AAConnection's Blog

INDIANAPOLIS, April 24, 2009 - Today an economic alternative to the signs of a declining economy is presenting real choice for change within African American communities. This dynamic new system is a turn-key economic solution that is a real alternative to the disproportionate job losses that are reflected in today's headlines.

For the first time in African American history, African Americans (AA) are presented with a viable solution which allows every citizen of the AA community to participate in their own economic welfare. "For over a decade we have labored to harness the technology of the internet in creating a system for the expressed purpose of connecting the entrepreneurial spirit of our communities to the 700 billion strong, purchasing power of our communities. Doing so allows us to close the gap of economic disparities that have historically plagued our individual and collective economic progress", said Charles Bowlds founder and CEO of the African American Connection (AAC).

Upon accessing the AAC domain at www.aaconnection.com, you are greeted with a double portal. On n one side of the portal you can access two shopping centers. The first provides you with a cash back rebate of up to 40% in the form of a check that's mailed directly to you. The other side connects you to a business center designed to create and support African American retail merchants, as well as other enterprises that have an economic impact on the viability of African American communities.

The common platform for AAC Member Merchants is a state-of-the-art Web store that's stocked with a blog tool, events calendar, gallery module, comments section and contact tool for interactive communication with customers. Included in the AAC Web store platform are a free shopping cart, free hosting and free payment gateway powered by NOCA - a pioneer in making the cost saving benefits of shopping online available to non-credit card holders.

To learn more, visit www.aaconnection.com or call 888.AAC.8842. If you would like to schedule an Interview with Charles Bowlds, please call Dimitri Snowden 888.515.1093 or e-mail Dimitri pressrelease@ion360.net

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Number of Home Business - 36 million to 18 million According to IDC, a top national research firm, there are between 34.3 million and 36.6 million home office households in the United States alone. Nationwide, the number of home-based businesses may range from 18 million to 38 million, depending on who is doing the counting. U.S. Census figures. Pittsburgh Business Times The number of home-based businesses in the United States surpassed 20 million in 2002, and is expected to eclipse 25 million by 2003 according to International Data Corp. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there are now more than 18.3 million homebased businesses in the United States. (Entrepreneur Magazine ) The number of U.S. households that have a home-based business currently exceeds 12 percent." - Office of Advocacy, Small Business Administration Newsweek magazine reports that by the year 2005, it's anticipated that 50% of the households in the United States will be involved in a home-based business! Success Rate of Home Businesses - 70% About 70% of home-based businesses will last over a three-year period, compared to 29% of other business ventures, according to the Home-Based Business Institute. Annual Revenues of the Home Business Industry as a Whole - $427 billion Entrepreneur magazine estimates that $427 billion is generated each year by home-based businesses. Pittsburgh Business Times That's bigger than General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler all put together. Income Earned by Home Business owners - between $63,000 to over $1 million Money magazine, in a 1996 survey, found that 20 percent of home-based businesses had a yearly gross income of $100,000 to $500,000. Pittsburgh Business Times 89% with household incomes greater than $80,000 have a home office compared to 14% of those with incomes below $25,000 (Find/SVP). A recent IDC survey indicates that the average income for income-generating home office households is $63,000 a year. November 2000 report from the SBA's Office of Advocacy shows that in 2000 nearly 20,000 entrepreneurs grossed more than $1 million operating from a home-based environment. Number of Women Owned Home Based Businesses By 1992, women were running 10 million home-based businesses. (U.S. Census Bureau). Today women run 70% of home-based business: nearly 17 million. (National Center for Policy Analysis) According the the National Foundation of Women Business Owners (NFWBO) there are 2.1 million women business owners with children (1994) Number of College Graduates with Home Businesses 48% of home workers with an income generating home office are college graduates (IDC/LINK) 51% of home office users are college graduates with incomes more than $40,000 (IDC/LINK). Demographic Makeup of Home Based Business Owners 48% of home workers with an income generating home office are college graduates (IDC/LINK) 22% of home workers are in white-collar positions (IDC/Link). Percent of Total Workforce that is Home Based Business Owners According to recent research released by IDC, http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020319/netu035_1.html Home offices are projected to grow to 34.3 percent of the workforce by the end of 2002, a growth of .6 percent since 1999. The number of U.S. households that have a home-based business currently exceeds 12 percent." - Office of Advocacy, Small Business Administration Number of Jobs Started Daily by Home Based Businesses - 8500 jobs daily According to IDC, home-based businesses create an estimated 8,500 new jobs daily. Number of Telecommuters - 19.6 - 29 million Roughly 19.6 million workers telecommuted in 1999. (The International Telework Association and Council) There will be almost 29 million U.S. teleworkers by the end of 2003. (The Electronic Commerce and Telework Trends) Number of Small Businesses that are Home Based - 53% According to the Small Business Administration, today more than half (53%) of the small businesses in the U.S. are home-based. In brute numbers, that's more than 24 million. Misc Home Based Statistics with Unknown Source Every 11 seconds someone starts a home-based business. Over the next five years, in the United States alone, the number of people who work out of their homes will increase from a current 30 million to an estimated 90 million by the year 2000! In other words, the number of home based businesses will triple; one out of three Americans will be working out of their home. 95% survival rate 85% success rate over 3 year term 1500 jobs are eliminated daily in U.S. Spare time turns into full-time for 50% of home based business owners. Female-owned businesses are being created at about twice the rate of male-owned business. There will be an estimated 10.7 million self-employed women by 2005, a 77% increase since 1983, compared to a 6% increase in the number of self-employed men. Forty to 44 percent of all home-based businesses require less than $5,000 for startup Reasons Why Dual Income Families Don't Get Ahead Financially Taxes - for four months and a week, or 3 hours out of every 8-hour day, you're working for Uncle Sam - (The average American family of four with a median income of $47,012 will pay $10,250 in federal taxes and another $6,110 in state and local taxes for a total "tax liability" of $16,36 average childcare costs - $7000 per year higher standard of living - make more/spend more - Average American spends $1.22 for every dollar they earn gasoline - $1200 per year spend hundreds on dry cleaning, pantyhose, and biz wardrobe eating out for lunches $2000 auto insurance - $500 auto maintenance (oil, tires) parking $1800 - $5 per day costs of raising a child - (quarter million $ to raise child birth-17) ($17,000 for 1st yr)

