Turning a hobby into a business

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September 25, 2013

By Akilah C. Thompson

News Flash! You do not have to spend the rest of your life working in a cubicle from nine to five every day. Neither do you have to settle for working in a miserable profession that barely pays the bills. Have you ever thought about turning your passions into a business? Is there something you enjoy doing so much you currently do it for free? Have you every thought about how much income you could earn from your hobbies? Passion is one of the key ingredients to becoming a successful entrepreneur! When we are passionate about something, we find enjoyment in sharing our talents with others. So, why should we stop there when we can start making money doing what we enjoy? Let¹s explore what it will take to turn your hobby into a business. With the appropriate planning and an entrepreneurial mindset, you can be on your way to starting a successful business with passion as your foundation.

Tip One: Save! Save! And Save!
Before you decide to leave a corporate career or any job to start your own business, be sure to save at least 12 to 18 months of salary. As an entrepreneur, the checks will stop coming every two weeks and there may be times when the checks won’t show up as planned. If you have sufficient savings, you will be prepared for those “Rainy days” which are almost guaranteed to happen. In addition, most of the capital that will be used to start your business will come from your own pockets. You want to make sure you can appropriately fund your business with the start up funds needed to get your business off the ground.

Tip Two: Create a Business Plan
A business plan is a snapshot that potential investors and banks look at in order to predict where your business is headed and what it will look like in the future. “If you Fail to plan, you Plan to fail.” Most businesses are unsuccessful because their business plans were incomplete or ineffective. In addition, your business plan sets the strategic plan and direction for your business to help you make appropriate decisions with the end goals in mind.

The Main Components of a Business Plan are:
•   The Mission Statement / Vision Statement
•   The Organizational Plan
•   The Competition
•   Market Analysis / Market Plan
•   The Financial Plan
•   Executive Summary

The Mission Statement – articulate the purpose of the company¹s existence, their target audience as well as the products and services.
The Vision Statement – is the guiding force behind the mission statement that focuses on the values, aims and the future direction of the company.
The Organizational Plan – is a description of your business, products and services and the goals of the company. In this section, the long term objectives for the company
are recorded along with the formulation of the company¹s strategies, tasks and functions.
The Competition – refers to researching other businesses that offer similar services and products within market. This is comparing prices and other marketing techniques.
The Market Analysis is the study of the market in its entirety that relates to the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats that may arise when launching your
business.
The Market Plan- is an essential part because this is where you develop strategies on how to solicit consumers and business. THIS IS WHERE YOU
ADVERTISE!!!!! Use all public relation resources and social media to market your brand. Social media has become the voice to the general public
to connect with current and prospective clients. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube allow you to create a presence in the google domain, which will help
customers find you on the web. Incorporate social media in your strategy and invest in a good publicist to let the media know about your business.
The Financial Plan – is the spine of the business plan because it is a blueprint of your business’ current and future financial state. It is based upon the business’ balance
sheet, income statement and cash flows. In other words, the financial plan captures how much money is needed to start the business including all start up expenses. In
addition, the financial plan will forecast proposed revenue for years to come to assess growth potential.
The Executive Summary – is the final piece of the puzzle, and the most important part because it summarizes all the sections of your business plan by extracting the main
points. Prospective investors determine whether your business is profitable based upon this section of the document. Make sure that your main points are clear,
concise and creative!

Tip Three: Hire an Accountant
From day one, you need to make sure that you are recording all financial information pertaining to your business. Exceptional book and record keeping skills is essential. An accountant can help you with tax planning, business plan review, bookkeeping, payroll and other functions that relate to the disbursement of money. As mentioned earlier, the financial plan is important because it is a blueprint of your business, therefore having an accountant allows you to maintain order not only in your business but it also gives you a peace of mind that your finances are in good hands.

Tip Four: Live your dream!
Now it¹s time to live your dreams. Take all the tips that you have been given above and make your dreams come alive. Businesses are built based on creative and innovative ideas that were given wings to fly. Let your passion, ideas, skills and hobbies allow you to spend your life doing things you love to do as an entrepreneur. Your hobby may be the stepping-stone needed to start a successful career as your own boss!

Akilah C. Thompson is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of North Carolina A & T State University where she earned Bachelor of Science degrees in Accounting and Business Economics. She is an IRS Enrolled Agent, Certified Life Coach, Licensed Zumba Instructor, and Inspirational Speaker. She is the Founder & CEO of her trademark company ACT Inspires Inc. and nonprofit, Generations Inspired Inc. Akilah is also a model, actor, and author. Her life goal is to inspire and empower others to be Ambitious, Courageous & Talented. For more information, please visit Act Inspires.

