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What would you get if you put the features of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube together with a Black Business Network and a Black E-Commerce Site?

Posted by Darlene on May 22, 2009 at 12:45am
Find out every Thursday at 9:30pm Eastern on the Black Business Network Conference Call!• Hear how to get products you created in the Buy Black Today store.• Need a distribution outlet for your products?• Want a sales force to market your products?• Find out about the upcoming changes coming soon to benefit every Black business owner & consumer.• PLUS! The Black Business Network is coming to your city. Local chapters are being launched all around the country, including right here in Orlando, where I live.• Press releases will be going out soon to promote the next phase of this unique network to every Black Media Outlet and Black Journalist on the planet...• Here’s the scoop: The Buy Black Today store is going to be right in the heart of the new BBN. Every time a Black consumer comes to shop every paid member's biz profile is going to be right smack in the middle of one of the largest Black shopping Mecca's in the world.• Coming soon! Think Facebook, Twitter, NING, YouTube meets the Black Online Shopping Network. The beauty of this is …all Black owned and operated, stand alone internet portal.Visit www.blackbusinessnetwork.com/TeamDollar and click on events then select 5/21/09 for more info on the conference call. Join the online community as a general member, then watch commercials of Black Business Owners, visit the Buy Black Today Store, play some nostalgic video games!Darlene Robinson
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The dangers of a secured credit card

Posted by Hardest Working Woman In Credit on May 21, 2009 at 11:44pm
A secured credit card is used only for the purpose of rebuilding your credit. Most banks will charge you a start up fee for the card. This fee can range from $20.00 to $200.00.The consumer is paying to have a credit card that will charge them interest on their own money. A secured card reports to your credit card just like a real credit card. In some cases it will show secured, but not often. This depends on the company that you get the card from.My question to many consumer is why would you want to pay interest on your own money? This makes no sense at all. Also, why would you use a card that will lower your credit score when you use it? Most secured credit cards have a minimum deposit of $200.00 or $300.00 deposit. So, when you use more than half of the limit, your score will go down.More dangers to beware of below:The company will charge you a high interest rate.The company will charge you a set up fee, just for the card.The company will charge you a late fee on your own money if you don’t make the payment on time.The company will report you late on your own money when you miss a payment on your money.The only way a secured card will benefit you is when you do not use the card. Let the card work to your advantage. Let the bank pay you money on the secured card, so you gain money. If you are trying to REBUILD your credit this is an excellent way to rebuild your score and make money.However, you want to use the card to your advantage and the intended purpose. My advice would be to use a secured card like a saving account. Dump any money on the card that you want to save for about a year or longer, just enough for you to rebuild your credit.Next, pull all your money off the card and close the account (all at once). Remember, the key to credit is playing the credit game. If you do not know the rules, you will loose.The real question with secured cards is “how much do you want to loose”? One year two years, three years, or forever. Remember, you will pay a yearly fee for that card. If your are paying $59.00 a year, that will cost you around $295.00 for five years.Last, make sure you get a secured card that has a good interest rate, so you earn more money. Also, one that has a maximum high limit. For example, you can put up to $5,000.00 on some secure credit cards. Most cards have a set limit on how much you can put on the card. So get one that you will benefit from. More blogs like this at www.creditadviseforyou.com Don’t miss out on important information, don’t ignore the signs, and come get blessed with free knowledge. .Outspoken Reality
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ARIZONA IS TAKING BUSINESS LEAD WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE COALITION MESSAGE FROM MS. MECHELLE TUCKER, FOUNDER

Posted by Rickey on May 21, 2009 at 5:30am
Ms. Mechelle Tucker, CEO,1st Class Consultants and Founder of The Coalition, a group specifically created to assist business owners (present and future) in the West Valley of Phoenix AZ speaks about why the group was formed and what it will accomplish. This is a great insight into how business ideas goes from thought to reality. Many business owners in the Arizona will benefit from the Coalition group.
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Propositioned

