How to Make the Most of Resources for Black Business Owners.

From advice on PPP loans to securing strategic partners, find out what Black-owned businesses can do now to move forward.

​When Malla Haridat heard New York City was launching programs to mentor minority business owners, she almost fell out of her chair. "So often we hear promises," she says. "But don't hear results."
Haridat, a business coach, was on a panel of business owners discussing opportunities for Black business owners. She and her fellow panelists described a range of resources available for Black and minority business owners. 
The increased focus on the Black business owners and resources devoted to them has created a "golden age" for entrepreneurs of color, says Kathey Porter, principal and CEO of Porter Brown Associates, a professional training and consulting firm in Alachua, Florida. It began even before the Black Lives Matter movement and protests of 2020, she says.
"If you were thinking about setting out and doing something," she says, "this is the moment." 

The conversation occurred in an Inc. National Small Business Town Hall stream event Thursday, moderated by Teneshia Carr, Inc. contributing editor and founder of Blanc Media. Here are a few highlights of the resources the group talked about. 
Networking Business owners are making new connections in virtual chats--Zoom coffees, Clubhouse rooms, and other remote events, says Haridat, founder of the New Designs for Life Training Company based in Yonkers, New York. Her pro tip: Bring your intro script ready to drop into the virtual event text space. Then, make a point to book time with people you "meet" at the virtual events. 

"That's where I've heard people building relationships they wouldn't have otherwise," she says. Check out LinkedIn virtual events and any networks outside of your "comfort zone," says Porter. It doesn't have to stop at your laptop. When bills come up at the Florida statehouse related to minority and women-owned businesses, Haridat says she plans to be there every year to advocate for them. Click here to  read more or watch the video

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