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Watch BET Founder Robert L. Johnson Honored at 12:30 at EC Live

Alfred Edmond, Jr. — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:00:43 +0000

*Watch Robert Johnson honored live at Entrepreneurs Conference*

BLACK ENTERPRISE will hold its 2013 Entrepreneurs Conference + Expo hosted by Nationwide Insurance on Wednesday, May 15 through Saturday, May 18 at the Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. An annual highlight of the conference is the presentation of the nation’s top award for African American business achievement, the Arthur G. Gaston Lifetime Achievement Award. This year, the A.G. Gaston Award will be presented to RLJ Companies Chairman, BET Founder and America’s first black billionaire Robert L. Johnson at the BE 100s Dinner and Awards Gala, to be hosted by The Ohio State University and Limited Brands on Friday, May 17, at the convention center.

*Watch This Honor Ceremony Live*

Master wealth builder Robert L. Johnson, founder of The RLJ Companies, made business history when he took BET public in 1991, making it the first black-owned company traded on the New York Stock Exchange, 11 years after he founded the cable network in 1980. This would be far from the last of the “firsts” Johnson would achieve on his way to being named No. 2 on Black Enterprise’s list of “Titans: The 40 Most Powerful African Americans in Business” in the 40th anniversary issue of the magazine. In 2000, after taking BET private again, he sold the cable network to Viacom for $3.2 billion to become the first African American billionaire. He acquired the Charlotte Bobcats in 2003, creating the first black-owned NBA franchise. Johnson sold the Bobcats to NBA legend Michael Jordan in 2010, but continues to hold a minority stake in the team. Johnson has also launched a plethora of other ventures under the RLJ banner, including RLJ Equity Partners, ranked No. 11 on the Black Enterprise 100s list of the nation’s largest black-owned private equity firms.

The A.G. Gaston Lifetime Achievement Award is named for Arthur G. Gaston, the legendary entrepreneur and one of America’s first black millionaires, who went from being born into poverty in 1892 in the Deep South, to building a business empire spanning communications, real estate and insurance during the height of Jim Crow segregation in Birmingham, Ala. Gaston, who passed away at age 103 in 1996, was named Entrepreneur of the Century by Black Enterprise in 1992.

“A. G. Gaston served as role model and mentor for a generation of black entrepreneurs, including my father, Black Enterprise Founder and Chairman Earl Graves Sr., and is inspiration to countless generations more,” said Earl “Butch” Graves Jr., Black Enterprise President and CEO. “We are proud to count the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference as part of his vast legacy, and I can think of no one more worthy of that legacy in the 21^st century than Bob Johnson.”

DON’T MISS OUT! Join more than 1,000 outstanding entrepreneurs and top business experts at the 2013 Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference + Expo hosted by Nationwide, May 15-18, at the Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. Expect innovative sessions, high-powered speakers, and an early peek at the products, trends, and services you’ll need to stay ahead of the curve. To register and find out more, follow the hash tag #BEEC on Twitter, “Like” the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference on Facebook and visit www.blackenterprise.com/ec!

Urban Business Roundtable Spotlight: Workforce Solutions Mogul Harold Mills

Pepper Miller — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:11:03 +0000

This week on The Urban Business Roundtable, Dywaine Betts Jr., speaks with Harold Mills, the founder and CEO of ZeroChaos, a global workforce solutions company specializing in developing and leading technology and human resources businesses. Based in Orlando, Florida, the full-service provider of high-quality contingent workforce solutions helps companies optimize their contract labor force with automated, web-enabled delivery platforms. Under Mills’ leadership, ZeroChaos has grown into a multibillion dollar powerhouse with operations in 16 countries.

Mills, who built his career prior to ZeroChaos with companies in general management and corporate development, is recognized as one of the great innovators in his industry. He’s earned Entrepreneur of the Year recognition from Ernst & Young, as well as been named one of Orlando’s Most Influential Businessmen by the Orlando Business Journal.

