Urbanham Business

Job Opportunities with CSX

Urbanham Business — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 05:07:53 +0000

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

Urbanham Business — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 05:01:32 +0000

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.

Finance at the Community Level

hchambers — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 04:48:51 +0000

Over the next several months we will discuss issues that touch on economics, community friendly businesses and practices and organizations that empower you to move from victims to victory in finance. Ownership is the solution in our community to any discussions about finance. Ownership means that you have skin in the game of finance. I challenge you the reader to respond to my commentary and tell your inspiring stories of ownership that improves our community. Tell us who you feel is positive for our community and why.

Ownership became real when buying and paying off the mortgage for our commercial building. The ability to purchase was a gift from GOD, a milestone in my business career, and a source of pride for my family and community. The journey to the picture above did not start out being a positive experience. We had leased spaced for some years and were scared to take a leap of faith to ownership, so God created a situation that forced us to make a positive change. We were evicted from a leased space because the property owner filed bankruptcy due to family death. We had thirty days to relocate our business (we had run out of space in our office in the home years earlier and had small children). We located three possible office sites but chose a location five minutes from our home and five minutes from our children’s schools. The building was not in any working condition for a business office. We met the owner, Mr. Johnston pictured above. He initially did not want to sale the property. As a matter of fact he did not want us to know that he owned the property. We negotiated owner financing for the property and delayed the first payment for three months to allow us to make needed renovations and system improvements. It took us more than five years to make the necessary improvements to upgrade the commercial building. God blessed us with additional income for the next seven years and we accelerated mortgage payments of principal and interest to get to the picture you see above. This is a picture of the final payment made to pay off the mortgage on our commercial building and you will notice that I am the only one that is smiling and so is my wife who took the picture.

Our journey to ownership started in 1987 when my wife and I started our company. We had no children at the time and started the business out of our home as a way of further using our graduate degrees in accounting and business management.

Nothing can prepare you for the uncertainty business ownership, but a do not give up attitude and asking lots of questions can arm you with some of the right resources.

Ownership does that to you, makes you smile and changes your possibilities for your community.

We think ownership is the most motivating and empowering part of being a business owner. What do you think? Email us at problmslv@aol.com or check out our website: www.chambersconsultingLTD.com or call us at 205.780.7903

Harry Chambers Jr. MBA is co-owner of an award winning accounting, strategic planning and management consulting firm established in 1978. Chambers Consulting LTD is located in the western business section of Birmingham. Chambers Consulting LTD, mission: To advise and consult with business owners, nonprofits and individual wealth accumulators from an entrepreneurial perspective about strengthening their businesses for better communities by providing long-term financial management expertise that is unavailable to them internally; with a focus on planning business solutions, financial reporting, cash management, budgeting and tax planning. Website: www.chambersconsultingLTD.com

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

Urbanham Business — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:22:38 +0000

PR Log (Press Release) – Apr 21, 2010 – Whilst most people are aware of traditional search marketing techniques such as Pay Per Click, sponsored listings and search optimised copy, experts at E-mphasis have revealed that very few businesses have tapped into the rich benefits presented by Local Internet Marketing, a technique which enables businesses to maximise sales in their local vicinity, where cost of sale and supply is often at its lowest.

The concept of Local Internet Marketing is simple but requires skill to master effectively. Google provides a local business listing facility which not only contains key information about a business trading, such as opening hours and payment types accepted but also is designed to deliver relevant page 1 results as part of any locally focused searches. E-mphasis have combined this theory with their tailor made optimisation services and have produced results which are literally astounding.

4×4 Hire company John Dennis decided to explore the potential of Local Internet Marketing with E-mphasis last year. As a direct result they have seen a significant increase in new business and during the last quarter of 2009, grew their fleet by 25% - even in the recession!

John Dennis was well positioned for the bad weather in January and at its peak, saw upwards of 45000 appearances on one of their business listings on a 30-day period, something they had never experienced before with other search techniques.
The business listings facility provided by Google has recently been extended to provide even further accessibility through smart phones and notably, personalised search, which Andrew Rayner, MD of E-mphasis believes will further enhance the effectiveness of Local Internet Marketing.

“Localised marketing online is something many people don’t really understand, as the messages we hear about online strategies tend to be aimed at targeting customer segments rather than drilled down to location, recent searches, personal preferences, etc. The reality is that from the smallest independent retailer through to the world’s largest retail chains, Local Internet Marketing can sit alongside traditional search techniques and it makes a very real and tangible contribution to the bottom line.

Recent research by the Kelsey group has shown that a 97% of consumers research local purchases online before buying and in particular, highlights the benefits of coupons and online reservation or booking, so placing your company on the first page is often crucial to gaining valuable market share. The new

personalised search function, the facility where Google adapts your results pages based on your search history, will enable businesses to target their customers even more effectively based on their search preferences,” says Rayner.

ENDS
Notes to Editor
E-mphasis is an online marketing company specialising in Search Marketing. They provide professional and credible natural search optimisation services to ensure that businesses can deal with what the future brings. The company is based in St Albans, Hertfordshire and was founded by Andrew and Clare Rayner.