Postal Service Inducts Ray Charles into Music Icons Stamp Series

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Birmingham Times

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September 25, 2013

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WASHINGTON/PRNewswire/ – On what would have been his 83rd birthday, the “father of soul,” Ray Charles, returns to two “stamping ovations” as the latest inductee into the Postal Service’s Music Icons Forever Stamp Series. Chaka Khan performed at the Los Angeles first-day-of-issue dedication ceremony and Ashanti highlighted the Atlanta event.
The ceremonies took place at the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center at Morehouse College in Atlanta at 11 a.m. EDT, and The GRAMMY Museum at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles at 1 p.m. PDT. Both events were free and open to the public.
Available today in sheets of 16, customers may purchase the stamps at usps.com/stamps, at 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724) or at Post Offices nationwide.
In Atlanta, GRAMMY® award-winning singer/songwriter, actor and actress Ashanti performed and paid tribute to Charles (1930 – 2004) and performed a medley of his songs and the Morehouse College Glee Club sang his hit which is also the official state song — “Georgia on My Mind.” At the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles, where Charles has been recognized with 17 GRAMMY Awards, Ten-time GRAMMY award winner, singer, songwriter, actor and activist Chaka Khan sang, “I’ll Be Good to You.” Musicians from the GRAMMY Museum’s educational program Summer Sessions also performed. In 1989, Charles and Khan re-recorded the 1976 hit written by the Brothers Johnson. With the remake of “I’ll Be Good to You,” produced by Quincy Jones, the song became another number one R&B hit on the Billboard charts and was Charles’ first number one R&B hit in 24 years. In 1991, Charles and Khan won a GRAMMY Award for “I’ll Be Good to You” for the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
“Frank Sinatra, himself a stamp honoree, once characterized Ray Charles as ‘the only true genius in show business,’ and certainly, if anyone was a musical genius, it was Ray Charles,” said U.S. Postal Service Judicial Officer William Campbell who dedicated the stamp at the Atlanta ceremony. “Despite being blind and having a young life marked by tragedy, hardship and tremendous challenges, Ray Charles went on to have a remarkable 58-year career playing music that blurred the lines of jazz, gospel, blues and, in later years, country. In doing so, he became the personification of the American Dream.”
“It is with great pleasure that we honor a man who not only had an incalculable impact on the face of contemporary soul, R&B, gospel and rock, but also touched people individually,” said U.S. Postal Service Sales Vice President Cliff Rucker who dedicated the stamp at the Los Angeles event. “The third in our new Music Icons series, Ray Charles’ stamp, another tribute to his legacy, will join those of distinguished performers Lydia Mendoza and Johnny Cash, which were dedicated earlier this year. And how fitting that Ray Charles and Johnny Cash, who in life were such great friends and recorded two duets together, will be reunited in the form of postage stamps.”
“Ray Charles taught us the value of hard work and determination, how to overcome challenges and how to tap the genius inherent in each person,” said Valerie Ervin, President of The Ray Charles Foundation, who spoke at the Los Angeles event. “We are extremely grateful that the Postal Service is celebrating this legacy with the release of a stamp in Ray Charles’ honor.”
The limited-edition Ray Charles Forever Stamp as well as Ray Charles Forever, a deluxe CD collection featuring the unreleased recording of “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” and the exclusive bonus track, “I Didn’t Know What Time it Was,” will be available at major Post Office locations across the country, as well as online at usps.com/stamps and ebay.com/stamps.

SOURCE The Postal Service

Alabama Hospital Association

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Birmingham Times

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September 25, 2013

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Don’t take your medications lightly” is the advice Alabama’s hospital leaders are giving to patients and their families during the third phase of a year-long patient safety campaign called Join the Health Journey. While medicines can be powerful healing agents, if taken incorrectly, they can cause great harm. For the next several months, hospitals across the state will be encouraging patients and their families to participate in making their care safer, particularly when taking medicines.
“The Institute of Medicine estimates that 400,000 medication errors occur nationwide in hospitals each year, costing approximately $3.5 billion,” said J. Michael Horsley, president of the Alabama Hospital Association, the organization spearheading the patient safety campaign. “Hospitals are focusing heavily on ways they can prevent these errors and are making progress, but they need the help of patients.”
When asked about the specific efforts underway, Horsley said hospitals were using electronic scanning systems to check patients’ wristbands before administering medications, improving dispensing mechanisms and putting systems in place to monitor medications, called high-alert medications, that are known to have bad side effects if not used appropriately. “Since today’s hospital patients tend to be older and sicker, the number of medications they take is much greater than in the past, so it’s a big challenge to be sure they get the right amount of medication and that there aren’t any drug to drug reactions,” added Horsley.
“Studies have shown that more involvement of patients results in better care,” said Horsley. “We’re trying to encourage patients to ask more questions, such as “What is the pill I’m taking?” and “Why am I taking it?” They need to ask if they’re taking one of the “high-alert” medications, and if so, what side effects should they be watching for. They should let their doctor and nurse know if they’re allergic to any medication and tell them what medicines and dosages they take at home. A patient should not continue to take medicines while hospitalized without discussing this with his/her health care provider first.
Horsley explained that the Join the Health Journey campaign is an ongoing effort to focus on things hospitals can do to improve the care they provide and to enlist the help of patients and their families. The first phase focused on infection prevention, the second on improving communication and this week marks the launch of the medication safety portion. Additional information on each topic can be found at www.jointhehealthjourney.com.