Also, UBR Contributor Samantha Pass speaks with Long Beach, California-based A-Advantage Networking Inc. Founder and CEO Warren Holyfield, who shares the keys to how entrepreneurs can upgrade to the best technology solutions for their businesses. With more than two decades of experience and a broad range of industry certifications, Holyfield is recognized for his knowledge in computer server management, website and database development and communications engineering, serving clients including Continental Airlines, Xerox, and EDS (acquired by Hewlett Packard).

And finally, every week on UBR, you’ll hear Pepper Miller’s Y.O.U.-TURN segment, get motivation and inspiration from author and entrepreneurial icon Farrah Gray a weekly wrap-up of business news from USA Today business correspondent Charisse Jones, our Patient Investor Report from Ariel Investments and key economic intelligence for small business owners from our UBR economists Derrick Collins and Rashid Carter.

Pepper Miller is the Founder and President of The Hunter Miller Group and the host of The Urban Business Roundtable, a weekly radio show, sponsored by Ariel Investments, airing CST Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. on WVON-AM 1690, the Talk of Chicago. You can also listen live online at WVON.com. Check back each week for UBR Spotlight, which features additional resources, advice and information from and about the topics, entrepreneurs and experts featured on the show. If you have a question you want answered or a topic you want addressed on The Urban Business Roundtable, connect with us on Twitter @UBR1690.

Join more than 1,000 outstanding entrepreneurs and top business experts at the 2013 Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference + Expo hosted by Nationwide, May 15-18, at the Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. Expect innovative sessions, high-powered speakers, and an early peek at the products, trends, and services you’ll need to stay ahead of the curve. To register and find out more, follow the hash tag #BEEC on Twitter, “Like” the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference on Facebook and visit www.blackenterprise.com/ec!

Quixey Hires Former Google and Spotify Executive Richard Gregory

C. Daniel Baker — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:00:54 +0000

Mobile app discovery company Quixey announced on Tuesday that it has hired former Google and Spotify executive Richard Gregory as executive VP of revenue. Gregory, who most recently was VP of revenue at Spotify, also previously worked at Google.

Known for growing businesses internationally, Gregory has been responsible for over one billion dollars in revenue over the course of his career. Most recently, Gregory was VP of Revenue at Spotify, where he helped establish the company in the United States while overseeing launch partnerships like GM, P&G, and Coke, as well as global accounts and vertical strategy. At Google, Richard served in many international roles, creating new markets around Google AdWords.

“As the number of apps continues to increase around the globe, there is a growing need to democratize the app search space,” said Gregory. “Quixey is building the next great search company and I look forward to championing what has become a key solution to fixing app discovery.”

“Richard brings unique global expertise and experience to this role as Quixey continues to develop new partnerships and strengthen our focus on new markets around the world,” said Tomer Kagan, CEO and Co-founder of Quixey. “He joins us at a time of rapid growth, as Quixey now powers over 100 million queries per month.”

With the addition of Gregory, Quixey will be placing an emphasis on monetization and revenue as it unveils more partnerships this year.

Quixey has scaled from 5 to 70 employees in less than two years and has partnered with major app stores, search engines, manufacturers, carriers and web platforms to power app search queries globally.

When Do You Check Your Email? New Report Says Most Do ‘At All Times’

C. Daniel Baker — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:00:35 +0000

(Image: ThinkStock)

Due to the widespread availability and use of smartphones and tablets, email is more accessible than ever and, as a result, it has become deeply embedded in the daily workplace and personal lives of most employees.

The conventional, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., five-day work week is a thing of the past for the overwhelming majority of workers at small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs), according to a new survey on work-related email habits. The independent, blind survey of 503 employees in SMB workplaces in the U.S. was conducted by Opinion Matters on behalf of GFI Software.

“Email has transformed the way we do business globally, but it has also had a fundamental impact on the work/life balance for many employees, especially in smaller organizations,” said Phil Bousfield, general manager of IT operations at GFI Software. “The research results have affirmed how critical it is for organizations to manage the use of email effectively, not only to prevent employees from being overwhelmed by a deluge of data, but also to ensure that email is exploited as a revenue generator and benefit to the business, rather than an inconvenience.”

