May 15th Blog

Greetings!

We are delighted to present you with our 22nd issue of Entrepreneurial Alternatives Newsletter and our 6th issue of 2007. I greet you today as the President, Founder, and CEO of the National Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc., which is an exciting new organization that I established a few months ago. Our theme for today's edition of our newsletter is "Making Dreams Come True." For the past few years, I have dreamt of taking my work to the next level and I was able to do this with the establishment of The National Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc (NCE). The NCE is a national organization that was created to build entrepreneurial capacity and enhance economic growth and development in our country and in our region. It is a perfect way to help promote regional and national collaborations. We believe that the National Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc., is in a perfect position to continue to help facilitate meaningful collaborative efforts to promote regionalism and economic growth.

We are delighted that our subscriber list for our Entrepreneurial Alternatives Newsletter includes several thousand people and continues to grow each week. We are delighted that some of our subscribers are located in far-away countries in Europe and Africa as well. Please, feel free to forward copies of our newsletters to your family and friends and please send us additional names of individuals that you would like us to add to our list. We will be happy to send them copies of our newsletters right away. In today's edition, we provide the second of the Ten Personality Characteristics of Successful Black Entrepreneurs, a brief synopsis of my recent presentation at the Western New England College in Massachusetts, and our Dear Dr. House letters which come from Kenya and Cleveland, Ohio.

Quote of the Week

"Sometimes, we don't know what we don't know."

---Les Brown---
Bestselling author and International Motivational Speaker


The Ten Personality Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs, Part 2 (of 10)
by Dr. Bessie House

Personality Characteristic Number Two: High Self Esteem

(This section is a brief excerpt from Dr. House's book, "The Ten Personality Characteristics of Successful Black Entrepreneurs."

If I could rank these 10 characteristics, I would rank self-esteem as the most important of the 10 traits. But, ironically, for people of color, it is by far, their weakest characteristic.

There is certainly a great irony here. It should be their strongest characteristic.

The reality is that ever since Africans came to the Americas under the umbrella of the TransAtlantic Slave Trade in the 1400's, their cultural values, beliefs, and lifestyles have been denigrated in this country. This constant onslaught on the self-esteem of people of color has had dire and devastating consequences to their confidence and feelings of self-esteem. As Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the founder of the Association of Afro-Life and History and the author of the"The Mis-Education of the Negro" has so eloquently written,

"When you control a man's thinking, you do not have to tell him not to stand here or to go yonder. He will find his proper place and will stay in it. You do not need to send him to the back door. He will go without being told. In fact, if there is no back door, he will cut one out for his own benefit."

If you would like a copy of Dr. House's audiobook, please e-mail minoritybusinesses@gmail.com for instructions on how to purchase a copy.
Dr. Bessie House Invited to Speak in Massachusetts

Dr. Bessie House was invited to speak at the 2nd Annual Conference sponsored by the Western New England College Law and Business Center for Advancing Entrepreneurship in Springfield, Massachutsetts. The theme for this conference was "Current Issues in Community and Economic Development" and the conference was held on March 30, 2007. Participants presented papers on a number of topic areas which included Set/Asides and Affirmative Action, how to facilitate public-private partnerships, urban entrepreneurship, and fringe banking programs. Dr. House presented a paper titled, "The Impact of Minority-Set Aside Programs on Black Business Success: Implications for Public Policy." Dr. House's paper will be published in the November edition of The Western New England Law Review.
Dr. Bessie House Establishes the National Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc.

The National Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. was founded several months ago by Dr. Bessie House, President and CEO of the National Center for Entrepreneurship, in consultation with several of its' board members which include Mr. John Bustamante and Mr. Steven Simms. Mr. John Bustamante is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the NCE. The purpose of the National Center for Entrepreneurship is to promote entrepreneurial development and economic growth in our region, the state of Ohio, and in the United States, more broadly speaking. The National Center for Entrepreneurship is a collaborative of regional and national business centers which have been created to use the successful entrepreneurial model developed by Dr. Bessie House over the past twelve year period. The National Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc., has created a national model of entrepreneurial excellence that is based on empirical research performed by Dr. House on numerous factors which promote business success that has been validated many times over in the business training classes provided by the National Center for Entrepreneurship and its' affiliate centers over the past decade. The NCE is a non-profit business franchise that is developing more affiliate centers across the United States. The goal is to replicate the entrepreneurial model used by the NCE in many towns and communities in order to generate more new business start-up companies and to help existing businesses to take their work to another level.

Affiliate centers of the NCE include the Center for the Study and Development of Minority Businesses at Kent State University, the Entrepreneurial Academy of Greater Cleveland, and the recently established Youngstown Entrepreneurial Academy in Youngstown, Ohio. According to Dr. House, "We are delighted to say that we have also been asked to establish affiliate business centers in Akron and Canton, Ohio, as well as in Chicago, Illinois, Detroit, Michigan, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and New York City."

If you are interested in establishing an affiliate center in your home town, please contact Dr. House about the details of such a collaboration and the requirements for becoming an affiliate center at 330-672-5307 or 216-731-4426.
Building Local Entrepreneurial Talent: An Evaluation of the Entrepreneurial Academy of Greater Cleveland
by Dr. Richard Njoku, Independent Program Evaluator

The Entrepreneurial Academy of Greater Cleveland (E-Academy of Greater Cleveland) belongs to a genre of non-academic and non-accredited entrepreneurial programs that are in the forefront of preparing ordinary citizens to take the plunge into the murky waters of entrepreneurship. Its mission is premised on assisting residents of the Cleveland Empowerment Zone communities to acquire the hands-on skills necessary to achieve economic success in the marketplace. However, the E-Academy of Greater Cleveland is not just another entrepreneurial program, as it is differentiated from the pack by at least three factors. First, it was founded as an innovative partnership of a broad-spectrum of community stakeholders including 1) Kent State University, 2) the City of Cleveland Empowerment Zone, 3) the Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation, 4) the Glenville Development Corporation, 5) the Consortium for Economic and Community Development, and 6) Midtown Cleveland. Second, its founding values are grounded in sound research, especially, on the predictors of economic and business success. The affiliation with Kent State University has ensured that the E-Academy of Greater Cleveland benefits from a pipeline of sound research in the field of entrepreneurship conducted by Dr. Bessie House and other instructors at the Center for the Study for Minority Businesses. Finally, the E-Academy of Greater Cleveland boasts of a practical curriculum that aligns business training with skill development, and business coaching conducted by accomplished entrepreneurs.

