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ERYK WILLIAMS IS A 28-YEAR-OLD COLLEGE STUDENT WHO'S surviving off of his military disability benefits while still trying to save money and build assets. Sierra Brown, 24, is conflicted about [...]

ANDRE WOOLERY IS NO 'MR. FIX IT.' WHEN IT COMES TO doing odd jobs at home, Woolery admits to having a clumsy nature. But it was his fumbling fingers that [...]

JUST BECAUSE THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY IS MOVING LIKE molasses doesn't mean your personal rebound has to be sluggish. BLACK ENTERPRISE talked to some of the wisest financial planners, investment advisers, [...]

Business is not limited to the boardroom. Social media helped reinforce this. Coupled with adaptability and a forward-thinking approach, this mobility is altering (in real time) the way we engage [...]

NOW THAT THE WORLD'S ECONOMIC OUTLOOK APPEARS less gloomy than in months past, BLACK ENTERPRISE wants to make sure you participate in the recovery. To do so, we talked to […]

WHEN JOHN L. WRIGHT'S NEIGHBOR GREW FRUSTRATED with the lack of progress she experienced while working with a personal trainer, she turned to him for guidance. Wright, a former semi-professional [...]

IT STARTED WITH A DREAM OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP that first took hold in 1996 for Brandon Byrd. 'I had frozen custard, which is a super premium, gourmet ice cream, and I [...]

NECOLE PARKER SPENT NEARLY TWO DECADES DESIGNING a reputation built upon innovation as a senior project manager at top Washington, D.C., metro area construction and design firms. But it was [...]

RHYS W. POWELLSTARTED RED RABBIT IN 2005 WITH a simple mission: to provide parents with healthy food choices for their children. After a structural revamp and a major shift in [...]

BBRAXTON Exceptional Grooming For Exceptional Men Owner: Brenda Braxton Location: Harlem, NY Product: Tonsorial and Spa Services Launch: 2006 Closed: November 2009 Reopened: January 2011 2007 Revenues: $192,000 2008 Revenues: [...]

BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO, ESPECIALLY WHEN money is involved. But when Jared Murphy found his self-managed Roth IRA exposed to too many volatile stocks in the oil and [...]

WHILE DRIVING PROFITS AT AN INVESTMENT FIRM as a financial consultant and eventually a personnel development manager, Raymond Aker perfected his knack for delivering quality and efficient service. By 2001, [...]

BACK IN 2008, NATALIE P. MCNEAL GAVE UP SOME of her favorite luxuries. For a month, she swore off dinners out on the town, manicures, pedicures, and trips to the [...]

IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO DIVERSIFY your portfolio, a real estate investment trust, or REIT, is one way to invest in the housing and commercial real estate market without purchasing property [...]

THE KEY TO MAKING GOOD STOCK-PICKING DECISIONS IS cold, hard research. When you make individual stocks part of your portfolio, you're taking on a big task. You've essentially become your [...]

IMAGINE IF WHEN YOU WERE A child, one of your parents opened a few credit cards and acquired a few utilities in your name--unbeknownst to you. Years later, it comes [...]

A GROWING NUMBER OF ENTREPRENEURS ARE leveraging the current digital explosion to create viable, sustainable businesses. But due diligence is a must, says Alice Bredin, small business adviser to American [...]

JAMILAH BARNES CREEKMUR, A MARKETING-SAVVY NEGOTIATOR WITH A PENCHANT FOR INNOVATION, EARNED HER STRIPES leading business development efforts for AllHipHop.com (and won the BLACK ENTERPRISE Rising Star Award in 2006). [...]

SURE, YOUR WEBSITE IS UP AND RUNNING; YOU HAVE accounts set up on the major social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, among others. But in the age of increased [...]

ACCESS TO CAPITAL IS A CHIEF CONCERN OF SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. For many technology companies, venture capital backing provides the best means to quickly expand a business. But in 2008 [...]

ONLY 18% OF SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS PARTICIPATE IN A 401(K) OR THRIFT plans according to a study by the Small Business Administration (www.sba.gov). Cost is the major obstacle, says David [...]

HEALTH INSURANCE IS ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE lines in the budget for small businesses. Business owners' premiums have increased between 15% and 20% on average, year-over-year for at least [...]

THE PINCH OF TUITION HAS SOME students balking at the idea of a traditional four-year undergraduate degree program. A handful of colleges and universities are responding by implementing three-year programs [...]

BAD HABITS ARE TOUGH TO SHAKE TARDINESS. PROCRASTINATION. Chronic complaining. Many of us can pick an item or two off this short list that have (unfortunately) become almost second nature. [...]

JAMES BRUCE LLEWELLYN, ONE of the few CEOs to own two companies on the BE INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE COMPANIES list, passed away on April 7 due to kidney failure. He was 82. [...]

AN AUDIT NOTICE FROM THE INTERNAL Revenue Service can send shivers down the spine of even the steeliest taxpayer. But with a daughter entering college and hard-earned dollars at stake, [...]

IT DID NOT TAKE LONG FOR ANGELA Cauley and Ian Blount to concoct an alluring formula for success for Coalescence L.L.C. (www.coalescencellc.com; 614-861-3639), their Columbus, Ohio-based food blending and repackaging [...]

SPEND THREE MINUTES ON ANY INVESTING WEBSITE AND YOU QUICKLY realize that evaluating a stock is far more complicated than the 'buy low/sell high' advice your uncle gave you. Before [...]

Percy E. Sutton never met a challenge too great for his boundless energy and intrepid spirit. The founder of Inner City Broadcasting Corp. died Dec. 26, 2009. He was 89. [...]