Select your business category. Red, Green or Yellow RED African American Owned Businesses Today, African American owned and operated businesses involved in entrepreneurial pursuits have been inundated with resources and information that should be able to assist you in the growth and development of your business however, in many cases, the resources provided are not comprehensive in scope. The African American Connection provides a beneficial relationship between African American businesses, and the collective purchasing power of our own community. In addition, we have identified some of the most successful and proven business principles, and integrated them into a one stop resource that assist you in achieving your business objectives. By becoming a member of the African American Connection you will be accessing the future gateway to the purchasing power of your own community, which is the most powerful resource within the U.S. economy, topping over $650 billion. You will also enjoy the many features and benefits that are unique to the concepts embodied within The African American Connection. Which include: Networking with a national membership base Real time changes to webpage Direct Access to market Location directions (map quest) Business educational resources and clip art gallery Backing and support from community based organizations Free co-op advertising* Marketing support and expansion Our membership networking system Nationwide exposure Credibility For the low price of $29.95 per month, you receive our annual membership along with all the features and benefits described above. Compare this to a one day ad of $368 that you might place in a local newspaper. And by acting now you can become a member of the African American Connection by taking advantage of our 30 day no risk trial. How do you get started? Simply complete the registration form by clicking on the button below and follow the process. You will promptly receive an e-mail with your own personal login code, password, and member search code that will allow you to start marketing your goods or services today! GREEN African American Employees If you are an African American working within the general market (especially whose income is commission driven), the African American Connection is the one stop resource for you. We have designed a systematic organized source for the African American consumer to access concerning their purchasing decisions. By becoming a member of the African American Connection your goods and/or services will be directly connected to the purchasing power of your own community. You will also enjoy the many features and benefits that are unique to the concepts embodied within the African American Connection, including: Networking with a national membership base Real time changes to webpage Direct Access to market Location directions (map quest) Business educational resources and clip art gallery Backing and support from community based organizations Free co-op advertising* Marketing support and expansion Our membership networking system Nationwide exposure Credibility As an African American employed in the general market, you are already aware of the problems associated with acquiring equal status in servicing your perspective market. Equality has always been the main obstacle to our competitive value. The belief that African Americans don't support each other is misleading. The first real factor that impedes African Americans from supporting each other in business is mostly a result of not having a convenient resource to access their purchasing decisions. If you are serious about your success, the African American Connection is the only system designed to provide solutions to the challenges facing African American men and women, who are earning their living in the general market place. For the low price of $19.95 per month, you receive our annual membership along with all of the features and benefits described above. Compare this to a one day ad of $360 that you might place in a local newspaper. How do you get started? Simply complete the registration form by clicking on the button below and follow the process. You will promptly receive an e-mail with your own personal login code, password, and member search code that will allow you to start marketing your goods or services today! GOLD Non-African American Owned Businesses If you are a non African American owned company; would like to earn the good will of the African American consumer, as well as would like to become associated with the fastest growing resource that African Americans are turning to in consideration of their purchasing dollars - then you've come to the right source. One of the primary objectives of the African American Connection is to provide a pre-qualified list of companies that represent the estimated $650 billion (and still growing) worth of goods and services which the African American community requires each year from the general marketplace. The African American Connection is designed to provide the African American consumer with the peace of mind, confidence, as well as the benefits that have been denied them as one of the single most powerful resources within the U.S. economy. We are providing a resource in which the African American consumer can rely upon in receiving fair pricing, quality service, as well as the respect and appreciation that should accompany the patronage and loyalty, which has always characterized the African American consumer. By becoming a member of the African American Connection you will be accessing the future gateway to the African American community. You will also enjoy the many features and benefits that are unique to the concepts embodied within the African American Connection including: Networking with a national membership base Real time changes to webpage Direct Access to market Location directions (map quest) Business educational resources and clip art gallery Backing and support from community based organizations Free co-op advertising* Marketing support and expansion Our membership networking system Nationwide exposure Credibility If willing to acknowledge and abide by our Customer Service Pledge, the African American Connection would like to invite you to submit your interest in becoming a member. Once you become a member of the African American Connection your goods or services will be given the same equal status, and will receive the same representation as our other member categories. The future really is happening, and by becoming a member now, you will be taking a significant step in demonstrating to the African American Consumer your commitment to a process that has been established to equitably serve both merchant and consumer. How do you get started? Simply complete the registration form by clicking on the button below and follow the process. One of our representatives will contact your designated contact person within 24 hours. Thank you for your interest in becoming a member of the African American Connection.