Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 9 March 2001 — Page 26

FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 2001 ■ PAGE D1

CTION*CLASSIFIED*REAL ESTATE

IBCC host 3rd Annual Black Business Showcase

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Last week the Indianapolis Hack Chamber of Commerce losted its 3rd Annual Black Busiicss Showcase at the Ashantii loom. The event offered local lack entrepreneurs a chance to

showcase their products and themselves to the 150 consumers who were in attendance. It also served as a celebration of diversity in Black-owned businesses in Indianapolis. Twenty-eight businesses

were showcased. "We wanted to encourage Blacks to buy from Black because we have a place and part of this city's growing economy," said Connie Banks, an IBCC board member. IBCC's

mission is to empower Indianapo- greaterlndianapoliscommunity by For more information on IBCC lis' Black community by develop- strengthening Black business and events, membershipor services call ing,educating.advocating.anden- creating an environment that pro- (317) 924-9840. (Photos/Curtis hancing the economic status of the duces more Black entrepreneurs. Guynn)

NBCC announces marketing lalliance with Product2Store

(BUSINESS WIRE) — The Jational Black Chamber of Com•tnerce (NBCC) has announced it ered into a strategic alliance with uct2Store(product2store.com) or its small and medium-sized lAfrican-American manufacturers

Tand retailers.

i Black-owned companies that sign up in the next three months will receive lifetime memberships

to medium manufacturers are constantly looking for better ways to sell products to retailers in America, this lifetime membership offering from Product2Store is quite a deal for our members." Alford said. Product2Store is equally excited to begin working with the National Black Chamber of Commerce, according to Donald Regan, a member of the board of advisors of

on Product2Store‘s interactivebuSi- PtodqctSStore and former Secretary' ness-to-business retail Internet iTreagiiryf chief of staff in

495. President Reagan

tern for a one-time fee of $495.' Product2Store’s standard member-

ship fee is $495 annually. “Product 2 Store

*(product2Store.com) has the prejmier e-commerce system, as well v as the right talent and finances, to

j execute the best business-to-busi-j ness retail system in the world," i according to Harry Alford, presii dent and CEOof the National Black ■chamber of Commerce; "Since all of Black-owned small

leagan’s administration

and former chairman of Merrill

Lynch.

"Through this relationship,” Regan said, "African-American manufacturers will join Product2Store and receive the opportunity for worldwide product exposure and sales to 500.000 United States and European retailers. "Al 1 NBCC member products wi II be directly available to more then 100 million consumers. They will be

able to buy products directly online that are not available at retail outlets." he said. Regan also noted that Product2Store will market to buy^ ers and retailers that want to cut costs by sourcing production tooverseas manufacturers. “African-American-owned businesses can participate as buyers or sellers through the Product2Store system," Alford a compelling Web pafoadllHih e>, commerce capabm^ ^^0®iinf online product catalogs. More important, it will mean increased sales and bottom-line profitability. "Electronic commerce isthe fast-est-growing segment of our economy." Alford said. "African-American-owned businesses must move into this century where more transactions will be electronically based. This alliance will allow our member businesses to grow at exponential rates and eliminate geographic barriers." Alford concluded.

Finances and your marriage

By JESSE B. BROWN Was it Moms Mabley. the noted African-American comedian, who said " long after the sex is gone, it's money that keeps the honey"? Money often plays a powerful role in detennining the level of bliss or discord in a marriage. Fundamental disagreements over how to manage money could turn a relationship into a battle. If a couple has trouble seeing eye to eye on money issues,lackscommon money goals, can' t agree on how to spend or how to save, their marriage may suffer. Money matters are typically a part of almost every decision a couple makes. Should we buy beef or chicken? Watch television or go out to a show? See Europe next summer or stay home and work on

the house? Here are some tips to help you prevent your marriage from becoming a series of ongoing conflicts include: • Remember that marriage is an economic relationship ... a personal business partnership. Actively manage your family's financial affairs; don't leave them to chance. Work together. • Analyze your attitudes towards money. Does one of you like to spend unexpected income ... the other to save it? Does one feel comfortable with a full debt load ... the other nervous about borrow ing?Exchange pointsof view'. Seekcommonground through compromise. • Share all money decisions and responsibilities. If nothing else, sit

down together each week to pay bills. Working togetherto manage your financial affairs could help to improve your overall financial situation. Jesse B. Brow n is president of Krystal Investment Management, a financial advison firm in Chicago. For a free copy of his monthly electronic newsletter write to him at Three First National Plaza. PMB Saite 14042. 70 W. Madison. Chicago. III. 60602. He is the Best selling author of the hook Investing in the Dream: Wealth Building Strategies for African-Americans Seeking Financial Freedom and also Pay Yourself First: A Guide to Financial Success. E-Mail: [email protected]: Web site at ■ U’H’M’. lnvestinthedreant.com.