The Goal-based Evaluation

This goal-based evaluation was designed to generate usable information to guide policy and programmatic revisions of the Entrepreneurial Academy of Greater Cleveland (E-Academy of Greater Cleveland), with a view to strengthening its overall quality. The evaluation assessed the success of the E-Academy of Greater Cleveland in achieving its formative and summative goals. On the formative side, it assessed 1) the extent to which recruitment and enrollment complied with the eligibility requirements of the City of Cleveland Empowerment Zone; 2) the quality, quantity, duration and intensity of program delivery, including entrepreneurship training and business coaching; and 3) the rate of retention, completion, and graduation in the program. On the summative side, it assessed 1) gains in functional knowledge of business and entrepreneurship as assessed with pretest and post tests; 2) transfer of learning, and the extent to which participants used knowledge and skills to advance entrepreneurial activities, as demonstrated by the development of business plans; and 3) new business startups or expansions by participants. Levels of satisfaction with the program were also assessed and reported. The evaluation focused on the success of the 41 participants who completed both the basic and advanced workshop series in entrepreneurship in 2006.

A mixed data collection strategy was employed in the course of this evaluation, including an extensive review of program documents and records; key informant interviews with program managers; pre and post tests of participants; and surveys of program graduates.

Evidence from the evaluation leads to the following conclusions regarding the results of the E-Academy of Greater Cleveland in 2006:

*The program targeted a diverse group of participants, in terms of age, gender, level of educational attainment, marital status, previous business experience and other relevant demographic and personal variables.

*Recruitment and enrollment met all the eligibility requirements of the Cleveland Empowerment Zone. Program records indicate that all participants (100%) were recruited from the EZ communities of Fairfax, Glenville, Hough, and Midtown Corridor.

*Participants received a total of 122 training hours and 284 business coaching hours during the year.

*Retention, completion, and graduation rates were very high. Analysis of data showed 82% retention, completion, and graduation rates.

*Levels of satisfaction with the E-Academy of Greater Cleveland's program were very high. At least 98% of participants rated the training workshops "excellent" or "very good" on all 5 categories of assessment, including 1) relevance of the workshop content; 2) usefulness of the workshop content; 3) instructors' presentation style; 4) instructors' level of preparedness; and 5) overall rating of the training workshop.

*Participants made statistically significant gain in their functional knowledge of business and entrepreneurship concepts as assessed with pre and post tests. On the average, participants in the basic workshop series made a 30-point gain in knowledge, while those in the advanced workshop series made a 32-point gain.

*All participants (100%) developed business plans of their current or prospective businesses; a clear demonstration of the use of knowledge and skills gained in the program.

*A total of 28 businesses were either established or expanded by graduates of the E-Academy of Greater Cleveland within the past year. On the legal structure of the businesses established by the graduates, close to one-half (48%) had established limited liability companies (LLCs), while slightly over one-third (35%) established C or S corporations. Thirteen percent (13%) established sole proprietorships, while 4% established 501(c) (3) tax-exempt organizations.

*The types of businesses started included personal services (21.3%); business services (17.9%); retail trade (14.3%); educational services (10.7%); professional services (10.7%); real estate (7.1%); energy/utilities (3.6%); computer & Internet (3.6%); Arts & entertainment (3.6%); maintenance (3.6%); and automotive services (3.6%). The evaluator, Benchmark Consulting Group, is currently collecting hard data on business and economic outcomes (jobs created, microloans raised, individual wealth created, etc.) to enable it assess the overall impact of the E-Academy of Greater Cleveland on the city's economy. For further information regarding this evaluation, please contact Richard E. Njoku, Ph.D at (216) 374-8655, or send an email to: rnjoku@aol.com.
Youngstown Mayor Announces New Collaboration with National Center For Entrepreneurship (Headed by Dr. Bessie House)

Mayor Jay Williams of the city of Youngstown and Dr. Bessie House [picture on right], announced in a press conference on Monday morning, April 9, 2007, the creation of a strategic partnership and collaboration with the City of Youngstown, the National Center for Entrepreneurship (housed in the greater Cleveland area and headed by Dr. Bessie House), the Mahoning Youngstown Community Action Partnership (headed by Mr. Richard Roller), and Youngstown State University. Together, they have established the Youngstown Entrepreneurial Academy. All of the collaborating partners in the collaboration were present at this historic event!

The development of this important partnership is in perfect harmony with efforts that are now underway in Northeast, Ohio to encourage more collaborative initiatives that promote the goals of regionalism, economic and racial inclusion, and to develop a common economic development strategy to help the entire region to prosper and enhance economic self-sufficiency.

This strategic collaboration will also help to further the city of Youngtown's goals of providing business training assistance to minority and female residents, and disadvantaged individuals of Youngstown in order to create more viable businesses, job opportunities, and wealth creation. The ultimate goal is to help the citizens to become economically independent and to acquire skills to enhance their own empowerment.

The creation of the National Center for Entrepreneurship (NCE) by Dr. Bessie House in 2006 was the natural outgrowth of her earlier development of two other business training centers during the past 10 year period which include the Center for the Study and Development of Minority Businesses at Kent State University and the Entrepreneurial Academy for Greater Cleveland. Through the years, these centers have produced award-winning research, award-winning curricular materials and business training programs. The National Center and its' affiliate centers have developed innovative, research-based business training programs, which are different in many respects from other existing business centers in Ohio and the nation. Thus, they have developed a very impressive track record of success as they have served more than 350 clients and have helped to generate more than 51 new business start-up companies in Northeast, Ohio. They have also helped existing businesses to take their work to another level. These businesses have contributed greatly to economic growth and development for this region and the state of Ohio.

Dr. House is also a nationally-recognized leader, advocate and expert on entrepreneurship and economic development and is also an entrepreneur herself, having established several for-profit businesses. She is also the author of the critically acclaimed book, "Confronting the Odds: African American Entrepreneurship in Cleveland, Ohio" which will be one of the required textbooks used in the business training classes.

The Director of the Youngstown Entrepreneurial Academy will be Mr. Herman Hill, who is a former graduate of Kent State University. He possesses a strong background and keen understanding of economic development issues for our region.

