Few small business owners managed to exceed expectations during the recession and subsequent recovery this past year. Of the intrepid group who did, we’ve chosen our 2010 Small Business Award nominees. Now we need your help in determining the winners. Visit BlackEnterprise.com to vote for the companies you think most deserve the recognition. Online votes will contribute to a portion of the scoring; final selections will be made by the editorial committee of Black Enterprise. Exemplifying entrepreneurs who demonstrate viability regardless of circumstance, the winners will be announced at the 15th annual Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference + Expo, May 16—18 in Atlanta.
–Tennille M. Robinson
TEENPRENEUR AWARD NOMINEES
This award recognizes a young entrepreneur or group, age 19 or younger,
committed to advancing the rich tradition of black business achievement.
Amiya’s Mobile Dance Academy
Type of business: Mobile dance studio for children
Founder/CEO: Amiya Alexander
Revenues: $10,000
Location: Detroit
www.amiyasdancebus.com
School Me Clothing
Type of business: Apparel
Founder/CEO: Tevyn Cole
Revenues: $1,700
Location: Maybee, MI
www.schoolmeclothing.com
Crumbs by Gabrielle
Type of business: Baked goods
Founder/CEO: Gabrielle McBay
Revenues: $5,000
Location: DeSoto, TX
www.crumbsbygabrielle.com
INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
This award is given to a business flourishing in an innovative industry or those approaching business or entrepreneurship in a groundbreaking manner via their products and/or services.
EyeMail Inc.
Type of business: Electronic marketing and communications
Founder/CEO: Lisa S. Jones
Location: Atlanta
www.eyemailinc.com
Jones, 42, develops customized marketing strategies and campaigns that deliver audio and video content via e-mail. Started in 2007, EyeMail Inc. has developed strategies for clients such as The Coca-Cola Co., Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and Turner Broadcasting System Inc. EyeMail Inc. posted revenues of $300,000 in 2009; this year revenues are projected to exceed $1 million.
Animus Solutions Inc.
Type of business: Management and IT
Founder/CEO: Phara McLachlan
Location: Tampa, FL
www.animussolutions.com
Launched in July 2004, Animus Solutions Inc. provides best practices consulting and implementation services to accomplish information technology asset management, software license compliance, IT infrastructure, and library-based IT security and services management goals. Clients include a division of ATK and Quest Diagnostics Inc. McLachlan, 33, grew her 10-person business to generate revenues of nearly $1 million in 2009.
CyberSynchs L.L.C.
Type of business: Phone data backup and recovery
Founder/CEO: Amos Winbush III
Location: New York
www.cybersynchs.com
Winbush, 27, offers software that provides backup and synchronization of mobile devices. Currently supporting 98% of all mobile devices, its users are expected to number 12 million-plus by year-end. Last year CyberSynchs posted revenues of $2 million; Winbush projects 2010 revenues will exceed $4 million because of partnerships with Sun Microsystems, Samsung, and Microsoft BizSpark.
BE NEXT AWARD NOMINEES
This award is presented to the fearless young entrepreneur(s) age 21—35 tapped to be future business leaders.
Young, Black and Fabulous L.L.C.
Type of business: Celebrity gossip and news blog site
Founder/CEO: Natasha Eubanks
Location: Washington, D.C.
www.theybf.com
Eubanks started TheYBF.com in 2005. Today, the site receives 15 million page views per month and in 2009 generated $1 million in revenues–90% of which came from advertisements. Advertisers looking to reach her target audience include MetLife, Macy’s, Wal-Mart, movie studios, and luxury car companies. Eubanks, 28, remains the site’s sole writer, and a radio commentator for the nationally syndicated radio show Big Boy’s Neighborhood.
H.I.M.-istry
Type of business: Men’s skincare
Founder/CEO: Darnell Henderson
Location: Miami
www.himistry.com
Launched in 2004, the line of skincare products for men of all ethnicities is currently available in more than 100 Macy’s stores nationwide as well as online. The company posted $1.6 million in revenues for 2009–up from $980,000 the previous year. Revenues for 2010 are projected to reach $2.3 million because of 32-year-old Henderson’s lucrative government contract that now places the H.I.M.-istry (Healthy Image Man) line, including cleansers, toners, and scrubs, in 150 Army and Air Force Exchange Service stores across the country.
Ascension Aircraft
Type of business: Aircraft leasing, management, acquisitions, sales, and brokering
Founder/CEO: Jamail Larkins
Location: Augusta, GA
www.ascensionaircraft.com
Larkins has been flying high as an entrepreneur since the age of
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
This award is presented to the small business owner whose efforts and/or entrepreneurial pursuits exemplify the passion and commitment needed to overcome adversity as well as attain success.
RAM Surgical Instruments
Type of business: Surgical instruments and medical supplies distributor
Founder: Adrian Davis
Location: Arlington, TX
www.ramsurgical.com
RAM Surgical Instruments, started in 2006, provides hospitals and surgical centers with medical instruments such as scalpels, chest retractors, forceps, and graspers. Clients include Baylor Medical Center at Carrollton and John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. The company also offers instrument repair, medical products, and acute care supplies. Last year, revenues rose to $300,000, nearly double those of the previous year. RAM projects revenues of $1.1 million for 2010, primarily because of two recently secured contracts that total more than $800,000 with Methodist Health Systems of Dallas.
NuJak Cos.
Type of business: Construction, property management, and real estate development
Founders: Timothy B. Jackson and Frank Kendrick
Location: Lakeland, FL
www.nujak.com
A full-service construction and commercial real estate business, NuJak Cos. implemented an extensive technology enhancement strategy that resulted in savings of about $150,000 per year. Founded in 1992, NuJak focuses on educational facilities, financial institutions, commercial office buildings, and religious facilities in central Florida. The team is currently working on the University of South Florida Polytechnic’s signature building designed by world-renowned architect Santiago Calatrava. For 2009, the 12-person company posted revenues of $10 million; revenues of $12 million to $13 million are projected for 2010.
Trevor L. Newman L.L.C.
Type of business: Acquisition, procurement, and contract management
Founder: Trevor Newman
Location: Linwood, NJ
Now in its ninth year of business, Trevor L. Newman L.L.C. boasts a full-time staff of 18 and fulfills federal contracts and provides management support for several federal agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, and Transportation Security Administration. The company also provides support to buying services for agency procurement, including developing full-cost proposals, negotiations, and cost and price analysis. The company generated revenues of nearly $625,000 for 2009. Newman projects 2010 revenues to reach $2 million because of a $1.2 million contract she recently signed with the U.S. Navy.
This article originally appeared in the May 2010 issue of Black Enterprise magazine.