The list, which is in its tenth year, ranks companies based on both percentage and absolute growth. To qualify, businesses must be privately-held, woman-owned or led, and have reached an annual revenue of at least $500,000 as of Jan. 1, 2012. The 50 companies generated a combined $7.2 billion last year, up from $75 million in 2007, the first year the list was compiled. (Fortune)

As an entrepreneur, you are done working for other people. You want to follow your dreams, set your own goals and dive into projects you are passionate about. But starting a business can expensive, risky and at times lonely. To mitigate those problems, we did a deep dive into 2017's Franchise 500 List to find opportunities that are affordable, have proven growth potential and provide tremendous support. Check out this list of five franchises you can start in your area for less than $4,000. (Entrepreneur)

Fewer black Americans are dropping out of high school and more are earning associate’s degrees, but racial disparities still plague the U.S. education system, according to the National Urban League’s "State of Black America 2017" report. (USA TODAY)

Have you ever let emotion push you into doing something you later regretted? Or allowed your feelings to hold you back from something you really wanted to do? Guess what? We all have. But that doesn't mean you're not emotionally intelligent. Emotional intelligence, the ability to make emotions work for you instead of against you, involves learning and application. (Inc.)

Tipping is an important part of the of the American restaurant industry, and researchers have found that servers will provide better service if they think a customer will be a good tipper. They found that servers will often use stereotypes to determine which customers will leave better tips. Well-dressed men were judged as more likely to leave good tips compared to women, and African Americans were perceived as worse tippers and were given lower service than were Caucasians, but only when both groups were casually attired. (Daily Mail)

Some corners of corporate America have long had a culture that wears its long and grueling hours like a badge of honor. Now a group of executives is trying to change that by opening up about how they each found balance in their own lives and by making wellness a priority at their companies. (Fortune)

Working hard is not the solution, rather it is the smart work that gets the work done; but workaholics will never understand its importance. Working hard has its side effects. It can affects your love life and can ruin your relationship with your friends and family. (Business.com)

DiversityInc on Tuesday revealed the 2017 Top 50 Companies for Diversity, awarding EY the number one spot on this year’s list following an impressive performance since joining the Top 50 in 2001. Prior to this year’s competition, EY has been among the Top 10 for the past eight years — seven of those years in the Top 5. The company ranked third in 2016. The Top 50 list, issued yearly since 2001, recognizes the nation’s top companies for diversity and inclusion management. These companies excel in such areas as hiring, retaining and promoting women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, LGBT and veterans. (DiversityInc)

To create real workplace diversity and equality, dialogues and champions are key, said panelists at the Women’s Tech Council Talent Innovation Summit Tuesday. While there are many reasons for companies to strive for diversity in the workplace, one is something that virtually every business is always working towards: the bottom line. (Utah Business)

It's not uncommon for divorces to start with a lot of screaming and scheming. Brexit is certainly no exception. Although you've been reading about the split for months, formal discussions between the EU and the U.K. on how to manage their separation only started last week. Immediately afterward, the EU's top bureaucrat, Jean-Claude Juncker, let it be known he thinks Prime Minister Theresa May is "delusional," while May fired back Wednesday that Juncker and others are deliberately using "threats" to influence the outcome of the election she has called for June 8. (Fortune)

The threat to the euro is most acute in France, where people will vote Sunday in the final round of a presidential election that features Marine Le Pen. The far right politician wants France to abandon the currency union. The euro, the currency of 19 EU countries, is the most visible symbol of the region's long experiment with economic integration since the end of World War II. (CNN Money)

Ready to take your business education to the next level? Earning an MBA isn’t for everyone, but if you want to build your business acumen, this degree may be a solid option. An MBA can help you advance your career or start a business. There are hundreds of programs available, and costs and requirements vary widely. Here we’ve selected five online MBA programs that meet a variety of individual needs. (NAV)

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos shouldn't speak at historically black Bethune-Cookman University's graduation next week because she will bring controversy to a sacred moment for students and their families, a granddaughter of the college's founder says. (The San Francisco Chronicle)

Graduation is still at least a year-and-a-half away for Jillian Keitte, but the education major is confident she will get there. This school year is only Keitte's second at Winthrop University, but she's already earned enough credits to get her halfway through her junior year. (WCNC.com)

