Black In Business

I just got back from Vegas this morning. It use to be Las Vegas but now that I am hip,it is Vegas. In a recent post I blogged about not being much of a gambler but I was so confident that my Knicks would cover over the Bucks that I went public with my bet. I had the beloved New York Knicks giving 3.5 over the Bucks. The Knicks won by 2. I sat at the black jack table for about 30 minutes before losing another 50 to go with the 100 I lost on the Knicks. Thank God for the nickle slots, I won, 53, 58 and 79 to make me a winner for the trip.

On to our Blackinbusiness man Prince. Wow, Prince is a bad bad dude. He turned the joint out. I was going to say the MF out  but the joint will make the point.As you would think there were many beautiful people and some incredible lovely women. I had one of the best and most lovely on my arm, my wife NRW. Fine Fine lady. Myself, I hate to say it but I hung in there pretty good as well. I had a 4 button burgundy suit with a black undertone and baggie pants, a black dress silk tee shirt and black ostrich lace up shoes.!

The show started at midnight, I told you “I became hip.” NRW and I arrived at the restaurant at8:30 for a 6 course meal. We had smoked salmon, soup, salad, fish course and a meat course consisting of , filet mignon and lamb chop. This was followed by some really hip dessert. This was part of our package.

I puffed on a nice cigar and then we went from the resturant to the club around 10:30. We had VIP seating and a bottle of high quality Champagne on ice at our table for my wife and I. Also part of the package. Prince had a sound system that rocked.The female DJ was one of the best ever and the old school music had everyone enjoying the music and the energy was taken up a notch.

The DJ has a multimedia  presentation that included a historical review of black music. We saw Josephine Baker, Cab Calloway, James Brown  and many more. The music which was from the 70’s blended with the video of stars from the 40’s and 50’s in such a way, you would have sworn Joesphine Baker was dancing to George Clinton. This was the part I knew I had gotten hip. All of this was before the show and Prince would have to come with it in order to out do the warm up. By the way, if you have never seen Josephine Baker dance, check it out and man oh man, you will understand why the French went crazy over her. The moves and the body are indescribable.

At about 12:10 Prince took the stage and wow wow wow!!! Prince had a white suit and a purple silk dress shirt and his entire band was dressed in white,The trumpet player hit notes so high he tore the roof off the sucka.I have seen Prince at least 5 times but never in a night club where you could dance. I am not a dancer as much these days but I could not sit still. I danced my butt off.

During the show we ran out of champagne, so I asked my waiter for another bottle, she said, you know that is 375 dollars a bottle. I said, what else do you have. We switched to mixed drinks. The show ended around 2:20 am

Prince is an artist but also a business man with an ultimate ability to satisfy the customer in a way that is memorable That is my take away, In business, be the best at what you do, and go the extra mile to provide customer satisfaction to make the value so good price becomes an after thought. 

Here’s to black history month. CNN has made the effort to keep us informed. I shared their information one time before and will share again in celebration of black history.The great thing about life is that as people you do not have to wait another moment to impact a life in a postive way. I hope something here will impact a life in a postive way. Link below.

http://www.cnn.com/EVENTS/black_history/29days.html

I found a news blog by 2 guys self decribed as rich, white and from Texas. This post tells of a protest for bringing attention to how bad whites have it in the North central part of Dallas. I think the area is Highland Park.

This group of concerned white students had a bake sale where prices are determined by race. Blacks pay the least and whites the most. It is well established that products cost more in poor black areas and are often times of lower quality.

In defence of the white folk, just think how frighten they must be to know Affirmative Action is meant to level the playing field. That Black and Hispanics are trying to get ourselves together and live the American dream. The build in advantages their fathers and grandfathers enjoyed are still there but now to a lesser degree. What if some of the disadvantaged students are smarter, nicer, work harder and appreciate the opportunity more?

All we really want is a chance? Do not be intimidated ,racists. There is enough to go around. Check out the link, you will love it.

http://stevegilliard.blogspot.com/2003/09/whiny-little-rich-kids-stop-racist.html

What am I doing in Las Vegas, the gaming capitol of the world? I am too cheap to gamble much. OK I did lay down 100 bucks on the beloved NewYork Knicks to beat Milwaukee tonight by 4.It is in the Garden and the Knicks are coming off a bad loss. If I win I make 190 dollars. The 100 invested is sunk money, already gone, so i will consider a win, 190 dollar hit. A lost does not hurt me because the money is already gone. That is a business principle that can get you in a lot of trouble in Vegas.

So since this is not about gambling, why Vegas? My wife gave this trip to me as a present for my birthday and on Saturday night, well Sunday morning, the show starts at midnight, we will see Prince! He did the Super Bowl, Golden Globes and the reclusive artist is out and about more than ever.He has a night club named 3121 and a restaurant next door. Ticket prices are very high and it is one of if not the hottest ticket in town.

The consummate black in businesss, Prince has proven to have incredible music talent but also  possess visionary business acuem.There are many sad stories of great black artists ripped off by white run record companies. Many legendary blues artists died broke. Pat Boone and Elvis made money while Little Richard and Chuck Berry made music. BB King got rich late in life.

Prince the businessman, took on Warner Brothers and the white executives underestimated the diminutive one. Prince did not feel he was getting his fair share of the millions in profit dollars his record slaes produced. Warner Brothers treated Prince like a slave. They said we own you, your music and your name. I was not there but I think Prince said FU, I am changing my name to a symbol and he became the artist formally known as Prince.

The white media tried to make Prince look crazy and he had to sell his records on line. Prince has his name back the contract shackles have been removed. Prince makes much more money on less sales because he does his own selling and distribution. Now he is becoming the hip people’s Wayne Newton!

That is why I am in Vegas, for a siminar by black in business best guitar artist. He beat the big record company at it own game.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_(musician)

How are ya? I was reading some post today and I came across a home based business post by Ginger Snap. She offered some outstanding thoughts for consideration. For blacks in business, where 50% of our business do less than 10000 dollars per year, this list will provide additional information to build toward more success.

We have long heard the road toward financial independence can be shorten by owning your own business. Yet most business fail and even very successful ones are always just trying to hold on. As we continue our journey toward more black success, information is a key to understanding. Pleas read the post from the link below.

http://atim-gingersnap13.blogspot.com/2007/02/ideal-home-based-business.html