Strategy is not about waiting for opportunities to come to your business. It’s about making sure your business is moving, and, most importantly, that it’s moving in the right direction. Here are five things you must do to develop a solid plan for strategic growth: 1. Know exactly...

Okay, so 30-60 seconds may not seem like a lot of time. But in the confines of an elevator, it’s an eternity. And in pitching your business to someone, it’s ample time to show them what you’ve got. Of course, every word and second counts. To win anyone over with the perfect pitch...

This week on The Urban Business Roundtable, UBR Executive Producer TaQuoya Kennedy gets an insiders glimpse into Farrah Gray Publishing, the new book publishing venture of UBR contributor, author and entrepreneurial icon Farrah Gray. A best-selling author and motivational speaker, Gray made...

This week on The Urban Business Roundtable, UBR Executive Producer TaQuoya Kennedy speaks with Dante Lee, the founder and CEO of Diversity City Media and author of Black Business Secrets: 500 Tips, Strategies, and Resources for the African American Entrepreneur. Lee, whose award-winning...

A few years ago, I took a class at my church on visions to strategy (yes, even seasoned CEOs still need help!). It reminded me that we all have tons of great ideas; but it’s not that easy to make our dreams reality. So how can you take the journey from dream to reality? It’s as easy as...

Skilled orators are savvy marketers by definition. Take for instance, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter. The rapper-turned-businessman can deem a product cool or passé simply by how he flips it in a verse. But does Jay-Z co-signing a brand in rhyme necessarily equal a boost in its respective sales?...

Vanessa and Angela Simmons, co-founders of the urban fashion venture Pastry Footwear, are featured in the Entrepreneur of the Week segment on this week’s edition of the Black Enterprise Business Report, hosted by Caroline V. Clarke. Vanessa, 27, and Angela, 23, are the daughters of...

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 whether to take out more loans to go to a better university rather than borrowing less—or...

The last thing you want to do is work your entire adult life only to discover that you didn’t properly plan for your retirement. It may seem like a concern for years down the line for most young entrepreneurs, but it’s never too early to start thinking about your future, especially when...

For our January 2011 issue, rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson provides BLACK ENTERPRISE an all-access look at how he’s evolved into an entrepreneur extraordinaire. In a revealing interview, the 35-year-old speaks candidly about recent deals, notable milestones and future plans that make up...