Is your Business in Education?

Do your sell or promote multicultural educational products? Afrocentric Learning Tools is looking for new educational resources to feature online.

Afrocentric Learning Tools, is a new black website that highlights products and services that aim to educate Black Students and promote the development of Multicultural educational tools. The site includes lesson plan ideas, product reviews, news and resources for Black parents, Educators of Black Students, and African American Homeschoolers. As well as entertainment and online activities for young black boys, girls, and older teens.

Afrocentric Learning Tools Brought to you by:
LaShanda Henry, founder of Multiple Shades of You Online an ecommunity that produces and promotes quality online content for people of color (http://www.msoyonline.com/)

ALT URL: http://afrocentriclearningtools.msoyonline.com/

African-American women step up in business world

Interesting article in USA Today [here are the highlights] ...

As women take entrepreneurship's lead, marketers from banks to tech companies are tapping black women as a new source of revenue. "It's a huge opportunity," says Angela Burt-Murray, editor in chief of Essence, a leading lifestyle magazine for black women.

Black women are launching companies for many of the same reasons spurring other women. They've gained corporate experience, but a glass ceiling keeps them from rising to the CEO's office. They're better educated. Self-employment offers more flexibility to care for children and aging parents.

...

Black women owned 547,341 companies in 2002, up 75% from five years before, when the Census Bureau last counted. The number owned by men rose a smaller 29%, to 571,670, says the study by economist Ying Lowrey in the SBA's Office of Economic Research.

...

Black women, like all female owners, still lag behind men by some key measures. The majority of their companies are part-time ventures, often run from home at night or on weekends to supplement daytime pay. Just 5% had employees, vs. 10% for black men. Annual revenue averaged about $39,000, vs. $114,000 for black men, Lowrey's research shows.

... Read the entire article

Top Tips for Serious Bloggers

1. 21 Tactics to Increase Blog Traffic
2. Top 10 Blogging Lessons Learned on Traffic, Monetization, and Life
3. 6 Tips for Working at Home With Children

WhenI feel like I'm in a web-rut, with limited new ideas for generating more content and traffic I surf the net for tip lists. Its a great way to find out what's working for other people and possibly find something new towork for you. The posts above contain some pretty interesting points, I would take the time to read them if I were you.

Upgrade your biz website with Real Black Clipart

Real Black Clipart is a new blog, featuring the African American Clipart resources online. Recent Clipart posts include:

-African American - Ethnic Stock Photography Images
-Icons of Color
-Create Your Own African American Weather Pixie
-The Boondocks Icons [set 1]

Official Url: Real Black Clipart

Black Business and Finance Magazines

Stay in the Business know by subscribing to Black Enterprise. You can find this and other Black Business Magazines at the Black Magazine Central. Publications include Black Enterprise, DiversityInc, Entrepreneur, and others.

What do you need help with today?

Networking can mean different things to diferent people. Today I would like to focus on the 'helpful' aspect of networking. Right now is a good opportunity to tell others how they can help you with something, and in turn find someone that you can help. It could be anything really, as simple as a few words of encouragement. Whatever it is, I strongly believe helpful networking can go a long way.

As for myself, I would greatly appreciate help promoting a postive black website - Multiple Shades of You Online (http://www.msoyonline.com/), which in turn is a space online that I use to promote positive Black websites and resources for the Black Online audience.

So, what do you need help with today? You might find someone who could be of service.

-lhenry
Black Content for Black People
http://www..msoyonline.com/

What is missing on this Black Entrepreneurs Blog?

Is there a topic that you would like to see here? Please feel free to leave me a comment, and I'll see what I can do.

-l

Popular Black Entrepreneur Links

Check out this popular Black Website for: Black Enterpreneur

Want to add the link box above to your site? Click "Black Websites" For this free Sticky Content.
Brought to you by "Multiple Shades of You Online"

New Faces on BOE Connect

I'm very excited to see that there are new additions to the Black Online Entrepreneurs group. I'm looking forward to getting everyone talking and exchanging ideas. Plus I hope more business owners and entrepreneurs will join in too. I want this newsgroup to be a place where I can not only post all the Black Business Buzz I find, but find out what's going on with everyone else. Feel free to join in and spark some conversation.

Like.... everyone, anyone, please share what business is your business and why?

Black Business Questionaire

More questions will be added weekly, so continue to come back for new results and comments.

Black Advertising and Marketing Online
Is your Black Business on Myspace.com?

Black Web Browsing Patterns and Frequently Visited Links
What is your favorite African American website and why? (Mention a site other than your own.)
Name one Black Entrepreneur that you admire.

Name 3 Black Stores off or online that you frequent.

What do you know about Black Business Franchises?

How do you spend your time online? Give a percentage breakdown.

Search Engines and Search Engine Optimization
What Search Engine do you use the most? Is this a Black Search Engine? If not, also include a Black Search Engine that you use frequently.

How long did it take you to get listed on a Search Engine?

What do you know about Search Engine Optimization?

Black Q&A Feedback
Is there a question that you would like to see here?

What do you think about the Black Q&A Questionnaire?

What should the next BOE post be?

[About the Black Business Q&A]
[View Black Business Questionnaire]
______________________________________
- Subscribe to Black Online Entrepreneurs
-African American Business Directory
-Urban Web Tools for African American Websites

Youth Entrepreneurship Program to Address High Black Youth Unemployment

Agency Launches Nationwide Youth Entrepreneurship Program to Address High Black Youth Unemployment

Product vendors include Crochet Kufi Hats, Dolls, Braclets by AfriCreations.com, Ujamaa Discount Cards offered by IBSA, Afrocentric greeting/kwanzaa cards offered by Black-Gifts.com, Web packages offered by Kansas Small Business Promotions and a host of other products and services.


Topeka, KS (PRWEB) May 24, 2005 -- The IBSA, Inc. is going to show African American teens how to be entrepreneurs, and put legitimately earned cash in their pockets.

Learning Business Principles
IBSA’s entrepreneurial program teaches kids between 12 and 15 years old the principles of commissioned, residual and leveraged income. Throughout the years, as many as 20 kids have been in the program at a time. Paid staffers and volunteers instruct the teens by having them sell raffle tickets for things like televisions and grocery shopping sprees, at festivals and fireworks events. The kids also sell quality greeting cards and calendars during the holiday season.

“They earn a commission of fifty-cents on each dollar’s worth of raffle tickets sold,” said Grays. “The rest comes back into our general fund.”

Teens can buy the high-quality cards for six dollars and sell them for ten, or if they don’t have the capital investment, they can take orders. The program teaches the kids about money, such as calculating commissions and determining what the organization owes them. In addition, the kids learn communication techniques.

“These are mini sales presentations,” said Grays. “So we want them saying ‘Yes sir’ or ‘Excuse me ma’am’—words they don’t normally use each day.”

Another very important lesson the program teaches is follow up. The kids have to send a thank you letter to customers who have purchased products from them. “This teaches them basic courtesy as well as the concept of follow up,” Grays said.

Thinking Like an Entrepreneur
IBSA hosts group settings where they describe the opportunity, and make sure they educate the teens on sales and the business side. Grays tries to keep the kids thinking. When they set up a booth at a Juneteenth event, which drew 80,000 people to Soldier Park, Grays asked his teen entrepreneurs how they would turn that large group into an opportunity to make money.

