About Us
The History of Black Pages Ohio
In 1991, The Cleveland Black Pages was established to provide the African-American community and professionals with a business resource guide and directory. With mentoring assistance from its Chicago counterpart, Black Pages was the first African-American Minority Business Directory published in the northeastern region of Ohio. The publication was renamed Black Pages of Ohio to reflect its phenomenal growth.
Black Pages of Ohio has now become the number one minority-business listing and resource guide throughout Ohio communities.
Four annual publications are printed to serve four major Ohio cities; Greater Cleveland, Greater Columbus, Greater Toledo & Akron, Canton, and Youngstown. These publications combined, circulate over 100 counties and are distributed throughout surrounding communities. Black Pages Ohio lists a wide array of businesses from A to Z. Some sectors include: Construction, Advertising, Sales, Computer Repair, Web Page Design, Event Promotions, Appliances, Transportation Services and many others. We have more than 3,000 businesses listed and our numbers continue to grow.
Additionally, Black Pages has an online business search index that supports its print advertisement while providing links to our strategic partners and other online services.
Black Pages Ohio has dozens of distribution sites throughout our areas of circulation including local libraries. Advertisers can also request to be a distribution site, and they can provide their clients with copies of the Black Pages publication.
As technology has advanced, so has Black Pages Ohio’s method of distribution. While we continue to distribute our publication as we normally have, we have now come with a means by which to upload our publication to the Black Pages Ohio website. Web browsers can visit our website and either view our publications online or download them to their own computers.
Internet impact Black Pages Ohio
The internet has allowed Black Pages Ohio to reach a demographic that is limited only to the number of people who visit our website. Thanks to new technologies, we are able to connect with people from across the State of Ohio, reach new clients, and provide web browsers with the latest news concerning business and special events.
With the emphasis on the internet and new technologies, Black Pages Ohio’s website has reached hundreds of thousands of visitors and site traffic continues to increase, with 6,000 hits per week. The Black Pages Ohio website allows authors, small business owners, corporations, and interested entrepreneurs reach a vast audience.
This interactive website allows visitors to view the latest community events and list their own. Visitors can also view dozens of informative news articles, and upload their own materials to the website. In addition, up and coming authors can also be featured on our Author’s Corner. Black Pages Ohio understands the changes revolutionizing the online world and we are now offering Web Video Marketing opportunities through Black Pages Ohio.
A multi-million dollar industry, Web Video Marketing allows small business owners and corporations to spread the message through minimal effort, and maximum efficiency. Black Pages Ohio promotes visible listing on our website, which opens your business to the World Wide Web.
Services offered to listed businesses?
Businesses that are listed in the Black Pages can benefit from an opportunity to capitalize on our Web Video Marketing strategy. In addition to preparing a script, Black Pages Ohio will also film the video, edit it, and upload it to our website. While many Web Video Marketing companies charge less than friendly prices for each separate service, we compile every service into one budget friendly package. As of right now, we have the lowest Web Video Marketing prices in the State of Ohio.
Clients can also utilize a banner on our website which will link visitors to their websites. In addition, clients can also contribute articles to our website in order to increase their visibility and provide visitors with much needed information. Not only that but listed clients regularly circulate in our Profiles of the Week, as well as our Spotlight.
Black Pages Ohio can also make websites for clients interested in taking their business online, and tapping into the unlimited marketing potential of the World Wide Web. We also offer promotional eBlasts, whereby we can send information such as special events or advertisements to our database of clients.
The Profiles of the Week highlight Black Pages Ohio clientele while the Spotlight provides a greater emphasis on their businesses and what they’ve done for the community.
Black Pages Ohio also offers FREE LISTINGS to MBEs. In this way, those businesses that may not be able to afford traditional advertising will still have the benefits of informing the community of their services, regardless of other economic factors.
Networking
Black Pages Ohio is a well-known advocate of interrelation and interdependency between businesses of every level. A proven effective method for connecting Minority Owned Businesses with Corporations, Black Pages Ohio delivers many opportunities for partnerships between businesses.
Through our networking events, Entrepreneurs and representatives from a variety of Corporations are able to connect with one another and offer common solutions to common challenges, while incorporating new ideas and integrating new concepts to promote their respective businesses.
With mechanisms through which MBEs and Corporations can exchange information, promote services, and establish a variety of opportunities, Black Pages Ohio continually creates new ways to meet the growing needs of our business community.
