Job Opportunities with CSX

EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE A DEGREE! PASS-ON TO SOMEONE WHO CAN USE THIS!

Great jobs for young men who aren’t in college, and strong young women also! This is Obama money for “infrastructure” the jobs are located all over, paid training in Atlanta . This is an awesome opportunity, please pass this on. These jobs pay good wages.

Training: You will attend two or three weeks of training at the Railroad Education & Development Institute in Atlanta , GA. CSX will pay for travel, lodging and meals as required by collective bargaining agreement.

Track Worker-030702

Job Summary: Work as a member of a crew to install new railroad track, maintain existing track and right of-way. Replace or repair track switches with specific components. Slide and align tie plates. Drill holes through rails for insertion of bolts and tighten or loosen bolts at joints that hold ends or rails together. Correct deviations in track surface, alignment and gauge Cut rails to specific lengths etc.

Pay Rate

Entry Rate $19.36/hour

Full Rate $21.52/hour

Promotional/ Advancement Opportunities: Under Maintenance of Way Collective Bargaining Agreement, Track Workers may be considered for advancement or promotion to other positions within the Engineering Department if qualified.

Machine Operator $23.25 - $24.81/hour
Welder Helper $21.93/hour
Bridge Tender $21.93/hour
Bridge Mechanic $22.65/hour
Foreman $22.71 - $25.53/hour
Track Inspector $23.98 - $25.14/hour

Qualifications: High School diploma/GED; 18 years of age or older; Valid Driver’s License

At CSX, two of the company’s core values are People Make The Difference and Safety Is A Way of Life. We are committed to offering our team members the most competitive compensation and benefits package available, unlimited opportunities for development and growth throughout an exciting and rewarding career, and the safest work environment possible. CSX is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer that supports diversity in the workplace.

Apply online to this and other positions: http://www.csx.com/?fuseaction=careers.main

Catrena Norris Carter Appointed Associate Publisher for Who’s Who Publishing Alabama Market

Birmingham, Alabama – Who’s Who Publishing Company, the nation’s largest annual directory publisher focusing on the African-American market, proudly announces Catrena Norris Carter as the associate publisher for its Alabama market. Carter, president and chief executive officer of Women of Will, brings more than 15 years of hospitality experience to Birmingham, Alabama.

Her 10 years in management at the Tutwiler Hotel and former role as Director of Sales and Marketing for the Historic Redmont Hotel provided her with invaluable customer service skills supported by her numerous awards; including The Restaurant & Hospitality Association’s prestigious Hospitality Professional of the Year for the state of Alabama in 2003.

In addition to starting her own event planning company, C&C Events, she founded Women of Will (WOW) a statewide organization aiming to advance women into leadership positions at work, in the community and in politics through training workshops and forums. Carter has done radio in Birmingham and Selma, Alabama. Her show, Trena’s Truth, addresses the challenges of male/female relationships.

Carter graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology, following two years on a performing arts scholarship at Loretto Heights College in Denver, Colorado. She is also connected to several professional affiliations, including Birmingham Event and Meeting Professionals, Birmingham Lodging Association, the African American Business Council – Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Exchange, the League of Women’s Voters, and the 21st Century Youth Leadership Training Program.

Honored in the second edition and featured in the third edition of Who’s Who In Black BirminghamTM as an Interesting Personality, Carter understands the Who’s Who mission of highlighting African-American achievement in the Birmingham area. “It brings me great honor and pride to be joining such a wonderful mission,” shares Carter. “To be able to spotlight the accomplishments of the excellence and perseverance of the African-American people in the great state of Alabama is long overdue. Through this publication we will have a living history book for our children and our communities.”

Real Times Media CEO Hiram E. Jackson shares, “We are truly happy to have Ms. Carter join the Who’s Who family.
We are confident that she will take the Alabama market to new heights and continue the strong reputation of Who’s

Whothroughout Birmingham and cities throughout the state.”  A subsidiary of Real Times Media, Who’s Who Publishing Company was founded in 1989 and highlights the achievements of African Americans while providing a valuable resource and networking guide for the entire community. Real Times Inc. is dedicated to sustaining its presence as the leading source of African-American-related news, entertainment, and lifestyle information.