“I don’t want them to see large-scale events as a place where they go and buy things,” Grays said. “I want them to see it as an opportunity. They should be able to see a lawn full of leaves and say, ‘Excuse me ma’am would you be interested in someone raking those leaves for you?,’ so they can see opportunity, rather than watch all their peers migrate to McDonald’s or Wendy’s for jobs.”

Some of the kids make $100 a week by selling $200 worth of greeting cards. “They come home with smiles on their faces and money in their hands,” said Grays. One teen made $213 in one weekend on the raffle. Others have made $400 to $500 selling greeting cards. Some teens even have said they made more money working one weekend than working all summer at a fast food restaurant.

“These kids take these skills into later life,” Grays said. “Our top seller in 1995 just graduated from Kansas State University.”

Grays said his program gets the kids to understand the value of money and that if you work you get paid.

In order to facilitate the financial needs of youth who don't receive allowances or are to young to get a regular job (even fast-food), IBSA has devised several entrepreneurial activities and opportunities to allow enterprising young people an opportunity to earn some legitimate money. The agency have not re-invented the wheel, but looked at what works across a variety of programs and have chosen those elements they feel are critical for Black youth to understand, plus they provide products and services by our agency and business affiliates for them to sell for-profit.

Article Originally posted on prweb.com

A Newsgroup for Black Self-publishers

A Club For Us Online African-American Book Club for self-published authors and aspiring authors to share their knowledge, Dreams, and Hopes!

Visit this group today.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AClubForUs/

Black Business and Myspace Marketing

As Myspace.com increases in popularity, I thought this would be a good time to talk about how entrepreneurs are marketing themselves on myspace, and how you can do the same thing. I've put together a collection of posts specifically on myspace marketing, hopefully you will find something that can help you become a Myspace Mogul.

- Myspace surpasses Yahoo Mail, Google in Popularity
- Myspace Layout Help
- Nigerian Twins Launch 'African' Myspace
- Is your Black Business on Myspace?
- Learn how one Black Site - hiyaahpower.com got a myspace makeover
- Myspace Marketing - Free, Fun, and Highly Targeted
- Marketing on Myspace - The New Buzz

If you know of other Myspace Marketing Articles or Strategies, please feel free to share.

- Visit: Black Online Entrepreneurs - Join the BOE Newsgroup

Is your Black Business on Myspace?

Are you taking advantage of today's most popular marketing movement online - myspace.com. It seems like everyone is promoting something on myspace, are you?

First Answer from BOE Founder: LHenry

Yes, I am on myspace promoting Multiple Shades of You Online, view my myspace page. A friend told me it was a great place to promote my site, so I figured a few extra clicks was a good thing. Not to mention all the old friends and friendly faces that I've unexpectedly found through the site.

If you have a myspace page, feel free to click the comment button and share it with others on this blog.

MySpace Surpasses Yahoo Mail, Google in Popularity

Social-networking site MySpace.com has surpassed internet powerhouses Yahoo Mail and Google as the most popular U.S. website, according to research from Hitwise, writes the Globe and Mail (Reg. required). In the week ended July 8, 4.5 percent of all U.S. visits to the web were to MySpace.com, and traffic to the social-networking site has soared 132 percent in the last year alone, Hitwise said.

...[read entire article]

MyMarketing: A MySpace Marketing Consultation

If you are interested in turning your myspace page into a promotional tool then you should definitley read this article 'MyMarketing: A MySpace Marketing Consultation' on searchenginelowdow.com.

The author, Adam Shultz, details his one on one consultation with Niambi the founder of www.HiyaahPower.com and www.PowerPacks.com. Niambi wanted to use myspace to market her sites which serve to inspire and empower African American women, so Adam helped her deconstruct her business objective and design a myspace page that helped to promote her business while still maintain the social / friendly environment that myspace is meant to create.

His recommendations for her site could be easily transferred onto your own. Read the article, you might learn a thing or two about myspace marketing.

MySpace Marketing: Free, Fun, and Highly-Targeted

Here is another great myspace marketing post from 'The Web Mark’s Internet Marketing Blog' entitled 'MySpace Marketing: Free, Fun, and Highly-Targeted'

An article exerpt:

Benefits of marketing on MySpace include the following:

Free web presence – your company’s space can be “The Official MySpace Page” for your company. There’s no need to build or manage another generic affiliate site

Highly targeted, highly specific traffic – joining with groups and posting on forums within your targeted demographic appeals directly to the audience most likely to buy your product or service

Brand building and lead generation – 60 million people who otherwise might not be looking in search engines or other areas for your website are now just one click away from hearing of your brand or service

No limits or restrictions on marketing content – videos, pictures, newsletters, and banners are all fair game; endlessly customize your profile

Lively interaction with potential customers – subtlety plug your product in a forum and instantly see what your potential customers have to say

... [read entire article]

Marketing on "Myspace" - The New Buzz

I found this great myspace marketing article by Mike Bohatch for anyone interested in utilizing myspace.com for self promotion: Marketing on "Myspace" - The New Buzz

Here are some intersting parts of the article:

Marketing! ... your marketing yourself, your product, your profile, your popularity ...almost like being in high school again. (or on a different arena)
Yes, congrats - you now have a new web presence!
Your web profile.
You have an address, a photo gallery, and a source for information. (yep, it's all still free.)

Better yet, you can't be spammed the traditional way, because you have no real email address (your email is a function of your profile). No pop-ups, no AOL bills, just a small ad banner that floats across the top, sweet huh!

OK, so moving along .... back to the "look cool" problem.
It's a pretty good guess that a majority of the users AREN'T html CSS hacks and never thought they would ever need to be.
Well, there is a solution! I won't bother adding all the links to various help sites, but what I recommend is typing in "Myspace codes" into Google to find various sites that offer free advice, free software and help to help you format your profile with all the bells and whistles.

So what are we really talking about?
Marketing - a new form of advertising yourself and your offerings to millions of users and consumers who otherwise might have never been aware.
If its socializing your only interested in then there is plenty of that as well .

Potential advantages?
The essence of Myspace has been its all-encompassing architecture. In other words, once your in its environment you can travel to and fro to other users without leaving. This has presented a unique spin on the internet experience. For one, now there are faces to emails and information about the sender. It's a step in the direction of a virtual experience. I'm sure at some point, it will go even beyond that to offer small videos of the users.... The reality of the "Jetsons" future has begun!

.... [read entire article]

Nigerian Twins Launch ‘African’ MySpace

By Bruno Gaston
Redding News Review Exclusives - International Editor

ATLANTA, July 25, 2006, 10:00 a.m. - The giant of the internet chatting, blogging, networking and file sharing phenomenon, MySpace.com holds an astounding 90 million plus members in its social playground. This huge market prompted media giant Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. to spend $580 million to buy out its parent company Intermix Media Inc. for its recently created, Fox Interactive Media in 2005.

Nielsen/NetRatings AdRelevance tracked about 197.7 billion display ad impressions in May. MySpace claimed 14.6 percent of all online ads in May and advertisers continue to aggressively fuel a marketing block which so far shows little signs of decline. Even Wal-Mart is entertaining the idea of its own version of the growing web craze.

Twenty-seven-year-old Nigerian twins, Uchechi, also called "Mr. Jeno," and Kelechi Anusiem of the Atlanta-based multimedia company, Jenofenology, decided to take the initiative and create the same kind of success for Africans with its newly created Afriqueka.com Web community forum.