Posted by Stephanie Morris on May 21, 2009 at 3:07am
I would like to invite everyone to come check out my Free short story Propositioned. You will love Kristina and Robert's story.Blurb:Kristina Ward is looking for a fresh start. She has just gotten out of a relationship with a married man who also had children. She would have never guess a woman as intelligent as her would miss the warning signs of his deception. But she had. There was nothing like a heartbreak to make a woman reevaluate her life. Too bad her first night in town gets off to a bad start when she is propositioned by a complete stranger. Yes he is sexy as sin but so what. His rudeness deters from it. It only gets worse when Kristina finds out he is not only her co-worker but her boss.Robert Cantu doesn't normally go out and he isn't much of a drinker either but it still doesn't excuse his behavior during his first encounter with Kristina. He also knows his first impression just might be his last. He can't afford to lose her. It is hard to find good, qualified help especially since most people are clamoring to leave San Angelo. He is willing to do whatever it takes to keep Kristina on board even if it means ignoring his intense attraction to her . . .Check out Propositioned!Happy Reading!Stephanie Morris
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The Most Powerful Internet Marketing Tool

Posted by LaShanda Henry on May 21, 2009 at 12:53am
I hate secrets, don’t you? I spent so many years online looking at gurus and big shot bloggers trying to figure out how they actually made money online and no one would tell me! Everyone tells you how easy it is to sign up for affiliate links, but nobody tells you how hard it is to get folks to click your ads. Everyone tells you that you have to have a website or a blog if you want to build your business, but no one tells you WHAT TO DO when people aren’t coming to your website or even worse, when their coming to your website but Nobody is buying. To continue reading this article click the link below: The Most Powerful Internet Marketing Tool Online http://sistapreneurs.ning.com/forum/topics/the-most-powerful-internet Internet Marketing Power - Internet Marketing Tips for Beginners Lashanda Henry Discover the latest Black Business Web Tools http://blackbusinesswebtools.com
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CIOF Article of the Week: Why Not You?

Posted by Annetta Powell on May 20, 2009 at 10:46pm
Everybody’s doing it! Why not you?!Have you been speaking to your friends lately and they’ve been telling you about all the nice homes on the market for dirt cheap prices? Have they been trying to convince you to take your savings and invest in Real Estate? Well… Everybody’s doing it! Why not you?! Don’t deny yourself that chunk of financial happiness that you’ve been looking for. Don’t tell yourself that you can retire at 55 (25 years from now) and collect social security or a pension! Don’t fall into the trap of working a miserable job everyday from sun up to sun down without knowing if you’ll be able to retire someday. Our economy has proven that social security, pensions and 401k may not be around for us in the future. The automotive industry crisis has proven that building cars isn’t the backbone of our society anymore. Real Estate is taking over the business world. People are coming from as far as China, buying houses in large quantities and selling them off, giving them a hefty profit from each one. That can be you! Everybody’s doing it! Why not you?!Don’t wait! Don’t sit around! Don’t stand by and watch your friends take advantage of good housing deals! Being an entrepreneur is the best move you can make right now. Being your own boss will give you a sense of freedom. Real Estate has so much to offer any American so why not take advantage. The knowledge is at your fingertips. Think about how much time the average person spends on the computer, googling, emailing or facebooking. Use that time to do research. Take a look at the homes for sale in your area. There are a host of websites that list hundreds of foreclosed homes at record breaking prices. With every click, you can feel the excitement of home ownership and financial wealth right at your fingertips. Don’t be nervous if you are an amateur and just starting out in this business. Everybody’s doing it! Why not you?!As adults, sometimes we are faced with the hard decisions in life. How will I pay the mortgage? How will I pay the car note? How can I afford to send my teenager to college? If you want an answer, tap into what’s already in front of your eyes. Becoming a Real Estate investor has wonderful benefits. It takes determination, discipline and a willingness to change your financial situation. Don’t wait around! Everybody’s doing it! Why not you?!The key is to get serious about your life and get educated about Real Estate. There is no time to waste! With my free seminar, you can and will learn about how to purchase your first property. The best advice you can ever receive doesn’t cost a thing! To register, visit my website www.cashinonforeclosures.com or call 866-758-3555 to attend the FREE Training Seminar to uncover the truth about becoming successful in Real Estate investing and get on the path from Rags to Real Estate!Annetta Powell

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This is not a business...this is a Life Changing Crusade!

