Building a black business network.

IT TOOK SEVEN HOURS TO GET THERE, BUT Boye Akinola was not bothered by the long drive. After all, just a few hundred miles south of his Atlanta home, down a hypnotizing stretch of Interstate 95, was the land of opportunity. For Akinola, it was perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime chance to network with chief executives of the nation's largest black-owned businesses. It was also an opportunity to develop strategies to strengthen and grow his company. And he was not about to miss it.

Akinola, president and CEO of Atlanta-based bA Design/Build Inc., an architectural design and construction management firm, was just one of nearly 1,000 African American business owner, corporate executives and other professionals to attend the Second Annual BE/NationsBank Entrepreneurs Conference. This year's event was held May 7-11 at Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resorts in beautiful Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Touting the theme "Entrepreneurial Strategies for the 21st Century," the four-day event helped position black business owners for the new millennium by focusing on three critical issues: developing strategic alliances, utilizing technology and doing business globally. Other topics included securing capital, cash flow management and tax strategies for the savvy entrepreneur.

A myriad of speakers, including BET Holdings Inc. Chairman and CEO Robert L. Johnson, international business consultant Kathryn D. Leary and Pro-Line Corp. executive Paul D. Owsley, participated in panel discussions. Convention goers enjoyed the Exchange: Business-to Business Expo, in which 45 companies displayed their products and services. And four noted authors participated in a book signing: BLACK ENTERPRISE publisher and CEO Earl G. Graves (How to Succeed in Business Without Being White, HarperBusiness), financial expert Cheryl D. Broussard (Sister CEO: The Black Woman's Guide to Starting Your Own Business, Viking), public relations guru Terri Williams (The Personal Touch, Warner), and motivational speaker Les Brown (Its Not Over Until You Win, Simon & Schuster).

Akinola, who attended the conference with his wife, Laurie, says the exposure black businesses get makes the conference "unprecedented." "It's a great opportunity to meet a lot of different people from around the country and a good forum for letting people know that as African Americans we are professionals and experts in what we do."

The title sponsor for the second consecutive year was NationsBank. Other second-time sponsors included IBM, AT&T, GM, Walt Disney World and Wendy's International.

Conference planners agree that this year's event was a step up from its successful debut in 1996. In addition to the greater number of attendees (there were 750 in 1996), the conference also enjoyed a longer and larger business expo, more participants in its youthful business companion, the Kidoreneur Konference. and seven new sponsors: Chubb, Texaco Havoline, the U.S. Postal Service, Karl Kani, Nike and Wittnauer International. (Wittnauer was recently acquired by Composite Holdings L.L.C., an African American management team. See "Time for a Change at Wittnauer," Newspoints, September 1997).

A welcome addition to the conference was the debut of the First Annual BE 100s Strategic Summit, a separate gathering of 60 CEOs and key executives from the nation's largest black-owned companies. Participants also toasted the 25th anniversary of the BE 100s. Clearly, we want this to be the most important conference for African American entrepreneurs, and I think we're pretty close to being there if we're not there already," says the conference's executive director, John C. Graves.

Whether you were a home-based basket maker or a multimillion-dollar manufacturer, the 1997 BE/NationsBank Entrepreneurs Conference provided something for everyone. Here's a peek at a few of the particulars.

DAY ONE:

LET THE NETWORKING BEGIN

Under the powder blue skies of sunny Florida, business owners filed into one of the nation's most magical places to network and gather information about how to start, maintain and grow a business.

First there was registration. Then mixing a little business with pleasure--and getting a jump on the networking opportunities--the participants attended the evening's opening reception. Hosted by Pontiac/GMC in the convention center's spacious Grand Harbor Ballroom, attendees chatted over hors d'oeuvres about the upcoming sessions. This further piqued the interest of attendees like Michele Hoskins, president and CEO of Michele Foods Inc. in Calumet City Illinois. But Hoskins already knew what was in store. "I heard such great things about the conference, so I kind of expected it to be real good for networking," she says.