“Our marketing research says that online community sites are the reality TV of the web and MySpace is the Wal-Mart of online communities, but there are always other places for people to shop." Kelechi said. "Afriqueka.com will be the first African community website of its kind online.”

... [read the entire article]

Black Online Entrepreneurs New Newsgroup

If you enjoy the BOE Blog, hopefully you will equally enjoy chatting it up with other Black Entrepreneurs in my new newsgroup: Black Online Entrepreneurs Connect. I cordially invite you to check it out.

Click to join boeconnect

Networking with other Black Entreprenurs

If you would like to network with more Black Entrepreneurs review this post on Black Netowrking. You will find information on the following topics:

-Black Entreprenur Listings
-Forums
-Blogs
-Online Resources and Guides
-Organizations
-Black Networking Events

Link: BOE Black Networking Article

Women Entrepreneurs Of America

Women Entrepreneurs Of America, Inc. ~ WEA, Inc. is a 501 © (3) nonprofit, prestigious, diversified membership-based organization whose mission is “empowering and supporting” women in business and women who want to start their own businesses.

The Founder and National President, Yolanda Lamar-Wilder, Entrepreneur Extraordinaire states, “truly this new women’s organization is much needed for the Greater Cleveland area. I am truly honored and blessed to have implemented an organization of this magnitude to assist women in the business arena. I wanted to establish a presence in the Cleveland area of a resource women’s center, to offer women of each business entity a place to bring their ideas, learn the nature of doing business and help our community by creating more opportunities for women.”

Official Website: http://www.weainc.org/

Sisters, do you have a side hustle?

If you are a sista who knows how to make some extra cash on the side, you should submit the details of your business to Essence Magazine's: Side Hustle column. You could get a free plug in one of the best Magazine publications for African American Women. And for those of you looking for a Side Hustle, pick up a copy of Essence today. You might find a way to cash in on your skills.

Submit your info today!
Review More Black Magazines

The Black Web Awards

The BlackWebAwards are the first and only organized effort to recognize African, African American and Caribbean excellence online. The BWA's celebrate Black creativity and entrepreneurialism by highlighting Internet content from the Black perspective.

Official Site: www.blackwebawards.com

*Remember to vote for Multiple Shades of You Online: six years of positive content for People of Color Online (www.msoyonline.com)

Target Market News

Target Market News provides corporate marketing news that targets minorities, including African Americans. Its a great resource for those who want to stay in the know about 'Black Consumers.'

Visit Target Market News Today:
www.targetmarketnews.com

How to make money on your news content website

I found a really great article on "Online Journalism Review" about how to make money with your website. Here were a few choice points:

Content websites typically earn money through one of four ways:
-Commissions
-Advertising
-Paid content
-Sponsorships/Grants

To make $36,500 a year, you'd need to earn $100 a day on your site (plus whatever expenses you incur). Let's assume your site is attractive to advertisers and earns $10 in ad revenue for every thousand page views. That would mean you'd need to serve 10,000 page views a day to meet this target. (And more if your site earns less than $10 per thousand page views.)

Check out the entire article. Its a good read.
http://www.ojr.org/ojr/wiki/make_money/

Black Mompreneurs: Stay at Home - Work at Home

More and more African American mothers are choosing to stay at home, home school, become entrepreneurs, or simply just 'get their money right!' The days of sacrificing our children for our paychecks seems to be quickly coming to an end. I've found several sista sites for women like myself interested in financial independence. Check out these interesting spots:

The Black Work @ Home Moms Network
http://bwahm.com/

The Black Work @ Home Moms Newsgroup
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/bwahm/?yguid=248056582

Single Ma's Fabulous Financials
http://singlemomandmoney.blogspot.com/

The great mommy debate: remixed (working from home)
http://beingmamadaily.blogspot.com/2006/04/great-mommy-debate-remixed.html

Resources for Black Stay at Home Moms
http://msoyonline.com/african-american-web-portal/black-search-lists/black-parenting.php

TTFN
l.

Black People News has Arrived

Black People News is a site for those interested in finding and subscribing to Black Interest News. This site currently includes feeds from over 100 Black websites. Do you have a Black feed to share? Let me know about it.

Current BPN Categories:

1. Black Bloggers
2. Black Books Review
3. Black Business and Finance
4. Black Celebrity News and Gossip
5. Black Commentary
6. Black Education
7. Black Entertainment News
8. Black Entrepreneurs
9. Black Freebies and Contests
10. Black Health Issues
11. Black Humor Black LGBT
12. Black Men
13. Black News Headlines
14. Black Parenting
15. Black Press Releases
16. Black Technology and Web Design
17. Black Teens
18. Black Women Hip Hop News
19. MSOY Original Blogs
20. Pan Africa News

Black People News brought to you by Urban Dynamics

Free Black Site Submission

Get your website listed in the Urban Dynamics Directory. Urban Dynamics is a new, black business website brought to you by Multiple Shades of You online www.msoyonline.com. Add your site and SITE THUMBNAIL to UD and it will be accessible on every site that utilizes Urban Dynamic webtools.

Here are a few featured sites where the UD Directory is accessible:
-Search Black on msoy
-Search Urban
-Black Online Entrepreneurs Blog
-The Black Business Spot
-Black People News

To submit your site to Urban Dynamics visit: check out my list of ways to advertise on black sites.

Things Every Black Online Entrepreneur Should Know

Being a 'real' business owner takes more than raw talent and drive. You need to be well informed about the Best Business Practices. Research, Self-Education, and seeking help from trained Business Professsionals, are also crucial components of success.

Here is a list of Business and Web Development Concepts that every Black Online Entrepreneur should be aware of:

• Black Professional Networks
• Collegiate Black Business Associations
• Resources for Black Career Women
• Organizations that focus on Black Business Development
• Black Business Blogs
• Black Business Online Directories
• Black Business News Offline and Online Magazines and other Publications
• Writing Business Plans and Grant Proposals
• Strategies to Making Money Online
• Web Marketing
• Search Engine Optimization [SEO]
• RSS Feed Syndication and Sticky Content
• Google and SEO

If you would like to learn more about these topics, fillout a free registration form for Urban Dynamics: Black Business Web Solutions and gain access to an extensive list of Black Business news, articles, links, web tools, and resources. Become a UD member and move a few steps closer to actualizing your dreams of business ownership.

Black RSS Feeds Revisited

With the ever present buzz of rss feeds / article syndication, I'm always trying to create web applications that help promote Black News feeds. I've found several really interesting Black News Sites and Black Entertainment Blogs that aren't incredibly well known, but would serve as great additional content on other pages relevant to African Amerian online viewers. So in yet another attempt to expose more people to some really interested black news sites, and also help promote these sites, I have created Black People News, my new and improved African American RSS Feeds Aggregator. Its a great place to read black interest news, and its also I great place to subscribe to feeds as well as add feed content to your site without prior knowlege of php or javascript. Its a win win site for everybody.

My Work in Progress
sista_web

Black People News: African American Interest News Feed / Syndicated Articles

Resources for Black Women - Reposted

Calling all Sistapreneurs! Calling all African American Business Women! Call all my Black sistas making Money for themselves! Here are a few links that support black women in business. Take advantage of these resources and add a link to this page on your site! Share the sisterly wealth.

Organizations
-Black Career Women
-Get Ready for Give 'N Take… a barter-exchange network for women entrepreneurs and executives. This unique organization brings women together to create opportunities, by providing a support system for start-up companies and entrepreneurs. Its goal is to educate, collaborate and stimulate advancement in business.
-Digital Sistas is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization created to promote and provide technology education and enrichment for young girls and women of color.