Put the E-mphasis on Local Internet Marketing and reach first page on Google

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Noted Entrepreneur, Lawyer, HR Executive and Author selected to lead Thurgood Marshall College Fund

PR Log (Press Release) – Apr 26, 2010 – Mr. Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., Esq. Charlotte, NC, chosen to lead the 23 year old Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), it was announced today by James Clifton, Chairman, Board of Directors, and Dr. N. Joyce Payne, Founder, Thurgood Marshall College Fund.  

In making the announcement, Mr. Clifton and Dr. Payne said on behalf of the Board of Directors, “Johnny Taylor exemplifies the kind of transformative leadership, strategic acumen and fundraising skills needed to move the fund to a new level of national prominence, a new era of innovation. In short, Mr. Taylor’s nearly two decades of broad senior-level corporate experience, commitment to higher education and significant not-for-profit governance, fundraising and operations experience will prove invaluable as we continue to meet the needs of our universities and students — our core constituency.”  James Mitchell, Chair, Presidential Search Committee, added, “We all agree that Johnny is a well-rounded executive with senior –level legal, human resources, administrative and general management experience that will add great value to the continued growth and development of the fund.”

Mr. Taylor spent the last several years with IAC/InterActiveCorp – first as Senior Vice President of Human Resources and then as the President and CEO of IAC’s identity search engine, RushmoreDrive.com. Before joining IAC, Mr. Taylor was a Partner in the McGuireWoods law firm and President of that firm’s HR consulting business; General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Compass Group USA; and has held several senior human resources and legal executive roles with Viacom subsidiaries, Blockbuster Entertainment and Paramount Pictures.

Mr. Taylor is a recognized leader in the not-for-profit world having served as the Chairman of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), one of the world’s largest membership organizations with nearly 230,000 members in over 100 countries.  At SHRM, he oversaw a 300+ employee organization with $100 million + annual revenues, served as the chief board spokesman and traveled the world as the official “face and voice” of the profession giving as many as 38 keynote speeches per year.  

In addition to his reputation as a strong business executive, Mr. Taylor has demonstrated a significant commitment to higher education and HBCU education in particular.  Mr. Taylor has served on the Board of Trustees of Johnson C. Smith University and Drake University, the University of Miami’s President’s Council and the Board of Visitors of Queen’s University.  Equally important, he has earned a reputation as a prolific fundraiser in political and higher education circles, including serving as the UNCF Annual Campaign Co-Chair for Johnson C. Smith University, the TMCF Charlotte Regional Dinner Co-Chair, the TMCF 2007 Annual National Awards Gala in NYC and raising significant funds for various congressional and presidential campaigns.  

“I could not be more excited about the opportunity to lead the nation’s pre-eminent organization committed to preparing the best and brightest leaders from our nation’s public historically black colleges and universities.  I will work tirelessly alongside the presidents of our 47 member institutions, our incredibly committed corporate and governmental partners, and hard-working and talented TMCF Board of Directors and Staff to build upon the legacy of Justice Thurgood Marshall,” Johnny Taylor stated in accepting the position. “I am humbled by this awesome challenge, responsibility and opportunity,” Taylor added.

Mr. Taylor received his Bachelor of Science in Communication, with general honors, from the University of Miami, Master of Arts in Mass Communication with honors, from Drake University; and Doctor of Jurisprudence with honors, from the Drake University Law School, where he served as Research Editor of the Drake Law Review and argued on the National Moot Court Team.  He is a member of the Florida, Illinois and Washington, D.C. bars, and holds a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification.

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Upgrade that browser!