The Youngstown Entrepreneurial Academy began its' operations on April 9th, 2007 and already has almost 200 people on its' waiting list to take its' entrepreneurial business class. It will offer two intensive introductory business training classes starting in June of this year and will later offer an advanced business class. It will also help participants to achieve micro loan support and will work to establish space and support mechanisms to house its' new business start-up companies. The goal of the Youngstown Entrepreneurial Academy is to produce new business enterprises and to provide assistance to existing entrepreneurs as well. For more information about the program and to enroll, please contact, Mr. Herman Hill, the director at 330-747-7921, extension 1190.
Dear Dr. House

Hi Dr House,

I enjoy reading about the great things you are doing to promote entrepreneurship in Cleveland and other parts of the country. Entrepreneurial Alternatives , is a good read for me.

I met you in 2004 in the company of Dr. Noah Midamba. At the time of our meeting, I was doing my Executive Doctorate of Management at Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. I graduated in May 2006 and am now back in Kenya. I am the current CEO of Kenya College of Accountacy.

I'm interested in entrepreneurship, and wish for some sort of affliation between your Entrepreneurial Academies and our college.

During my doctorate, I researched "Factors that contribute to the dearth of entrepreneurship among African Americans in Cleveland's Inner City." Your book Confronting the Odds, helped me quite a lot in my literature review. I also quoted extensively from a journal where you had written about the Psychological Capital and how it influences entrepreneursip in an individual. Ultimately, I extended this study to Kenya where I looked at "Factors that Facilitate Intention to Venture Creation among College Students and Nascent Entrepreneurs." It was both an exploratory and confirmatory research. Please take time to consider my request.

Kenya College of Accontancy will receive its' accreditation in July this year to become a full fledged university. Currently we have 13,000 students pursuing various studies in accountancy, ICT, law, and entrepreneurship amongst others.

Hope to hear from you.

Kind regards, Dr Daniel Musungu Oruoch
CEO,
Kenya College Of Accountancy,
PO Box 56808(00200),
Nairobi.Kenya.

Dear Dr. Oruoch:

Hope you are doing well and thank you so much for your marvelous letter. It was both encouraging and stimulating. I enjoyed meeting you a few years ago and am happy to see that you have used my work extensively while pursuing your Ph.D. at Case Western Reserve University and later on as you have since traveled back to your homeland of Kenya. As you know from our newsletter, our entrepreneurial activities are continuing to grow and expand across time and space. Thank you for requesting an opportunity to develop some type of affiliation between our National Center for Entrepreneurship and your college to create an Entrepreneurial Academy in Kenya. I am delighted to hear that you are the CEO of Kenya College of Accountancy. I would be delighted to discuss further with you how we can work to establish such an affiliation and as you may know, I have done a lot of work on Kenya, and performed field research at the University of Nairobi some years ago for my Ph.D. dissertation.

I will contact you in the near future and we can develop a strategy to develop a great affiliation between our respective organizations.

All the best,

Dr. Bessie House
President, Founder, and CEO
National Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. and
Director
Entrepreneurial Academy of Greater Cleveland
and
Executive Director and Founder
Center for the Study and Development of Minority Businesses
Kent State University

Dear Dr. House:

I would like to receive information on Dr. House's book, "Ten Personality Characteristics of Successful Black Entrepreneurs."

Shirley Shadwick

Dear Ms. Shadwick:

Thanks for your note. You can purchase copies of "The Ten Personality Characteristics of Successful Black Entrepreneurs" by contacting our office at 216-731-4426.

All the best, All the best,

Dr. Bessie House
President, Founder, and CEO
National Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. and
Director
Entrepreneurial Academy of Greater Cleveland
and
Executive Director and Founder
Center for the Study and Development of Minority Businesses
Kent State University

Quick Links
# The CSDMB
# E-Academy
# B. House Communications, Inc.
# The Dr. House Minority Business Blog

In Closing
Finally, we at the National Center for Entrepreneurship, the Center For The Study and Development of Minority Businesses and the Entrepreneurial Academy of Greater Cleveland want to make a call out to any former student of our Centers. If you move or have some other method of contact, please notify us! We love hearing about your new businesses, business plans, and any other successes that you might be experiencing. If you could send us a recent photograph and a small description of your success, we will include them in one of our upcoming editions of Entrepreneurial Alternatives.

Our demand pull is high, and we cannot conceivably get everything that we would like done without your aid. We are looking for volunteers for both of our centers. If you are interested in volunteering for us, please call our Kent center at 330.672.5307 or our Cleveland center at 216.731.4426.

There are individuals in our class that we have not heard from since they stopped attending; keep in touch! Contact information is at the bottom of this blog.

Dr. Bessie House
President, Founder and CEO, National Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc.
Director, Entrepreneurial Academy of Greater Cleveland
Executive Director and Founder, Center for the Study and Development of Minority Businesses, Kent State University

All Stories, Pictures, and Works Copyrighted by their Original Owners. Entrepreneurial Alternatives is a copyrighted publication of the National Center for Entrepreneurship, Incorporated. © Copyright 2007, Dr. Bessie House
email: minoritybusinesses@gmail.com
phone: 330-672-5307
web: http://www.eacademy.biz

April 17th Blog

April 17th, 2007
Greetings!

We are delighted to present you with our 21st issue of Entrepreneurial Alternatives Newsletter and our 5th issue of 2007. Our theme for this edition is "Moving to the Next Level." We have certainly been doing just that over the past decade. Over the past eleven year period, while performing exciting research on African American entrepreneurship, I also became an entrepreneur myself, having been involved in the development of 4 non-profit business organizations and two for-profit businesses.

Our latest business ventures are the National Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc., (housed in Greater Cleveland), which I established some months ago, in consultation with some of the board members of the National Center for Entrepreneurship, and the establishment of the Youngstown Entrepreneurial Academy, in collaboration with the Mayor of the city of Youngstown, the Mahoning Youngstown Community Action Partnership, and Youngstown State University.

The National Center for Entrepreneurship is now the flagship center which oversees the strategic operations and activities of two other affiliate centers that I created in the past decade which are the Center for the Study and Development of Minority Businesses at Kent State University and the Entrepreneurial Academy of Greater Cleveland. We are very happy to welcome aboard our newest affiliate center established last week, which is the Youngstown Entrepreneurial Academy. More information is also included below about our exciting new collaboration with our affiliate partners in Youngstown.

