||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| AFRICAN AMERICAN BUSINESS 2 BUSINESS Number 45 April 02, 1999 The Consumers Guide To Products & Services Produced for you by AAB2B http://www.aabcps.com http://www.aabcps.com/cgi-bin/optin.cgi ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ---------------------------------------------------------- ----Editorial: mailto:Editor@aabcps.com ----To Subscribe: mailto:Subscribe@aabcps.com ----For Ad Sales: mailto:Sales@aabcps.com ----Fanmail: mailto:Fanmail@aabcps.com ---------------------------------------------------------- *Note: For removal from future e-mailing, simply Click Here http://www.aabcps.com/remove.html Please forward this info to anyone who may be interested. IN THIS ISSUE: Section 1........... Who Are You Fooling? Section 2........... Are We Allowing The Democratic Party To Make An Ass Out Of Us? Section 3........... Changes In The Merriam-Webster Dictionary Section 4........... Little Breanna Bonner Takes You To Sunny California's Santa Monica Beach Pier Section 5........... Be Available For Your Customers Section 6........... Start Your Business Day With A Power Meal Section 7........... Internet Banner Ads Section 8........... African American Participation In American Corporations Section 9.......... Promote Your Products And Services In Internetshows and Direct E-mail Marketing <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> FROM THE EDITOR <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Dear Readers: For some of you I will say, "Welcome Back!" To our new readers I will say, "Welcome!" African American Business 2 Business newsletter is publishing again! We hope to provide you with the same enriching, thought-provoking, and sometimes controversial information as we did for nearly a year. And as always, we start off with African American interests. Then we get right into African American business development, motivation, how-to, and other critical success topics. We welcome your e-mail and letters to the editor, many of which will appear in the upcoming issues. Again, welcome to the African American Business 2 Business newsletter! <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 1. QUOTE OF THE WEEK <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> WHO ARE YOU FOOLING? If you fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, then what percentage of the time are you fooling yourself? -- Unknown Author -- <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 2. AFRICAN AMERICAN INTERESTS & CULTURE <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> ARE WE ALLOWING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY TO MAKE AN ASS (their symbol) OUT OF US? The Republican party was formed in 1854 by a small group of men and women who were fighting against the injustices of slavery and oppression in America. Alan Earl Bovay, one of the founders of the Republican Party, decided to call the party "Republican" because it was a simple, yet significant word synonymous with equality. In 1862, Abraham Lincoln was elected as the first Republican President of the United States and, immediately following the nation's bloodiest civil war, he led the U.S. government in dealing the death blow to slavery. Soon after he signed the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all those held as slaves. Several years later, to prevent our re-enslavement, to provide us with citizenship, and to give us the right to vote, Republicans passed the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution between 1865 and 1867. And to provide easy access to education, Republicans made free public school education available for all. Democrats were not having all this and beginning in 1865, KKK terrorism joined Democrat "Black Codes" to defeat and suppress our political will and voting might. In the 1960s, the second American civil war was waged in Congress when Republicans fought to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as the Democrats unsuccessfully fought to keep it from passing. Later, the Republican Party introduced legislation that re-enforced its previous civil rights laws in 1972 under Richard Nixon and in 1991 under George Bush. Resources: The Equal Right To Freedom In The United States of America The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution http://userpages.aug.com/haywire/bor2.html (see XIII) The Equal Right To Citizenship, Life, Liberty & Justice The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution http://userpages.aug.com/haywire/bor2.html (see XIV) The Equal Right To Vote In The United States of America The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution http://userpages.aug.com/haywire/bor2.html (see XV) For more information contact: Mr. Johnnie Morgan, Chairman Political Education Committee California Black Republican Council Address: P.O. Box 2101, Culver City, CA 90231 <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 3. BOOK OF THE WEEK <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> MERRIAM-WEBSTER DICTIONARY There has been a change in Webster's Dictionary. Kweisi Mfume, President and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) recently gave a speech at Virginia Tech. Everyone was informed that a land mark decision was made last week with the people at Merriam-Webster Dictionary. They have recognized the error of their ways. So beginning with the next edition, the word "nigger" will no longer be synonymous with African-Americans. It shall be duly noted that it's a racial slur and not what African-Americans themselves are. Along with this, all racial and religious slurs will finally be vindicated for what they really