One of the challenges in web design is that we (web designers and developers) always find ourselves tasked with creating websites that work on a variety of browsers.  This is a task that can put even the most talented web designers in a funk.  Internet Explorer which is still the most commonly used browser to date brings its own set of design challenges.  The problem with IE browsers before version 8 is that Microsoft did not pay much attention to standards.  Standards are simply a set of rules that  should be followed when creating a browser for public  and commercial use. Well Microsoft for a long time did not necessarily follow these rules and decided to do things their way.  So to make a long story short, Internet Explorer version 6 will not render a web page the same way Internet Explorer 8 renders a page.  In fact a web designer would have to create work-arounds in order for the browser to display the same page correctly.  Crazy…. right and I know this may not make sense to many of you so to make it simple I will just say Upgrade that Browser to version 8.  This simple upgrade will not only give you access to some of the newer web browsing features but makes it much easier for you to view web pages the way the designer meant for you to see it.  Microsoft decided to pay attention (well somewhat) to the cries of web designers and corporations that rely on pages showing up correctly.  Throw in the fact the they were also losing ground to the popular Firefox browser and you can see why there was a change of heart at Microsoft on implementing the standards. If you are using a version of Firefox, Safari or Opera then you are in luck.  For years those browsers followed the standards and usually work out quite well.  However you should still consider upgrading to the latest version of these browsers when prompted.

Most corporate entities have technology policies in place that may not allow you to upgrade.  The reasons for this can be justified due to security or web applications that can only be used with the version of the browser currently in use.  In this case you are simply out of luck on the upgrade and may always find yourself using an old browser at the office.

Russ McClinton is a web design consultant with Media.Broadcast.Internet and former web design instructor.

MBI launches new website

Media.Broadcast.Internet (MBI) has launched a new website designed to better share the capabilities and work of the creative firm.  Chief Technology Officer Darren McLaurin spearheaded the redesign effort and says it has taken several years for the company to focus on it’s own website.  “We are always busy working on projects for our clients but we felt it was time to refocus the MBI brand and spend some time on our own website.” says McLaurin.   CEO, Russ McClinton says the new website brings much needed synergy to the company as it continues to build it’s client base.  “Many people are only familiar with our Urbanham.com brand and don’t realize that we are also a top notch web design firm.  We felt with a new website we could give our clients more insight into what we actually do and better showcase some of the great projects we have had a chance to work on.”

MBI offers consulting services to the City of Birmingham, The Florida Lottery, McWane Inc., The Birmingham Jefferson Transportation Authority and a host of small and mid-sized businesses throughout the southeast and Chicago.

MBI is a subsidiary of Digital Arts Inc.  which currently offers creative services, online products and apparel.  You can check out the new website at www.mbi-llc.com.

We want to know about your business!

Urbanham Business wants to know more about the minority owned businesses around the state.  Each week we will highlight businesses from our business directory and share their products and services with our audience.  If you are a minority business owner this is your chance to get a little free publicity on the Urbanham Network and reach out to thousands of users around the state.

Add your business to the Urbanham Business Directory today.

The 2009 Brand My Business Contest

Get ready for your chance to win a $5,000 Marketing Package for your small business!  If you have a small business and need a branding campaign or an existing small business and would like to refresh your look here is the chance to win over $5,000 worth of branding and marketing services!

What you can win!

1. A professionally designed website ($ 2,500)
2. 5,000 full color fliers or 5,000 mailers ($ 350.00)
3. 1,000 full color business cards ($ 150.00)
4. $ 2,000 worth of advertising on Urbanham.com

Contest begins June 10, 2009 and here is what you need to do to enter.

• Simply add your business to our small business directory.  Click here.
• Then create a short video (30 seconds or less) promoting your business. Remember to include your name, services offered and contact information in the video. Videos must be 30 seconds or less and can be created with your video camera, digital camera, web camera or cell phone. Feel free to be as creative and entertaining as you would like!
• Email your video to brandmybiz@urbanham.com using YouSendIt.com
  

Officials Contest Rules to be posted on June 10, 2009.  So get started today and tell your family and friends that also have businesses about this great opportunity!