We also provide you The Ten Personality Characteristics of Successful Black Entrepreneurs based on some excerpts from my fourth book with the same title, as well as more information about both the National Center for Entrepreneurship, the Youngstown Entrepreneurial Academy, and our upcoming scholarship dinner presented by Health Legacy of Cleveland on April 29, 2007. I am delighted to serve as the Chairwoman of the Development Committee for this exciting organization. Last, we offer you our "Dear Dr. House" letters and responses.

Quote of the Week

"I have found no greater satisfaction than achieving success through honest dealing and strict adherence to the view that, for you to gain, those you deal with should gain as well."

---Alan Greenspan---
Former Federal Reserve Chairman


The Ten Personality Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs
by Dr. Bessie House

Personality Characteristic Number One: Salesmanship

(The following is a small excerpt from Dr. House's fourth book, "The Ten Personality Characteristics of Successful Black Entrepreneurs: How to Achieve Them". )

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to attend a business conference that was organized by the Wall Street Journal. One of the panels featured several prominent millionaires that were entrepreneurs. One of the panelists got on the stage and made the following statement: "The number one rule of business is to make sure that you sell something that someone actually wants to buy." It makes perfect sense.

What is entrepreneurship? The best definition I can give you is simply this: entrepreneurship is the art of developing a concept or an idea and using it to create value in the economic marketplace. You create value by taking the idea or concept and converting it into a tangible product or service that you then turn around and convince people that they need to pay you a particular price for that product or service in order for them to possess it.

Salesmanship, is thus, the first personality trait of successful entrepreneurs, but the selling takes place on two different levels. On one level, you are selling your product or service. On the second level, you are selling yourself. These levels are separate, but they are very much interwoven.

As you start your business and to out to try to get contracts or to make bids on various jobs or even to get business loans, at the back of the other persons' mind are questions like these. What kind of person is Sally? If Sally gets the contract, can she really deliver the goods at the agreed upon time? What kind of character does Sally really have? Is she honest and straightforward? Can she be trusted? Can she really get the job done? Ultimately, it's about credibility. So, it's about selling a product and selling yourself as well.

Dr. House has written four books, numerous scholarly articles and book chapters. She is the author of the critically acclaimed book, "Confronting the Odds: African American Entrepreneurship in Cleveland, Ohio" which received the coveted Henry Howe Book Award. A much sought-after public speaker and presenter, she has made numerous public presentations to diverse audiences in the United States and abroad. Dr. House will be autographing and signing copies of all of her books, as well as her audiobook.

If you would like a copy of Dr. House's audiobook, please e-mail min oritybusinesses@gmail.com for instructions on how to purchase a copy.
Dr. Bessie House and Board Members Establish the National Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc.

The National Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. was founded several months ago by Dr. Bessie House, President and CEO of the National Center for Entrepreneurship, in consultation with several of its' board members which include Mr. John Bustamante and Mr. Steven Simms. Mr. John Bustamante is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the NCE. The purpose of the National Center for Entrepreneurship is to promote entrepreneurial development and economic growth in our region, the state of Ohio, and in the United States, more broadly speaking. The National Center for Entrepreneurship is a collaborative of regional and national business centers which have been created to use the successful entrepreneurial model developed by Dr. Bessie House over the past twelve year period. The National Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc., has created a national model of entrepreneurial excellence that is based on empirical research performed by Dr. House on numerous factors which promote business success that has been validated many times over in the business training classes provided by the National Center for Entrepreneurship and its' affiliate centers over the past decade. The NCE is a non-profit business franchise that is developing more affiliate centers across the United States. The goal is to replicate the entrepreneurial model used by the NCE in many towns and communities in order to generate more new business start-up companies and to help existing businesses to take their work to another level.

Affiliate centers of the NCE include the Center for the Study and Development of Minority Businesses at Kent State University, the Entrepreneurial Academy of Greater Cleveland, and the recently established Youngstown Entrepreneurial Academy in Youngstown, Ohio. According to Dr. House, "We are delighted to say that we have also been asked to establish affiliate business centers in Akron and Canton, Ohio, as well as in Chicago, Illinois, Detroit, Michigan, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and New York City."

If you are interested in establishing an affiliate center in your home town, please contact Dr. House about the details of such a collaboration and the requirements for becoming an affiliate center at 330-672-5307 or 216-731-4426.
Youngstown Mayor Announces New Collaboration with National Center For Entrepreneurship (Headed by Dr. Bessie House)

Mayor Jay Williams of the city of Youngstown and Dr. Bessie House [picture on right], announced in a press conference on Monday morning, April 9, 2007, the creation of a strategic partnership and collaboration with the City of Youngstown, the National Center for Entrepreneurship (housed in the greater Cleveland area and headed by Dr. Bessie House), the Mahoning Youngstown Community Action Partnership (headed by Mr. Richard Roller), and Youngstown State University. Together, they have established the Youngstown Entrepreneurial Academy. All of the collaborating partners in the collaboration were present at this historic event!

The development of this important partnership is in perfect harmony with efforts that are now underway in Northeast, Ohio to encourage more collaborative initiatives that promote the goals of regionalism, economic and racial inclusion, and to develop a common economic development strategy to help the entire region to prosper and enhance economic self-sufficiency.

This strategic collaboration will also help to further the city of Youngtown's goals of providing business training assistance to minority and female residents, and disadvantaged individuals of Youngstown in order to create more viable businesses, job opportunities, and wealth creation. The ultimate goal is to help the citizens to become economically independent and to acquire skills to enhance their own empowerment.

The creation of the National Center for Entrepreneurship (NCE) by Dr. Bessie House, John Bustamante, and Steven Simms (members of the Board of Directors of the NCE) 2006 was the natural outgrowth of her earlier development of two other business training centers during the past 10 year period which include the Center for the Study and Development of Minority Businesses at Kent State University and the Entrepreneurial Academy for Greater Cleveland. Through the years, these centers have produced award-winning research, award-winning curricular materials and business training programs. The National Center and its' affiliate centers have developed innovative, research-based business training programs, which are different in many respects from other existing business centers in Ohio and the nation. Thus, they have developed a very impressive track record of success as they have served more than 350 clients and have helped to generate more than 51 new business start-up companies in Northeast, Ohio. They have also helped existing businesses to take their work to another level. These businesses have contributed greatly to economic growth and development for this region and the state of Ohio.