are -- cruel and evil slurs too often used to degrade people. This change should serve notice to people, corporations, etc., that when individuals stick together to right a wrong, "a change is gonna come." This wasn't just a victory for African-Americans, but for everyone! For more information contact: June Thornton-Marsh, LCSW, Multicultural Counselor Garrison Foster Health Center Colby College, Waterville, ME 04901 Phone: (207)872-3441 FAX: (207)872-3465 E-mail: mailto:j_thornt@colby.edu |||||||||||||||| 3-a ||||||||||||||||| BANGBANGBANGBANG.COM Get Wild & Crazy With Hilarious John Witherspoon Catchphrases On T-Shirts, Caps, and Mugs John Witherspoon has been earning a wonderful reputation on TV and the big screen, appearing in "The Wayans Brothers," "House Party," "I'm Gonna Get You Sucka," and "Boomerang." His ability to improvise, with hilarious catchphrase ad-libs, has won over both audiences and the industry. And now he's bringing his famous humor to you on his BangBangBangBang.com web site. "Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!", "Hoe's Got To Eat Too," "You Got To Coordinate," "Now That's an Ugly Baby!", and "Yee Ti Dee" are some of John Witherspoon's funny catchphrases you can now buy on t-shirts, caps, and mugs at BangBangBangBang.com. "Witherspoon is one of those performers who doesn't need a funny line to be funny," says the Orange County Register. "Just standing there in a truculent posture with a suspicious look, he is funny..." Go to http://www.BangBangBangBang.com and pick out your favorite catchphase from John Witherspoon on a t-shirt, cap, or mug today. URL: http://www.bangbangbangbang.com <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 4. AFRICAN AMERICAN WEB SIGHTS <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> LITTLE BREANNA BONNER TAKES YOU TO SUNNY CALIFORNIA'S FAMOUS SANTA MONICA BEACH PIER "BB's Eye View" Internetshows http://www.internetshows.com/bbseyeview Santa Monica Beach Pier is a favorite amongst tourists visiting sunny Southern California and 7-year old Breanna Bonner takes you there. See the beach, the rides, and the beautiful sunset. The show is produced by her father, D.W. Bonner, and can be seen on the i*Kids Channel Network, channel 101 show "c." Click the "ACCESS" button at anytime to see complete show listings. |||||||||||||||| 4-a ||||||||||||||||| UNIQUE GALLERY BRINGS RARE AFRICAN FURNITURE & ART TOGETHER WITH CUSTOM MODERN HOME FURNISHINGS Los Angeles, CA -- Tribal Living Furnishings & Gallery, the first of many planned outlets in the U.S., is creating a lot of excitement with collectors, home decorators, and home owners in Southern California. Tribal Living's owners, the Sylla Corporation and the Sylla family, have traded in the U.S. for over 30 years now. Their gallery carries rare and authentic African art, masks, head dresses, and carvings, as well as African thrones, chairs, stools, and beds, that will make any collection or home interior come alive. These treasures compliment the richly upholstered modern furniture they also carry, covered in a wide variety of African prints and patterns. Address: 842 S. La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90036 URL: http://members.aol.com/africainfo Phone: (323)939-9901 Fax: (323)939-9469 E-mail: mailto:africainfo@aol.com <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 5. UNLEASH THE SALES POWER WITHIN <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> BE AVAILABLE FOR CUSTOMERS If you operate a business and are never there to serve your customers, what is the point in being in business. Being available for your customers means opening on time. Opening late just provides customers to your competitors: "He ain't never open on time!" Your customers cannot buy from you if you're not open and opening late drives them crazy. Being available for your customers continues when you are in the store, ready to answer your their questions. Not on the phone. Not reading the newspaper. Not talking to your visiting friends. Your business is not a social club -- it's a place to make money. And please, don't laugh and gossip on the phone while ringing customers up. Finally, being available for your customers ends when you close the door. On time. Not closing early so you can get to that hot date. After all, if you lose all you customers, no one will want you anyway. Next time: "Followup To Your Customers And Clients For Sales Power" <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 6. SELF MOTIVATION & HOW-TO <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< START YOUR BUSINESS DAY WITH A POWER MEAL Employee: "Good morning Mr. Washington." Boss: "Grrowlll, spit, snorrrttt..." Employee: "It's a beautiful day outside isn't it?" Boss: "Rffmmpppp, haccckkk, friillllppp, ummppp..." Employee: "That's a great looking tie you are wearing." Boss: "Coughhh, uhhhhhuhhh, snorrttt..." Whether you are an employee or a boss, this is no way to start off your day. Oh -- you had a donut and coffee. Well, donut sugar is only good for 20 minutes and after it gets you high it slams you down. Coffee, it revs you up and then gives you a hunger stomach ache, making you even grouchier than you would be without it. But there's a cure to all this. Eat. Eat breakfast before you get to the office. Eat. Eat a light lunch. What you do when you get home is up to you. But please, eat. You don't have to eat a lot. A simple power breakfast may only consist of one slice of toast, an egg, and a bite of sausage. You don't even have to eat it all. But, eat. It will do wonders for your personality and people might even start to like you, too. Next Time: "Motivating Your