The results highlight employee habits around email usage, including response frequency during the work day as well as after hours:

The new 24/7 paradigm

Based on the reported email habits of survey respondents, the line between work and home life has become blurred. More than three-quarters of respondents (81%) said they check their work email on weekends, 55% check email after 11 p.m. and 59% keep on top of their work email while on vacation.
Outside of regular work hours, more than six in 10 (64%) check email at least once a day. 12% of employees said they check work email in real time beyond the standard workday.
One in 10 respondents admitted to checking work email at a child’s school event, 9% at a wedding, and 6% at a funeral. An additional 6% said they logged into their work email while they or their spouse was in labor.
On the flip side, nearly one-third (30%) of employees also said they send personal emails from their work account.

Email used at the office more than any other form of communication

Despite the growing use of instant messaging platforms, email dwarfs other forms of office communication. 44% of respondents use email at work more than any other communications format, with 28% relying primarily on the phone, 22% on face-to-face, and 6% on instant messaging.
Email is a constant presence in the lives of SMB employees during the workday. More than three-quarters (76%) of respondents said they typically reply to emails within one hour during work hours, with nearly one-third of them (32%) replying within 15 minutes.

An organizational and business intelligence tool

Many employees use email for more than just communicating. Well over half (58%) use it as a means of storing and retrieving information.
Nearly two-thirds (62%) of respondents use specific folders to organize their email for easier access, and 29% of employees archive their email.
The oldest saved email by a survey respondent was received back in 1994.
Less than one-quarter (24%) of SMB employees said they use their email as a business intelligence tool, identifying a massive missed opportunity to extract value from email data.

Differences among regions and professions

Employees in the Southwest are the quickest to respond to email, with 42% replying within 15 minutes of an email arriving. Only 27% of residents in the Midwest respond as quickly.
Residents of the Southwest are most likely to have checked their email while they or their spouse was in labor (14%). Just 3% of employees in the Northeast have done so.
Professionals who say they have checked email at a funeral are more likely to work in IT and telecommunications (14%) and finance (13%). People working in sales, media and marketing and health care said they have never checked email at a funeral.
Legal (38%), IT and telecommunications (32%), and manufacturing (34%) professionals are more likely to respond to emails within 15 minutes. Professionals who think that responding to an email within one working day is sufficient are more apt to work in education (23%), retail, catering and leisure (20%) and arts and culture (20%).
Employees at larger companies are more likely to check email during off hours. Two-thirds (66%) of respondents who work at companies with fewer than 10 employees check email outside of regular work hours, while 75% of those who work at large companies said the same.
During vacations, 74% of sales, media and marketing professionals said they check their email. In contrast, less than half (46%) of manufacturing and utilities employees do so.

Overwhelmingly, email is viewed positively, not negatively

Workers overpoweringly appreciate the value of email, despite its omnipresence in daily life.
Ninety percent of respondents said email is a “blessing,” with just one in ten (10%) considering it a “curse.” Regardless of all the stresses and strains that a deluge of email can bring, it is still preferred to the way we used to work.

“The research also revealed some worrying trends, including that many organizations are failing to efficiently use their collected email archives for customer relationship management and other business intelligence functions, and that many users are putting their email at risk by maintaining unnecessarily large Outlook PST repositories in order to use their inbox as a living database,” said Bousfield. “This is inefficient and puts the organization at risk of substantial data loss from email archive corruption.”

SBA Offers Tips on Protecting Your Business This Hurricane Season

C. Daniel Baker — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:13:54 +0000

The Atlantic Hurricane Season begins June 1st. Last year’s season included Hurricane Sandy pounding the Eastern Seaboard in late October and causing billions of dollars in damages. Many small businesses that were damaged never reopened.

So far, the Small Business Association has approved about $370 million in disaster loans to more than 3,500 businesses affected by Sandy. The SBA recommends taking time to protect your employees, customers and business from the devastating physical and economic toll of disasters by making a plan to be safe and stay in business.

To assist business owners, the SBA has partnered with Agility Recovery, a disaster recovery company focused on small and medium sized businesses, on a free webinar.