Major Events
For the last 16 years our message has been the same: “Development and Reinvestment into Ohio Minority Communities.” With advertising publications covering Northeast, Northwest & Central Ohio regions and growing, Black Pages of Ohio has become a statewide leader in community awareness. Our projects have included the Profit Factor and Business Nite-Out, which have greatly assisted community outreach efforts and reintroduced Entrepreneurship to the Urban Community.
Our Greater Summit Opportunity expo generated revenue and new business opportunities for Entrepreneurs across the State of Ohio. A collaborative effort between the City of Akron, Summit County, and our partners, this new initiative is designed to encourage start-up and home-based business opportunities. This event will also provide vital information to individuals who have been outsourced, downsized, who have retired or are interested in new career opportunities.
The 2010 Profit Factor was a FREE statewide conference and tradeshow that provided information and resources, as well as corporate outsourcing opportunities to minority businesses. Despite the economic climate, the 2009 Profit Factor delivered more than $350,000,000 in Procurement Opportunities, on behalf of Purchasing Specialists from Corporate, State, and Federal sectors. The 2010 Profit Factor also brought a number of opportunities that allowed MBEs to capitalize on such contracts while promoting supplier diversity.
With support of State Agencies such as the Ohio Minority Business Enterprise Division, the Ohio Entrepreneurship and Small Business Division, as well as assistance from the Ohio Minority Contractors and Business Assistance Program, the Ohio Department of Administrative Services, and the Ohio Department of Development, Black Pages Ohio’s events have been consistently proven to be a viable source of entrepreneurial enhancement for Ohio MBEs.
Major Partners
Through partnerships with the Ohio Department of Development, the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, American Family Insurance, FirstMerit Bank, National City, Radio One and WEWS News Channel 5, Black Pages Ohio has helped corporate entities and minority businesses reach one another and establish millions of dollars in contract opportunities.
In 2000, we assisted the Akron Canton airport in locating qualified MBEs to bid on it’s $35 million expansion project, while in 2004, Black Pages Ohio played an integral part in helping Lake County establish opportunities by which minority owned companies were able to gain access to $100 million in construction contracts. In 2006, Black Pages of Ohio celebrated its 15th Anniversary with over 600 guests representing corporations, small businesses and community.
In addition to our statewide database of more than 3,000 businesses and corporations, Black Pages has political connections with city mayors, councils, State Representatives, Senators, and Treasurers.
Impact on the Community.
Through active involvement with Bryant & Stratton, as well as the Yale program, Black Pages Ohio has offered youth’s real world experience in a variety of business environments. Further, Black Pages Ohio has been a vital component in the success of E Prep and is currently pursuing a relationship with LifeSkills Centers in order to introduce students to college and specialized education and Entrepreneurships through Franchising, Event Coordination, Apprenticeships, and other trades.
Over the years, Black Pages Ohio has received a great deal of positive feedback statewide, with many bodies having asked and encouraged use to be part of their operations. Entities at Local and State levels have asked us to participate in various events and panels, including the Ohio Department of Development, the State of Ohio, Bryant and Stratton, Cuyahoga Community College, and many others. We strive to continue our active participation in community development and enrichment.
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Black Facts
+ Since September 2010, Black Pages Ohio’s website has received more than 700,000 visitors.
+ Black Pages Ohio’s website continues to receive 3,000 hits per week.
+ Black Pages Ohio circulates over 100 counties throughout the state of Ohio.
+ Black Pages Ohio offers Web Video Marketing, a multi-million dollar industry.
+ Our promotional eBlasts allow you to reach thousands of contacts.
+ In 2000, Black Pages Ohio assisted the Akron Canton Airport in its $35 million dollar expansion project.
+ In 2004, Black Pages Ohio helped minority owned companies gain access to $100 million in construction contracts through Lake County.
+ In 2006, hundreds of representatives from corporations and small businesses gathered from across the state of Ohio to help celebrate Black Pages Ohio’s 15th Anniversary.
+ In 2010, Black Pages Ohio was awarded the Emerging Entreprenuers’ Award.
+ The Ohio Department of Development, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, American Family Insurance, Rockwell Automation, Nationwide, FirstMerit Bank, Radio One, PNC, and WEWS News Channel 5 are a few of the many corporate sponsors who have joined Black Pages Ohio’s Partners in Progress.
+ Black Pages Ohio has collaborated with FranchiseMart of Akron to bring dozens of Franchise opportunities to the general public.
+ The website www.blackpagesohio.com features an OnDemand Video Library that houses web video commercials for local businesses.
For more information about Black Pages Ohio and our services please call 1-800-900-7735 today!