Andrew and the team at E-mphasis have also pioneered an innovative use of Google Maps and online business listings to create highly targeted Local Internet Marketing strategies. Local Internet Marketing is a hugely untapped area of marketing strategy and one which, thanks to E-mphasis, is now beginning to generate interest and excitement from major UK retail brands.

Andrew Rayner and a spokesperson from John Dennis 4×4 Hire Company are both available for interview.

For any enquiries please contact Becky Lewis on 01603 742892 / 07866 739306 or email becky.lewis@mediajems.co.uk

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

Urbanham Business — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:48:35 +0000

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.

# # #

The Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Inc., named for the late U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice, was established in 1987 and represents 47 public Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and 6 law schools located in 22 states and the US Virgin Islands with a population of over 235,000 students. Over the last 23 years, TMCF has awarded more than $100 million in leadership development, programmatic and capacity support, and scholarships enabling more than 12,000 students to attend public HBCUs. It is the only national organization of its type that provides merit-based scholarships and programmatic support to students attending the nation’s public HBCUs. TMCF also provides internship programs and joins corporate and foundation partners in providing leadership training and support to students preparing for undergraduate and professional schools. TMCF is a 501(c) (3), tax-exempt organization.

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Upgrade that browser!

Urbanham Business — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 15:20:24 +0000

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

Urbanham Business — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:47:23 +0000

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.

Why supporting local businesses is a good business practice

hchambers — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:01:37 +0000

Why support local businesses? Because it matters how the money we have is spent with local community friendly businesses.   Community friendly businesses understand economics.   Every community has economic drivers that propel a healthy quality of life for their area. If you were to just look at a community externally you would notice the differences. Those differences might be how people take care of their property and how involved they are in community organizations such as neighborhood associations and parent teacher associations. I also suggest you look at who owns the businesses in a community and if they are active in making the community a positive place to live and raise a family. This one observation of who owns the businesses in a community is pivotal to a community that thrives or a community that dies. The basic economic equation for a healthy community focuses on high rates of employment, business and home ownership. Implied in these economic drivers is an understanding of economics that must be aggressively taught in the educational system. We all have a stake in promoting a healthy community because the youth of our communities will become the leaders of tomorrow.
Shop local initiatives have been very effective around the country and can work her in Birmingham too. Monies spent to help support hometown businesses can have a ripple effect on the local economy. With thought and a little heart, you can make a big difference.
We celebrate are twenty fourth year anniversary during 2010. This is a milestone for us professionally and as a family.   But during the current economic recession the challenge is to do more for the local economy and put people back to work. Every local community needs an economic stimulus package.
You can make that happen with a little help from your friends, civic groups and churches. Start a trend in your local organization to spend at least a $100 per person or more at local stores in your community.   Challenge other groups to do the same. We campaign for elections, let’s campaign for the local business owners by spending at local stores in our communities. Designate a store to shop at each month and have you and all your friends shop there. Tell the store manager or owner that you intend to ask your friends to patronage the store because it improves the community and provides local jobs.

Have fun with it, challenge other groups to outspend your group monthly and designate a specific local store or establishment. Let’s reward those businesses that offer goods and services to our community and provide job opportunities to our neighbors.
Why do this? Everyone can do there part to improve the community by becoming more involved. You have in your wallet or purse the ability to change your community and create employment opportunities for you neighbors.

We do not need the government to show us the way out of this recession we have the keys to do it for ourselves. We can start our own stimulus package for our communities today.
I challenge every community in Jefferson County to practice spending with local businesses and report back in 12 months what impact it had on your community.

What do you think? Email us at problmslv@aol.com or check out our website: www.chambersconsultingLTD.com or call us at 205.780.7903

Harry Chambers Jr. MBA is co-owner of an award winning accounting, strategic planning and management consulting firm established in 1978. Chambers Consulting LTD is located in the western business section of Birmingham. Chambers Consulting LTD, mission: To advise and consult with business owners, nonprofits and individual wealth accumulators from an entrepreneurial perspective about strengthening their businesses for better communities by providing long-term financial management expertise that is unavailable to them internally; with a focus on planning business solutions, financial reporting, cash management, budgeting and tax planning.

Harry Chambers Jr. MBA is co-owner of an award winning accounting, strategic planning and management consulting firm established in 1978. Chambers Consulting LTD is located in the western business section of Birmingham. Chambers Consulting LTD, mission: To advise and consult with business owners, nonprofits and individual wealth accumulators from an entrepreneurial perspective about strengthening their businesses for better communities by providing long-term financial management expertise that is unavailable to them internally; with a focus on planning business solutions, financial reporting, cash management, budgeting and tax planning. Website: www.chambersconsultingLTD.com

Website Visitors Place More Weight on Design

admin — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:19:32 +0000

The demand for good web design is increasing, revealed a recent Webcopyplus online poll. Almost 25% of web users indicated “poor visual presentation” as the number one element that drives them away from websites. Only 6.6% of web users who participated in a similar 2007 online poll indicated “poor visual presentation” as the main reason to abandon a website. That equates to a 267% increase during the two-year period.

We want to know about your business!

Urbanham Business — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 22:52:41 +0000

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.

For professional web design, graphic design and online marketing services call Media.Broadcast.Internet at (205) 218-7416 or email members@mbi-llc.com.