Dr. House is also a nationally-recognized leader, advocate and expert on entrepreneurship and economic development and is also an entrepreneur herself, having established several for-profit businesses. She is also the author of the critically acclaimed book, "Confronting the Odds: African American Entrepreneurship in Cleveland, Ohio" which will be one of the required textbooks used in the business training classes.

The Director of the Youngstown Entrepreneurial Academy will be Mr. Herman Hill, who is a former graduate of Kent State University. He possesses a strong background and keen understanding of economic development issues for our region. .

The Youngstown Entrepreneurial Academy will begin its' operations immediately. It will offer two intensive introductory business training classes starting in June of this year and will later offer an advanced business class. It will also help participants to achieve micro loan support and will work to establish space and support mechanisms to house its' new business start-up companies. The goal of the Youngstown Entrepreneurial Academy is to produce new business enterprises and to provide assistance to existing entrepreneurs as well. For more information about the program and to enroll, please contact, Mr. Herman Hill, the director at 330-747-7921, extension 1190.
The third annual Health Legacy of Cleveland (HLC) Award and Scholarship Dinner will be held on Sunday, April 29, 2007.

The third annual Health Legacy of Cleveland (HLC) Award and Scholarship Dinner will be held on Sunday, April 29, 2007, at 6 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom at Landerhaven in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. The event is held annually to raise awareness for the importance of diversity in medicine and dentistry in Northeast Ohio.

Cleveland Clinic will serve as the event's presenting sponsor, honoring Jefferson J. Jones, D.M.D., the first African-American endodontist (root canal specialist) in Ohio, with the Award for Excellence. In addition, scholarships will be awarded to African-American students pursuing careers in medicine and dentistry who intend to return to the Cleveland area to practice.

Delos Cosgrove, M.D., president and CEO of Cleveland Clinic, is serving as general chair of the event. Anthony Stallion, M.D., staff, Pediatric Surgery and Pathobiology, at Cleveland Clinic, and A. Gus. Kious, M.D., president of Huron Hospital, are serving as Honorary Chairs.

The HLC Award for Excellence honors the living legacy of African-American physicians and dentists who have served the Cleveland area in their professions and provided mentoring and role models for the community's youth. In 2007, this award program will reach out to the broader community that supports diversity and education and the programming that inspires diverse young people to pursue careers in medicine and dentistry in the northeast Ohio region.

High school scholarship applicants include Cleveland Municipal School District students pursuing health careers, as well as medical and dental school students from the Cleveland area who intend to return to Northeast Ohio to practice.

Individual seating for the dinner begins at $150 Corporate sponsorships begin at $1,500 and are available for company tables, student seating, scholarships and programming in education or diversity. Online event registration and scholarship applications are available online at http://www.healthlegacycleveland.org.

About Jefferson J. Jones, D.M.D. Jefferson J. Jones, D.M.D., is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Endodontics at Case Western Reserve University School of Dentistry, Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Jones has a strong interest in Minority Recruitment and Graduation for the Dental School and for the University. He has been on the faculty for thirty-five years and Department Chair for the last twenty-four years.

About Health Legacy of Cleveland

Health Legacy of Cleveland, founded in 1993, is one of the few African-American founded nonprofit foundations that awards scholarships to African American students pursing professions as physicians and dentists who intend to return to the greater Cleveland area to practice. Its mission is to increase the pool of African American physicians and dentists in the Greater Cleveland area.

Contact Information:

Cynthia Clark
Health Legacy of Cleveland
P O Box 201519
Cleveland, OH 44120

PHONE. 216 621-1933
FAX. 216 621-4174
EMAIL: cynthiaclark@healthlegacycleveland.org
Dear Dr. House

Dear Dr. House:

Hi Bessie,

Great newsletter and even greater to reconnect. Hope all is well with you. I'm attaching my newest project. It's great fun. I have a nightly radio show On Air with In Business and you can listen to the pod casts and use them in a variety of ways.

Here's the link!!

http://podcast.loyalears.com/wtdy.php?task=shows&show_id=51

Hit FREE on the shows you want to hear.

Let me know what you think.

Best of luck with your new venture, not that you need it. It looks GREAT!!

Joan Gillman
Executive Education
School of Business
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Dear Joan:

Thank you so very much for your spectacular letter and your warm remarks about our blog. Your foray into podcasting shows a fire that is necessary for any successful entrepreneur.

It is not enough in this current economy to merely provide a needed service, but one must constantly innovate and impress. Your show is an example of this, and entrepreneurs looking to succeed in the current economy should sit down and plan out how they will make a similar impact.

All the best,

Dr. Bessie House
Director
The Entrepreneurial Academy
And Executive Director and Founder
The Center for the Study and Development of Minority Businesses
Kent State University

Quick Links
# The CSDMB
# E-Academy
# B. House Communications, Inc.
# The Dr. House Minority Business Blog

In Closing
Finally, we at the Center For The Study and Development of Minority Businesses and Entrepreneurial Academy want to make a call out to any former student of our Center. If you move or have some other method of contact, please notify us! We love hearing about your new businesses, business plans, and any other successes that you might be experiencing. If you could send us a recent photograph and a small description of your success, we will include them in one of our upcoming editions of Entrepreneurial Alternatives.

Our demand pull is high, and we cannot conceivably get everything that we would like done without your aid. We are looking for volunteers for both of our centers. If you are interested in volunteering for us, please call our Kent center at 330.672.5307 or our Cleveland center at 216.731.4426.

There are individuals in our class that we have not heard from since they stopped attending; keep in touch! Contact information is at the bottom of this blog.

Sincerely,

Dr. Bessie House
Director, The Center for the Study and Development of Minority Businesses
Director, The Entrepreneurial Academy

All Stories, Pictures, and Works Copyrighted by their Original Owners. Entrepreneurial Alternatives is a copyrighted phrase of the National Center for Entrepreneurship, Incorporated.
email: minoritybusinesses@gmail.com
phone: 330-672-5307
web: http://www.eacademy.biz

March 19th Blog

March 19th, 2007
Greetings!