Posted by Superstaress on May 20, 2009 at 7:45pm
Hard times are ahead and for some its already upon us. Only a few will take strong measures NOW to change their course of devastation. All are looking to the Internet for a business as their "pot of gold" when in "reality" your "pot of gold" is in you!It worked before in the earlier 1900's especially during the worst depression recorded on record. Ordinary people just like you, changed their fate by implementing one simple act in their daily routine. By doing so, many were able to live in "prosperity" and a few were able to live as the most affluent individuals of all times. They truly understood "there are no experts, only varying degrees of ignorance."A few of the affluent like John D. Rockefeller, once probably the most reviled man of his era, left behind for the human race riches as great as any man who has been on earth. Rockefeller practiced a formula from an early age and he taught his family, and the principle is still working for them today. He also revealed that his family did not accumulate its vast wealth for purely money's sake--a negation of the principle--for "Money itself is lifeless, impotent, sterile...but man with his brain, brawn and imagination, using money as servant, may feed the hungry, cure the diseased, make the desert places bloom, and bring beauty into life." "I have been brought up to believe and the conviction only grows upon me, that giving ought to be entered into in just the same careful way as investing."He was thoroughly and all-absorbingly in love with the principle. John D. Rockefeller embraced the principle and gave, and in return it gave, flooding abundance and wealth and prosperity over him almost beyond human power to count!And another, Andrew Carnegie revealed that the truly great fortunes were not received through the worship of money for money's sake. He said that there is "no idol more debasing than the worship of money." Andrew Carnegie practiced this principle and received in his lifetime more than $350,000,000.And another, Julius Rosenwald revealed that the truly great fortunes were not received through hoarding, but through circulating money--giving and receiving freely. He said "I believe that under no circumstances should funds be held in perpetuity." Julius Rosenwald practiced the principle and received in his lifetime more than $60,000,000.And lastly noted, Andrew Mellon, was a public figure, served as US Secretary of the Treasury. He practiced the principle in secret. He knew that no thoughts of others could possibly get into his mind to interrupt his application of the principle if no one knew of his system of multiplying his wealth. Andrew Mellon burned the notes of small debtors at Christmas time and gave away his money in large bundles with the greatest of secrecy. It is said that while Andrew Mellon practiced the principle, he received in his lifetime in excess of ONE BILLION DOLLARS.As the Psalmist said, "A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation." Most of these generations have passed. A new generation unestablished to follow the path has lost their way. Great wealth is not for everyone. For with it -- is great responsibility. However, prosperity is a birth-right for everyone who chooses to claim it.Join the Crusade! Share Prosperity with Expectation! Make it your business today to enlighten a new generation that their true "pot of gold" lies within them and can be had by practicing a simple principle consciencely and daily everyday. We have an opportunity to truly help another find their way to prosperity from sharing knowledge of the principle. To lay claim to something you truly do not understand will not work. Thoroughly learn the principle and apply it to your daily life. Practice it for a minimum of 30 Days; but its most beneficial for a lifetime.Click the link!There's no time to waste!Get started learning and applying the principle today!Angela aka Superstaressadmin@seedstothebarns.comPS. Think on this. It is said "for money's sake". What does that mean? It means when you focus on money and money only, its a curse of void, suffering, and long struggles of debt and lack. But when you practice the principle, you focus on what the money is for, the good it can do not only for yourself but for others too.After you click the link, swiftly go down to the bottom of the web page and buy the ebooks to learn the difference to help you change your focus. You'll get three (3) eBooks with relevent subject matter; however, Seed Money In Action is written in layman's terms, easier to follow allowing you to implement immediately.
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Trying to get through to my people!

Posted by Nikki Thompkins on May 20, 2009 at 3:39pm
I find it most challenging to get women my age involved in health-related discussions. It's as if we think we are not affected by Diabetes, AIDS, Cancer, Stroke, and Heart Disease; when the reality is that we are dying younger and younger. These are no longer "the gay man's disease" and no longer is the elderly white man the only one having heart attacks, the seemingly overweight person you come across may not be a diabetic, and yes your man and your daughter can get breast cancer. This is real! I am so tired of the "it can't happen to me" mentality! Its time to wake up and be responsible for our communities. Our youth are being reared by individuals who have yet to escape their pre-pubescent cognitive processes. When will the time come again when you can walk in the mall and know a child from their parent? What will it take to bring our women back to a place where they can be that independent business woman who still recognizes the need for the knowledge, guidance, intuition, comfort, and know-how that only she can provide to those lacking. We are so powerful, and most of us at our best have only nicked a minute amount of the potentiality we possess. And those who know the real know that our strength comes from and lies in God. He broke the mold when he made the black woman, and the funny thing about that is that every black man out there knows this to be a fact. If our men know this, why can't we see it? Why can't we accept it? If nothing more they see our beauty and strength during childbirth. We go through all that pain only to become weak once the child is here, no no no. If you can endure all that baby girl you can certainly take your place and be the woman you were put on this earth to be. Stand up and be you! Be counted! No one can do for this world what you can, you know what you offer us, give it to us. Give us your best. We need you and we thank you! I love all my beautiful sisters and I pray that this blog finds you in the best of health, God Bless you all.~Nikki
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From Les Brown