The National Black MBA Association® (NBMBAA®) and Prospanica® announced the opening of registration for the co-presented 2017 Annual Conference & Exposition. The Conference will convene in Philadelphia, PA, September 26 – 30, 2017, and will include the Career Expo, as well as general programming and workshops specifically designed to address topics important to diverse graduate students and business executives. (Businesswire)

Join us in Philadelphia this September for the nation's premier diversity career, education and networking event. Register now for the 2017 Annual Conference and Expo, presented by NBMBAA and Prospanica, and take advantage of early pricing discounts and best hotel locations.

Facebook now has 1.94 billion users, an increase driven by mobile growth, the company said Wednesday as it released another strong earnings report. But questions loom about whether the social network can adequately deal with some of the content posted by its growing audience. (The Washington Post)

As an entrepreneur, you have the opportunity to do something that you love every day as a career. It gives you the flexibility to work as your own boss in a field you care about, and you can make an impact and influence the entire market. But even entrepreneurs can begin to feel the wear of work. There are going to be times when you have to do things you don’t like, or focus on a project that you don’t find enjoyable. It’s just part of working – just like real life, not everything is always going to be fun and perfect. (Business.com)

Building a company from the ground up is a tough task. There’s an art to entrepreneurship that’s difficult to master, and can be even harder to measure. In the early stages of starting a business many entrepreneurs struggle to identify meaningful metrics they can track their growth against, when profitability may be far in the distance. For early-stage SaaS companies in particular, it’s especially challenging to determine value when the baseline for growth is so low. (Entrepreneur)

Business schools take pride in studying real life. The heart of a business education is a case study asking how a business decision worked or failed. Case studies written up at Harvard Business School are used all over the world, but here's a catch - most Harvard case studies track white business executives. (WSIU)

The city of San Antonio is awarding more money to small businesses owned by African-Americans and women, the city’s Small Business Advocacy Committee discussed Friday. Michael Sindon, assistant director for the Small Business Advocacy Committee, talked about the change in amounts awarded to African-American business owners from 2015 to 2016. African-American-owned businesses received no awards from the city in 2015. (The Ranger)

The city has turned to a Denver firm for a $320,000 yearlong business disparity study.The city has turned to a Denver firm for a $320,000 yearlong business disparity study. The city has turned to a Denver firm for a $320,000 yearlong business disparity study. BBC Research and Consulting should begin work in June to assess the state of city contracting with minority- and white women-owned businesses, said Brenda Mills, an economic development specialist for the city of Asheville. (Citizen-Times)

One positive that emerged from the 2007–2008 credit crisis—and its subsequent recession—was a spark in entrepreneurship. Nearly one of every 10 U.S. companies operating today was launched within the past five years, according to a September 2016 U.S. Census report. (Ebony)

Puerto Rico’s leadership moved on Wednesday to place the island’s debt crisis into federal bankruptcy court, making it the largest United States government entity to seek court refuge from its creditors in American history. The move sends Puerto Rico into uncharted territory. America’s recent spate of municipal bankruptcies has involved various state and federal laws, but Puerto Rico is not a state, so none of that hard-won precedent will apply. The outcome of its case could help determine where and how the deep financial troubles of certain states, such as Illinois, are resolved. (The New York Times)

"Would you rather have an easier or a harder time accessing your money?" How do you think the average person would answer that question? More importantly, how would you answer that question? Most people would assume that folks would rather have easier access to their money. Heck, that's the basic premise of mobile banking and debit cards, both of which are very, very popular inventions. As it so happens, classical economic theory would agree with you. According to the old masters, people ought to want more access rather than less. (USA TODAY)

Apple says that it intends to bolster the U.S. manufacturing sector by creating a $1 billion "advanced manufacturing fund" — with some of that initial money going toward a company the tech giant is prepared to partner with, chief executive Tim Cook said. (The Washington Post)

Cash or time off? If Republicans have their way, it’s a choice more companies will be able to offer their hourly-wage employees working overtime. Voting along party lines, the House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday that would allow private-sector employers to compensate their overtime-working employees with paid time off instead of paying them time-and-a-half as currently required. (USA TODAY)