We are delighted to present you with our 20th issue of Entrepreneurial Alternatives Newsletter and our fourth issue of 2007. Our theme for this edition is "The Power of Positive Thinking." We would like to thank you for all of the positive emails and calls that we receive. We thank you because positivity is essential for success. Les Brown says: "No matter how many positive comments people give you, it's always the negative comment that sticks in your mind. "

We continue to expand our research activities and business training programs for 2007. I can honestly say that I have never been more excited, motivated, and dedicated to continuing to enhance entrepreneurial development in our region, our state, and our nation. I am very happy that I continue to get more invitations to speak in cities all over the United States. Later this week, I will speaking in Los Angeles, California and in Springfield, Massachusetts next week. Our readership for our newsletter has also expanded dramatically and we are also receiving more letters from people from all across America as well and this is also a source of delight. In the Dear Dr. House section of our newsletter, we present a letter from a very amazing gentleman in Chicago, Illinois.

I am happy to inform you that I have transferred the administrative offices of the Entrepreneurial Academy from Cleveland, Ohio to Euclid, Ohio. We will maintain a training site in the Empowerment Zone. More information about our new location and upcoming activities will be discussed later in this newsletter. I want to thank so many of you for continuing to send us so many wonderful letters of encouragement and support and it means a great deal to us. Moreover, I am delighted to report that we receive calls almost every single day from numerous individuals who want to enroll in our business training programs. We remain doubly excited about this!

We are looking for volunteers for both of our centers. If you are interested in volunteering, please call our Kent center at 330.672.5307 or our Cleveland center at 216.731.4426.

In this edition, we provide you with the completion of James McQuiston's Top Ten Tips for Internet Businesses, information about my speech in Los Angeles for the National Black MBA asssociation, information about the new location of the offices of the Entrepreneurial Academy, information about Dr. House's new book on African American Entrepreneurship to be published in 2008, a reminder about the upcoming Health Legacy Award and Scholarship dinner, and our "Dear Dr. House" letters. We hope that you enjoy this edition.

Quote of the Week

"If it's not broken, don't fix it."

---The Late Mrs. Bessie Annie Fannings---
(Dr. House's grandmother)


Top Ten Tips for Internet Businesses
by James McQuiston

The Internet has an economy that is ever increasing. It does not take much work to receive considerable funds from the internet. In some cases, individuals can make more in the way of funds from the internet than they can running a brick and mortar store. I have operated an internet business since 1998, with the online version of my magazine, NeuFutur ( http://www.neufutur.com ) . Here are some tips, to be given out in the next few weeks.

1) Create a website for your business. The cost to buy a domain (the "name" of your website), coupled with internet hosting (the space where all your files reside) is much less than individuals would think. When I purchased a website for our own Dr. House, for example, the total bill was around $50 for one year’s worth of service. That was using http://www.godaddy.com . However, one can find a slightly better deal at http://www.1and1.com, where an equivalent package costs around $40 One should choose a package based on the level of comfort that one has with the company.

2) If you have tangible goods, use eBay ( http://www.ebay.com ) as a way to pander your goods. eBay is a great service for individuals to connect to individuals that may want your goods, but are removed geographically from your brick and mortar location. For example, I run a magazine that receives CDs for review. By putting the CDs that we have reviewed up online, we are able to generate revenues around $600 a month.

If you sell clothing, art, or anything tangible, eBay could be an easy way to supplement a brick & mortar location’s rent. eBay revenues can be enough to supplant a brick and mortar location. Just think about it this way, an eBay business requires nothing in the way of set up costs beyond having a computer, internet access, and a camera to take pictures.

3) Sign up for PayPal ( http://www.paypal.com ) and Google Checkout (http://checkout.google.com ). These services allow individuals that use some form of monetary transaction to go forth and receive funds. While the use of Paypal and Google Checkout is typically tied to individuals that have goods to sell, non-profits can also elicit funds from individuals through Paypal. Google Checkout is a service that is in beta (which means that the service is stable, but is still being tested by engineers) but provides new sign-ups with a $10 credit towards any purchases (office supplies, for example). Regardless of the promotions tied to them, they are both good services with which to be familiar.

4)One can reduce the overhead from the costs of a traditional business setup immensely if they remove the brick and mortar component from their minds. Sure, it is nice to brag about if one has a storefront, but a lot of things have to be taken into consideration. Can you find a babysitter or time away from another job to sit at the store? If you hire individuals, will they be trustworthy? Running a store or business venture from the home is a better idea due to a number of facts. These facts include that there are no rental fees for the office space, no electricity or heating concerns beyond what is paid normally at the house. There is a larger audience for your wares. While office space cheap enough for a start-up company may be located far from busy thoroughfares, any one of a billion or so internet-surfing individuals may happen upon a company’s website.

5)After one has purchased hosting and a good domain name, enter your websites into various indices. Google, Yahoo, Netscape and the like. Each of those websites has an "add a link" section for free that one can provide information about their ventures. Doing so will make it easier for individuals that are looking for what one is providing, and this increases the probability that individuals will purchase one’s wares or otherwise support one’s venture. An addition to social networking sites ( http://www.digg.com , http://www.myspace.com , http://www.fark.com ) about one’s venture or creating a profile based purely around the venture is also recommended.

6)The creation of a website for one’s company is essential in this day and age. There are enough websites online, such as Lissa Explains ( http://www.lissaexplains.com ) and HTML Help ( http://www.htmlhelp.com ) that will provide individuals with information how to make a crisp, attractive website. Services like the aforementioned Godaddy and 1+1 have HTML editors, and there is a program called First Page ( http://www.evrsoft.com ) that is free that will allow business owners to make even the most difficult pages. A website does not need to be flashy, but should show what the company is offering, what it costs, and why an individual should purchase from that company instead of others.

7)While individuals may be able to go forth and purchase everything they need to create a web presence and also be able to program their own websites, they may not be able to reach a large segment of the populace as easy as they should. One may want to create a line in a company’s budget for an individual capable in the field of SEO (search engine optimization). The individual can create language in a company’s website that allow for individuals to more easily find the website amongst the hundreds of thousands of websites that are pandering goods and services that are similar, if not the same as, what the company provides.

8)Turn-around time is key. Make sure that responding to e-mails is a common part of a company’s daily routine. Individuals do not have the patience to wait three or four days to receive a response from a company. A competitor is not in another town or state, but rather is a click or two away. Checking email three or more times a day is a good amount, and allows for emails to be quickly and accurately answered without the responses seeming rushed or created on shaky ground.