Posted by Sonja Perdue on May 20, 2009 at 3:00pm
"Goals help you channel your energy into action."SET JUST ONE SMALL GOAL EACH DAY."If you don't program yourself, life will program you."LEAD IN YOUR OWN LIFE, THAT IS THE LEAST THAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOURSELF."Some people would rather get even instead of get ahead."LET THAT ANGER GO AND STOP FOCUSING ON OTHER PEOPLE.YOU ARE LETTING THEM TAKE TOO MANY MINUTES OUT OF YOUR LIFE."Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago."WHAT SEEDS ARE YOU PLANTING TODAY THAT WILL BLOSSOM IN YOUR LIFE TOMORROW?"Honor your commitments with integrity.”HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN SOMEONE LETS YOU DOWN?THEN, DON’T DO IT, SPECIFICALLY TO CHILDREN."If you view all the things that happen to you, both good and bad, as opportunities, then you operate out of a higher level of consciousness."WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH YOUR OPPORTUNITIES?"You cannot expect to achieve new goals or move beyond your present circumstances unless you change."IF YOU DO THE SAME THING TODAY THAT YOU DID YESTERDAY,EXPECT THE SAME THING TOMORROW. DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT TODAY."You gotta be hungry!"WE ARE HERE TO NETWORK! ARE YOU?www.ChicagosBlackBusinessNetwork.comwww.BlogTalkRadio.com/CBBN
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7 Universities and Websites Offering Free Business Entrepreneurship Courses Online

Posted by Yvonne Carson on May 20, 2009 at 1:08pm
I found this site some time ago, and I wanted to share it with all you awesome women! This is a great way to grow and develop ourselves and our businesses online for FREE!Approximately 10 million entrepreneurs think about starting a business in the U.S. every year. Only 3 million of them actually do it. Be one of the 3 million with these free online business entrepreneurship courses.1. MIT- Sloan School of Management (mit.edu)· Global Entrepreneurship Lab· Entrepreneurial Finance· Law for the Entrepreneur and Manager· Developmental Entrepreneurship· Introduction to MarketingThe Sloan School of Management provides access to hundreds of free business courses online, many of which would be beneficial to entrepreneurs. Course materials include text, video, audio and many other multimedia elements.2. Carnegie Mellon (cmu.edu)· Entrepreneurship and Business Planning Course· Entrepreneurship and Business Planning Course - Audio VersionThe Entrepreneurship and Business Planning Course taught by Carnegie Mellon Professor Mark Juliano is a great course for new entrepreneurs. Course materials include lectures, PowerPoint slides, a class blog and handouts. You can also get audio versions of the lectures for your mobile device.3. U.S. Small Business Administration (sba.gov)· Staring a Business - Series of CoursesThe U.S. Small Business Administration offers several courses on starting a small business. The self-paced courses take about 30 minutes to complete. You'll be asked to submit a brief online registration before starting each course, but you can skip it by clicking the submit button at the bottom of the form and then clicking the 'proceed to training course' link.4. Trump University (trumpuniversity.com)· Write a Business Plan - Mini Course· Find Start-Up Funding - Mini CourseTrump University has many different courses for aspiring entrepreneurs. Only two of them are free, but they are both worth the time. Additional resources on the site include articles, live training and the Trump Blog.5. Business Week (bwcourses.com)· Fire Your Boss: Start Your Own Business· Start-Up Basics for the First-Time Entrepreneur· Raising Capital for Your Small BusinessBusiness Week offers a huge collection of free, instructor-led business courses online. You have to be a registered Business Week user to take advantage, but registration is quick and free. Not every course is available immediately. However, you can easily find out when the next session starts by choosing your course and submitting your email address.6. Kutztown University - Small Business Development Center (kutztownsbdc.org)· Accounting Courses· Business Plan Workshops· Finance Courses· Leadership and Management Development Courses· Small Business Tax CoursesThe Small Business Development Center (SBDC) of Kutztown University has one of the largest collections of free business entrepreneurship courses on the web. Topics range from accounting and finance to leadership and management; courses take between 30 minutes and three hours to complete.7. My Own Business (myownbusiness.com)· How to Start Your Own BusinessMy Own Business, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping new businesses succeed. Their free Internet course consists of 14 sessions and is designed for entrepreneurs who want to learn the basics of starting a new business. Supplemental materials include a newsletter, video clips, templates and other useful items.
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Presentation is Everything - part III (Promotional Material)

