Learn and earn.

Black business titles hit stores in May

The first two titles in the Black Enterprise Professional Book Series, an alliance between BLACK ENTERPRISE and John Wiley & Sons Inc., the largest U.S. publisher of business books, are hot off the presses.

The lead title, Titans of the B.C. 100s: Black CEOs Who Redefined and Conquered American Business ($24.95) by BE Editor-at-Large Derek T. Dingle, tells the stories of leaders of 11 of the nation's largest black-owned businesses and offers readers an in-depth perspective of how these companies survived and thrived despite the odds, recession and economic volatility. (See excerpt, "Lessons From the Top," this issue.)

Fittingly, the second book, The Black Enterprise Guide to Starting Your Own Business ($19.95), is being touted as "the essential reference publication for today's black entrepreneur." Written by former BE Small Business Editor Wendy Beech, the book takes readers through a step-by-step process for launching a business: how to determine your entrepreneurial aptitude through self evaluation, define and protect your ideas, research the industry and competition, address legal issues, choose a good location, write a business plan, secure start-up capital and advertise. The guide also features examples and anecdotes from successful black entrepreneurs.

"Anyone interested in exploring the engine that drives African American business or the mechanics involved in starting a business will find these books highly informative and enlightening," says Patricia Crocker, B.E. vice president of marketing.

The books will be available at national chains, key independent bookstores, libraries and through African American distributors and booksellers, as well as at BE events.