9)While one can move most of one's company out of the material world, there are still times where having a business card or address stamp will be beneficial. Luckily for the thrifty and internet-savvy entrepreneur, there are companies online that will provide office supplies for cheap or at a free level. Both Vistaprint ( http://www.vistaprint.com ) and iPrint ( http://www.iprint.com ) have specials. Vistaprint will send 250 business cards to a company with only a little advertisement on the back of the card for shipping (around $6), while iPrint has specials every few months that provide a business stamp for the same general price. Use these places and one’s overhead will decrease as well.

10)Finally, ensure that any online presence is up to date. A number of websites keep old prices or inventory on their websites even though the prices or the stock have long gone. E-mailing a customer and informing them that the item is no longer in stock is not good business, as individuals will tend to look elsewhere from then on. Even though the business does not have a brick and mortar location, the "virtual" place of business should be at least as formal as the actual place of business. Making sure that individuals are kep up to date will only increase sales.

Contacting the e-mail present at the end of the blog is a good way to get in touch with him, should anyone have questions about his tips. James McQuiston is the graduate assistant at the Center for Minority Business. He is a Ph.D. student in Political Science at Kent State University, and teaches classes on e-commerce and internet business at both the Center for Minority Business and Entrepreneurial Academy.

Dr. House to Speak at the Los Angeles Chapter of the National Black M.B.A. Association

Dr. Bessie House To Speak To the Los Angeles chapter of the National Black M.BA. Association in Los Angeles, California.

Dr. Bessie House will make a presentation entitled, "The Ten Personality Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs" for the Los Angeles chapter of the National Black MBA Association in Los Angeles, California on Thursday, March 22nd 2007, from 7 to 9 P.M.. The Los Angeles division of the National Black MBA Association was founded in 1979 and today boasts over 500 members.

Dr. House is a member of the Advisory Board of the Northeast Ohio Chapter of the National Black MBA Association. The Cleveland Chapter has received the chapter of the Award from the National Black MBA Association for three consecutive years.

Dr. House's presentation is based on information from her fourth book by the same title in which she discusses the importance of having strong psychological capital. In her presentation, she will define what psychological capital is, identify the ten personality characteristics of successful black entrepreneurs, and explain why the attainment of these traits has been so very challenging for people of color. She will also explain how to incorporate these traits into your current personality profile if they are noticeably absent.

Dr. House is an award-wining author and poet, television show host, dynamic public speaker, administrator, inventor, entrepreneur, and widely recognized expert on entrepreneurship and economic development. She is the President and CEO of NCE, Inc, the Executive Director and Founder of the Center for the Study and Development of Minority Businesses at Kent State University and the Director of the Entrepreneurial Academy. Under her strong leadership, the centers have produced award-winning research, award-winning curricular materials, and training programs. More recently, the Entrepreneurial Academy was selected as a finalist for Northern Ohio Live Magazines' Awards of Achievement in the category of Urban Issues.

Dr. House has written four books, numerous scholarly articles and book chapters. She is the author of the critically acclaimed book, "Confronting the Odds: African American Entrepreneurship in Cleveland, Ohio" which received the coveted Henry Howe Book Award. A much sought-after public speaker and presenter, she has made numerous public presentations to diverse audiences in the United States and abroad. Dr. House will be autographing and signing copies of all of her books, as well as her audiobook.

If you would like a copy of Dr. House's audiobook and cannot attend the meeting, please e-mail minoritybusinesses@gmail.com for instructions on how to purchase a copy.
The Entrepreneurial Academy Transfers Its Administrative Offices to Euclid; Training Site to Remain in Empowerment Zone

Entrepreneurial Alternatives is pleased to announce that the Entrepreneurial Academy has transferred its' administrative offices to Euclid, Ohio. A training site for the E-Academy will still be maintained, however in the Empowerment zone communities of Hough, Glenville, Fairfax, or the Midtown Corridor. The location of the new training site will be publicized very soon. The new address of the administrative offices is 25000 Euclid Avenue, Suite 206. According to Dr. Bessie House, the Director of the Entrepreneurial Academy, "we moved our administrative offices to Euclid, Ohio in order to best respond to the growing needs of our constituents. Although the Entrepreneurial Academy was originally created to respond to the needs of residents of the Empowerment Zone communities of Cleveland, Ohio, the E-Academy has received a tremendous demand pull in recent years from many residents who live outside of the Empowerment Zone. In fact, there is hardly a single day that goes by when we do not receive phone calls from individuals who want to enroll in our business training classes and many of these individuals live outside of the zone. To date, we have almost 300 people on our waiting lists to take our upcoming business classes and the demand pull continues to grow. We are also restructuring our centers so that we can maximize our impact and program delivery for the 21st century and beyond. In order words, we will to continue to provide business training to residents of the Empowerment Zone communities, but we will also provide services to those who live outside the Empowerment Zones communities as well."

According to Dr. House, "We are delighted to respond to the increased popularity and visibility of our centers. People find out about us in many ways. In some cases, they have seen us on television or read about the success of our programs in the newspapers. We also get many referrals from our former graduates of the Entrepreneurial Academy, former graduates of the Center for Minority Businesses at Kent State University, residents of Cleveland and surrounding communities, as well as from members of the Cleveland city council and our partnering community development organizations in Cleveland."

The new phone numbers for the Entrepreneurial Academy are as follows: main office number (216) 731-4426; fax number (216) 731-4617. If you call our old number of (216) 541-4140, you will also be provided with our new phone number as well. We will announce our upcoming schedules for our business training classes for this year in our upcoming newsletters. We look forward to seeing you in our business training classes for 2007.
Kent State University Press to Publish the 2nd Edition of Confronting The Odds

Kent State University Press has announced its' plans to publish the 2nd Edition of "Confronting the Odds", Dr. House's seminal work on African American entrepreneurship in Cleveland, Ohio. The 2nd Edition of the book will include an updated history of African American businesses and the African American community in Cleveland from 1795-2007 along with additional life histories of successful entrepreneurs, new public policy recommendations an additional information. The release of the 2nd edition is slated for 2008.

The first edition of "Confronting the Odds", published in 2003, experienced many successes. It was the recipient of the Henry Howe Book Award, received much favorable press coverage in several major newspapers and sold several thousand copies. According to Dr. Juliet E.K. Walker, one of the foremost experts on Black business history and entrepreneurship in the United States, "Confronting the Odds: African American Entrepreneurship in Cleveland, Ohio" provides one of the first systematic studies of the historical development of black business history in an American city. Proceeding from a multidisciplinary perspective in conceptualization, analysis, and methodology, this compelling well-written assessment provides a wealth of data, concluding with valuable and insightful public policy recommendations for black business activity in the twenty-first century. [It is] a well-conceived study that will have a significant place in the expanding field of both historical and contemporary assessments of black business activity in American cities. A must read for scholars, businesspeople and public policy analysts.'