The Alabama Hospital Association, based in Montgomery, is a statewide trade organization that represents more than 100 hospitals and numerous other health care providers in their efforts to provide quality health care.

What’s Your Story?

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Birmingham Times

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September 25, 2013

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Also I heard the voice of the Lord,.. saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” Isaiah 6:8

If you had a traumatic childhood, have been in an abusive relationship, was once on drugs, been incarcerated or a number of other things frowned on by society, you probably don’t want to talk about it. Whenever someone ask you questions about your experience, you probably give short simple answers that have limited details. Did you know that your story could actually save someone’s life? It could. There are so many people struggling through various issues and situations that need to know they are not alone or that they can survive through it.

However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” Mark 5:19

There were times when Jesus wanted what He did kept a secret (even though those He did it for couldn’t keep it to themselves) and there were times He wanted them to go and tell. Even when He wanted them to keep it to themselves, it was because He knew once people heard about what He could do, they would come in mass numbers. That’s what happens when you share your story. People want to get to know Jesus for themselves. They want to receive the same healing, deliverance and peace you have received. How would you feel if you knew you were preventing them from receiving it by not sharing your story? Would you open up more? Well you are, so please do. Someone needs to hear your story and unfortunately you don’t know who they are SO whenever God opens the door TESTIFY!

It’s time to be transparent,
Minister Deidra Bibb

Trinity Black and White Banquet

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Birmingham Times

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September 25, 2013

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Honking at slow drivers is No. 1 rude road behavior; swearing in front of kids is most regretted

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Birmingham Times

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September 25, 2013

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FOSTER CITY, Calif. – Women drivers curse in front of their children and give fellow motorists the middle-finger more than men, according to a new Insurance.com survey.
But men were twice as likely as women to key someone’s car or turn the high-beams on just to be mean.
Insurance.com commissioned a survey of 1,000 adults asking them about their driving behavior and whether they had any regrets about their rudeness behind the wheel.

Here’s what drivers admit to, with results also broken down by gender:
Honked at someone driving too slowly: 41 percent (Women: 39 percent. Men: 43 percent.)
Swore in front of the kids while driving: 37 percent (Women: 44 percent. Men: 30 percent.)
Flipped someone off while driving: 29 percent (Women: 31 percent. Men: 27 percent.)
Brake-checked a car following too closely: 28 percent (Women: 30 percent. Men: 27 percent.)
Sped up significantly to prevent someone from passing you: 26 percent (Women: 25 percent. Men: 28 percent.)
Gone when it wasn’t your turn at a four-way stop: 19 percent (Women: 18 percent. Men: 20 percent.)
Tailgated someone on purpose because he or she was going too slowly: 18 percent (Women: 21 percent. Men:16 percent.)
Driven to the front of a merge line, then swerved and cut in: 12 percent (Women: 11 percent. Men: 13 percent.)
Stolen a parking spot someone else was waiting for: 11 percent (Women: 9 percent. Men: 13 percent.)
Driven in the breakdown lane around traffic: 10 percent (Women: 8 percent. Men: 13 percent.)
Sped up to block another car with its signal on: 9 percent (Women: 8 percent. Men: 10 percent.)
Chased after a car that cut you off so you could glare at/flip off the other driver: 9 percent (Women: 7 percent. Men: 11 percent.)
Swore in front of elderly in-laws while driving: 9 percent (Women: 9 percent. Men: 10 percent.)
Dinged someone’s car in a parking lot and driven away: 8 percent (Women: 8 percent. Men: 8 percent.)
Turned on your brights at an oncoming car just to be mean: 7 percent (Women: 4 percent. Men: 11 percent.)
Keyed someone’s car: 5 percent (Women: 3 percent. Men: 7 percent.)
“If you see a driver flipping people off, it’s most likely to be a woman,” said Michelle Megna, managing editor of Insurance.com. “And if she’s swearing, we have a name for her – Mom.”
Swearing and dinging are biggest regrets
One quarter of drivers who admit to boorish driving behavior say they have no regrets. Among those who do, here’s how the regrets stack up:
•   Swore in front of the kids while driving: 75 percent
•   Dinged someone’s car in a parking lot and driven away: 62 percent
•   Keyed someone’s car: 56 percent
•   Swore in front of elderly in-laws while driving: 51 percent
•   Gone when it wasn’t your turn at a 4-way stop: 51 percent
•   Flipped someone off while driving: 47 percent
•   Turned on your brights at an oncoming car just to be mean: 46 percent
•   Stolen a parking spot someone else was waiting for: 46 percent
•   Chased after a car that cut you off so you could glare at them/flip them off: 44 percent
•   Driven in the breakdown lane around traffic: 44 percent
•   Sped up to block another car with its signal on: 42 percent
•   Tailgated someone on purpose because he or she was going too slow: 41 percent
•   Driven to the front of a merge line, then swerved and cut in: 36 percent
•   Honked at someone driving too slowly: 36 percent
•   Sped up significantly to prevent someone from passing you: 36 percent
•   Brake-checked a car following too closely: 34 percent

