making connections that make money.

The Atlanta Post recounts the history of diversity in toys from Black Barbies and Cabbage Patch Kids to Disney’s first black princess and some recent black action figures. These five companies are well worth considering for kids and collectors alike.

As VentureWire reports today, Hammer, whose real name is Stanley Burrell, is lending advice to minority entrepreneurs in the New Media Entrepreneurship, or NewMe, accelerator program in Silicon Valley this summer. Starting June 16, seven minority-led start-ups from across the country will live in a rented house in Mountain View, Calif., and can work there or in a shared space in San Francisco. Additional Bay Area start-ups will also be invited to participate, but will not live in the house.

Hammer is still turning the mother out and remains too legit to quit.

Related articles

• MC Hammer To Minority Entrepreneurs: “Let’s Get It Started” (blogs.wsj.com)

Three hundred million annually with 600 employees ain’t a bad business model. What’s even more impressive is that the number one and two minority owned firm are run by Hispanic leadership and both have over one billion dollars in sales. Hustletown readers, what are we waiting for?

Read more at eurweb.com.

China is an ever-growing market place and western companies are flocking there to take advantage of the opportunities that are still in their infancy when it comes to this new economic frontier. For the enterprising African American who isn’t afraid of significant cultural differences and willing to adapt to the language and cultural challenges of living in one of the world’s oldest civilizations, China entrepreneurship (or other foreign locations) could be just the opportunity you’ve been looking for. Read more at The Atlanta Post.

Lynia White

BlackBookReview.com is a new service that may benefit the author in your life. The brainchild of Lynia White, founder of The Quality Corner bookstore, the book review service offers “comprehensive and promotional reviews” for books written by African American authors, or intended for an African American audience.

“The primary goal of my book review service is to help authors become more successful and sell more books,” White says. “In this competitive industry, it is very important for authors to get as many reviews as possible – as they can be very effective in generating book sales.”

Hustletown readers: See the full release here. If you are a published author, tell us about your work!

According to the Associated Press, over half of the 15,000 people hired by Caterpillar Inc. this year were outside of the U.S. UPS is also hiring more overseas candidates. International sales are growing at double the rate of the domestic market for these two companies.

Unemployment in the United States for November rose slightly to 9.8%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Yet companies are still performing in the black: All but 4 percent of the top 500 U.S. corporations reported profits this year, and the stock market is nearing its highest point since the financial meltdown two years ago.

“Companies will go where there are fast-growing markets and big profits,” says Jeffrey Sachs, globalization expert and economist at Columbia University. “What’s changed is that companies today are getting top talent in emerging economies, and the U.S. has to really watch out.”

Read the full story here.

Hustletown readers, we all know that as more companies leave the US for greener pastures, employment opportunities left behind for the working class will grow increasingly lean. 2011 is your year to take the guesswork out of this equation–join a network of committed entrepreneurs and build toward your future success!

Comcast

The preemptive move was initiated in an attempt to alleviate political concerns over the merger,  which will be filed Friday with the Federal Communications Commission. In the memo, Comcast makes bold commitments to diversity, including a $20 million venture capital fund “intended to expand opportunities for minority entrepreneurs in the development of new digital media applications.”

Current networks Comcast carries include BET, Centric, the Gospel Music Channel and TV One. If the merger passes uncontested through the FCC, this proposal–along with similar agreements reached with Hispanic and Asian American  leaders–may provide immense opportunities for minority viewership.

Will the programming born from the Comcast NBCU merger prove to be as dynamic as the memorandum would lead us to believe?

Hustletown readers, weigh in with your thoughts!

According to the survey, 8% of online adults use Twitter. Seventy-four percent of American adults are internet users, which means that 6% of the entire adult population is tweeting–a percentage that will certainly grow. Other notable trends include:

• Young adults: Internet users ages 18-29 are significantly more likely to use Twitter than are older adults.
• African-Americans and Latinos: Minority internet users are more than twice as likely to use Twitter as are white internet users.
• Urbanites: Urban residents are roughly twice as likely to use Twitter as rural dwellers.

If you have been balking at Twitter, these statistics provide encouraging data for giving your business marketing strategy a new outlet. Yet it is important not to become too reliant on social media as a means of reaching customers. Read the full report here.

Hustletown readers: Has Tweeting been a help or a hindrance to your business? Leave your feedback below!