- Black-owned businesses in our neighborhoods are facing a unique set of challenges when it comes to staying open.
- The Big Bend Minority Chamber of Commerce connects businesses with grant dollars, other business owners, and mentorships.
- Watch the video to hear from one of those business owners.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Every year in our downtown neighborhood, we know that business owners are sometimes faced with the tough decision of having to close down permanently.
Black-owned businesses in our neighborhoods are also facing a unique set of challenges when it comes to staying open.
I sat down and spoke with two entrepreneurs who told me how they're making it work.
Fridays are set aside for Brittney Jones to organize her event business schedule.
Here's a look at her work, which you could have seen at the state capital downtown or one of our neighbor's birthday parties.
"Touched by Rose was named after my grandmother, her name is Jewel Rosebud Jackson," Jones said. "And so all of the love that she gave me, that's the same love and energy that I give back to my clients through Touched by Rose."
Jones is one of dozens of Black-owned businesses in Tallahassee. She says it has been both a challenging and rewarding journey.
"So 10 years ago, when I first started out, like I said, I knew nothing about entrepreneurship," Jones said. "I didn't really know where to go. But I did see an advertisement about the Big Bend Minority Chamber on the news.
The Big Bend Minority Chamber of Commerceconnected her with grant dollars, other business owners, and mentorships.
We spoke to the Deputy Director of Minority Women & Small Business Enterprise at the Office of Economic Vitality about the state of Black business owners like Jones.
"The Office of Economic Vitality understands most clearly the challenges that our minority and women-owned businesses face," Darryl Jones, the Deputy Director, of Minority Women & Small Business Enterprise said. "Like all small businesses across the country. They are wrecked with supply chain issues and workforce issues."
There are more than 200 certified Minority Women & Small Businesses registered with the Office of Economic Vitality.
"Our local government realizes that black-owned and minority-owned and women-owned businesses are fantastic at creating jobs and our local economy," Jones said. "And what our office does is make certain that we connect our businesses with the resources that they need."
Media business owner Vaughn Wilson is someone who's received these resources.
"I was fortunate that our Office of Economic Vitality here offered grants," Vaughn Wilson, Mega Ace MediaOwner said. "And it took a lot of encouragement for me to even apply for that grant, specifically Darryl Jones twisted my arm, you know, because I was just like a lot of other African American people like those grants weren't for our business, our businesses too small."
He received the grant and credits it for helping his business scale during the height of the pandemic.
He said connecting to help as a Black-owned business is not a handout, it's a hand up.
"I have had to train myself and I'm trying to encourage others to realize that you need to utilize the resources that are there both financial and business decisions," Wilson said.
Wilson in partnership with the Office of Economic Vitality will hold the 3rd Annual Black Business Expo Tallahassee to help connect businesses to the resources they need.
It will be Saturday, February 24th from 11 am - 2 pm at 1105 E Lafayette St Tallahassee, FL 32301.