After the conference, Hoskins, who served on the panel "Back From the Brink: A CEO's Story," approached the executives at the Walt Disney Co. about supplying her products to the theme park.

DAY TWO:

REMEMBERING THE PAST, PROJECTING THE FUTURE

The opening session of the conference, "The State of Black Business," provided convention goers with a snapshot of the past, present and future state of African American-owned firms. Speakers included Thomas Boston, Ph.D., professor of economics at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Earl G. Graves.

While black businesses have made gains, said Graves, the struggle continues. "Over the past 30 years, we have made tremendous strides forward, but black commercial banks in this country are still being tested in areas dominated by national giants and black insurance companies have dwindled down to barely a dozen survivors," he said. "In order for African American entrepreneurs to succeed in the next century, it will be necessary to develop a strong, comprehensive and competitive strategy."

The two sessions that followed offered strategies for success. Roy D. Terry, president of Terry Manufacturing Co. (No. 62 on the BE INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE 100 list) was one of three speakers for "Gaining the Competitive Edge." Melvon Herbert, president of Shermali Corporation, a year-old medical billing service in New York City, was inspired by Terry Manufacturing's approach. "I got from their experience that there are alternative ways to reach your goals," says Herbert. "You can form certain alliances, go a different route, show others how you can help them improve on what they're doing." In this session, Terry illustrated how his partnerships with the Defense Department, McDonald's Corp. and the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta have helped him to build a $34 million enterprise.

Kathryn D. Leary, president and CEO of the Leary Group, urged black business owners to go global in the session "International Business--A World of Opportunities. "

And before a packed audience in the Grand Harbor Ballroom, Travelers Group Inc. Chairman and CEO Sanford I. Weill and Graves announced the launch of the B.E./Greenwich Street Fund. A $60 million private equity investment initiative, it targets black-owned companies with revenues between $10-$100 million. (See "Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is," Newspoints, July 1997.)

The Exchange: Business-to-Business Expo also opened on Day 2, as did three professional development intensive sessions, targeted to the specific needs of its participants. The Expo was an entire floor of business exhibitors, 45 companies in all, including IBM, American Express and McDonald's.

Kemi Laboratories, makers of Kemi Oil and other hair and skin care products, took a booth this year. "We came looking for people who would be interested in distributing our professional line to hair salons--and we found them, people looking for opportunities," says Ron Riley, Kemi's marketing manager. "They were business-minded people who were different from the artists [hair stylists] we usually deal with. We signed up seven or eight new distributors on the spot," he added.

The day wrapped up with a town hall meeting. BE 100s CEOs such as Charles H. James III, president and CEO of C.H. James & Sons Holdings Inc. (No. 73 on the BE INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE 100 list), and Alden J. McDonald Jr., CEO of Liberty Bank and Trust (No. 9 on the BE FINANCIAL 25 list), gathered with Fortune 500 leaders and other top executives to discuss the relationship between black businesses and the majority business community.

DAY THREE:

MAINTAINING THE MOMENTUM

The day began with "Strategic Alliances: Partnering for Profit," which shared the pros and cons of forming partnerships. "Making Profit via Technology," which focused on using technology as a strategic asset, helped Riley set up a Web page for his company. "And I have reevaluated the way I purchase hardware," says session attendee Melvon Herbert of Shermali. I don't just go out and buy a machine--now I think ahead about what I'll need down the line to improve the way I do things."

There's nothing like a good pep talk to get you motivated. Before a standing-room-only crowd, author and motivational speaker Les Brown gave the attendees just that. In "Networking for Access and Success," Brown combined lecture and exercises to demonstrate the most effective network strategies.

The afternoon was a time to play, as many of the attendees took to the links for the Entrepreneurs Golf Outing hosted by Nike. Meanwhile, the Expo Hall continued to buzz as exhibitors such as Reebok International, NexGen Solutions and Karl Kani spoke with business owners about their products and services.