Tangela WalkerCraft, 39 Planning is Tangela Walker-Craft's specialty. The married mother of one has been steadfast in keeping household debt to a minimum. For example, when the Crafts purchased their [...]

Creating a financial plan should be on everyone's to-do list. Financial planning is not solely for the rich, nor should it be left up to your significant other. It is [...]

AS THE CLOCK STRIKES MIDNIGHT ON JAN. 1, IT WILL also usher in the start of tax season. As everyone knows, you have until April 15th to file your state [...]

CONNECTING SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND ENTREPRENEURS, financial institutions are leveraging the social networking platform. Two heavyweight online small business communities--American Express' OPEN Forum and Bank of America's Small Business Online [...]

UNABASHEDLY BOLD, RADIO PERSONALITY WENDY Williams concocted an irresistibly alluring guilty pleasure for listeners who tuned in to her midday drive radio show, The Wendy Williams Experience, on WBLS FM […]

DESPITE THE CLAIMS BY MANY COMPANIES THAT DIVERSITY is a priority, few companies have a clear definition of what diversity means. A study by the Society for Human Resource Management [...]

The article presents several African American inventors and their inventions. Andrè Woolery invented the MagnoGrip Magnetic Wristband in 2005, which has magnets that can stick little nails, screws, and small tools for handymen. Elaine Cato created the Breakthrough Backless Bra as part of the lingerie worn by women, wherein she seeks to have these brassieres distributed by lingerie and personal care brand Victoria's Secret.

The article presets personal finance management tips from several African American financial planners, investment gurus, realtors and tax advisers. Chris Long, president and owner of Long & Associates, suggests rebalancing one's portfolio while sticking with long-term investing plan. Dorethia Conner, president of Conner Coaching, recommends consulting to generate income after a layoff.

The article deals with the decision of some people in their twenties in the U.S. to invest in the stock market. Twenty-three-year-old Andrew Simon and 25-year-old Erika Smith have invested in the stock market because they are convinced that the market and the U.S. economy will rise again after the recession. It relates that during 2008, nearly 200,000 investors age 30 and under opened new accounts with ShareBuilder, the investment arm of ING Direct. It outlines the myths of investing that discourage other young people from investing. INSET: How to Begin.

The article explores how husband-and-wife John and Tammy Wright have turned a mobile fitness venture into a full-service wellness and fitness center in Waldorf, Maryland. The Wrights spent 200,000 dollars to launch the Anointed Body of Christ (ABC) Fitness Center & Day Spa LLC. The Wrights generated a revenue of 160,000 dollars in 2011. They expect a 210,000 dollars revenue in 2012.

A review is offered for the Goodies Frozen Custard & Treats food truck located in Washington, D.C. INSET: 5 Tips for Operating a Mobile Eatery.

The article features The ELOCEN Group, a program and project management firm for state, local, and federal government, as well as the commercial sector. Based in Washington, D.C., the firm was founded by Necole Parker. The firm services government agencies to help them stay on schedule and on budget.

The article discusses how New York and New Jersey healthy school meals provider Rhys W. Powell turned his Red Rabbit business into profitability. It claims that Powell shifted his audience from a broad consumer base to educational institutions, doubling annual revenue since 2008 by offering meal choices that meet parents' and children's demand at competitive prices for administrators. It notes that Red Rabbit provides fresh, made-from-scratch meals below federal free lunch reimbursement rate.

The article offers information on BidMyCleaning.com which provides cleaning services to residential properties. Developed by Raymond Aker, a personal development manager, in 2008, the electronic-business venture has three co-founders, O'Brian Woods, Gaving Stone, and Candine Stone. They invested 185,000 U.S. dollars. As of 2010, revenues reached 1.2 million U.S. dollars.

The article presents information about ways to keep more money and pay less to the government when filing one's U.S. 2012 taxes, mentioning deductions for job hunting expenses, for those living in areas hit by natural disasters such as 2012's Hurricane Sandy, and for retirement contributions are all legitimate and helpful. INSET: GET MONEY.

The article focuses on low-cost online tools that may be used to optimize the web site of a small business owner. It focuses on the popularity of the WordPress computer software because of its plug-ins. It gives instructions on how to maximize the Google Analytics (GA) service by linking it to the Webmaster Tool of the search engine. It discusses the integration of tracking in social media, customization of e-mail and access to GA through MailChimp.

The article presents tips on how to persuade your employer to make a change in the company's 401(k) plan. First, employees should feel free to express their concern to the employer but should also find solutions to these concerns. Employees should take advantage of annual meetings with employees and 401(k) providers to inquire about plan options. Third is to consider forming a group with other colleagues to make a petition to the employer about their concerns.

The article presents the important considerations when selecting a retirement plan for a company's employees. The present size and future growth of the company is important. A Simplified Employee Pension Plan is efficient for companies with less than 10 employees. Given state and federal compliance rules, the amount of administrative help necessary to implement and maintain a plan is evaluated. Costs to set up the plan include an upfront conversion cost, a fixed cost per person enrolled and an annual fee.

The article offers tips for eliminating bad habits such as tardiness, procrastination, and chronic complaining.

The article focuses on how Dawn Loney, former quality assurance supervisor of a Canadian bank, re-evaluated her skill set and improved it for competitive edge. Her new position is as corporate trainer which involves orienting employees and training them on corporate systems and company policies. She took advantage of a company program which allowed employees to try out various positions. Her on-the-job experience gave her in-depth insight into the job's requirement and she learned new tactics.

The article presents an obituaries for African American businesspeople including Dorothy Irene Height, chairman and president emeritus of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), James Bruce LLewellyn, founder of Queen City Broadcasting and Norma J. Ross, president of Bob Ross Automotive.