V rl ble Annultle
If you're al dy making your maxi­
mum contribution to a 401-K and are
looking for a long term, after-tax in­
rome investment, you might consider a
infor-
tion on mo t n
15 million Ameri
This can t you your
medi I i uran eov­
era , or ev n your job.
If you h ve be n
my teriou ly turn d
down for i urance or
even employment, it' a good id to
requ ropy of your medical records
to ch for errors. To track th source
of the mistake, as your doctor for a
copy of your records.
To find out hat's in your file call
1-617 -426-3660.
"
ou can knock about
45% off your
long-distance bill ... "
will cost about 1,790 to gas up and go
for a year Thi i followed by the
Ch vrolet Cavalier RS at 1,760.
The m t economical car to run
turns out to be the Ford Escort LX
which racks up about $1,630 to operate
y rly.
Checking the list, it's interesting to
note that the cars on the low end are
American made.
Medical Information Fil
You will probably be urprised to
C r Operating Co ts
If you drive your car as much as 20
thousand mil in a year, how much
will it cost you? Well, a recent survey
of some of the more popular cars shows
you'll spend the most to operate th
Cadillac DeVille - approximately 25
hundred dollars for the year.-This in-
re ld by insur n
comp ni nd come ith a death
nefit. When you die, your hei will
hat you paid in, regardl of
h ther your in men have lost
money. They will get more if your in-
tmen made money.
'.
ve
year a
square-foot warehouse in
Berkeley, CA, with four perma­
nent and 27 seasonal employees.
ALONG WITH COVER­
ING operating expenses and de­
signing the cards, comes the
responsibility of marketing and
creating distribution channels.
"While some (retailers) are
eager for multicultural designs,
many retailers just won't take
the cards," she said, "They told
us that their Black custome
were perfectly happy with what
they were getting." But the bur­
geoning card manufactur rs
claim the opposite. "We get I t­
ters from all across the country,
expressing gratitude for our
card line," Dashieil said. "Our
target audience wa,s starved for
imagery that th y could identify
with.tJoseph added.
The Frederick Douglass in­
signia is soft pastel colo 'and
glimpses into' African American
culture. One line features signa­
ture birthday cards by noted car­
toon' t Morrie Turn r. Th im­
age of important Afric n
Americans and th ir birthd y
d orate a card for ch month
of th y r. Ano h r p i I oc-
ion lin inti 1 h"B u-
tiful Art oil rtion "
Recently, the f: mily own d
entity introdu wo Kw nzaa
nd h dd d
t blish
Owning a Travel Agency
So, you want to own a travel agency,
huh? Well, consider th e facts: Ac-
Your
Per on
Finance
Charla Ron i. Jw.t of 1M nationally tyndi­
cated radio PT'OfJl'Otn. Your PfrtlOMl Finance, and
au.thorofTM& ofyourPusonal Fino.nc.. and
th� nMy publi6Md your Common Guid� to
Personal Fin.ancial Planning .
•
ata
dsoa
Holiday shoppers beware! The credit rd
that bears your gifts eventually brings you bills.
Every Christmas too many shoppers bust their
budgets by overcharging their credit cards.
When the New Year rolls around, many find
themselves in serious financial trouble.
In order to avoid an unhappy new year,
Credi Ceu ters, Inc., (CCC , a non-
art s oppers are organ­
ized shoppers. Make a list and set a spending
limit.
• Keep track of your spending. It for you
to set priorities and helps to avoid large bills.
Call the local CCC office for a free Santa's
shopping guide. .
• Pay cash; but when you can't - limit
purchases to one or two credit cards.
Use cards that allow YOU to budget pay­
ments, if necessary. Travel and-entertainment
cards, like American Express, are meant to be
paid in full at the end of the month.
• Compare the charge cards' inter t rat
and grace periods and use the best one.
• Consider carefully, "No payments until
next year ... " If you cannot afford it in December,
will you be able to in March? Don't count o!:!_ tax
refunds to pay the holiday bills.
• Pay your bills first. If you are late on any
household bills then cut back on holiday spend-
Owners of Frederick Douglass DeSigns, Margot and (brother) Joseph DashieU.
ac
•
ing.
Start shopping now. Last minute or impul­
si ve buying often costs you more because of the
limited selection left.
THREE SHORT months, Christmas
will be here. While it may be too late to start
saving for this Christmas, it's never too early to
tart ving for the next one. By pl�
ahead, and making monthly installments into a
holiday fund, Christmas '94 will be a happy
holiday instead of a hassle. '
For over 30 years, CCC has provided free
counseling to the public Oil budgeting, Housing
and financial problems. For consumers who
will perform an in-depth analysis of income and
expenses the generally lasts two to three hours.
If an individual/family cannot manage finances
on their own, then a debt management program
is offered.
In this program, CCC negotiates pay ar­
rangements suitable to both the consumer and
the creditor. ' Also, may creditors waive late
fees, reduce interest, or delay legal action be­
cause of CCCs negotiations. In the end, both
client and the community benefit from the pro­
gram. Since January of 1993, CCC has helped
clients pay back more than $35 million to their
creditors. For the office nearest you call 1-800-
547-5005. .
ary
HELP WANTED
ADVERTISING
SALES
REPRESENTATIVE
Wanted for.
Michigan Citizen.
Will train
right person.
Must be
self-motlva ed,
enthusiastic and
persevering.
Call (313) 869-0033.
Ask for Charles Kelly.
,
BERKELEY, CA -- While most
talk of creating opportunities,
Margot Dashiell, president of
Frederick Douglass Designs,
seized one. A college professor
who doubles as an entrepreneur,
Dashiell along with brother
-Joseph, company vice president,
fills a much needed void in the
greeting card business.
Their company, Frederick
Douglass Designs, now manu­
factures and distributes a com­
ple line of greeting cards that
celebrate the African American
experience. They. began produc­
ing Christmas cards ten years
ago with a small loan from fam­
ily members and the labor of a
couple of students in the base-.
ment of Margot's home.
"When I was on a fellowship
for college teachers in Atlanta,
there was om body reproduc­
ing the work of Black artists on
Christmas cards," Margot re­
calls. "I bought as man of those
cards as I could. When I came
back to Berkeley shortly after, I
was disappointed that I couldn't
find anything simil r."
While buying tr nds r fl ct
an 'ever incr ing demand for
positive African American im­
agery, Margot will quickly ad­
mit, "filling the demand is no
easy task. This indu try is very
capi lint n iV1 nd it's very
h rd to bui ld b ck urn." Th
4,400-
mas collection. A box of Christ­
mas or Kwanzaa cards sells for
$10.50.
Frederick Douglass Designs
gets mos of its sales through
direct mail, however, retail
stores in all regions of the coun­
try place orders.
Typically, art stores, book
tor s nd card shops have been
more ptiv h n department
tores. Two major exceptions are
breakthrough t Macy's of
Northern California and Rich's
in the South . t where an army
of Fred rick Douglass Designs'
tyl will av ilable for the
1993 holiday eason.
card compa y
c eates ew ine for
Ot
MICHIGAN SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS
,. .
37%
63%
WOM N OWN 0
MEN OWN 0
eNS