3 Keys to Success for Black Women Entrepreneurs

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By Lauren Gall

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Even in the face of adversity, a resilient spirit, clear vision and unwavering commitment can make all the difference in achieving success and positively impacting the world.

Key Takeaways

  • Embracing pride for your business while maintaining respect for others and yourself will ultimately mold a sound backbone for what life throws amongst the discrimination and bias that are still prevalent.
  • Staying true to yourself and being a positive resource to others will build a successful business that serves your purpose and your community well.

Let’s be blunt. Being a Black entrepreneur is different from our counterparts. Not always in a bad way, just dissimilar. However, we do face challenges or have experiences that are sometimes difficult to understand or articulate unless you’re in our shoes or you live through them. What might seem routine, ‘normal,’ or straightforward to others has proven to be unlike what our communities of color face — especially in the small business world. Nevertheless, remaining optimistic and resilient amongst the noise will aid in your success despite the barriers.

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Embracing pride for your business while maintaining respect for others and yourself will ultimately mold a sound backbone for what life throws amongst the discrimination and bias that are still prevalent. As a Black woman entrepreneur, being aware of the obstacles and having courage to overcome them is critical. Here are three keys to success that aid in empowerment, growing your small business as an underrepresented class and evolving into a respected small business owner.

1. Bring your own perspective and authenticity + don’t be afraid to cultivate change

No matter how often you’ve been silenced, don’t allow that to define you. Bring your unique perspective to every situation facing you. Fortunately, redefining and making small changes can yield big results in every area of life. Entrepreneurs generally endure a lot every day because it seems easy enough to just count us out or take us less seriously than those in corporate America. However, speaking up, starting and maintaining needed conversations and leveraging your strengths to propel you forward will open doors for differing perspectives and much-needed change to your organization and the world. It’s as simple as this — You can make a difference. So, when you see something you don’t agree with or feel it is unethical, say something. Be 1% better every day in all you do.

Roadblocks are inevitable but necessary for growth. Looking at them as opportunities to be better is always the way forward. Keep your vision clear on what you want your business to accomplish and your life. Continuously set goals to make your vision a reality. And know that being authentic is the best you can be. People want to see authenticity in how they live their lives, run their businesses, and create community. It builds trust and confidence — which is so instrumental, especially today.

2. Stay true to who you are + be an advocate for yourself

If you’re a POC reading this, there has, without a doubt, been a time when you found yourself as the only representation of color in a group. In these moments, look for opportunities to drive diversity by advocating for yourself and others. Because when you walk into rooms and see people that look like you amongst the crowd, doesn’t that feel better than good? Whether you look at the company you founded, the organizations you get involved with, or the community you live in, you have the greatest opportunity to support diverse environments. Remembering your value and having a purposeful vision in all situations will go a long way.

3. Stay informed + commit to your beliefs

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The average revenue of Black-owned businesses in Atlanta is incredibly low. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, in 2021, “Black-owned companies generate $39,826 in average annual revenue.” When you consider that minority-owned businesses are pulling in less than $40,000 a year, which is astonishingly less than those businesses that aren’t minority-owned, that’s a huge problem. Whether it’s through volunteering, speaking, mentoring or 1:1’s, being a force of change in those statistics (or similar ones) is crucial to the difference that the small business community needs.

As business grows, be a role model for those following in your footsteps. Others are studying your career path and seeing what your business and life look like. Why not leave a lasting legacy in all areas of your life?

Be strong in your commitment to rise above and make a difference; remember it starts with you. Consider these possibilities:

  • Choose equitable hiring practices.
  • Find speaking opportunities that allow you to support your community.
  • Cultivate a diverse set of offerings and client bases.
  • Think through your business and find areas where you can drive diversity, equity and inclusion.
  • Be the change you know you can be, and be proud of where your business can take you.

The path to success for Black women entrepreneurs requires perseverance and perspective. Staying true to yourself and being a positive resource to others will build a successful business that serves your purpose and your community well. Even in the face of adversity, a resilient spirit, clear vision and unwavering commitment can make all the difference in achieving success and positively impacting the world.

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sanya-onayoade

Sanya Onayoade

Continental Editor, North America

SANYA ONAYOADE is a graduate of Mass Communication and a Master of Communication Arts degree holder from the University of Ibadan. He has attended local and international courses on Media, Branding, Public Relations and Corporate Governance in many institutions including the University of Pittsburgh; Reuters Foundation of Rhodes University, South Africa and Lagos Business School. He has worked in many newspaper houses including The Guardian and The Punch. He was the pioneer Corporate Affairs Manager of Odua Telecoms Ltd, and later Head of Business Development and Marketing of Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO Plc).