Resource Hightlights
-Multiple Shades of You Online: Listing of Resources for Black Career Women
-Black Business Books
-Izania.com
-African American Women In Technology

Online Advice
-Nia Online Career Columns
-Bahiyah Woman Magazine Entrepreneurs Guide for Women
-Women in Business Today Online Resource
-Sistah Connect: sistapreneurs
-Sista-Web: one African American sistah’s web development / html blog

Web Directories
-Black Career Women Links
-Multiple Shades of You Online: Listing of Resources for Black Career Women

Forums
-Black Living.com Business and Finance Forum for Women

Sistas to Know and Respect
-Jamila White, the E-Commerce Diva
-Niambi Jarvis, CEO of Hiyaah Power
-Simone Kelly, President and CEO of Gots to Have It, Marketing
-LaShanda Henry, found of Multiple Shades of You Online

-Find these and other great African American Websites on Multiple Shades of You Online.

-Urban Dynamics Black Business Web Tools: http://ud.msoyonline.com

African American Article Submissions Wanted

Urban Dynamics has recently launched 'A Little Black Know How', a free article submission site for African American writers. This site is currently looking for Black News, Reviews, Commentary, Short Stories, Events, Poems, Self Help articles and Spiritual Testimonies. If you have something you would like to share visit A Little Black Know How and sign up for a free Urban Dynamics account. This site does not include Black Press Releases. If you have a Black Press Release, please submit it to Black PR Posts, which is acessible through Urban Dynamics Web Tools.

Official Site url: http://www.msoyonline.com/ud/alittleblackknowhow.php

-lhenry
ud.msoyonline.com

Create your own Amazon Store

If you have Amazon product links on your site, or are interested in using Amazon Associates links to generate revenue online then you might be interested in my latest web application: an Amazon Store Builder Application featured on Urban Dynamics (ud.msoyonline.com).

I think the Amazon Associates program is one of the most popular Affiliate Programs Online, which is why I signed up a few years ago. The only problem I had with it was that when you used Amazon's Link Generator every link had big Amazon logos all over it, which didn't allow for subtle integration into my site. I wanted to embed Amazon links without looking like every other website with a bunch of banners that no one clicks on. Plus I wanted to create my own e-store with Amazon products, but I knew it would take forever to individually create product links on the Amazon Associates Site. Given the limitations of their program, I figured there had to be something out there that would give me the look and feel I was going for.

The solution I found was Amazon Web Services, for anyone with strong programming skills Amazon allows you to connecte to their database and design your own links / stores from scratch. You get quality content that looks like its perfectly embedded into your site. You get cash for all products purchased. And Amazon gets free publicity on your site in addition to being able to tap into a larger customer base. It's genious I tell you. Sheer Genious.

So anyway I came up with several web applications which allow you to extract product images and details in different formats using ISBN/ASIN numbers in conjunction with your Amazon Associates ID. Its quick and easy to use and only offered in the Urban Dynamics Premium Package, which is $10 a month and includes other types of Urban Web Tools. It's a pretty cheap package with a lot of quality web solutions, you would definitely be saving web design time and increasing your potential earning power if you gave UD Web Tools a try.

Urban Dynamics Web Tools are designed with the Black Business / Black Web Designer / Black Web Audience in mind, but they can be used for any type of web development. The Amazon Site Builder is a great tool for adding something like a books section to your site, amazon product links on a side bar, or creating an entire e-store. I used it to create Shop Amazon on MSOY and also to add amazon links to blog entries. You can do just about anything with it, and I'm developing new formats, so the possibilities are endless.

If you are interested in learning more about the Amazon Store Builder and other Urban Dynamics Web Tools visit Urban Dynamics: ud.msoyonline.com. The site is a work in progress, but it's getting there.

lhenry
ud.msoyonline.com

What is Urban Dynamics?

Urban Dynamics, a new Black Business website aims to be one of these much needed positve spaces for people of color; its founder Lashanda Henry is in the business of helping Black businesses grow. "I created Urban Dynamics because I have a particular interest in Black Community Outreach Initives and Online Entreprenuership. Though the Dot Com days are a thing of the past, the web world still offers the type of creative freedom and mass marketing potential that can help Black Businesses grow. The key is having quality resources and genuine support, which is what Urban Dynamics is all about.

You won't find any crabs in this barrell; what you will find is an intricately designed network of tools, tips, and proffessionals who focus on the Black Business Market.

Urban Dynammics consists of an ever growing collection of free and afforble services for individual entreprenuers and small businesses.

The UD site includes:

-web tools and urban sticky content.
-black rss feeds
-amazon store builder application
-black business directory
-black business networking
-black business news
-web marketing and cheap advertising
-black press releases
-urban web development tips
-making money online
-and more ...

Check out Urban Dynamics: ud.msoyonline.com

Today's Top Izania Posts

1. Building Wealth on the Internet
2. Has Black America Reached a "Tipping Point"
3. Unique Internet Advertising Opportunity to Black Business Owners
4. E-Commerce and African Americans
5. Thanks for the Support

Thanks for the Support

Today I was feeling a bit more generous than usual. This random guy comes on the train promoting his hip-hop CD, I usually don't pay much attention to train soliciters but I figured 30 seconds wouldn't kill me. And it didn't. Just the opposite, he sales pitch caught my attention. "This CD has no sex, guns, or violence, we do not discrespect women." - plus 1 - "Get 6 tracks for only $1" - plus 2 - "Be sure to check out our website www.mostpop.org" - plus 3 - By the third plus, I was ready to buy before he was even finished speaking. I think my quickness in getting a product, that I didn't even really no, caught everyone elses attention. This random old white lady followed my lead, and before I turned around he had like 4 other buyers! He collected the cash, promoted track 6, and then turned to me and said, "Thanks for the support." After that, it was my stop. On my way out it occurred to me the amazing things that took place in a matter of minutes:

1. I supported a Black Entrepreneur
2. My interest in his product helped to spark the interest of others
3. Selling a sample of your product at a discounted rate is a great way to earn money and publicity
4. Catching people's attention is crucial! Had he not reached me with his conscious hip-hop speech, I would not have unknowingly set into motion the events that followed
5. He has a website! I am always impressed with a business person who is up on todays technology.

Finally, I have not listened to his tracks OR visited his website, so the quality is still a mystery to me. But I did listen to him, support him, recieve appreciation of my support from him, and help inspire others to follow in my lead. This is what more Black Entrepreneurs need. Some one to step up and support them verbally, and financially! I shelled out one buck and that brutha left with at least five! If that ain't the makings of good business, then I'm in the wrong business.

-lhenry
www.msoyonline.com

The Covenant With Black America

According to The Tom Joyner Morning Show , The Covenant With Black America is # 1 in the country right now, but in order for it to get the level of attention that it deserves, it needs to make it to the top of the New York Times Best Sellers List...So buy a copy today. You can get it on amazon for like $7 bucks.

The Covenant With Black America Set For Release Feb. 22, 2006
Tavis Smiley &Third World Press, Inc. Present Historic Book

LOS ANGELES (Dec. 21, 2005) – Author and broadcaster Tavis Smiley and Third World Press, Inc. will release The Covenant with Black America, a book aimed at inspiring African Americans to take action to address 10 of the most daunting issues impacting Black communities, households, and individuals.

