We honor the accomplishments of small business pioneers like these every year with the BLACK ENTERPRISE Small Business Awards. The winners will be announced at the 10th annual Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference, hosted by General Motors, May 18—22, at the Wyndham Anatole Hotel in Dallas.
Emerging Company of the Year NOMINEES
This award recognizes businesses that have poised themselves for future growth by carving out a special business niche or by adopting creative marketing techniques.
Vision Systems & Technology Inc., TYPE OF BUSINESS: IT Services, PRESIDENT/CEO: Dwayne Robinson, LOCATION: Ellicot City, MD
Dwayne Robinson, president of Vision Systems, founded his IT services company in 1997 and ran it from home. He had one employee — himself — and a lot of ambition. Less than 10 years later, that ambition has helped Robinson bring his entrepreneurial dreams to fruition. He now runs a 12,000-square-foot facility and employs a staff of 45. Last year’s gross revenues amounted to more than $7 million.
Robinson, 41, worked as an IT consultant/software engineer for 10 years prior to starting his company. He took a critical look at the marketplace and decided to focus on the underserved government sector.
VSTI specializes in providing innovative Web-based services and enterprise integration information solutions. The company’s clients include national security agencies, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Federal Aviation Administration. Many VSTI employees have top-secret security clearance, enabling them to access and service classified information and systems.
Robinson prides himself on the expertise and work ethic of his employees and the reputation VSTI has built among its clients.
Carol’s Daughter Inc., TYPE OF BUSINESS: Bath and body care products, PRESIDENT/CEO: Lisa Price, LOCATION: Brooklyn, NY
How about a coconut mango pineapple smoothie? Or some Jamaican punch? These delectable concoctions aren’t made to quench your thirst but to moisturize your skin. They are only two of the many inviting products from Carol’s Daughter, a line of hair, face, body, and bath potions; fragrances; candles; incense; and gifts items.
Founder Lisa Price made her first Carol’s Daughter creation in her kitchen more than 15 years ago and officially founded the company in 1993. Her products are made with all-natural ingredients and include fruits, spices, and plants. And they’re made not just for women but for men, kids, and babies.
Price, 42, started her company with around $100 and a love for scents. Her motivation for starting the business was to be true to herself and follow her interests. Just a few years prior, financial problems had led her to declare bankruptcy.
Carol’s Daughter brought in more than $3 million in revenues last year and is still growing. Initially a one-woman operation, the company now employs more than 20 people and has established a huge local, international, and celebrity consumer base.
Physical Therapy & Sports Assessment Center, TYPE OF BUSINESS: Physical therapy practice, PRESIDENT: Edward Lee, LOCATION: Silver Spring, MD
Inspiration comes in many forms. Edward Lee’s came in the form of an injury. The former wide receiver and kick return specialist for the Detroit Lions suffered a knee injury in 1983 that spelled the end of his professional football career but signaled the beginning of his career in physical therapy.
After having reconstructive surgery on his knee, Lee underwent an intensive physical rehabilitation program to help him regain the use of his leg. That experience motivated him to choose physical therapy as a profession.
Lee, 46, opened the doors to the first Physical Therapy and Sports Assessment Center in 1991 and now owns five offices in Maryland and Washington, D.C. He co-owns another in Maryland. Startup costs for his most recent location were around $25,000.
A licensed physical therapist, Lee’s primary responsibility is to manage the practice directors, who oversee a staff of about 90. He markets his services to local doctors, hospitals, and professional athletic associations. Physical Therapy and Sports Assessment Center made $4.8 million last year, and Lee hopes to open more offices in the near future.
Business Innovator of the Year NOMINEES
This award recognizes companies that have set trends and broken new ground in a particular industry.
