SBB Blog

This blog post is dedicated to our well-known unknown power. Below you will find a few facts. I’ve seen these numbers in several places but not all together to paint a picture. Spreading out this information in some ways dilutes and distracts from the heart of the facts. Numbers tell stories. This is ours…

• The Black buying power is $913 billion (and growing).
• The total sales/receipts for U.S Black-owned businesses are $137 billion.
• If we do the math, this means, of the $913 billion we have to spend, we spend 85% of it outside of our community.

OUCH.

AGAIN: $85 of every $100 we spend is being given to someone else. Increasing their net worth. Building their 2nd house. Opening that 4th business location. Sending their children to college. Keeping them and their family members employed.

For a group that has greater buying power than over 200 countries (and counting), we sure do not live up to our full potential. Our money is -I’m going to say it- useless if it’s not helping our own communities, building stronger legacies, re-writing our story. What’s a community without economic cohesion?! How many Chinatowns exist in America alone? It’s so prevalent, that auto-correct helped me type “Chinatown.”  We’re essentially aiding everyone else reach their American dream- everyone but ourselves.

Imagine if just HALF of our Black dollars ($456 billion) went to Black-owned businesses.

Do you know what that would do to our unemployment rate?

A: Decrease it substantially. If you support more of our businesses, they will have a need for more employees to service their large clientele. Not to say we’ll automatically hire all black people, but Black people have the highest unemployment rate which is a well known fact. The not-so-well known fact is that, Black people are 85% more likely to hire a Black person than any other race.

Or what it would mean for home ownership?

A: We could have several communities with nothing but homeowners. As we support more Black businesses, the owners of these businesses will have enough money and collateral to buy homes. For most of these business owners, their business is their only source of income- if you weren’t aware. They need the income (from supporters like you) to buy homes (like some of you). Home ownership is a GIANT step in improving our neighborhoods. People don’t care as much about their neighborhood when they renting. They have no stock or stake in the upkeep- so why care? This, in turn, has an influence on the property value, neighborhood preservation, crime rates and overall morale.

How many franchises and large corporations do you think we’d own?

A:  If you support our own small businesses, they will have such a demand for their products/services that they will have to expand to meet their consumer’s needs. There could be locations in other states/countries. Imagine if you’re favorite mom & pop shop had 15 locations across the country…BAWSE. Then this mom & pop donated some of their earnings to non-profits in inner cities. Or put their children in prestigious schools, and their children became your children’s teacher, doctor, or attorney general.

We open businesses to benefit our families and community abroad. We cannot stay open when we’re not being patronized. What, then will that mean for our families and community abroad?

A: A great disparity.

Your thoughts?

This tip gives you a way to ask your customers for their contact information while they are already in the “giving mood.”

Mailing lists are SUPER important to a small business owner. We need an audience for all our amazing products, announcements, promotions and events! A mailing list can turn a one-time buyer into a lifetime loyal customer. It’s one thing to mosey into your establishment, but a mailing list says “let’s keep in touch so I can wow you again! And if you like me enough, then you’ll tell a friend.” It’s that simple. It’s easy for consumers to jump ship in today’s competitive economy; it’s definitely a consumers market. Remind your customers of how great you are and that you appreciate their patronage. For some businesses, mailing lists can be the difference between breaking even and making a profit. On which side of the fence do you want to play?

So here’s the idea:

If your customer pays with a credit card, they HAVE to sign the receipt right?

Find a way to incorporate an opt-in field on your receipts and/or invoices. There can be a short line like “If you would like to know about exclusive (events, promotions, deals, tastings, etc) add your email address here.” Right under where ever the person signs their name. And maybe add, “emails are ONLY sent once bi-monthly.” Or maybe, give something in return: “For 10% of your next purchase, add your email address here.”The pen is already in hand. They’re already giving you money, an email address is NOT a stretch. I say go for it.

It works BEST when you have a promotion happening when they arrive. Ask “If you want to know about the next time we have (promotions,events,etc) similar to this one, add your email so we can keep in touch.” Or something to that effect.

This can also be added to websites as well. You can make it an option in the checkout process, or somewhere prominent on the site. Let your customers know you that you appreciate their business and ask if you can notify them about more of your excellent products/services. What’s a brand without brand loyalty? It’s your job as a business owner to foster this loyalty: both implicitly (great service) and explicitly (correspondence).

That’s my two cents.

Let me know your thoughts. Is this realistic? Feasible?

Black Business Fact:

The largest counties with the highest percentage of Black-owned businesses are:

• Prince George’s County, MD (55%) (my home town! *raises the roof*)

• DeKalb, GA (40%)

• Baltimore County, MD (35%)

• Bronx, NY (35%)

**According to the most recent U.S.Census data.

First and foremost, THANK YOU for visiting the site!

This blog post is to tell you all how the idea for this website came about. People don’t usually share this kind of information, but it can probably inspire someone so I don’t mind telling this tale. I, personally, find stories of entrepreneurship extremely inspiring. So without further ado, here’s the story of Support Black Businesses…

On April 14, 2010, I was driving passed a store in my neighborhood. I usually walk pass it about twice a week but this time I noticed that there was a sticker on the storefront that read “BLACK-OWNED BUSINESS” in huge orange letters. I thought to myself, “Hm, that’s nice of you to let us know you’re a black-owned business, thanks!”  My very next thought was “Why don’t all Black-owned businesses visibly show us that they are a black owned business?”