The 254-page book will be available Feb. 22, 2006. The Covenant includes an Introduction by Smiley; a Statement of Purpose by Marian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children’s Defense Fund; Afterword by Haki Madhubuti, publisher of Third World Press; and A Call to Action by Princeton University professor Cornel West.

Each covenant (chapter) in the book is preceded by an introductory essay written by nationally recognized experts on The Covenant issues, such as closing the digital divide, inequalities in the justice system, disparity in healthcare and improving public education.

Essayists include Dr. David Satcher, former U.S. surgeon general; Wade Henderson, executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights; Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League and Angela Glover Blackwell, founder of PolicyLink, a non-profit research think tank.

Each chapter outlines the key issues of The Covenant topic, provides a list of resources and then gives suggestions and checklists for what individuals, public policymakers and corporate citizens can do to move the African American community forward, socially, politically and economically. In addition, The Covenant contains information on how individuals and households can make changes that will immediately improve their circumstances in specific areas, such as health, education, crime reduction and security

http://www.theblackcovenant.com/Page...ress_area.html

http://www.covenantwithblackamerica.com/index.html

Advertise on Black Sites - repost

If you missed this post before, read it now:

Looking for places to promote your African American website? If you are interested in increasing your customer base online, review the following links which include a number of Black Directories and Webrings that cater to African American Businesses and Black Entrepreneurs.

• Urban Dynamics, the new black web portal, Site Submission
• Black Business Group
• Urban Mecca Site Submission
• AdGroups Urban Advertising Network
• Izania Black Business Directory
• E-Commerce Diva
• Bahiyah Women Magazine PR and Advertising Promotion
• The Griot National Black Business and Organization Directory
• African American Business Directory
• Yahoo Group: Black Business UK
• Yahoo Group: African American Business Directory
• Tag Team Marketing: Black Network Marketing Company

African American Link Exchange Partners Wanted

Multiple Shades of You Online is looking for a few good Black Sites. MSOY is an eCommunity that aims to produce and promote positive online content for People of Color. If you would like to partake is some reciprocal free promotion check out msoy's Black Link Exchange, Black Banner Exchange, and Black Business Web Tools.

Urban Dynamics, the Black Web Tools Component of msoy recently released its Premium Web Tools Package which contains easy to use Amazon Store Builder Applications, for Business Owners interested in integrating the Amazon Associates Revenue content into their site. It's a great way to simultaneously earn money and add dynamic content to your web page. UD also contains other unique tools and sticky content tailored to African American audiences. Learn more about Urban Dynamic's Black Business Web Tools today. It's one of the cheapest quality web resources around!

Black Business Contests and Giveaways

Everybody wants to get something free off the internet right! But what about alittle give? Do you host Black Contests or Black Give Aways on your site? Do you sell a Black product with a few extra / samples that you are willing to share freely with the masses, or even sell at a disount?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, post your Giveways and Discount Specials on Black Freebies. If you don't offer any specials, get with the program! Giving away free stuff to fellow African Americans is a great way to support our Community and simoultaneously promote your Product or Service.

Give away a free copy of your book, a coupon, an amazon gift certificate, a music cd, magazine subscription, t-shirt, e-book, website, whatever you want. Be creative about this folks. Find something that you can share freely with others then see how much support, publicity, and thanks you will get back in return.

To Join the Black Freebies Newsgroup visit:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/blackfreebies/

Black Freebies Official site:
http://blackfreebies.msoyonline.com

-lhenry
- www.msoyonline.com

A Great Time to be a Black Entrepreneur

Yes, this is a great time to be a Black Entreprenur. There is a market and with it comes a new line of marketing gurus waiting to help you tap into that market. More and more flourishing Black Business Owners are sharing their stories, along with new Black Business Organizations and Books tailored to meet the needs of Black Entrepreneurs.

I'm a collector of all things related to Black Culture, so I'm always coming across some new resource or website worth sharing. With respect to Black Business, here is a list of my most recent finds:

1. Completely Black: an impressive new online network for Black Business Professionals. This site offers a space to find local Black Business Owners, expand your network, and share your products or services with others. It's new but it already has a growing list of members. Did I mention that membership is free! Nowadays everything comes with a price tag, so it's nice to find resources that don't. Feel free to check out my profile and drop me a line when you join!
2. If you are interested in more sites like CompletelyBlack.com check out my previous post on Black Business Networks for Black Professionals.
3. Must Have Book: Farrah Gray, the self made Black Teenprenuer / Millionaire shares the secrets of his success in "Reallionaire : Nine Steps to Becoming Rich from the Inside Out
4. For more must have Black Business books read my previous posts: Black Millionaires, Billionaires, and their success stories part 1 and part 2.
5. The Izania Market: Goodbye Ebay, hello Izania; the latest online shopping site for African American Merchants and Shoppers.

How I Retired at 26!

Asha Tyson's own rise from homelessness at 17 to prominence deems her an expert on personal achievement. Now she reveals the secrets of her success by offering you an easy-to-understand blueprint that can afford you the lifestyle you always wanted.

Here Tyson examines and shatters the mold of traditional retirement ideas that reek of defeat; she demonstrates a winning and fresh philosophy that is effective for anyone at any age.

How I Retired at 26! provides an eye-opening practical process for obtaining personal, professional and financial freedom all in this one astonishing book!

With her coaching, you will learn new techniques that rid you of worry--for good! You can apply these proven principles and begin living a life that most people only talk about and dream of!

Black Millionaires, Billionaires, and their Success Stories P2.

What better way to learn about becoming a Black Millionaire than to read the sucess stories of Black Millionaires and Billionairs. Part 2 of this post features the one and only Madam CJ Walker, Robert Johnson the man behind the Billion Dollar BET Dream, and other Black Entreprenurs worth knowing.

-Check out my first post on Books for Newbie Black Entreprenurs.

-Click Here to find more Black Business Entrepreneurs and Start-ups Books

Black Millionaires, Billionaires, and their Success Stories P1.

What better way to learn about becoming a Black Millionaire than to read the sucess stories of Black Millionaires and in the case of Oprah, Black Billionaires today. Learn the keys to sucess from Black Teenpreneur Farrah Gray (makin' 1.5 million ain't so bad before your 21st birthday, O-so Fabulous Oprah Winfrey (the first Black Woman Billionaire, and the one, the only the first Black Millionaire Arthur G. Gatson.

-Check out my first post on Books for Newbie Black Entreprenurs.
-Click Here to find more Black Business Entrepreneurs and Start-ups Books

Top Five Online Publications for Black Entrepreneurs

The following online business publications are in my opinion some of the best web resources for Black Entpreneurs. (in no specific order)

1. The Black Business Spot
2. Izania
3. Black Enterprise
4. Entrepreneur Magazine
5. Target Market News

National Buy Black Day

'National Buy Black Day' Promotes Self Reliance

By Renee D. Turner, BET.com Staff Writer

Posted Feb. 14, 2006 – While access to the board rooms of America was the challenge of the Civil Rights Movement, creating our own board rooms is "the new revolution."

So says Wayne Winston, who wants everyone to give back by buying Black on Saturday, Feb. 18.

"It's time that our community realized that every dollar we spend with ourselves helps to empower ourselves," says Winston, 42, a Bridgeport, Conn., computer business owner who created National Buy Black Day as his contribution to Black History Month.

