Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 19 July 2002 — Page 31

FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2002 ■ PAGE D1

INSIDE*D*SECTION*CLASSIFIED*REAL ESTATE

Tech Comer ly JAMES IUNTIN

Portable recorders help organize your world A while ago I was one of those people that had his whole life in one of those cumbersome organizer day timer thingies. You know those big books with all the pages and tabs for everything you can imagine. Now those things kept me organized to a degree, but I had to thumb through the thing poking for addresses and numbers, and it took me about forever to find anything. Thank God I found out about digital recorders, These things are lifesavers. Basically they are the digital equivalents of tape recorders without the tape. The biggest advantage to these is the ability to store voice data randomly. This means that when you want to make a new entry to your already growing vocal database of info you no longer have to fast forward or rewind to find a point that has a free space to record in. Just pick up your digital data recorder push record and start talking. Your new entry will be entered without the hassle of finding a free spot to place it in. Moreover many of the units have little virtual folders where you can further organize your appointments or pearls of wisdom. My digital recorder has three folders. In one I place phone numbers I need. In another I place interviews I have with clients and in another I place ideas and thoughts that I need to work on later. Boy is that one full. They come in various models with different amounts of recording time. Mine has three houre of recording time max, and has two different recording modes, standard and high quality. In high quality you get less recording time but better sound. Beware, many manufactures will only list the maximum recording time on the package and to See RECORDERS, Page D2

Portable digital recorders replace heavy cumbersome organizer notebooks and offer faster data retrieval than ordinary tape recorders.

A TRUE FAMILY AFFAIR Side Street Deli expands product offering

Story by ANARE V. HOLMES Recorder Editor Photos by JIM BUNTIN When Dennis and Cheryl Wheaton, owners of Side Street Deli, thought about expanding their operation at 2066 N. Illinois St. the couple had more in mind than just increasing space. “We also wanted to expand our menu selection,” said Cheryl who along with husband Dennis stepped out on faith in 1998 to relocate the business from Dennis’ hometown of Fort Wayne to Indianapolis. “It’s all about taking the business to the next level.” That next level is providing more than just lunch for the 200 people the deli serves daily. By adding an extra dining facility and augmenting their service menu, which will now include breakfast, both cook to order and express menus and serving dinner, the Wheatons are looking to attract more foot traffic through one of the city’s few Black-owned near downtown eateries. “It’s been a journey getting to this point,” said Wheaton. “When we first opened we did not have a lot of helpful guidance, only the basic canned information some people give you about starting a business, and we did make a few mistakes.” “There is definitely more to starting a business than going down to the Small Business Administration." One lesson the Wheatons had to learn was how to effectively spend advertising dollars, an area that can be extremely costly. “There have been other challenges such as hiring the right type of accountant and knowing when and how to use an accountant’s services, so you learn as you go and grow.” To combat those challenges the Wheatons have taken advantage of seasoned consultants like John A. Allen, president of EmpowerSee DELI, Page D2

(L to r) Chef Dennis Wheaton, food specialist Wendell Clarke, Mary Alice Williams, Mildred Gaines and engineer Clarence Hall talk business. Side Street Deli, 2066 N. Illinois St., is now open Monday through Friday for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Side Street Deli Owner Dennis Wheaton says his unique deli is a family affair. Open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, Dennis and wife Cheryl operate one of the city’s few Black-owned eateries near downtown. >

Black Business Profile Information provided by business owners

Full name of business: Pike Family Dentistry Inc. Address: 5660 Eden Village Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46254 Phone: (317) 297-9750

Fax:

(317)297-7169 Web site: www.pikefamilydent.com Year Opened:

V'iH.

1994

Owner: David W. Austin, DDS Dav,d W - Au8tin . DDS Number of paid employees:

Products/Services: General care dental practice. Significant business advances/achievements: We expanded our facility after four years. Future goals: To expand the acceptance of cosmetic dentistry as well as increase the awareness that prevention and regular maintenance are healthier and more cost efficient. Why did you start the business and how has it grown? This has been the fulfillment of a lifetime dream; to have my own business. The growth has been rapid. What are some of the obstacles you faced and how did you overcome them? One obstacle was dealing with an uncooperative and intrusive landlord. I overcame this by building my own facility and becoming my own landlord. Who does your business best serve and why? This business best serves anyone in need of thorough, gentle dental care. At Pike Family Dentistry Inc. we create a caring, patient-centered dental experience. How has your experience helped to meet the needs of your clients? I have 18 years of dental practice experience. I have taken the best from every situation and added it to my business. Where did you get the name of your company from and does it have any significant meaning? I chose "Pike Family Dentistry” because I wanted the business to be easily recognized as a dental practice for the entire family and located in Pike Township.

Hotel chains improved diversity, but still lacking, NAACP says

By DEBORAH KONG AP Minority Issues Writer HOUSTON (AP) — The NAACP said some hotel chains are lagging behind others in their treatment of minorities, and urged consumers to use the group’s hotel report cards in deciding where to stay. The report cards, which consider employee diversity and advertising in Black-owned media, among other factors, assigned grades.to 11 national chains. Marriott received the highest grade, B, on the 2002 report card; Starwood was the lowest with a C. “We’re asking people of all races, who believe in fairness in this country, who for whatever reason make a decision to go to a hotel, to use this report as a guide,” said Kweisi Mfume, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Hotel chains have made progress in providing business opportuni-

ties to minorities, but have been slow to increase Black property ownership and advertise in Black-

Kweisi Mfume, president of the National Aasociation for the Advancement of Colored People.

owned media, according to the NAACP report, released at the group's annual convention. In the last report card, issued two years ago, the NAACP gave grades of mostly Cs and Ds to the chains. Donna DeBerry, senior vice president of diversity at Wyndham International, said thechain's lower grades in the past—a D in 2000— “definitely impacted our business.” For 2002, Wyndham received a Bminus. American Blacks spend more than $35 billion annually on travel and tourism, according to the NAACP report. The NAACP did note some progress in board appointments, employment and increased contracting opportunities. Hotels also have formed diversity councils and franchise recruitment programs, the report said. But “the ability of AfricanAmerican and Latino entrepreneurs in particular to break into the his-

torically closed-door society of hotel ownership remains hampered,” Mfume said. “The hotel industry generates huge revenues," yet those are “disturbingly being enjoyed by only a few.” The grades, which cover 2001 and 2002, are based on the N A ACP’s assessment of the hotels’ diversity in hiring practices, vendors, advertising, philanthropy and equity ownership and franchise opportunities. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, owner of the Sheraton and Westin chains, “takes the NAACP report very seriously,” said spokeswoman K.C. Kavanagh. “We’re a relatively new company and are aggressively pursuing diversity issues.” Starwood formed a diversity council of senior executives and recently hired a seasoned diversity executive, she said.

People on the move

Stacey Torres joins Carpenter GMAC Stacey Torres has joined the Greenfield office of Carp e n t e r GMAC Real Estate located at 1117 N. Main St. Torres has been a professional legal assistant for the past 30

Stacey Torres

years. She and her husband A. J. live in New Castle, and have four daughters. ages 14-20. Torres is a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, Henry County Democrat Women. She is the Vice President, United Methodist Women, Wiley United Methodist Church in New Castle. She provides free home market analysis services and home sale consultation. Services to buyers are also free. Contact her at (3 i7) 467-1800 or (765) 527-7707.

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