Employees" <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 7. AD CLINIC <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> INTERNET BANNER ADS Everyone has seen them, banner ads at the top of each web page saying, "click here." What makes banners work and not work? First of all, you should know that in surveys conducted over the years, people click on banners only 2% of the time. And if you host banners on your site, you may be the one clicking on those ads. Right? There are two ways to use banners. The first is to pay for "impressions." These cause you to be charged whenever a web page is accessed which has your banner on the top, bottom, or somewhere else. The second way is to buy click-throughs. This means that you do not pay for your banner to appear on an accessed web page, but instead only when someone clicks on the banner itself. Paying for click-throughs can be much less expensive that paying for impressions. But the web site owner that your banner ad appears on is more likely to click on your ad himself if he is inclined to be involved in fraud. Over time, impression advertising will help you get your name out there even if only if people click on banners only 2% of the time. Just seeing you name on a banner helps advertise your business. Next time: "Weeding Out Banner Advertising Fraud" |||||||||||||||| 7-a ||||||||||||||||| DO YOU WANT TO INCREASE TRAFFIC TO YOUR WEBSITE? IF YES, LET US SHOW YOU HOW!! http://www.understandingbanners.com <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 8. AFRICAN AMERICAN BUSINESS <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> AFRICAN AMERICAN PARTICIPATION IN AMERICAN COMPANIES (AAPAC) We, as African Americans, could be less concerned that a business is "Black owned" and more concerned that African Americans enjoy adequate representation in the Fortune 500 corporations that are located both in and outside our communities. And smaller businesses operating in our communities should be encouraged to incorporate and make shares of their stock available to us in the open market. This will provide us with a say in the pricing of goods and services, hiring practices, and policies of the operations and policies of the business. It is much easier to buy into a Fortune 500 business than it is to start a new business, and in many cases, than it is to buy their products. We can also save ourselves from being needlessly subjected to unfair trade and loan practices when it comes to starting a business from scratch. More importantly, buying into well-established businesses, whose stock is publicly available and easy for African Americans to buy, can be a much safer and faster route to tapping into business profits. African Americans can buy as little or as much of a publicly traded business as they like. If we have enough resources, we can end up buying the entire business over time. And by buying into businesses that are known to discriminate in price, policy, and goods to African American communities, we acquire representation and control of this element in those companies. Additionally, when buying into Fortune 500 corporations, we can keep our existing jobs, making more money than we would have if we quit our job to start a business from scratch. A reputable stock broker can provide valuable information related to the company that will help you make solid buy-in decisions. For more information about buy-ins contact: Ms. Annie Pierce Community Financial Investment Groups Phone: (323)299-3297 E-mail: mailto:cfig@wavenet.com |||||||||||||||| 8-a ||||||||||||||||| MERGING LOCAL BUSINESSES WITH THE POWER OF THE INTERNET. Find out more at http://www.realcoupon.com/index2.html <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 9. GREAT WAYS TO PROMOTE YOUR BIZ <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> |||||||||||||||| 9-a ||||||||||||||||| PROMOTE YOUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES IN INTERNETSHOWS Is $250,000 per episode TV promotion out of reach for you? Internetshows can be produced for less than 1% of that. The i*Internet Entertainment Network (http://www.internetshows.com) provides the widest spectrum of consumer products and services with a sophisticated and growing audience of all age groups who seek information on a broad range of topics and entertainment. Using still-image photography, Internetshows employs a more traditional cable/broadcast TV-like medium to nurture expand you products and services into new markets. And your products benefit from Fortune 500 companies associated with the sponsorship of your Internetshows. Cooking shows, hairstyling shows, auto repair, fashion, beauty shows, travel shows, business how-to, and a wide range of other show types can appear on over 600 channels. Address: 4636 College Avenue, San Diego, CA 92115 URL: http://www.internetshows.com (click the "ACCESS" button for show listings) Toll-Free: (888)42-SHOWS (888-427-4697) FAX: (619)286-5651 E-mail: mailto:shows@internetshows.com |||||||||||||||| 9-b ||||||||||||||||| SUPERIOR WEB HOSTING AND WEB DESIGN Give your small Businesses an international presence with a Fortune 500 look without the Fortune 500 cost. http://www.webpo.com <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> If you have any questions or want to advertise in AAB2B don't hesitate to call (Mon - Fri 10AM-6PM EST) our number is (520)579-5393 or fax (520)579-3489 or email mailto:sales@aabcps.com Thank you for making US your Business 2 Business connection. B2B is published every Friday, to over 86,000 African American businesses, professionals and consumers. (c) 1999 AAB2B All Rights Reserved. AA Business 2 Business is edited by UAI Marketing, Los Angeles