This Black History Month, and throughout the year, there are ways we can all support black and other minority entrepreneurship to make for a more diverse and inclusive community of business owners. Here are a few ideas:
- Use your buying-power to support minority-owned businesses. If you’re in a community where there aren’t many minority-owned businesses, or you’re not sure where they are, there are directories and organizations that can link you to these businesses.
- Speak up if you see disparities: This might be in how minorities access capital or new markets through contracting opportunities. Speaking up can be as simple as sending an email to your city leaders or Congressional representative letting them know your concerns and ideas.
- Take stock of your own diversity: If you’re truly interested in changing society, you have to first look within at your own business operations. Are your employees diverse? How about your suppliers and customers?
- Share resources and opportunities with minority entrepreneurs: Every entrepreneur needs great resources and opportunities, whether they’re to better access capital, fine-tune a business strategy, connect with educational opportunities, etc. Share your knowledge with minority entrepreneurs you meet through NAWBO and in your community. Tell them about free NAWBO virtual programming. Offer to mentor a next generation minority entrepreneur.
- Help every woman to see herself at the table: NAWBO’s Spring Membership Drive runs from March 1-April 30th—the perfect time for new members to save $45 on the new member initiation fee. Help us meet our goal of having every woman entrepreneur see herself as part of this organization by inviting diverse women to have a seat at the table.