Mid-Atlantic Surgical Assoc. P.L.L.C., TYPE OF BUSINESS: Robotic surgery, FOUNDERS: Dr. John Crews and Dr. Derron Simon, LOCATION: Richmond, VA
This medical practice is truly space-age. Robotic surgery is a new phenomenon in the world of medicine, and Drs. John Crews and Derron Simon are two if its pioneers. They are the founders of Mid-Atlantic Surgical Associates and the first African American robotic surgery team.
In robotic or telerobotic surgery, the surgeon operates mechanical arms from a remote computer console while viewing a virtual, 3-D operating field. It was originally created by the Department of Defense to aid in the medical treatment of soldiers in wartime situations. The da Vinci surgical system is the robotic device Crews and Simon use to perform surgeries.
Technology that enables surgeons to feel tactile sensation while operating a telerobotic system has already been created and is awaiting approval by the Food & Drug Administration. Robotic surgery has been used to treat ailments common to African Americans, such as prostate cancer, coronary artery disease, and acid reflux. Among its touted advantages are less pain and trauma during the procedure, less blood loss, less post-operation pain and discomfort, and faster recovery.
Crews, 35, and Simon, 36, were trained in robotics at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Maimonides Medical Center in New York, and Johns Hopkins University Medical Center in Baltimore. They started their practice in 2002 with $60,000 and saw $820,000 in revenues last year.
Cultura, TYPE OF BUSINESS: Skin Care, FOUNDERS: Dr. Eliot F. Battle and Dr. Monte O. Harris, LOCATION: Washington, DC
Drs. Eliot F. Battle and Monte O. Harris opened the doors to Cultura, a cosmetic medical spa that specializes in the skin care needs of darker skin, in 2002. They decided to go into business to remedy what they saw as a lack of service in the cosmetic medical community for people of color. But their business strategy was unique: They decided not to advertise. The doctors had researched their potential clientele so thoroughly that they were confident their clients, the media, and the medical community would get the word out about the business.
Battle, 48, is Cultura’s director of laser medicine. He graduated from Howard University Medical School and is a dermatology and laser surgery specialist. Harris, 38, is the practice’s director of plastic surgery. He’s a graduate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and specializes in reconstructive and facial plastic surgery. Harris is also a clinical assistant professor in Georgetown University’s department of otolaryngology/head and neck surgery and Howard University’s department of dermatology.
The local and celebrity clientele is 60% people of color and mostly female, though there is a growing male component. The doctors opened the business after investing about $1 million in equipment and have nearly tripled that investment in 2004 revenues.
Krazy Kickz, TYPE OF BUSINESS: Footwear emporium, FOUNDERS: Sam Robinson and LaTesha Burroughs, LOCATION: Durham, NC
Remember those sneakers you used to have that you thought were really cool? Your favorite ones from 1980-something? Well, you might be able to find them again on Krazy Kickz (www.krazy kickz.com
Sam Robinson, 21, and LaTesha Burroughs, 20, were full-time college students when they founded Krazy Kickz in 2001. Sneaker collectors and aficionados themselv
es, they started the company with about $1,000 and 20 pairs of sneakers. They now have three employees and two business advisers and work with a professional accountant. In 2004, the company took in just over $416,000 in revenues, almost double what it made in 2003. The site features today’s hottest styles, yesterday’s favorites, and limited edition styles never released in the U.S. that retail for more than three times their original value.
Robinson handles the company’s purchasing and public relations and manages business partnerships. Burroughs takes care of client relations and sales and marketing, handles some of the accounting, and maintains the Website. Burroughs built the Website herself and Robinson takes the product photos that appear on the site. Tracking down the largest variety of sneakers for their customers has taken the young entrepreneurs as far as Japan, and the company has an international clientele that is steadily growing.
RISING STAR AWARD NOMINEES
This award recognizes individuals, aged 21—35, whose outstanding skills, professionalism, and perseverance have established them as future business leaders.