Posted by Onyx Six on May 20, 2009 at 1:00pm
Presentation is Everything - part III (Promotional Material)By: Lyndsey ShafferYour promotional and marketing materials are your greatest ally. They are your representative when you are not present and your cheat notes when you can't seem to find the right words to say. Make a conscious effort to create promotional materials that you can be proud of. Many small business owners create business cards, flyers and brochures out of necessity. It is true that these items will help solidify the promotional efforts, but they must not be put together in haste. When promotional materials are created without proper forethought you end up with business cards with old phone numbers and email addresses crossed out in ink. Or, old prices on a rate card scratched out.Promotional materials can be costly and it is understandable to want to salvage what you can if you've undergone changes to you company. However there are certain times when it is best to throw them out and start over.How do I know if it is time to bite the bullet and throw away my old promo material?1. If any of your contact information is out of date, create new promo materials. No matter how nice you previous material was, the moment you cross it out in ink you've tarnished your material.2. If your prices have increased, get rid of any items that display inaccurate pricing. Whether it is a brochure, flyer or rate sheet, never write a higher price over a lower one. Never!3. If a policy or condition of your service has changed and you can no longer fulfill service obligations under those terms, get rid of those promotional materials. The moment you give someone something in writing that outlines what you will and will not do, you will be held to it. It is your obligation as a business owner to honor what is says on your promotional materials (pending there is no expiration date).How do I avoid costly mistakes with promotional material?1. Keep your contact information consistent. Avoid changing your website address, email address or phone number. Establish all of that information with care and do it right the first time. If you must change any of this information, make arrangements to have inquiries sent to an old address or phone number forwarded to your new address of phone number. When it is time to reprint materials, update the information then.2. If you are still establishing your business, avoid placing rates or pricing on promotional material. Inevitably, you will need to make some adjustments in your pricing. It is perfectly acceptable for you to place a notation under your services that reads "call for current rates".3. Ensure that you place an expiration date on all promotions and sales. Don't open yourself up to liability or risk loosing money because of a previous statement you have made on your promotional material that is no longer valid.Making a conscious effort to carefully put together your promotional materials will save you time, money and help you to maintain a positive professional image for your company and yourself.Lyndsey Shaffer is the co- founder of the Onyx Six - Women of Color Business Network www.onyxsix.com. Onyx Six is a business development network committed to creating a supportive and influential community of minority women entrepreneurs and professionals. Contact Lyndsey Shaffer by email at lshaffer@onyxsix.com.
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Let Him Heal Your Heart

Posted by Joneen Horton on May 20, 2009 at 4:00am
We’re daughters of the Most High God! That is wonderful! We have a Daddy above all Daddies, no one can take care of us like Him. Because He’s our Daddy, He wants us to be real with Him. Come to Him without an agenda, in humility, barefaced…not trying to perpetrate like everything is all right when you know it’s not. I know that He is all-knowing, but He still wants you to tell him those things you don’t want to tell anyone else. Will you trust him with your heart? Will you confess to Him those deep dark secrets that you don’t want anybody else to know? I’m telling you if you do, He’ll deliver you from that hidden hurt you’ve been walking around trying to mask with overachievement, overeating, overspending…rudeness, anger, bitterness…whatever the name of your mask is. Let it all out to Him and let Him take it from you and heal your heart.
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