DanteLee.com Blog: Black Enterprise Accepting Nominations For 2010 Small Business Awards.

Dante Lee has posted an update on a special awards luncheon hosted by Black Enterprise to provide recognition to African American Entrepreneurs. Award entries are due by March 16, 2010 for an awards luncheon in Atlanta on May 17, 2010.

There are several award categories and nominees will receive highly visible exposure on the internet site and in the print magazine. The revenue requirements may seem high for some small business entrepreneurs but it’s well worth checking out and not beyond the reach of those who are really serious about getting their hustle on.

1stFriday.com, Inc.

“We believe that African Americans have unique social and professional information needs – our issues and problems are very area-specific. Connections is the only social and professional networking platform that serves the needs of African Americans at the local level,” said 1stFriday.com CEO Jay Ward.

Connections boasts Geo Social networking tools

Connections is open to everyone, regardless of whether their city hosts an active 1st Friday chapter. According to 1st Friday.com there are now 29 U.S. cities with First Fridays chapters, where African Americans gather to connect. A Connections profile will allow visitors to search for other African Americans with similar personal or professional goals, join groups, or send and receive messages from other Connections members.

“The more people who join and use the Connections network, the more useful it will become for the Black community. That’s our goal,” said Ward.

Hustletown readers: Is Connections poised to become the new Blackplanet.com? If you use this site or plan to, tell us about your experience below!

Here’s an excerpt from the Blogging While Brown website about the 2010 conference in Washington, DC: Planning is underway for the 2010 Blogging While Brown Conference. Blogging While Brown (www.bloggingwhilebrown.com) is scheduled for June 18-19, 2010 in Washington, D.C.:

Blogging While Brown promotes intellectual, social, and cultural development of the blogging community by bringing bloggers of color together in one location.  The purpose of the conference is to facilitate conversations that lead to collaboration and innovation among bloggers of color. Last year’s conference was held in Chicago and was attended by activists, entrepreneurs, journalists and others interested in expanding  digital media content creation and distribution among people of color.

After having attended an African American Internet Marketing Conference in Chicago last year, I’m seriously considering attending the BWB conference as the participants and presenters are better aligned with my interests and niche. Hustletown readers who are involved with social media should consider attending and registering early while the price is still $99. Are you going?
Blogging While Brown 2010 – June 18-19, 2010 – Washington, DC REGISTER TODAY!.

Black is the New Green: Marketing to Afluent African Americans

According to the authors, the total number of affluent ethnic households in the United States in now estimated at over 1.3 million, the buying power of affluent African Americans (referred to as AAA’s in this book) is currently $87.3 billion. This massive buying power is expected to reach more than $1.1 trillion by 2012 – just three short years for a cumulative growth of 28.4 percent.

Hoffman and Burnett stress that the affluent African American market has been underappreciated and overlooked. They also reason that with a sitting African American president—the time is now to tap into this market and to embrace a constituency that will have a lasting effect on your bottom line.

Hustletown readers, is your business in position to grow from this suggested trend? Let us know your thoughts in our comments section below!

Black History Month

Entrepreneur Wayne Sutton’s inspiring project is bound to ensure that Black contributions continue to be recognized, through 28 Days of Diversity.

Sutton’s goal is to highlight people of color who are impacting the social web. “As someone in the technology/web/social space, I often travel and attend various events in the industry and notice a huge lack of diversity,” he says at SocialWayne.com. “When it comes to getting attention from mainstream media/tech blogs it’s almost impossible.”

Thus far the 28 Days of Diversity has featured the CEO of Black Web Media, a Stanford-bred tech entrepreneur, and a filmmaker/best-selling author.

Diversity on the web is strong in 2010–and February is just getting warmed up! Check out SocialWayne.com for a daily dose of inspiration.

Visitors to the site will find an extensive directory of well-known TV favorites from past and present, including: the Dave Chappelle Show, Sanford & Son, Tavis Smiley, Boondocks, Tyra Banks and the Jefferson’s, as well as a slate of original programming options ranging from BTV Production’s own, The Best of Black TV247, hosted by current Miss Arizona USA, Brittany Bell, to The Trial Of Huey Newton, a documentary featuring exclusive, never before broadcast footage from the Black Panther Party archives.

BlackTV247.com’s programming is sourced from a broad spectrum of content providers, over multiple categories such as comedy, business, politics and faith. There is no charge to view content according to BlackTV247 founders.