Dr. Gerry Bell, a global climate expert from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will share the 2013 Atlantic Hurricane Season forecast during a free webinar Tuesday, May 28. After the weather discussion, disaster preparedness tips will be presented by Agility.

Dr. Gerry Bell has been the lead scientist of NOAA’s Long-Range Hurricane Outlook Team since 1998 and has done weather analysis on CNN and The Weather Channel.

WHAT: “Protect Your Business This Hurricane Season” – A forecast from Dr. Gerry Bell , with preparedness tips from Bob Boyd , Agility Recovery President & CEO, followed by a question and answer session

WHEN: Tuesday, May 28 – 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EDT

HOW: Space is limited. Register at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/327979008

To learn more, visit www.sba.gov/disaster.

Best of America’s Largest Black-Owned Companies To Be Honored At Entrepreneurs Conference

BLACK ENTERPRISE — Tue, 14 May 2013 04:01:56 +0000

BLACK ENTERPRISE will hold its 2013 Entrepreneurs Conference + Expo hosted by Nationwide Insurance on Wednesday, May 15 through Saturday, May 18 at the Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. An annual highlight of the conference is recognition of the Black Enterprise 100s: The Nation’s Largest Black-Owned Companies, and the BE 100s Companies of the Year. The CEOs of the 2013 Industrial Service Company, Auto Dealership, Financial Company and Advertising Agency of the Year will be honored at the BE 100s Dinner and Awards Gala, to be hosted by The Ohio State University and Limited Brands on Friday, May 17, at the convention center.

The BE 100s Companies of the Year are selected by the Black Enterprise Editorial Board based on eligible financial performance in 2012, as well as significant achievement, resilience in the face of economic and market challenges, management innovation and industry leadership. The 2013 BE 100s Companies of the Year:

Industrial/Service Company of the Year: Hightowers Petroleum, Middletown, OH; CEO, Stephen L. Hightower. Business: Petroleum Products Distribution

Auto Dealer of the Year: March Hodge Automotive Group, Tampa, FL; CEOs, Anthony March, Ernest Hodge. Business: Retail sales for automakers including Mazda, Toyota, Honda, Jaguar, Volvo, Volkswagen, Nissan, Infinity, Land Rover.

Financial Services Company of the Year: Vista Equity Partners, San Francisco, CA; CEO, Robert F. Smith. Business: Private Equity (focus on technology)

Advertising Agency of the Year: Walton Isaacson, Los Angeles, CA; CEOs, Aaron Walton/Cory Isaacson

“Each year since 1973, we’ve identified and ranked our BE 100s, America’s largest black-owned companies, in the June issue of Black Enterprise magazine,” said Earl “Butch” Graves Jr., President and CEO of Black Enterprise. “The CEOs of our Companies of the Year are among our nation’s most outstanding entrepreneurs. They set a standard of achievement to which all of our Entrepreneurs Conference attendees aspire.”

“Nationwide Insurance is proud of our partnership with Black Enterprise and the opportunity to serve as the host sponsor of the 2013 Black Enterprise Entrepreneur Conference +Expo,” said Nationwide Chief Administrative Officer Gale V. King. “We understand that being in business for yourself takes dedication, commitment and hard work. The coveted BE 100s represents the best of the best and sets the bar for excellence and innovation. We congratulate all who are being recognized this year.”

Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Receives Certification from SBA

C. Daniel Baker — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:15:27 +0000

The 8(a) Business Development program assists small, disadvantaged businesses in gaining access to government contracting.

The program consists of a 4-year developmental stage, and a 5-year transition stage. Companies are subject to annual reviews and systematic evaluation from the SBA district office throughout the program.

Nelson Enterprise Technology Services (NETS), a service disabled veteran owned small business (SDVOSB), has received 8(a) certification from the Small Business Administration (SBA) which it will hold until May 2022. NETS expects that its participation in the 8(a) Business Development Program will expand its ability to provide outstanding Next Gen IT software, infrastructure, systems engineering, and networking solutions to federal and state and local government customers.