Etu Evans L.L.C., TYPE OF BUSINESS: Footwear design and retail, CEO/HEAD DESIGNER: Etu Evans, LOCATION: New York City
If you love one-of-a-kind footwear on the cutting edge of fashion — or you know someone who does — you should know about Etu Evans. As head designer for Etu Evans L.L.C., Evans oversees the creative and strategic direction of his product line, which includes shoes, boots, and accessories. He selects the Italian factories that manufacture his products, and he’s responsible for the international brand’s public relations and marketing strategies. Many of Evans’ designs are crafted with imported genuine leather and feature hand beading, stenciling, and embroidery. And if you have something specific in mind, he can custom design it for you.
Evans, 34, launched his footwear line in 1998 with $150,000, and his brand can be found in New York, Europe, and Japan. His clientele includes celebrities, supermodels, and shoe enthusiasts worldwide. He currently has a staff of 10, and customers will be able to find his brand in high-end retailers across the country later this year. But Evans, whose company made $845,000 last year, is not interested in just selling you a shoe. He’s interested in giving you a top-to-bottom customer service experience, complete with caviar, champagne, and a foot massage.
In 1998, Evans also founded Solesville-The Etu Evans Foundation, a nonprofit organization that collects used shoes and repairs them for young people entering the work world.
Brides Noir, TYPE OF BUSINESS: Magazine publishing, FOUNDERS: Dana Powell and Shannon Bonner, LOCATION: Chicago
Magazine publishing is one of the most challenging entrepreneurial endeavors. Startup costs can be exorbitant, it’s difficult to get agencies to place advertising in an unproven publication, and even after you have a complete magazine, you have to get people to read it.
This is why the successful launch of Brides Noir, a bridal magazine for African American women, is something to be celebrated. The magazine’s creators, 29-year-old Editor-in-Chief Dana Powell and 32-year-old Managing Editor Shannon Bonner, met at Illinois State University where Powell was working toward a degree in mass communication and
The idea for the magazine was a seed planted in Powell by her father. She was 16 and had been searching magazines for prom dresses. When she remarked to her father that she couldn’t find any magazines featuring African American models, he suggested that she create one.
After they graduated, Powell and Bonner started Brides Noir with $80,000 in personal assets and loans from family and friends and $20,000 in award money from the Miller Brewing Co. They printed 15,000 test copies of the 116-page premiere in 2002 and found a distributor for the magazine the following year. Brides Noir currently has a circulation of 50,000, is audited by the Audit Bureau of Circulations, and grossed $350,000 in revenues last year.
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Three Keys Music, TYPE OF BUSINESS: Independent record label, FOUNDER Marcus Johnson, LOCATION: Silver Spring, MD
Marcus Johnson had dreamed of being in the music industry ever since he was a little boy. And while a lot of people just dream, Johnson made his dream a reality through education and preparation. He founded independent record label Three Keys Music in 2002 with $3,000. His first project: producing and releasing the premiere recording of an ambitious, talented pianist who had studied music since the age of 6 — himself. A year later, he procured $100,000 in loans to grow his label and landed $3 million in investment capital from Robert Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television.
One could say that Johnson, 33, had been preparing for his entrepreneurial venture his whole life. A summer internship at record label MCA while he was in graduate school afforded him the opportunity to learn how a record label was run. He met BET founder Bob Johnson at a jazz festival and approached him about investing in his company. Already armed with an independent music label, a professional recording, intimate knowledge of the recording industry, and thousands of dollars in loans, the young entrepreneur persuaded BET’s Johnson to sign on as his business partner.
Three Keys Music has 12 employees, manages eight artists, and made about $600,000 in 2004. Johnson’s next goal is to open a New York office and start a management division.
TEENPRENEUR AWARD NOMINEES
This award recognizes entrepreneurs under the age of 18 who serve as role models and are committed to advancing the rich tradition of black business achievement.
Techmaster Computer Works, TYPE OF BUSINESS: Computer repair services, PRINCIPAL: Najee McGreen, LOCATION: Brooklyn, NY
Najee McGreen’s company profile reads like he’s been in business for much longer than three years. As president and CEO of Techmaster Computer Works, a computer repair services business, McGreen is responsible for overseeing his company’s repair jobs, the education provided through his company’s youth development program, and the free technical support provided through its community outreach program.