DAY FOUR:

SISTER POWER

The final day of the conference began with "Alternative Funding: Creative Ways to Securing Capital." Panelists illustrated a step-by-step process to securing funds and pointed out alternative ways to raise money. Johnny Johnson, president and CEO of Community Pride Food Stores in Richmond, Virginia (No. 42 on the BE INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE 100 list) was one of three speakers. "I think the session was pretty effective given the fact that I've had probably 180-200 phone calls about it since the conference?" says Johnson.

The day's activities also included a comprehensive session about cash flow management and the popular Sister CEO. This women-only professional development intensive session was headlined by Broussard, Williams and NationsBank Senior Vice President Dorothy Brothers, who discussed the challenges female entrepreneurs face in today's marketplace. The panel was moderated by AT&T Corporate Affairs Director Carolyn Odom Steele.

The conference ended with a black tie affair, the BE Entrepreneurs awards dinner and gala. At this affair, the recipients of the 1997 Small Business Awards (see "And the Winners Are...," this issue) and the BE 1997 Companies of the Year were honored: BET Holdings Inc. (No. 10 on the BE INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE 100 list), Martin Automotive Group (No. 8 on the BE AUTO DEALER 100 list) and Liberty Bank and Trust Co. Only five businesses have appeared on all BE 100s lists. They were honored with the A.G. Gaston Lifetime Achievement Award. The recipients included John H. Johnson, chairman and CEO of Johnson Publishing Co.; Herman J. Russell, chairman of H.J. Russell & Co.; Ed Lewis, CEO, and Clarence Smith, president of Essence Communications; Nathan C. Conyers, president and CEO of Conyers Riverside Ford; and Earl G. Graves. The keynote address was delivered by Robert L. Johnson, chairman and CEO of BET Holdings Inc.

Next year's conference is scheduled for May 6-10 at Walt Disney World's Contemporary Resort in Orlando, Florida. Look for the Second Annual BE 100s Strategic Summit, a bigger business expo, more professional development intensive sessions, a separate franchising track and more networking opportunities. "I would also like to target more industries and have specialized sessions such as communications or retail industries, so people can then select the track best suited for them" says Entrepreneurs Conference Program Coordinator Sherry Browne. "It's going to be a lot more enhanced, while maintaining the quality that we've given to attendees over the past two years," she says.

Kimberly Bailey already has her calendar marked. "I don't care what business you're in," says Bailey, Micro Business Program coordinator for the Economic Opportunity Board of Clark County, Las Vegas. "It could be music, it could be newspapers, but the one conference you have to go to is the BE Entrepreneurs Conference because it's all about business as it relates to us as African Americans."

See you next year!

RELATED ARTICLE: Taking the initiative

The B.E. 100s strategic summit results in blueprint to amass strenght of the nation's largest black-owned businesses

An unprecedented number of BE 100s CEO and key executives gathered for the BLACK ENTERPRISE 100s Strategic Summit held at the Disney Yacht & Beach Club Resorts. There, the BE 100s Initiative was unveiled. More than just another networking session, this Initiative was designed to service all of our BE 100s in fulfilling one common goal: growing their businesses.

The Initiative acts as a toll to help market and promote the BE 100s among themselves. While many of the firms are thriving and robust in various industries, many of the BE 100s CEOs have never had the opportunity to meet, interact and possibly do business deals with each other. The Initiative will act as a conduit to service BE 100s' concerns in developing joint ventures, partnerships, acquisitions, deals and mergers that will enable them to remain competitive in the global marketplace.

"BE 100s Initiative is consistent with our mission to be a nexus of information for the leaders of the black business community," says Alfred Edmond Jr., vice president and executive editor of BLACK ENTERPRISE magazine. "We expect the Initiative will help the BE 100s better support one another as clients, customers and potential partners. This, in turn, should help them contend more effectively in the larger competitive field."

BE 100s companies run the gamut of industries in the United States, including computer technologies, construction, communications, publishing and engineering. Many of the top executives from more than 60 of the nation's BE 100s Strategic Summit view it as a potential launching pad for the development of a comprehensive agenda for black business. "This has been needed for long time," says Byron E. Lewis Sr., chairman and CEO of New York-based Uniworld Group Inc. (No. 6 on the BE INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE 100 list). "Not only do we all need to know each other, we all need to do business with one another."