Former listeners want to be able :o hear radio station WTLC again

MUNCIE, Ind.(AP)—Former listeners say changes at an Indianapolis radio station are having impact on Central Indiana's JIack community. A group of former WTLC lis:ners held a press conference in luncie last week to express their mcemsabout the station's movenent down the FM dial and what ! means to people outside Indianapolis. The radio station, which has en on the air for 33 years, can no iger be picked up by radios in unde, Marion and Kokomo.. I On Feb. 15. the station moved 105.7 FM to 106.71^, desing the station' s wattage from "50,000 to 6.000. Its signal now ^fades rapidly outside the India-

napolis metro area. Former listeners said the station not only provided entertainment, but was a vital source of information on Black events in Indianapolis and elsewhere: Paul Barrett of Mount ' Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church in Kokomo said the group would consider other steps to get the attention of station owners, possibly in eluding acaravan to Indianapolis or even an economic boycott. “We will have a station for us by the end of the year." Barrett said. / Washington-based Radio One Inc., which owns WTLC owns 48 stations mainly targeting Black

audiences. "We can really understand the feelings of our brothers and sisters in Muncie and north central Indi-

SeeWTLC, Page D2

Black Business Profile

Information provided by business owners

Business: Brandywine Publishing and The Creative Writer's Network Program Address: 5946 Terry)own Parkway Phone: (317)299-9402 Fax: (317) 299-0087 Web site: www.Brands w inePublishing.com Year opened: 2000 Owner: Author Darlene Johnson Number of paid employees: Several contracted freelance editors, graphic artist, and proofreaders Products/services: Publish and promote writers and provide workshops for writers to improve their skills and to learn more about the business of writing. Significant business advances/achievements: Debut novel picked up by a major publisher just months after its release on the market. Future goals: Continued writing success as well as expanding publishing companv in hopes that other Writers can achieve the level of success Johnson has found in writing and publishing. Johnson on starting Brandywine: "I started Brandywine Publishing specitlcallv to publish m\ novel. I did not make an initial attempt to publish my novel the traditional wav because I was well aware of the level o! competition between first time authors hoping for that big break. Self publishing is an inv estment in yourself and you should pursue it only if you are serious about the business aspect of writing because it's a lot of hard work. "First you need to decide if your manuscript is as good as it can he? Then you need to leant what to do with that manuscript once you've finished it. And finallv. vou need to learn how toget your book into the bookstores otherwise you'll just end up w ith hundreds of boxes of books sitting on the floor in vour liv ing room. "It's hard work but it does and can pay off if you learn that there is a business to vv riling. Dream in Color was ,a storv that appealed mostlv to w omen who have experienced the need to lose themselv es in a daydream. My next novel is bound to be controv ersial because it takes a look at a relationship that grow s from a friendship into a love affair into a committed relationship when one of the indiv iduals is seen by his peers as being happily' married to someone else." Johnson on the growth and success of her business: "There is only one way to measure the success I've achiev ed vv ith Brandywine Publishing and Dream in Color and that is to return to the niemorv of being asked a particular question. That question is. What do you want to be when you grow up?' I have become what I wanted lobe when I grew up and I have found success and happiness at it. "Brandywine Publishing accomplished the task of publishing my novel, promoting it with reasonable success, distributed it to a broad spectrum ol readers within the African-American community and beyond, and has expanded in hopes of helping other writers achiev e the same success of seeing their work in a finished published product." Johnson on overcoming the obstacles that come w ith starting a publishing company: "As with most writers, the obstacles of lime and money are the biggest hurdles to cross. Self-publishing is expensive and time consuming. There are ways to keep the cost down, oral least to a minimum. You leant this through networking and trial and error. "Like almost every one else. I had a full time job as well. You can ov ercome these obstacles but the key is to never give up on your dream. I was fortunate enough to have a friend that read the initial manuscript and believ ed in my commitment and prov ivied a loan to help fund the project. It also took huge sacrifices from me and my family and every available dollar went toward the business and promoting the book. "Because I also worked full-time, there were many days when 1 literally lived off of an hour's sleep or less. Thank God my children were at the age vv here they thought peanut butter and jelly and cereal for dinner was a treat. If you look around y ou and consume your thoughts w ith what you don't have — whether it's time or money, you w ill never achiev e your goals. Just keep working at it and somew here along the w ay. a door w ill open for you and you wall be able to walk through it." Johnson on how her writing helped meet needs of clients: "Besides the basic idea for a story. there are things most vv riters need. Those are. feedback, information of how to get their work into print, how to get their printed work to the market, how to promote it once it is on the market (because the work doesn’t stop there), and how to network amongst fellow w riters, published and unpublished. "That is where The Creativ e Writer's Network Program comes in at. Being a published author. I hav e been placed in a position to share a wealth ot know ledge and information vv ith other w riters looking for the same infomiation I was looking for a year ago. My network of friends anil contact now range from other wellestablished authors to state representatives. I share the stage with authors whose books have been on my bookshelf for years. "Publishing has opened the div»r to a new world for me and bv helping to create The Creative Writer's Network Program. I hope to be able to pass along w hat I've learned to other vv liters. One thing that w riters need to remember, there is no competition. People read. And as long as vou prov ide a readable book, it will be read. How well you write w ill be essential to creating a follow ing. The key is to tap into the market as much as you can by getting it into as many hands as possible."