THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CONNECTION IS FAST BECOMING A COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL ECONOMIC RESOURCE FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES.
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THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CONNECTION IS FAST BECOMING A COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL ECONOMIC RESOURCE FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES.
The African American Connection [AAC], a comprehensively designed web site which launched in May 2006, in order to harness the purchasing power of African American communities, is fast becoming one of the most powerful web based solutions for addressing the economic disparities that exist between African American communities and the general market place. For the first time in African American history, The African American Connection is confronting these disparities by raising the level of awareness among African American consumers and merchants about the benefits of using technology, the availability of the internet, and the 165 billion dollars that the African American consumers are already contributing to the general market’s economy, to achieve both individual and community based empowerment and prosperity. The AAC utilizes a double portal on its opening page which allows their visitors to shop free- of -charge by clicking on the shopping side of the portal, and then proceeds to connect these buying customers to the goods and services, that have the greatest impact on the economic well being of African American communities. The ‘shopping side’ of the AAC portal consists of two main features; one which is a ‘General Market shopping Center [GMSC]’ that consists of over 1500 general market companies (like Walmart), which allows the African American consumer to save up to forty percent on the goods and services that they are already purchasing. The consumer receives their saving in the form of a check which is mailed quarterly and payable in cash, on the products or services that they are currently purchasing within the general market place. “Most of the dollars that we lose to these general market companies, is through indiscriminate and spontaneous spending, these are dollars that can be more effectively used to address the economic needs of our own communities by utilizing the AAC system” said Charles Bowlds founder and [CEO] of the AAC. Bowlds went on to say; “One of the unknown facts about our expenditures with these general market companies, is the fact, that for every dollar that the citizens of our communities spend within the general market place, these companies turn a profit of approximately eight dollars. If we are only able to manage a ten percent savings out of the over 165 billion dollars that we are currently spending at the highest retail cost with these general market companies, our collective communities would have165 million dollars in additional revenue, which when put into perspective, would provide four years of college for 20k African American children . For us to ignore such a resource is to leave our communities vulnerable to the negative forces of exploitation, and indiscriminate spending, which deprives us of the benefits of our own wealth. By using systems such as the AAC to increase the financial liquidity within our communities, contributes to both our collective economic well being, and our individual success and prosperity”.
The other shopping center located on the shopping page, is titled “The African American Shopping Center”. This center consists of businesses that meet with the criteria of becoming an AAC member merchant. Most of the businesses located within the ‘African American Shopping Center’ are processed through a unique color code system where the consumer can choose between three distinctly defined categories which have been carefully designed and constructed in order to provide the African American consumer with a purchasing choice that best fits their personal circumstances, while simultaneously returning a measured economic benefit which is relative to each category - African American owned and operated businesses (Red Category), and African American men and women that work within the general market on a commission basis (Green Category) , and non-African American owned companies and corporations within the general market that desire to honestly and fairly compete for the good will of the African American consumer (yellow category). “The AAC system is based on providing the African American consumer with the best choices within the various areas in which our dollars are currently being spent. Mr. Bowlds points out that “it would be ideal if circumstances where such that our dollars were being spent mainly with AA businesses and that that alone would suffice to serve the economic requirements of our communities. Those of us that can assume the risks associated with doing business with a growing African American business should do so by way of obligation and the moral duty we have as African Americans to support and aid in the economic requirements of our own communities. But the fact is, all small businesses; African American or otherwise, experience problems commonly associated with being a small business.
Unfortunately, this misunderstanding within African American communities has actually resulted in having a negative effect on both our African American businesses, and the African American economy as a whole. By trying to pigeon hole the African American consumers into one choice, at the exclusion of other choices, diminishes other economic opportunities to be realized in other areas that contribute to returning our dollars back to serve in the financial needs of our communities; such as the cash back feature in our ‘general market shopping center’ or by having a resource that will allow our consumers to conveniently access the goods and/or services of our commissioned based professionals, which we have represented in our green category, that allow us to more effectively harness those commissioned paid dollars, which are earned by our professional African American men and women that are employed within the general market place by non African American companies, and return those commission based dollars back to serve in the economic needs of our communities”.
Whether you have an online business, walk in business, established business, even if you are just starting your business, The African American Connection provides a viable option for African American entrepreneurs or commissioned based African American professionals to successfully market their goods or services within the powerful 165 billion dollar consumer based market of their own communities, while also recognizing both the need and practicality of partnering with non African American companies, who possess the desire to earn the good will of the African American consumer on a fair and equitable basis, free from the exploitations that have been of great concern to African American communities, all from one convenient platform. Listed below are some of the benefits to be realized as an AAC member merchant (business owners/entrepreneurs) for expanding your business opportunities within African American communities are:
- Nationalize products / services throughout African American communities.
- AAC community based marketing initiatives [ref: AAC news events]
- Independently market their goods / services through the use of assigned member search ID code.
- Build and manage your own web page through AAC six steps easy to assemble process.
- Access and utilize the AAC one stop business library, with everything from “how to write a business plan” to accessing marketing tools such as; African American email lists
- Market your goods / services directly from your web page
- Share information, do business, and network with other AAC member merchants throughout the country.
- Increase your internet visibility
- Organizational influence and leverage
- Eliminate the complaints of discrimination
- Better customer relations and repeat sales
- Organizational partnering
- Realistic networking that produce results
The AAC also recognizes the importance of supporting other broader institutional needs of our communities, and in doing so, has provided free membership to The Biz Kids organization [access Biz Kids from the state menu box on the African American Connections shopping center page or access directly at: www.bizkids.org] which is spearhead by the leadership of Ms. Endora Govpan who’s mission is to equip our youth with the knowledge and skills essential to improve personal wealth for the advancement and development of our communities]. Their goal is to provide educational programs for children ages 6 – 18 that unleash creativity, develop understanding of wealth management, inspire entrepreneurial dreams, empower for leadership and motivate to achieve. The AAC is also in discussion with Mr. Henry Onochie, President and CEO of HCO, inc. an architectural firm located in Indianapolis, Indiana that has been responsible for the design of some of the most revered African American churches within the continental United States, and we are also proud to say, a member of The African American Connection [ref: www.hcoarchitects.com] to spearhead a collective effort to finance the design and construction of a facility that would be dedicated as a think tank for our social scientist to study and to recommend solutions for our social and psychological survival. Mr. Bowlds once again points out; “As a people we have moved through the experience of separation, to the experience of integration, but today our children face the far more insidious process of assimilation which will complete the transition of making us willing participants in our own enslavement”. The AAC will launch this initiative next year upon their first annual review, by establishing a trust fund that all African Americans can contribute to within their domain at: www.aaconnection.com. The African American Connection will pledge 10% of their net revenue to the completion of this great project. When viewed in its entirety, one quickly comes to the realization that the AAC is an economic juggernaut for addressing the economic woes of African Americans
Member merchant fees (business owners/entrepreneurs) are $29.95/month for African American businesses, $19.95/month for commissioned based AA professionals and $53.95/month for General market companies. Consumers shop for free!
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To learn more about The African American Connection, visit www.aaconnection.com or call 888-AAC-8842
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