He has led business teams to several countries in the US, Asia and Europe; and was part of an Aviation investment drive in West Africa. He has also driven media and brand consultancy for a few organizations such as the British Council, Industrial Training Fund, PKF Audit/Accounting Firm and Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme. He is a Fellow of Freedom House, Washington DC, and also Fellow of Institute of Brand Management of Nigeria. Sanya is a member of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) and Project Management Institute (PMI). He is a 1998 Commonwealth Media Awards winner and the Author of A Decade Of Democracy.
Morak Babajide-Alabi

Morak Babajide-Alabi

Continental Editor, Europe

Morak Babajide-Alabi is a graduate of Mass Communication with a Master of Arts Degree in Journalism from Napier University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. He is an experienced Social Media practitioner with a strong passion for connecting with customers of brands.

Morak works as part of a team currently building an e-commerce project for the Volkswagen Group UK. Before this, he worked on the social media accounts of SKODA, Audi, SEAT, CUPRA, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. In this job, he brought his vast experience in journalism, marketing, and search engine optimisation to play to make sure the brands are well represented on social media. He monitored the performance of marketing campaigns and data analysis of all volumes of social media interaction for the brands.

In his private capacity, Morak is the Chief Operating Officer of Syllable Media Limited, an England-based marketing agency with head office in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The agency handles briefs such as creative writing, ghostwriting, website designs, and print and broadcast productions, with an emphasis on search engine optimisation. Syllable Media analyses, reviews, and works alongside clients to maximise returns on their businesses.

Morak is a writer, blogger, journalist, and social media “enthusiast”. He has several publications and projects to his credit with over 20 years of experience writing and editing for print and online media in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.

Morak is a dependable team player who succeeds in a high-pressure environment. He started his professional career with the flagship of Nigerian journalism – The Guardian Newspapers in 1992 where he honed his writing and editing skills before joining TELL Magazine. He has edited, reported for, and produced newspapers and magazines in Nigeria and the United Kingdom. Morak is involved in the development of information management tools for the healthcare sector in Africa. He is on the board of DeMiTAG HealthConcepts Limited, a company with branches in London, Lagos, and Abuja, to make healthcare information available at the fingertips of professionals. DeMiTAG HealthConcepts Limited achieved this by collaborating with notable informatics companies. It had partnered in the past with Avia Informatics Plc and i2i TeleSolutions Pvt.

Out of work, Morak loves walking and also volunteers on the board of a few UK Charity Organisations. He can be reached via http://www.syllablemedia.com
Ademola-Akinbola

Ademola Akinbola

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

Brief Profile of Ademola Akinbola

Ademola AKINBOLA is an author, publisher, trainer, digital marketing strategist, and a brand development specialist with nearly three decades of experience in the areas of branding, communication, corporate reputation management, business development, organizational change management, and digital marketing.

He is the Founder and Head Steward at BrandStewards Limited, a brand and reputation management consultancy. He is also the Publisher of The Podium International Magazine, Ile-Oluji Times, and Who’s Who in Ile-Oluji.

He had a successful media practice at The Guardian, Punch and This Day.

He started his brand management career at Owena Bank as Media Relations Manager before joining Prudent Bank (now Polaris Bank) as the pioneer Head of Corporate Affairs.

The British Council appointed him as Head of Communication and Marketing to co-ordinate branding and reputation management activities at its Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt offices.

In 2007, he was recruited as the Head of Corporate Planning and Strategy for the Nigerian Aviation Handling company. He led on the branding, strategic planning and stakeholder management support function.

His job was later expanded and redesigned as Head of Corporate Communication and Business Development with the mandate to continue to execute the Board’s vision in the areas of Corporate Planning and Strategy, Branding and New Businesses.

In 2010, he voluntarily resigned from nacho aviance to focus on managing BrandStewards, a reputation and brand management firm he established in 2003. BrandStewards has successfully executed branding, re-branding and marketing communication projects for clients in the private and public sectors.

Ademola obtained a M.Sc. Degree in Digital Marketing & Web Analytics from Dublin Institute of Technology in 2016, and the Master of Communication Arts degree of the University of Ibadan in 1997. He had previously obtained a Higher National Diploma (with Upper Credit) in Mass Communication from Ogun State Polytechnic, Abeokuta.

He has published several articles and authored five management books.

He has benefitted from several domestic and international training programmes on Brand Management, Corporate Communications, Change Management and Organizational Strategy.
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