A light went on! I immediately wanted to sell stickers to Black business owners that read “Support Black Businesses.” Nothing too big, just something small like the decals that read “VISA/MASTERCARD/DISCOVER” in storefronts today. It would be a mini-stamp for passersby to see. I chose the statement “Support Black Businesses” because the word support is a directive and calls for action. “Black-owned business” is an informative statement- not enough.

SO! I immediately went to the county clerk’s office, registered the name. I called the IRS from my cell phone and received an EIN, and within the following few weeks I was a legal business entity.

I hadn’t quite panned out a business plan for my sticker-selling venture, but somewhere in the process I asked myself “If hundreds/thousands of businesses have the decal on their storefront, how would someone find the other locations?” Out comes a web directory complete with map integration and decals for its members.

I’ve been through SEVERAL drafts of what this business should/can/will be. It was NO walk in the park. It actually still evolves right before my eyes. A business plan is a living, dynamic document. From simply selling stickers, the idea for this business has grown larger than life and now has leveled off into a business directory with “non-directory” yet “directory relevant” features.

This is not the final product. We haven’t even launched yet. There is SO much more in store! I get excited just talking about it!

MESSAGE: Businesses can grow from the smallest of ideas. 

Have you ever run to your local coffee shop for your morning cup of joe and the hours of operation on the glass door say they SHOULD be open yet they’re no where to be found?  Or have you ever moseyed into your neighborhood restaurant for a nice quiet dinner and received subpar service?

As a consumer we have expectations- and rightfully so. We expect the business to be open on time, the waiter to be pleasant, the food to come out in a timely fashion, the item to be in stock, the event to start on time- to name a few.  When these things don’t happen, it’s like a breach in the unwritten “business/customer contract.” You automatically feel that you nor your patronage are appreciated. This can translate into a myriad of reactions. I won’t waste time on the useless/negative reactions, I’ll shed light on the useful/constructive ones.

The next time you experience subpar service here’s what you can do:

Say something…

Kindly tell the manager (or owner if he/she is available) that you did not enjoy your experience and explain why.  Say all of this to someone who matters,  someone who can affect change. No one cares more about your patronage than THAT person.

Write something…

Take it old school. If there are comment cards, write a comment. They have these comment cards because they actually want your feedback. Give it to them. You can go as far as writing a formal email, letter, or online review. Business owners read these. Any business on Yelp reads their reviews. Some of them respond, as well.

The moral of the story is it’s a business’s responsibility to meet or exceed your expectations. If this doesn’t happen, it is your responsibility to tell them when they haven’t; otherwise how else will they know? This is groupthink at it’s best/worst. Tell someone who matters. Get to the core of the issue, less the emotions. An emotion-filled rant distracts from the facts. The fact of the matter is that you had an unpleasant experience.

Let’s face it, in today’s economy, customers are hard to come by for some businesses. Losing one can make a big difference. As a consumer, you have more power than you think. Understand that power. Understand that your voice matters when you express it in a constructive way.

MESSAGE: Be heard. Just don’t let your message fall on deaf ears.  

*Photo Credit

Follow me with a metaphor…

Boy meets Girl. They enter a relationship. Boy cheats on girl. Girl finds out and dumps Boy. Girl tells all her friends about Cheater McCheatington (Boy) via facebook posts, sub-tweeting and, of course, word of mouth. Boy feels stupid and is outcasted by all the Girls.

Aftermath: Girl has a chip on her shoulder towards any Boy who reminds her of first Boy. This is unfair to the new Boy that enters Girl’s life. Meanwhile Boy matures, understands his wrongdoings and learns from his mistakes. He eventually becomes a better/wiser Man. Yet his name has been tarnished amongst the Girls so he must try twice as hard to gain their trust/respect.

In this metaphor black consumers are the “Girl” and Black-owned businesses (BOBs) are the “Boy.” We were scarred from this bad relationship (transaction) and everyone has to pay for it.  All it takes (for black folks) is ONE bad experience with a Black-owned business to mess it up for every other BOB.  It’s as if ALL Black-owned businesses are ‘doing the time’ for ONE business’ crime.  That’s not fair, nor logical. So you have a bad experience, it happens to the best of us. It’s an isolated moment in time. It doesn’t make sense to penalize all BOBs because of another, unrelated business’s error. Don’t get me wrong, these bad experiences are not justifiable, nor should they be tolerated (we’ll get to that in another post). I’m just saying it’s irrational to take out our frustration on more –if not all- Black-owned businesses.

Treat each business as you would a first date. Come in with an open mind, expect the best and come back if you enjoyed your experience. This chip on our shoulder must be addressed in order to give Black-owned businesses a fair chance.  Your business (revenue) is more important than the employee (expense) who ruined your experience causing you not to return. It’s really a human resources oversight. It’s not a personal attack on you and your needs as a consumer.

I’d be remiss if I did not mention that we don’t have this attitude toward “other”-owned businesses. If an Asian-owned business gives you bad service, you don’t boycott all Asian-owned businesses. So, why do that with your own?

THE MESSAGE: Give all Black-owned businesses a fair chance before you deride all of us. The part doesn’t necessarily equal the whole.