With this certification, NETS has new options and advantages to bring their innovative solutions to the federal government. The SBA 8(a) Business Development program will allow NETS to pursue sole source federal and state government projects and compete for set aside contracts open only to those with these small business certifications. In 2010, the Department of Defense awarded over $20B to 8(a) certified companies.

Robert Nelson, Chief Executive Officer of NETS, expressed his anticipation of what the designation will bring the company: “We are excited about this opportunity to grow our business. The NETS management team has worked tirelessly to develop a strong reputation for excellence within the Department of Defense, the Department of State, and across the federal market. Inclusion in the 8(a) Business Development program is the stepping stone we need to continue to establish long-term relationships with our government customers.”

Mr. Nelson continues, “The 8(a) certification will allow us to continue to position NETS as a contractor of choice among federal and state agencies for services associated with software, networking, infrastructure management, systems engineering, and related services.”

Summer@Highland Success Camp for Student Entrepreneurs Announces 2013 Class

C. Daniel Baker — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:59:39 +0000

Founded in 1988, Highland Capital Partners is a global venture capital firm focused on putting the entrepreneur first. The firm recently announced the teams selected to participate in Summer@Highland, its annual student entrepreneurship program.

In its sixth year, Summer@Highland is designed to provide student founders with the environment and resources to accelerate their startups to the next level over the summer. Those admitted into Summer@Highland receive an $18,000 stipend, a free workspace in Highland’s Boston or Silicon Valley office and are paired with a Highland investor mentor.

Nearly 900 applicants applied to Summer@Highland this year from 85 universities around the world, making this the most competitive year for the program to date. Roughly half of the submissions were for consumer internet companies, while the remainder covered fields as varied as human capital management, 3D printing and crowdfunding.

After going through an extensive review process, the firm selected the following nine teams based on their extraordinary achievements in academics, extracurricular activities and entrepreneurship:

Alpha (Stanford University) – Alpha is a digital university for hackers that teaches experienced developers how to build actual applications for the “real world” through project-based learning in the browser. The team is also a finalist in the BASES (Business Association of Stanford Entrepreneurial Students) 150K Challenge
Butucu ( Harvard College ) – Butucu, an all-freshman team, aims to help retail stores improve the customer experience by allowing them to push custom, relevant content to in-store shoppers while providing high-level analytics
Connect.com (Harvard Business School) – What if all your connections from Facebook, LinkedIn and Gmail were shown on a map? Connect.com puts all your friends on a map so you can find people when traveling, plan events and visually explore your network. The company is co-founded by Ryan Allis , previously the co-founder and CEO of iContact (acquired by Vocus for $169 million in 2012)
EagerPanda (MIT) – EagerPanda allows educators to easily build their own custom online courses, and enables learners to connect and communicate around this content
Phyre (Boston College) – Winner of the Boston College Venture Competition, Phyre is building a portable device that makes it easy to wirelessly connect and interact with large displays from any phone, tablet or laptop
Sension (Stanford University) – A computer vision platform that makes online content engaging for the user, Sension works with a simple webcam to let anyone make videos that respond to the viewer
SkylBridge (Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania) – SkylBridge is an online talent marketplace for businesses to find top-quality yet affordable business freelancers for short-term projects
Splat (Cornell University) – Splat is a small device that transforms a smartphone into the ultimate social-gaming console, letting users play physical, in-person, interactive video games
Technical Machine (Olin College) – Technical Machine is an embeddable platform for developers to make internet-connected physical devices

“Selecting the best teams for Summer@Highland is always an enormous challenge. We were blown away by our applicants’ original thinking and ambition to solve real world problems with technology,” said Alex Taussig, an investor at Highland Capital Partners and head of the Summer@Highland program. “We worked hard to find the top student entrepreneurs from around the country and can’t wait to see what each team achieves with us over the summer.”

For more information about Summer@Highland, visit summer.hcp.com.

Low-Cost Background Checks Are a High-Risk Option

C. Daniel Baker — Mon, 13 May 2013 13:23:27 +0000

Low cost background checks may save a company money in the short-run, but “going cheap” can backfire when executives involved in mergers and acquisitions are not properly screened.