One BE 100s CEO, Joseph Wilson of New Brunswick, New Jersey-based Integrated Packaging Corp. (No. 60 on the BE INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE 100 list), says he literally took the first step at the event by initiating discussions with Verle B. Hammond, the president and CEO of McLean, Virginia-based Innolog Inc. (No. 68 on the BE INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE 100 list), on ways their concerns might be able to work together. "We ship about 25 loads of corrugated boxes here a day. And his company specializes in getting products from point A to point B. So we're basically trying to see if his company can help improve my shipping department," says Wilson.

While the BE 100s together generate more than $14 billion in revenues and employ in excess of 55,000 workers, African American firms are still traditionally on the outside looking in when it comes to the groundbreaking corporate deals that make or break fortunes. Many CEOs see joining forces as the first step to breaking through this final corporate barrier. "The best thing we as CEOs can do with this Initiative," says Wilson, "is look at it as an opportunity to finally work together."

RELATED ARTICLE: Kids Incorporated

The 2nd Annual Kidpreneurs Konference creates entrepreneurial strategies for some future CEOs

Kacey Angus is getting down to business. The 15-year-old Hollywood, Florida, native has his own company and $2,000 in earnings from his year-old T-shirt business YETT, Young Entrepreneurs of Today and Tomorrow. But despite his success, when Angus heard about the 2nd Annual B.E. Kidpreneur Konference, he jumped at the chance to learn more about how to grow his enterprise. And he's not the only one.

More than 150 kids, ages 4-17, attended the event, held May 7-11 at Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resorts in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Created by BLACK ENTERPRISE magazine as part of the annual B.E./NationsBank Entrepreneurs Conference, the three-day program walked children through the steps of building a successful business. Wendy's International sponsored the event, while EDTEC, the black-owned Education, Training and Enterprise Center in Camden, New Jersey, consulted with our staff to create the curriculum.

Participants learned a variety of skills, including how to write a business plan, manage finances and advertise a business. Kevin Williams, M.D., child and adolescent psychiatry fellow at the Yale Child Study Center, and Sandra Sowell-Scott, state director of Temple University's Youth Entrepreneurial Training Program, headlined a team of instructors under the direction of James P. Comer, PhD. a Maurice Falk professor of child psychiatry at the Yale Child Study Center. The kids were separated into four age groups: Weepreneurs, four to six; Futurepreneurs, seven to 10; Junior Executives, 11-13; and Future CEOs, 14-17. Each group was exposed to a different level of instruction.

The Weepreneurs formed their own companies and learned how to purchase and sell products using "play" money. The Futurepreneurs developed company slogans and made posters advertising their businesses. Derek Tucker, vice president of Karl Kani Infinity Inc. (No. 28 on the BE INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE 100 list) showed Futurepreneurs how his company's sneakers, which are manufactured in Seoul, Korea, are imported to the U.S. and distributed to their favorite stores. A a special treat, Karl Kani outfitted all the kidpreneurs with Kani T-shirts and sneakers.

Networking was the focus for the Junior Executives, who were given the task of mingling with adults to collect business cards. And the Future CEOs traveled to area Wendy's restaurants to learn how to operate a franchise. "I learned there is a lot of paperwork involved and that there's a lot of cash flow going in, but out of a dollar, you might have a dime and everything else goes to payroll, equipment and food," says Chevonne Scott, a 16-year-old native of Birmingham, Alabama.

Other activities included a Junior Golf Outing and a graduation luncheon. The Futurepreneurs, Junior Executives and Future CEOs presented their business plans at the graduation. All participants received a certificate of completion.

Stephen S. Warren, vice president of corporate affairs for Wendy's International, says the Kidpreneur program is important to the future of black business. "We can talk about our success today, but we need to plant the seed [of entrepreneurship] with our youth today, so that we have a legacy that we can talk about tomorrow."