"We have a lot of apathy," he says. "That doesn't bode well for us as a community. If we don't go out and support those businesses how will they survive? Hopefully, with this day, people will find Black businesses and do business with them. This is a first step. I think this is something we're hungry for."

Shop In The Neighborhood

Winston hopes that for one day out of the year, African Americans will do all of their shopping with Black-owned businesses. He says this single act will not only help keep dollars circulating in Black communities, but will go a long way toward creating jobs that will solve our employment troubles and help rebuild some of our most impoverished communities.

Perhaps that single day could spark an economic movement within the Black community, Winston says.

Apathy wasn't a problem a half-century ago when, because of Jim Crow, Black businesses serving Black communities had a captive audience, says Fred McKinney, Ph.D., an economist and executive with the Connecticut Minority Supplier Development Council, which pairs minority businesses with corporations willing to buy their goods and services.

After the Civil Rights Movement, anyone could buy nearly anywhere, and entrepreneurship was no longer fostered among young Blacks, he says. Instead we were pushed to get an education and become a part of the larger society.

But with companies like GM shifting their business models to a leaner executive workforce, there will be fewer good-paying jobs in the future. That's why McKinney is convinced that Black businesses hold the key to Black economic and social survival, and that efforts such as National Buy Black Day are important.

"What GM is saying is that they're not going out of business; they're just not going to be making cars here," he says. Blacks who are being laid off in the auto industry, which traditionally provided African Americans a portal to the middle class, must now find other jobs, he says, noting that few other opportunities will afford Black autoworkers the lifestyles to which they've become accustomed.

Shine Spotlight On Black Businesses

"We were socialized to believe a job was a goal. The heck with a job; start a business," he says. "By empowering people and building wealth through efforts like Buy Black Day, we can make our communities better places to be."

That may be why the National Buy Black Day concept hatched from a chat room conversation between a few people into a national movement, with organizers in at least six states, Winston says.

Gloria Massey, 53, sees National Buy Black day as a means to unite people in Los Angles toward a common goal. The longtime accountant, who runs an L.A.-based collections company, says she was inspired during a recent trip to Kenya to promote the effort in her city.

"I saw how they made things and bought things from each other," Massy says. "A lot of young people don't see Black people as a force, as a unit. We're so spread out here physically, but we're one people. This is a way to unify."

Is Concept Racist?

But buying Black is not a new concept, notes conservative economist Walter Williams. It might even be considered racist, he says.

"I don't think it will do anything for good will," he says. "If someone said 'Buy White Day' or only go to basketball games where Whites are playing, wouldn't that be racist? It [Buy Black Day] doesn't get us anywhere. If you want to do something that would help get us get somewhere, say, 'Read a book today.'"

While encouraging people to read is a positive move, encouraging people to spend money within their communities promotes job creation and wealth, Winston says. Spending even a 10th of the estimated $679 billions African-American buying power with Black businesses would make a difference, he says.

But Winston is under no delusion that one day will dissolve years of apathy born out of the notion that the apples are cheaper – and sweeter – at White-owned businesses.

Sweeter On The Other Side

"We automatically assume we're going to get poor service, or that the service won't be the same as other establishments," he says. "This whole day is about trying to relieve the apathy."

One of the actions National Buy Black day planners hope happens is that Black consumers and businesses enter into a "promise" of mutual respect. The promise includes a commitment by Black business participants to treat customers with respect, provide a positive shopping experience, charge fair prices and make customer service a priority.

In return, consumers agree to be fair-minded. Understand that occasionally you'll find that they charge higher prices because they can't buy in the same volumes as a Wal-Mart and provide owners with constructive criticism when appropriate.

Organizers hope that the Buy Black Day movement will have a lasting economic impact.

"Our biggest problem is we need to level the economic playing field," says Sam Golden, a retired Toledo, Ohio, city engineer and wholesale business owner. "There are things we can do to help one another and turn this thing around economically. We didn't create the system, but we can use it to do what needs to be done."

McKinney says that the government response to Hurricane Katrina demonstrated that Black communities need to look within for solutions.

"We have plenty of problems to solve. We have to come up with some solutions," he says. "They will not come out of some mastermind but out of entrepreneurial brilliance. The entrepreneurs that solve problems are the ones that will be successful. I have confidence they will come up with solutions."

Do you think that buying Black will make a difference in the Black community? Talk about it."

Call into NBBTA Radio and post your feedback:

214-231-2911 ext. 6541

http://www.nbbta.org/radio'National Buy Black Day' Promotes Self Reliance

By Renee D. Turner, BET.com Staff Writer

Posted Feb. 14, 2006 – While access to the board rooms of America was the challenge of the Civil Rights Movement, creating our own board rooms is "the new revolution."

So says Wayne Winston, who wants everyone to give back by buying Black on Saturday, Feb. 18.

"It's time that our community realized that every dollar we spend with ourselves helps to empower ourselves," says Winston, 42, a Bridgeport, Conn., computer business owner who created National Buy Black Day as his contribution to Black History Month.

"We have a lot of apathy," he says. "That doesn't bode well for us as a community. If we don't go out and support those businesses how will they survive? Hopefully, with this day, people will find Black businesses and do business with them. This is a first step. I think this is something we're hungry for."

Shop In The Neighborhood

Winston hopes that for one day out of the year, African Americans will do all of their shopping with Black-owned businesses. He says this single act will not only help keep dollars circulating in Black communities, but will go a long way toward creating jobs that will solve our employment troubles and help rebuild some of our most impoverished communities.

Perhaps that single day could spark an economic movement within the Black community, Winston says.

Apathy wasn't a problem a half-century ago when, because of Jim Crow, Black businesses serving Black communities had a captive audience, says Fred McKinney, Ph.D., an economist and executive with the Connecticut Minority Supplier Development Council, which pairs minority businesses with corporations willing to buy their goods and services.

After the Civil Rights Movement, anyone could buy nearly anywhere, and entrepreneurship was no longer fostered among young Blacks, he says. Instead we were pushed to get an education and become a part of the larger society.

But with companies like GM shifting their business models to a leaner executive workforce, there will be fewer good-paying jobs in the future. That's why McKinney is convinced that Black businesses hold the key to Black economic and social survival, and that efforts such as National Buy Black Day are important.

"What GM is saying is that they're not going out of business; they're just not going to be making cars here," he says. Blacks who are being laid off in the auto industry, which traditionally provided African Americans a portal to the middle class, must now find other jobs, he says, noting that few other opportunities will afford Black autoworkers the lifestyles to which they've become accustomed.

Shine Spotlight On Black Businesses

"We were socialized to believe a job was a goal. The heck with a job; start a business," he says. "By empowering people and building wealth through efforts like Buy Black Day, we can make our communities better places to be."

That may be why the National Buy Black Day concept hatched from a chat room conversation between a few people into a national movement, with organizers in at least six states, Winston says.

Gloria Massey, 53, sees National Buy Black day as a means to unite people in Los Angles toward a common goal. The longtime accountant, who runs an L.A.-based collections company, says she was inspired during a recent trip to Kenya to promote the effort in her city.

"I saw how they made things and bought things from each other," Massy says. "A lot of young people don't see Black people as a force, as a unit. We're so spread out here physically, but we're one people. This is a way to unify."

Is Concept Racist?

But buying Black is not a new concept, notes conservative economist Walter Williams. It might even be considered racist, he says.