Wal-Mart Spent $8 Billion With Minority Suppliers

It’s your friendly neighborhood “Digital Drummer” again…smile

Ken Smikle, Founder and Publisher of Target Market News, the number one online authority on the Black consumer market reports that Wal-Mart spent a record $8 Billion dollars with minority and women owned suppliers (see http://www.targetmarketnews.com/storyid04280901.htm)

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. expanded its business with minority- and women-owned companies by more than 25 percent in 2008, according to recently verified figures. In the midst of a struggling economy, where businesses across the country have been forced to close or drastically reduce capacity and workforce, Wal-Mart increased its combined direct and second tier spend to more than $8.1 billion with minority- and women-owned businesses.

In 2008, Wal-Mart’s direct spend with minority- and women-owned businesses was more than $6 billion, with second-tier spending totaling more than $2 billion. Second-tier spend is an accounting of suppliers that subcontract with prime suppliers on Wal-Mart business. Wal-Mart’s spend numbers are verified by CVM Solutions, a third-party enterprise supplier management company. Wal-Mart’s direct spend with diverse suppliers was more than $4.8 billion in 2007, totaling more than $6 billion when accounting for second-tier spend. The nearly $2 billion overall increase in the 2008 total is a reflection of the company’s commitment to diversity, its customers and local communities.

“At Wal-Mart, we know we can make a difference in the communities we serve and our commitment extends to minority- and women-owned businesses at the local level,” said Theresa Barrera, vice president of Supplier Diversity at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. “We are proud of the fact that, in these difficult financial times, we are able to deepen our commitment to these important partners — giving them the potential to grow, while enabling Wal-Mart to deliver and sell the goods and services our customers want.”

Wal-Mart began its supplier diversity program in 1994. Through its mission, Wal-Mart’s supplier diversity team partners with businesses of all sizes, industries and areas of the country. (For examples of suppliers in your area, please see Appendix A or visit http://www.walmartstores.com)

As part of its efforts to stay connected to the best and brightest diverse suppliers, Wal-Mart partners with the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and several other organizations across the country, to identify potential partners.

“Wal-Mart has been an important partner, supporting our programs and initiatives, as well as continuously creating new ways for outstanding women-owned businesses to sell their products and services through Wal-Mart — sometimes starting in just one store and then growing to become a major vendor throughout the chain,” said Linda J. Denny, president and CEO of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). “Wal-Mart’s dedication to increased spending with women-led companies translates to growth, financial stability and increased employment in communities across the country.”

In addition to the relationships Wal-Mart maintains with partner organizations, the company is also dedicated to investing in opportunities that assist the establishment and growth of minority- and women-owned businesses. For example:

– Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club have held supplier fairs, and other events, across the country, giving diverse suppliers the opportunity to meet with Walmart and Sam’s Club buyers. — Wal-Mart granted ten scholarships to the Tuck School of Business’ Tuck Executive Program at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. The Tuck School has two minority business programs that focus on strategic planning, financial control systems and internal growth strategies. Ten more sponsorships are planned for 2009. — Wal-Mart is a member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable, an organization dedicated to the success of minority- and women-owned businesses. The organization is comprised of public companies that spend more than $1 billion each with minority- and women-owned enterprises.

– Wal-Mart invested $25 million in the Pinnacle Minority Supplier Development Fund, a private equity co-investment fund designed to further enhance the growth of Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses Enterprises (MWBE) certified businesses. For more information on Wal-Mart and its supplier diversity efforts, or if you are interesting in becoming a supplier, please visit http://www.walmartstores.com/diversity.

Top 10 Reasons to Start a Business in a Recession

More publicity. Less competition. Talent waiting to be scooped up. Here’s why starting in a recessed economy may give your business a better shot.

Do you have one good reason to start your business right now?

How about 10?

Regardless of what people around you (including the media) may say, right now is the best time to get into business. Just go back and look at the economic slowdowns throughout history. Most recessions in the post-World War II era last an average of 10 months, followed by growth cycles that last an average of 50 months.