“BlackTV247.com is positioned to be the go to online destination for fans of Black-inspired programming,” said Cecil Cox, co-founder and president. He is also an Emmy-nominated producer and former senior executive of Mundy Lane Entertainment, Denzel Washington’s production company. “Internet viewing is an increasingly more popular entertainment option, and today’s audience’s demand innovative, customized programming and interactivity.

Hustletown readers, what do you think of this ambitious project? Leave your comments below!

"The Boondocks" by Aaron McGruder will be featured on BlackTV247.com

“Far too often, minority-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs encounter hurdles to getting capital, contracts and other assistance to help them succeed in the marketplace,” said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. “Making sure we do all we can to remove these hurdles is a top priority for SBA and the Obama Administration.”

MBRT is a national membership organization for minority CEOs that serves as a unified voice for minority businesses. The strategic alliance is part of SBA’s ongoing effort to support small business development initiatives in underserved communities.

Since the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was signed into law on Feb. 17, 2009, minority-owned small businesses have received more than $4 billion in SBA-backed loans, about 23 percent of the more than $18.5 billion in small business lending SBA has supported under the Recovery Act. Minority-owned businesses continue to account for about 29 percent of the agency’s overall lending and 37 percent of its microloans, according to Businesswire.com.

Minority-owned small businesses also have reportedly received more than $3 billion worth of federal contracts under the Recovery Act, although there are rumblings in the African American community that the funding does not always reach Black businesses.

Hustletown Readers, how do your community’s Black businesses fare in 2010? Let us know in our comments section!

Haitians search destroyed building. photo courtesy of CNN

As the rescue effort in earthquake-stricken Haiti transitions to rebuilding and recovering, questions are beginning to arise on who will contribute to the rebuilding effort.

The situation in Haiti is tragic, but in this age of Disaster Capitalism, there are interests standing by to reap profit from the devastation.

According to author Naomi Klein, policies favorable to corporate interests (such as those voiced by the Heritage Foundation) are already being developed for the island nation’s calamity. Here is a quotation she claims came from a quickly reworded post on the Foundation site:

“In addition to providing immediate humanitarian assistance, the U.S. response to the tragic earthquake in Haiti earthquake offers opportunities to re-shape Haiti’s long-dysfunctional government and economy as well as to improve the public image of the United States in the region.”

Hustletown readers: What should the role of minority businesses in the United States be during the Haitian rebuilding effort? Consider this article from the Los Angeles Wave, which chronicles responses of Haitian Americans and minority business owners to the situation.

The Institute is an intensive, four-week training session funded by Seagram’s and administered by the Atlanta Workforce Development Agency, Chicago Urban League, the Corporation to Develop Communities of Tampa, and the Columbia Urban League. In 2010 Seagram’s will provide grants totaling $100,000 to the participating organizations for administration and oversight. 

The program is a concept by Seagram’s Gin and Pernod Ricard USA, which turned to Ruder Finn’s Multicultural & Image Marketing Group for developing and implementation. Click here for more information on the Institute, which is entering a third year of outreach to African American males.

Derryl Reed

In celebration of  African-American vendors and their entrepreneurial spirit, Jewel-Osco acknowledges Black History Month with the 11th Annual “A Taste of Black History”.

The contributions of three African-American entrepreneurs who help provide jobs through their role as vendors with Jewel-Osco will also be saluted during the opening reception:

• Derryl Reed of Smokin’ Joe Products, LLC will receive the Brand Ambassador Award for aggressively working to promote the Smokin’ Joe brand in the market place.
• LaVonne Sanders of Popcorn and More, Inc. will receive the Innovator Award for continually recreating the MixMatch brand.
• Paul Fregia of Grandma Maud’s will receive the Legacy Award for longevity in the Supplier Diversity Program.

“Jewel-Osco has always understood the value of developing minority vendors,” said Jim Seidler, Jewel-Osco ethnic category manager.  ”We believe offering their products shows we understand our customers’ needs.  In turn, we hope customers recognize that, by purchasing African-American vendor products, they are also supporting these outstanding men and women.”

“We are committed to developing and growing locally owned African-American businesses,” said Jewel-Osco President Keith Nielsen.

Read more about the scheduled February events, and Jewel-Osco’s Chicago area in-store celebrations and tastings here.