"I don't think it will do anything for good will," he says. "If someone said 'Buy White Day' or only go to basketball games where Whites are playing, wouldn't that be racist? It [Buy Black Day] doesn't get us anywhere. If you want to do something that would help get us get somewhere, say, 'Read a book today.'"

While encouraging people to read is a positive move, encouraging people to spend money within their communities promotes job creation and wealth, Winston says. Spending even a 10th of the estimated $679 billions African-American buying power with Black businesses would make a difference, he says.

But Winston is under no delusion that one day will dissolve years of apathy born out of the notion that the apples are cheaper – and sweeter – at White-owned businesses.

Sweeter On The Other Side

"We automatically assume we're going to get poor service, or that the service won't be the same as other establishments," he says. "This whole day is about trying to relieve the apathy."

One of the actions National Buy Black day planners hope happens is that Black consumers and businesses enter into a "promise" of mutual respect. The promise includes a commitment by Black business participants to treat customers with respect, provide a positive shopping experience, charge fair prices and make customer service a priority.

In return, consumers agree to be fair-minded. Understand that occasionally you'll find that they charge higher prices because they can't buy in the same volumes as a Wal-Mart and provide owners with constructive criticism when appropriate.

Organizers hope that the Buy Black Day movement will have a lasting economic impact.

"Our biggest problem is we need to level the economic playing field," says Sam Golden, a retired Toledo, Ohio, city engineer and wholesale business owner. "There are things we can do to help one another and turn this thing around economically. We didn't create the system, but we can use it to do what needs to be done."

McKinney says that the government response to Hurricane Katrina demonstrated that Black communities need to look within for solutions.

"We have plenty of problems to solve. We have to come up with some solutions," he says. "They will not come out of some mastermind but out of entrepreneurial brilliance. The entrepreneurs that solve problems are the ones that will be successful. I have confidence they will come up with solutions."

Do you think that buying Black will make a difference in the Black community? Talk about it."

Call into NBBTA Radio and post your feedback:

214-231-2911 ext. 6541

http://www.nbbta.org/radio

Black Business Talk Today

1. New Diversity-Data Guidelines Bring Federal Contractors Into Internet Age
2. Where is our African American Economic plan!?
3. The Black Business Q&A
4. BLACK ENTERPRISE Publisher & Founder Rings Closing Bell
5. Oprah Winfrey signs 3-year, $55 million deal with XM Satellite Radio
6. Africast TV Network partners with On Command with movies for U.S. hotels
7. Calling All Black Website Owners! It's Black Freebies Time.
8. Ways & Means: Where to Invest in 2006: How to Get the Most Bang for Your Buck
9. Ways and Means: Seven Tips for Freeing Yourself From Debt
10. Top Five SistWeb Tips for Black Website Owners

-Black Content for Black People

What software tools do you use to build your website?

This question is intended to help Black Website owners find web resources.

The first answer is from BOE Founder LHenry: "Dreamweaver MX is an excellent web editor, definitely worth the money. You can go to downloads.com or zdnet and find other freeware html editors, but I don't think any of them come close to Dreamweaver. It's a great tool because it offers you have the flexibility of having writing your html code if your an experienced programmer or pluggin in Dreamweaver html code and scripts. The interface is also very easy for new web developers. I also find Adobe Photoshop helpful. It's the best software in my opinion for editing images. Last, but now least Flash. At one point I was a flash-a-holic, but like everything on a website, too much Flash is not a good thing. If you work on your site by yourself, it's a good idea to get Flash and learn how to you it. If used correctly, you can produce some very proffesional/ high quality web content for your site."

Who is your web designer?

This question is intented to help Black Website Owners discover and exchange Web Design Resources.

First answer from BOE Founder LHenry: "I am currently, and have always been the web designer for all my sites, the primary one being Multiple Shades of You
Online: http://www.msoyonline.com/. When I started working on the net, almost 6 years ago I had no web experience. I self taught to the point that I am now, which was fine when I was working on my site casually. However, from the business perspective my website could have been and still could be better structured for search engines and promotion had I gotten a professional web developer or web design company. Working on your own site is a great low budgeting concept, but it requires you to put on multiple hats. You have to familiarize yourself with every aspect of site development from design, to marketing, to search engine optimization. I'm not currently in the web design business, but I am putting together a list of African American [ Web Designers ] and [Graphics Designers ]. If anyone is interested or has something to include feel free to submit a site."

Top Five SistaWeb Tips for Black Websites

1. Sizing Up Your Web Competition
2. Web Things I learned Today
3. Black Stock Photography and Black Clipart
4. One Search Engine Savvy Sista
5. Ten Rules for Web Startups

If you have read any good Black Web or Black Business Articles today, I would love to hear about them.

-lhenry

Black Freebies

Black Freebies is a new yahoo group, created to keep African American Web viewers in the know about free stuff online. Free downloads, games, software, information, contests, give aways, etc. The best part about this site is that most of the content IS Black Stuff, made by Black Folks, made for Black Folks, or useful to Black Folks. Feel free to join and share.

Black Freebies: http://blackfreebies.msoyonline.com

Subscribe to Black Online Entrepreneurs

The best way find out about new posts on Black Online Entrepreneurs, is to subscribe to the RSS Feed. Click the image below for more details.

What should the next BOE post be?

Black Online Entrepreneurs is supposed to be a resource blog for members of the Black Business Community, so at the very least I should be posting topics of interest to you. What would you like to read here?

What do you think about the Black Q&A Questionnaire?

Is the Black Q&A Questionnaire helpful? Please feel free to let me know what you think about it.

Is there a question that you would like to see here?

If there is a question that you would like to see listed in the Black Q&A Questionnaire. Please let me know and I'll see what I can do.

What do you know about Search Engine Optimization?

This question is meant to help Black Websites improve their Search Engine Rank on websites like google.com and yahoo.com.

First answer from BOE Founder: LHenry
If your site does not come up in the first 5 pages of a google query then you need Search Engine Optimization. SEO tips and tools help you improve the html structure of your site, so that your site is more likely to be in the top listings for a particlular search. As I find out more about new SEO Tips, I post them on my other blog: Sista Web. Click here to read one of the posts.

How long did it take you to get listed on a Search Engine?

A useful question for those interested in submitting their websites to search engines and/or improving their listing on search engines.

First answer from BOE Founder: LHenry
It took a matter of days for me to get listed on Black Websites like Blackrefer.com and MyBlackInfo.com. As for google.com it took about 2-3 weeks. And when I finally got listed on google I noticed that google didn't index even half of the number of pages I had so I did some research and found out about google sitemaps, which Help Google crawl your website and help improve the chances of more of your webpages being listed on Google. I share tips and info about my google sitemaps research on my other blog: Sista Web.

What Search Engine do you use the most? Is this a Black Search Engine? If not, also include a Black Search Engine that you use frequently.

This question is meant to help you find out the best search engines, particularly the most popular black search engines, that people use.

First answer from BOE Founder: LHenry

1. Google.com is my main sqeeze
2. Search Urban my Black Search Engine because it has only the best black websites
3. BlackRefer.com because their listing is large and covers an extensive range of topics
4. Alexa.com has great web stats which I often use to find new related links

How do you spend your time online? Give a percentage breakdown.

A great question for finding out what African American online viewers do when their surfing the web.

First answer from BOE Founder: LHenry

1. 30% of my time - Designing/Updating my website (www.msoyonline.com)
2. 30% of my time - Browsing Google for new black sites or marketing tools
3. 30% of my time - Blogging or posting in forums
4. 10% of my time - leisurly shopping or enjoying some entertaining web content

What do you know about Black Business Franchises?