“Comprehensive background research is critical to the due diligence process if a company wants to avoid potentially damaging, costly and embarrassing mistakes,” says Michael Levien of LexPro Research LLC.

“Low cost background check providers try to save money by only searching for select information, such as bankruptcies or only criminal records in one jurisdiction, potentially leaving the client with a false sense of security.”

According to Levien, “There are $99 background checks advertised on the Internet, but they are probably not even worth $0.99 in our opinion.”

Here are some problems Levien sees with cheap background checks:

They often do not include name variations, multiple jurisdictions, or manual searches.
For common names, a company may simply get a “data dump” with numerous “name match” records that do not relate to the person of interest.
Many services advertise a “nationwide criminal record search,” although no such search exists.
Some firms are outsourcing background checks to China or India, abandoning all local expertise and knowledge.

According to Levien, a proper background check should include the following:

Full identification of the individual, including name variations or prior names or aliases.
Civil litigation and regulatory searches, as well as professional license and educational degree verification (if applicable), and comprehensive media searches (not just “Googling” someone).
Determining the jurisdictions in which the person has lived and worked, and then conducting proper research in those jurisdictions including manual searches.

“Manual searches are vital,” says Levien, “because many jurisdictions do not make their records accessible electronically or online. To do it right, a trained researcher must physically search the records by hand.”

LexPro Research is a leading provider of domestic and international risk mitigation background checks, and business intelligence services to the corporate, financial and legal communities. For information on LexPro Research, call 203-921-1281 or visit www.LexProResearch.com.

Ernst & Young Seeks Applicants for its 2013 Entrepreneurial Winning Women Program

C. Daniel Baker — Sun, 12 May 2013 17:17:30 +0000

Ernst & Young LLP is looking for women entrepreneurs with the vision and passion to accelerate the growth of their companies for its 2013 North American Entrepreneurial Winning Women Program.

Currently in its sixth year, this annual competition and executive leadership program identifies a select group of high-potential women entrepreneurs whose businesses show real potential to scale — and then helps them do it.

“The Entrepreneurial Winning Women program introduces participants to an influential network of entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, investors and advisors, as well as potential partners, strategic alliances, customers and suppliers who can help these women think bigger, scale their companies and become market leaders,” said Kerrie McPherson, Principal and North American Entrepreneurial Winning Women Executive Sponsor, Ernst & Young LLP.

The program emphasizes thinking big, and recent polling results show the Entrepreneurial Winning Women are doing just that. Respondents indicated the three most valuable lessons learned from the program are:

Thinking bigger and setting higher goals for what their businesses can achieve
Working on the business, as opposed to in it – focusing on strategic priorities and big goals
Purposeful networking – learning how to seek out and formalize networks of contacts and advisors

“Through the program, we leverage Ernst & Young’s convening power, seeking to connect women with the resources they need, so that the number of market-leading companies run by women increases – creating a boon to the global economy.”

“The Ernst & Young Entrepreneurial Winning Woman Program has helped me to be bolder – I’m now setting my sights on a 300 percent growth plan,” said Kari Warberg Block, CEO, Earth-Kind and Entrepreneurial Winning Women Class of 2012. “The opportunities that presented themselves once I gained access to this elite network enabled me to begin building a public profile, seek advisors and utilize new tools and insights, all of which have literally changed my life and erased any doubt of what’s really possible as a leader.”

To apply for the Entrepreneurial Winning Women program, applicants must fit the following criteria:

Founding woman CEO of a privately held US or Canadian company
Company must have reported at least $2 million in sales within each of the last two years
Venture must be less than 10 years old
Entrepreneurs must be able to attend an orientation and coaching session at Ernst & Young LLP’s headquarters in New York City on October 24-25, 2013, as well as the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum, November 13-17, 2013, in Palm Springs, Calif.

To obtain an application form, or to nominate a deserving woman entrepreneur, visit: www.ey.com/us/entrepreneurialwinningwomen. The application deadline is June 28, 2013.