I had a friend get very offended when I mentioned to them that one way we can help show people of color we love them is by looking for Black small business owners. This individual said that these black businesses are taking from the rest of the small business owners out there. Well ya know what..I think that statement is a load of crap, I do! I’m no statistician or data scientist, but I have never stopped supporting one store, creative, or artist because I support another. There are SO many occasions for buying things..we do live in 2020 right?
Here’s what I mean…every year I DREAD going into the grocery store. At a certain time of year, these adorable cute girls in blue, brown, and green outfits stand outside asking if I want cookies. Of course I want cookies! But I can’t. Literally. I have Celiac’s disease, and their gluten free cookies just don’t taste like a $5 box of cookies should. But, if my friends come to me saying their daughter is selling them, I buy a box. If two weeks later, my friend asks me to support her new MLM, son’s basket ball team, or to donate to a good cause, within monetary limits, I still say yes.
I say this as someone who is not, in any way, loaded with money. Sure, I have a spending budget, but supporting Girl Scouts of America does not mean not supporting Little League, Mary Kay, or my friends t-shirt design company.
The Black community needs our financial support. Period. You can’t argue it with me. You can’t debate it. Keep reading…Utah State University did a study on small business lending and found:“Minority and women [small business owner] applicants seeking small business loans receive poorer treatment and more scrutiny from bank lending officers.”
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland published an executive summary of a report that found:“Black–owned firm application rates for new funding are 10 percentage points higher than white–owned firms, but their approval rates are 19 percentage points lower”
If you have never started a business, trust me when I say that you need money in order to make money. I filled for an LLC the other day, there were fees. I wanted an email account, it has a cost. If I wanted to open an office or a wear house, I would need a loan. It would be so frustrating to walk into a bank needing a loan, and not be greeted, not given all the information I need to make adequate decisions, and then likely to be denied a loan, or given a loan with an unfair pay-back rate.
Here are some incredible Black businesses that I am doing my best to check first, and purchase from when Christmas shopping, decorating my house or my office, buying house warming gifts, or any kind of gift!
Glamour’s ListThe Honey Pot (Any men reading? Have you made the late night trip for emergency supplies? Now, you can grab a calendar, and perfectly plan for the next time that late night trip is needed, and be the hero of your wife, fiancé, girlfriend, or daughters evening)
KNC Beauty (Face / Lip Masks)
Oprah’s List (my fav from this list: LouLouArtStudio)
Let’s start supporting these businesses, or any BIPOC small business owner you know. They have such an uphill battle to succeed the entire time, we can use our money to support them, show them we love them, and encourage them to keep doing what they love.
PLUS we get to fill our homes and hearts, and stomachs with incredible art, terra cotta, and food!
Stay tuned on how we can help advance the cause of diversity in the way we choose to spend our time… 🙂