Sultry Tenor Keith Williams debuts in Top Ten with new CD – Tone For Worship

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Birmingham Times

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September 25, 2013

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The crooner known as The Sultry Tenor – Keith Williams – has earned his first Top Ten with the release of his sophomore CD “Tone For Worship” (EPM Music Group) that debuts at #8 on next week’s Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart. The uplifting urban inspirational and faith-oriented set was designed for those who enjoy their gospel with a velvety touch and warm sophistication. The tunes set the tone for worship at home, driving down the freeway or from a Sunday morning church pew. “All I can say is God is good,” Williams says. “This day has been a long time coming because the CD was supposed to be released last year but we wanted it to be right so we took our time and I’m really pleased and humbled by the public response to it.”
The current radio single “As For Me and My House” is an infectious steppers tune but the project also features other dance floor material such as “So Good To Be Back” and “Behind Me Now.” The balmy “You Are My Way Through,” “Tone For Worship” and “Anticipation” ballads are punctuated with spare jazzy piano chords that allow the intimate resonance of Williams’ enthralling voice to breathe through effortlessly. The sing-along “Strength” has a shoulder rocking `70s R&B feel and a couple of cool scat runs. The enchanting “All For You” is pure smooth jazz and “I Believe God” is a soulful declaration of faith. “I hate to categorize myself,” Williams says. “There’s something on the CD for every day of your week. I’m a church kid so there’s church music – music we can sing on Sunday morning. But I’m a real person and I live throughout the week so there’s music that deals with our every day ups and downs.”
Williams is a classically trained pianist and vocalist. He’s spent the last two decades as a worship leader at prestigious churches across the United States such as Ebenezer A.M.E. Church in Ft. Washington, Md. and the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. Over the years, Williams has written songs for Jennifer Holliday, Dottie Peoples and others. His debut CD, “…& Again I Say Rejoice,” appeared in 2008. As President and Creative Director of EPM Music Group, Williams has also been at the helm of the production and arranging of Earnest Pugh’s #1 hits “Rain On Us” and “I Need Your Glory.”
Visit www.IamKeithWilliams.com for more news on Keith Williams and the exciting activities in his life and music.

View “I Believe God” video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi0Wv2OwKZE

Gospel Music Pioneer Kerry Douglas to be Honored

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Birmingham Times

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September 25, 2013

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Comedic Actress Niecy Nash and Singer Angie Stone will also be feted