A question for those interest in starting a Black Business Franchise?

First answer from BOE Founder: LHenry
I personally don't know much about this topic beyond the fact that franchises require a lot of upfront capitol. But as according to Entrepreneur Magazine they are quite profitable. Anyone else out there have any hard facts on the topic of franchises?

Name 3 Black Stores off or online that you frequent.

Use this question to better understand what types of Black Businesses are popular and why.

First answer from BOE Founder: LHenry

1. Golden Krust: a Jamaican Bakery, which I love because the food is great, affordable, and good quality.
2. Curve Salon for Natural Haircare:their products are expensive but they do what they say. I'm willing to pay for results.
3. Essence Magazine: I subscribe to Essence because it talks about issues that relate to me as a Black Woman and the content is both entertaining and high quality.

Name one Black Entrepreneur that you admire.

This question is meant to help fellow Entrepreneurs find out what charateristics of Business Savy Black People most impress others. And also to learn about other Black Entrepreneurs.

Answer from BOE Founder: LHenry
After watching the Ultimate Hustler on BET, I gained respect for Damon Dash. I like his intense work ethic and how he uses himself as a customer to market his products. I talk about why I like him in detail in this post. Read it for more info.

What is your favorite African American website and why?

This question is intended to help Black Web Developers find out what types of sites are most important to Black Online viewers and why?

Answer from BOE Founder: LHenry
My favorite Black website is Blackrefer.com (http://www.blackrefer.com/) because as a black
website developer I am always interested in new African American websites, and
Blackrefer always has a new and interesting website for me to review.

About the Black Business Q&A

Black Business Q&A

As an African American Entrepreneur hoping to successfully make it online, I often feel like generating Black Business on the web is like jumping into a bottomless pit. It’s dark and massive with no helpful signs or light bulbs along the way. I keep pushing through with a mountain of questions on my mind. Where does my target audience like to shop? Where are the best places to market black content? Who wants black content? Who are the most successful Black Business owners online? Where are my fellow Black Entrepreneurs? The list of questions is often times bigger than my pool of answers. Short of grinding the digital pavement with countless google.com searches, I’ve found limited web resources for Blacks like myself. Until now…

Creating Black Online Entrepreneurs was the first step to finding answers. The next step is looking at these questions from both the perspective of a business owner and customer. I’ve created the Questionnaire: ‘The Black Business Q&A’, which I encourage you to read and share with others within the Black Business Community. The goal of this survey is to collectively answer some of the most common and pressing questions for Blacks interested in making money online. Some questions require you to put on your ‘Customer Thinking Cap’ and others require you to be a ‘Black Professor of Entrepreneurship’. I intend on answering each question myself to start things off and hope that others will follow in my lead. Feel free to only answer the questions that most interest you. But keep in mind that I will be pooling the results and showcasing the best posts. Creating thoughtful comments could lead to some extra free publicity for you.

Please note: Anyone is free to add a comment, but if you are not Black, please state so because these questions are specifically meant to gather feedback from within the Black Community for Black Business Owners.

Black Business Posts Today

Any good Entrepreneur knows that you have to stay in the loop! It's important to find out what your peers are talking about. You might find out something new or share something you know. Either way an exchange of ideas is a great way to keep any business growing. If you know of a great Black Business Forum, please let me know. I am quite fond of izania (www.izania.com) and the quality posts of its members. Today I found a few great posts that I would like to share with you.

1. Mobile Entertainment Predicted To Reach $42.8 Billion
2. Something interesting.. Black Business Bulletin Board..
3. Black Professional Organizations -- Are you connected?

Did you read a great Black Business post today? Let me know about it.

---------------------------------------
Black Business Resources on BOE
-African American Business Directory
-Urban Web Tools for African American Websites

Resources for Black Business Women

Calling all Sistapreneurs! Calling all African American Business Women! Call all my Black sistas making Money for themselves! Here are a few links that support black women in business. Take advantage of these resources and add a link to this page on your site! Share the sisterly wealth.

Organizations
-Black Career Women
-Get Ready for Give 'N Take… a barter-exchange network for women entrepreneurs and executives. This unique organization brings women together to create opportunities, by providing a support system for start-up companies and entrepreneurs. Its goal is to educate, collaborate and stimulate advancement in business.
-Digital Sistas is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization created to promote and provide technology education and enrichment for young girls and women of color.

Resource Hightlights
-Multiple Shades of You Online: Listing of Resources for Black Career Women
-Black Business Books
-Izania.com
-African American Women In Technology

Online Advice
-Nia Online Career Columns
-Bahiyah Woman Magazine Entrepreneurs Guide for Women
-Women in Business Today Online Resource
-Sistah Connect: sistapreneurs
-Sista-Web: one African American sistah’s web development / html blog

Web Directories
-Black Career Women Links
-Multiple Shades of You Online: Listing of Resources for Black Career Women

Forums
-Black Living.com Business and Finance Forum for Women

Sistas to Know and Respect
-Jamila White, the E-Commerce Diva
-Niambi Jarvis, CEO of Hiyaah Power
-Simone Kelly, President and CEO of Gots to Have It, Marketing
-LaShanda Henry, found of Multiple Shades of You Online

-Find these and other great African American Websites on Multiple Shades of You Online.

African Americans in Science and Technology

Looking for information about Blacks in the Technology Field? Here is a great place to start:

• Black Tech Magazine is the comprehensive Information Technology [IT] advisory resource for African American business owners and entrepreneurs.
• Black Family Network provides online technology information for black families.
• Multiple Shades of You Online: Black Technology Listing
• Digital Sistas is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization created to promote and provide technology education and enrichment for young girls and women of color.
• Our PC Magazine is the computer and internet magazine for African Americans.
• The National Society of Black Engineers
• La Familia Network, the Hispanic Family embracing Technology
• Black Conscious News Science and Technology Headlines
• D-Mars Black Business & Technology News
• African American Web Developers
• Destee.com Computer Internet and Technology Forum
• Multiple Shades of You: Black 'Web' related Links
• Cocoa Lounge Computers and Science Forum
• African American Gamer
• The Digital Divide Network is the Internet's largest community for educators, activists, policy makers and concerned citizens working to bridge the digital divide.
• African-American Women in Technology
•Proud Black User of Macintosh: an African American Technology Blog
•Black Hacker.net: Blog

Black Internet Stats
• More than 10 million Blacks are online, about 45% of the Black population
• 74% of online Blacks say the Internet has had a positive effect on their children
• Blacks account for roughly 8 percent of the online population, and the group will exceed U.S. Hispanics' Internet penetration by 2007
• Top three online activities Blacks are #1: check/send email, #2: access news/headlines and #3: play online games
• Blacks are active online consumers, purchasing more clothing/apparel online (48% vs. 41%) and more music/videos (44% vs. 39%) than the general online market
• Blacks listen to music online and watch videos more than the general online market
Source: Nielsen//NetRatings, January 2003


What is Compelling Reason to Invest IT Dollars in Black Community?
John Templeton (www.blackmoney.com) has conducted extensive research in this area. He reports the following statistics:
1. 11% of the employees in the Information Technology industry are African American
2. 500,000 African Americans in the IT industry
3. 2400 African American owned IT companies in the country. These 2400 companies employ over 20,000 people.