McGreen, 17, didn’t pursue his business, his business pursued him. Naturally gifted with computers, he would fix friends and neighbors’ systems at request. But before long, he found his services in high demand. Needing help, McGreen decided to incorporate a youth development program into his business. He started teaching small, two-hour classes on Saturdays. The $20 class is certified, and many of his 15 employees are former students.
Techmaster’s repair jobs cost $35 for the first hour and $15 for each additional hour. Half of the money made on a service call goes to the repair technician. McGreen says serving the community is as much a focus as running a profitable
McGreen is a self-taught programmer and repair technician; he reads books and studies online tutorials to sharpen his expertise and stay current. He also handles his business’ accounting using QuickBooks software. The business, which started with no capital, generated approximately $7,000 in 2004.
Hamilton Art Gallery, TYPE OF BUSINESS: Ceramics, PRINCIPAL: Geneva Johnson, LOCATION: Bronx, NY
Geneva Johnson runs the family business. She’s the CEO of Hamilton Art Gallery, which is in the business of painting and selling African American-themed ceramics.
Johnson and her sister and brother, who are vice president and chief financial officer of the company, first learned the skill of pottery from their great-grandmother when they were small. Driven by the desire to produce beautiful, positive images of African Americans, Johnson, 16, decided to turn play into profit.
Hamilton Art Gallery was launched in 2001 and required an initial outlay of about $200 for ceram
ics, paints, and brushes. One of Johnson’s primary vendors is a family friend who fires the bisque ceramic molds that Johnson stylizes and retails.
Initially, the business relied on a Website and word of mouth to generate sales. A year or so after launching the business, Johnson got involved in a couple of youth entrepreneurship programs and competitions where she learned, among other important business lessons, what went into a business plan. Now she has a busy professional schedule — accepting invitations to youth organizations, corporate functions, and educational events, where she sells her ceramics and speaks about youth entrepreneurship.
Hamilton Art Gallery’s collection includes statuettes, vases, candleholders, and decorative plates. The pieces retail for $20 to $165, and custom orders can be placed. The business generated about $3,000 last year.
Quality Web Solutions, TYPE OF BUSINESS: Web design services, PRINCIPAL: Brandon Griffin, LOCATION: Fort Wayne, IN
Brandon Griffin’s business, Quality Web Solutions, was born out of his love for computers. Now 16, he was only 12 when he got the idea but wasn’t sure if someone his age could start a business. Through Internet research he found out that young people did indeed start businesses and that he would need a business plan. Started with approximately $1,000, Quality Web Solutions is now a profitable Web services company that grossed around $5,000 in 2004.
Quality Web Solutions offers a variety of services, including Website design, Web hosting, domain name registration, and e-business consulting. Griffin is involved in every aspect of his 15-employee business. He’s the customer satisfaction officer, meeting with new clients to ensure their satisfaction with rendered services, and he handles all of the business’ accounting.
The company’s Web hosting packages range in price from $10 to $30, and its Web design services cost approximately $60 per page. To date, Griffin has designed more than 200 Web pages.
Griffin recently began offering search engine services and a traffic exchange Website. He even found a way to turn his original research into a business. He compiled a lot of the information he found on youth entrepreneurship and business plan writing and started a business called FyeBye (For Young Entrepreneurs, By Young Entrepreneurs) that promotes youth entrepreneurship. Future plans include launching a publishing company.
In selecting the award nominees, a committee of BLACK ENTERPRISE editors and conference coordinators pored over hundreds of business plans and nomination forms. Once preliminary nominees were selected, be’s research department conducted further due diligence to determine the strongest candidates. For information on the 2006 Small Business Awards or to nominate a business or entrepreneur, go to blackenterprise.com.