For almost two decades now, Kerry Douglas has given a national platform to talented aspiring gospel artists and through his aggressive promotional campaigns he’s made them household names within their genre. Among the #1 hits he’s taken to the top are James Fortune & FIYA’s “I Trust You” and “I Believe”; Earnest Pugh’s “Rain on Us” and “I Need Your Glory”; Keith Wonderboy Johnson’s “Send A Revival” and Evelyn Turrentine-Agee’s “God Did It” among scores of Top Ten smashes.
This week, some of Douglas’ protégés will gather to salute him in song as The International Leadership Awards honors him for his achievements at its annual International Financial & Leadership Summit. James Fortune, Earnest Pugh and Zacardi Cortez are scheduled to perform in Douglas’ honor. Actress Niecy Nash and singer Angie Stone will also be honored for their respective achievements during the event.
“It’s a blessing to receive my flowers while I’m still alive,” Douglas jokes. “God has been good to me and allowed me to work with some really talented artists. I’m also excited to be out on the road every week and seeing new talents out there that I hope to develop and sign for my next Gospel Mix CD.”
The “Kerry Douglas Presents Gospel Mix” compilation CD series began in 2008 and creates national exposure for independent artists. The series was instrumental in breaking James Fortune & FIYA, Zacardi Cortez, Shawn McLemore and Earnest Pugh on the gospel scene. The current installment, “Kerry Douglas Presents Gospel Mix Vol. VI” recently debuted in the Top 10 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart and features the radio smash “1 on 1” by Zacardi Cortez. Tamela Mann, Ruben Studdard, Rev. Paul Jones and others round it out with classic gospel songs alongside future gems by Lalah Hathaway, Bryan Wilson, Ted Winn and Earnest Pugh.
“I have huge respect for Kerry Douglas,” says Earnest Pugh of Douglas receiving this award. “When nobody else was interested in my music, Kerry took an interest and I’ll be forever grateful for the role he played in establishing my national ministry.”
The event takes place Thursday, September 26, at 6:30 p.m. at the J.W. Marriott Galleria, 5150 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX. The program is scheduled to stream live on KRIV Fox 26 in Houston. Visit www.twef.org.

Barlow Addresses SWAC Weekly Teleconference

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Birmingham Times

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September 25, 2013

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MONTGOMERY, Ala.—Alabama State head football coach Reggie Barlow addressed the media on the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s weekly coaches teleconference. He went back over the Hornets win over Grambling and looked ahead to this week’s opponent, Alcorn State.

“We had a home game and had the opportunity to play Grambling,” Head Coach Reggie Barlow said. “Our guys came out and did some good things. Of course, we had some bad weather here and sometimes that seems to dampen the mood, but our guys found a way and the coaches motivated them and we found a way to make some plays offensively.”

“Our quarterback did some good things and the defensive guys were competing at a high level. The defense got stops when we needed them, but there are still some things we have to clean up. All in all we are happy with the performance and whenever you can win in conference it’s always a good thing.”

The Hornets will face a hot Alcorn State team this week. The Braves are coming off a hotly contested 21-16 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Alcorn will step foot in the NEW ASU Stadium with a 3-1 overall record and a perfect 2-0 in SWAC action.

“This week against Alcorn we face a team that is coming here and playing with a lot of confidence,” Barlow said. “They have a lot of really good players on their team, solid running backs, and they quarterback is playing really good and completing a high percentage of his passes.”

“Defensively they have good size up front and playing a lot of guys that are running around. So it will be a game that will be a challenge for us to play and compete against a really good team that is playing with a lot of confidence.”

The game is set to begin at 5 p.m. and can be watched on Hornet Vision at bamastatesports.com. Live action can also be heard at WVAS FM 90.7 with the pregame show that will begin at 4:45 p.m.

BARLOW ADDRESSES SWAC WEEKLY TELECONFERENCE

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Birmingham Times

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September 25, 2013

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MONTGOMERY, Ala.—Alabama State head football coach Reggie Barlow addressed the media on the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s weekly coaches teleconference. He went back over the Hornets win over Grambling and looked ahead to this week’s opponent, Alcorn State.

“We had a home game and had the opportunity to play Grambling,” Head Coach Reggie Barlow said. “Our guys came out and did some good things. Of course, we had some bad weather here and sometimes that seems to dampen the mood, but our guys found a way and the coaches motivated them and we found a way to make some plays offensively.”

“Our quarterback did some good things and the defensive guys were competing at a high level. The defense got stops when we needed them, but there are still some things we have to clean up. All in all we are happy with the performance and whenever you can win in conference it’s always a good thing.”

The Hornets will face a hot Alcorn State team this week. The Braves are coming off a hotly contested 21-16 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Alcorn will step foot in the NEW ASU Stadium with a 3-1 overall record and a perfect 2-0 in SWAC action.

“This week against Alcorn we face a team that is coming here and playing with a lot of confidence,” Barlow said. “They have a lot of really good players on their team, solid running backs, and they quarterback is playing really good and completing a high percentage of his passes.”

“Defensively they have good size up front and playing a lot of guys that are running around. So it will be a game that will be a challenge for us to play and compete against a really good team that is playing with a lot of confidence.”

The game is set to begin at 5 p.m. and can be watched on Hornet Vision at bamastatesports.com. Live action can also be heard at WVAS FM 90.7 with the pregame show that will begin at 4:45 p.m.