To purchase a copy of Confronting The Odds: African-American Entrepreneurship in Cleveland, Ohio for personal or classroom use, please contact Dr. Bessie House at 330.672.5307 or email her at minoritybusinesses@gmail.com.

Please also contact Dr. House if you have any information, pictures, or experiences relevant to the subject matter of the work. Look for additional information in following issues of Entrepreneurial Alternatives.
The third annual Health Legacy of Cleveland (HLC) Award and Scholarship Dinner will be held on Sunday, April 29, 2007.

The third annual Health Legacy of Cleveland (HLC) Award and Scholarship Dinner will be held on Sunday, April 29, 2007, at 6 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom at Landerhaven in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. The event is held annually to raise awareness for the importance of diversity in medicine and dentistry in Northeast Ohio.

Cleveland Clinic will serve as the event's presenting sponsor, honoring Jefferson J. Jones, D.M.D., the first African-American endodontist (root canal specialist) in Ohio, with the Award for Excellence. In addition, scholarships will be awarded to African-American students pursuing careers in medicine and dentistry who intend to return to the Cleveland area to practice.

Delos Cosgrove, M.D., president and CEO of Cleveland Clinic, is serving as general chair of the event. Anthony Stallion, M.D., staff, Pediatric Surgery and Pathobiology, at Cleveland Clinic, and A. Gus. Kious, M.D., president of Huron Hospital, are serving as Honorary Chairs.

The HLC Award for Excellence honors the living legacy of African-American physicians and dentists who have served the Cleveland area in their professions and provided mentoring and role models for the community's youth. In 2007, this award program will reach out to the broader community that supports diversity and education and the programming that inspires diverse young people to pursue careers in medicine and dentistry in the northeast Ohio region.

High school scholarship applicants include Cleveland Municipal School District students pursuing health careers, as well as medical and dental school students from the Cleveland area who intend to return to Northeast Ohio to practice.

Individual seating for the dinner begins at $150 Corporate sponsorships begin at $1,500 and are available for company tables, student seating, scholarships and programming in education or diversity. Online event registration and scholarship applications are available online at http://www.healthlegacycleveland.org.

About Jefferson J. Jones, D.M.D. Jefferson J. Jones, D.M.D., is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Endodontics at Case Western Reserve University School of Dentistry, Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Jones has a strong interest in Minority Recruitment and Graduation for the Dental School and for the University. He has been on the faculty for thirty-five years and Department Chair for the last twenty-four years.

About Health Legacy of Cleveland

Health Legacy of Cleveland, founded in 1993, is one of the few African-American founded nonprofit foundations that awards scholarships to African American students pursing professions as physicians and dentists who intend to return to the greater Cleveland area to practice. Its mission is to increase the pool of African American physicians and dentists in the Greater Cleveland area.

Contact Information:

Cynthia Clark
Health Legacy of Cleveland
P O Box 201519
Cleveland, OH 44120

PHONE. 216 621-1933
FAX. 216 621-4174
EMAIL: cynthiaclark@healthlegacycleveland.org
Dear Dr. House

Dear Dr. House:

You never cease to amaze and inspire me with your facility for promotion and communications. You are certainly adept at getting the word out about your program. As a former economic development director of Maywood, I am well-versed in the dynamics of economic development from the SBA to EDA to boot-strap entrepreneurship. I served in the 1990’s as a SBA 8(a) Contractor consultant. I was successful in getting business plans approved on four occasions.

I also served as a federal contract investigator for U.S. D.A. Farm Service: I investigated black farmer discrimination complaints under the ECOA (Equal Credit Opportunity Act), and ADA complaints. I also investigated minority contracting opportunities in Oak Ridge Tennessee, participating as marketing rep for a 8(a) certified engineering firm. I worked for Lockheed Martin Energy Systems on a contract which built a business model for Minority Educational Institutions (MEI) to perform technology transfer and commercialization of new licensed technologies developed at MEI’s. My ambition is to partner with you on a venture which takes a new technology developed at Dartsmouth U. and creates a new company to pursue oil mining and oil-sands extraction in the Northwest and Trinidad. One objective will be development of black-owned bio-fuel gas stations in the African-American community.

I would cherish an opportunity to work with you personally on development of this opportunity. . Let’s get together this year (and give Adrianna my regards!)

Thanks,
You are certainly the best,

Ralph
Ralph W. Conner
Local Legislation Manager
The Heartland Institute

Dear Mr. Conner:

Thank you so very much for your spectacular letter and your warm remarks. It is a pleasure to hear from you. I am very much energized and excited about your project on helping black businesses to create bio-fuel gas stations in various communities in the Northwest and Trinidad. It sounds very exciting and is certainly cutting-edge work. I would love to talk to you about it and will have my secretary to contact you today to set up a mutually agreed upon time when we can have a conference call to get more information about this exciting project.

All the best,

Dr. Bessie House
Director
The Entrepreneurial Academy
And Executive Director and Founder
The Center for the Study and Development of Minority Businesses
Kent State University

Quick Links
# The CSDMB
# E-Academy
# B. House Communications, Inc.
# The Dr. House Minority Business Blog

In Closing
Finally, we at the Center For The Study and Development of Minority Businesses and Entrepreneurial Academy want to make a call out to any former student of our Center. If you move or have some other method of contact, please notify us! We love hearing about your new businesses, business plans, and any other successes that you might be experiencing. If you could send us a recent photograph and a small description of your success, we will include them in one of our upcoming editions of Entrepreneurial Alternatives.

Our demand pull is high, and we cannot conceivably get everything that we would like done without your aid. We are looking for volunteers for both of our centers. If you are interested in volunteering for us, please call our Kent center at 330.672.5307 or our Cleveland center at 216.731.4426.

There are individuals in our class that we have not heard from since they stopped attending; keep in touch! Contact information is at the bottom of this blog.

Sincerely,

Dr. Bessie House
Director, The Center for the Study and Development of Minority Businesses
Director, The Entrepreneurial Academy
email: minoritybusinesses@gmail.com
phone: 330-672-5307
web: http://www.eacademy.biz