Unity Card Aims to Build Black Spending Power



Historically, less than five percent of the money made in the black community is spent in the black community. One entrepreneur is doing his part to change that by introducing the community and merchants to an innovative program designed to benefit both black businesses and black consumers.

Unity Card is a black-owned and operated marketing company based in New York City. The company'ss mission is to connect, promote and empower black entrepreneurs and their consumers through education, networking and advocacy. President and CEO Anthony Quiones is also a member of the National Alliance of Market Developers. Unity Card'ss focus is to change this by helping blackowned businesses get a bigger piece of the nearly $700 billion spent annually by people of African descent. Unity Card offers incentives to accomplish that goal.

Quiones recently attended the National Alliance of Market Developers Conference in Philadelphia and this focus was crystallized through powerful messages from speakers and panelists from across the country.

Everything, from the way we look at ourselves to the way we spend our money, has to change if we are to survive in the 21st century. This conference serves as a reminder that we still have a long way to go and a lot of work to be done, said Quiones.

A major goal of the UNITY Discount Card Program is to encourage consumers to shop and save money at black-owned businesses, which helps money to circulate in the black community longer. Local businesses that honor the UNITY Card get free marketing and advertising services for their business at www.theunitycard. com. All that is required is that the business offers an exclusive discount of at least 10 percent to UNITY cardholders. As a result, said Quiones, entrepreneurs will spend less time and money on marketing and more time making money. This will help local black entrepreneurs get a bigger share of the nearly $700 billion spent annually by people of African descent and keep more money in the black community. Businesses can register at www.theunitycard.com/business. html. This offer ends June 30, 2006.

On the consumer side, UNITY cardholders get exclusive discounts of up to 50 percent off at participating black-owned businesses and its national partners. Membership also includes a one-year subscription to Black Enterprise. UNITY offers a one-year membership for $20 and a special on two-year memberships for $25. Cards can be purchased by mail by money order or cashier'ss check or online at www.theunitycard.com.

The UNITY Card is changing the way African Americans do business in America. One card to shop at black-owned businesses on a worldwide level will help maintain wealth in the black community and grow our existing businesses to the next level. Every consumer and business owner should sign up for the UNITY Card, said Phil Andrews, president of P.A. Public Relations Company.

The program is currently available in the Philadelphia, New York, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta areas. It is scheduled to expand into the following areas in the near future: Birmingham, Ala., Chicago, Cleveland and Los Angeles. Unity Card is currently seeking account executives to encourage black entrepreneurs to support the program in these areas.

For more information on becoming a UNITY Card member or adding your business to the network, contact Unity Card at (646) 246-5846 or visit www.theunitycard. com online.





Unity Card Aims to Build Black Spending Power