What this means for the startup is there’s no better time than right now to get going and start pursuing your business dreams–in anticipation of the next period of growth.

So with a nod to David Letterman, here are my top 10 reasons you should start your business now–despite the current downturn:

1. Everything is cheaper.
   Let’s face it: There is great value right now in this and in world markets. This is the right time for fantastic deals in virtually every category, from land and equipment to commercial office space, personnel and labor. As asset prices have been knocked down, there is no better time to get into the real estate or financial markets, or even heavy equipment and construction. Some people have waited years to find value in these markets–and now that time has come.
2. You can hire more and better-qualified people.
   In an era when even Microsoft is laying off, you can find great resources at affordable rates. Thinking about getting your high-tech startup off the ground? There are plenty of engineers waiting to be hired. Thinking about forming a professional services firm? There are many accountants and attorneys looking for their next opportunity.
3. People are looking to change suppliers.
   From a cost perspective, everything is on the table for most companies. Even if your prices are higher, if you can come in with greater value, you have a good chance at winning new business. You also have the advantage of being the new kid on the block when it comes to pitching your products and services. Many companies are desperate to find new partnerships with new companies that have a different, better or more innovative way of delivering those products and services.
4. Ownership equals tax incentives.
   Business ownership offers a variety of tax benefits that aren’t available to employees. While taxes should never be the sole reason to go into business for yourself, it should be one reason to add to you “benefits of business ownership” list.
5. Family and friends don’t want to (or can’t) invest more money into the stock or real estate markets.
   That means they may be willing to finance a portion of your new venture, or the expansion of an enterprise that has proven itself over time. The main benefit is that they know you and have a relationship with you–and if you have a solid business plan that delivers real numbers, your chances of raising the capital you need increase exponentially.
6. Suppliers are giving better credit.
   Because the credit markets have virtually shut down, the B2B credit flows are keeping money circulating out of sheer necessity. That means a bullish outlook for companies looking for good terms on stock and/or inventories. The main advantage is that all parties have more incentive than ever for finding true win-win situations that allow for cash and stock flow. When everyone is looking to survive, great deals can be had.
7. You can get good PR by showing you are going against the trend.
   The media loves aberrations, and if you are optimistic by expanding or getting into business now, you would be in that category. That means you can generate some great PR by demonstrating your “alternative” view of the market.
8. You can buy everything you need at auction.
   In addition to everything being less expensive, you can find great deals at auctions, especially in terms of any large equipment and office furnishings. Auctions are also a great place to find hardly used or “gently” used restaurant and bar supplies at great prices. These days, you may even be able to get deals on fleets of vehicles and trucks for a delivery service or hauling or construction company.
9. You can find great “low money” or “no money” down deals.
   This is simply being aware of good opportunities others have buggered up, and finding deals where you could get an entire business simply by taking over a lease (along with all the equipment). Many business owners want out at any cost, meaning you can negotiate great win-win deals that allow the current owners an escape while giving you an opportunity to turn around what could be, if run right, a very viable business.

   And finally . . .

10. You’ve lost your job, and you have to do something.
    Sometimes, the best business decision is the one you are forced into, and the incentive (as well as need) for income is often enough to push those previously “on the fence” to strike out on their own. There’s nothing wrong with being in this position; it simply means there is greater urgency to do something that will start to generate income as quickly as possible.

There you have it: my top 10 reasons to start your business in a recession. After all, the odds are on your side that the expansion will be many times more robust than the present slowdown.

There’s no better time to start than the present, especially if people around you are more comfortable with their own list of reasons why they shouldn’t start pursuing their own business dreams right now. It only means you’ll be facing a lot less competition.

Brad Sugars is Entrepreneur.com’s Startup Basics columnist and the writer of 14 business books including The Business Coach, Instant Cashflow, Successful Franchising and Billionaire in Training. He is the founder of ActionCOACH, a business coaching franchise.

Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/startingabusiness/startupbasics/startupbasicscolumnistbradsugars/article200342.html

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