yo blk pp. we gotta stop with the bs.

if we care about the future of blk ppl in this country, we need to focus on building an economic movement away from big biz towards each others businesses. if you can buy it black or brown, it should be practically unacceptable to spend your money elsewhere, even if its cheaper and more convenient.

auset facing the possibility of going out of business bc ppl are buying knockoffs from china??? nah, we can't let shit like that happen on our watch. i gotta agree with an old post from case one where he talked about how OKP should be at the forefront of social change. maybe we're corny and old, but we are fucking smart and i think we should make something happen in terms of influencing other blk ppl to support black and brown businesses (at least almost) exclusively.

"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts..." -The Bard

i feel like there needs to be a popular, concentrated effort to buy black and brown. not just something only certain folks do and not just when its convenient.

it's not enough to say "support Black business". Black business really needs to move past food, entertainment, and appearance in order to get my dollars. Black business needs to diversify and expand beyond our comfort zone. There's so much more we can do

I want to see another Black owned tech consulting firm. I want to see a Black owned accounting firm (no... the bruh working at the H&R Block or Jackson Hewitt kiosk at Walmart doesn't count...). Give me some Black owned law or architecture firms. Where are the Black owned government contractors?

FWIW, I own a tech consulting business. I'd like to see more of us in this space 'cause there's money out here to be made.


---------------------------

"Where was the peace when we were getting shot? Where's the peace when we were getting laid out?
Where is the peace when we are in the back of ambulances? Where is the peace then?
They don't want to call for peace then.

Are there coding programs at your local community center? Do you know any coders or programmers who would like to volunteer their services?

"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts..." -The Bard

>I want to see another Black owned tech consulting firm.



>I want
>to see a Black owned accounting firm (no... the bruh working
>at the H&R Block or Jackson Hewitt kiosk at Walmart doesn't
>count...).

Thompson, Cobb, Bazilio and Associates

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/investigative/2013/07/14/the-governor-of-d-c/



>Give me some Black owned law or architecture firms.

willie gary?
benjamin crump?

they both own full fledged firms
not simply hanging their shingle

>Where are the Black owned government contractors?

RS Information Systems???

microtech
http://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/for-microtech-small-business-status-has-meant-big-business-as-a-federal-contractor/2013/11/12/dc92e25c-a833-11e2-a8e2-5b98cb59187f_story.html

i'd support black businesses more if they provided services i gave a damn about

>I want to see another Black owned tech consulting firm. I want
>to see a Black owned accounting firm (no... the bruh working
>at the H&R Block or Jackson Hewitt kiosk at Walmart doesn't
>count...). Give me some Black owned law or architecture firms.
>Where are the Black owned government contractors?
>


but i agree these types of 'black business' could use MORE representation.

certain businesses im convinced blk ppl dont want to run/deal with

ex- corner stores and little merchant shops, laundromats, etc

those of us best skilled to run them, aint interested
those of us who are most likely to be running them, aint that skilled

unfortunately those are like the staple biz' in the community.



so the talented, driven, studied/mba's/etc often go to work in corp america and build up those fortune 500 companies
or start a biz selling specialized sweet potato&table to farm eggwhite cupcakes that cost $40/box


and the hood businesses are left with fair/below average mgmt and service, and competition from immigrants that have a better netoowrk and will make sacrifices blk ppl wont make

#what blk biz have u supported lately

>certain businesses im convinced blk ppl dont want to run/deal
>with
>
>ex- corner stores and little merchant shops, laundromats, etc

1. how often do corner stores get robbed at gun point? have to deal with irate out of control customers? stealing?

2. what is the profit margin of a "corner store"? i think it's aroud $100k. someone can make that much as a IT Admin



>so the talented, driven, studied/mba's/etc often go to work in
>corp america and build up those fortune 500 companies
>or start a biz selling specialized sweet potato&table to farm
>eggwhite cupcakes that cost $40/box


or "whipped" shea butter 4oz for $9 with a 833% profit margin/markup.

>#what blk biz have u supported lately

:sadface:

the guy at the store doesnt have as many other options
whether the store makes 100k or 30k

but having the store gives him something to employ more of his fam, and pass down later on. the IT gig dont work like that

we dont necessarily need to work for or start our own black business, just support those that exist at all cost, imo.

>we dont necessarily need to work for or start our own black
>business, just support those that exist at all cost, imo.


Auset1 was selling jewlery that my girlfriend would never wear.

I can't think of anything that I buy that a Black/Latino business sells.
Except for car insurance.
Gasoline if I go to the hood but then it's really hit or miss if we own it or an Arab.

We buy most our electronics from Best Buy or Amazon


Is there a list of Black/Latino owned businesses we could source?

Most of my purchases during the month are groceries.

And a Black guy cuts my hair once per week

I don't read Eric Jerome Dickey or Sonya Sanchez
I know those authors need to get their shine
but when I want to pick up something by Goethe or Kirino i will never be able to find them at Akawaaba NuHuru Bookstore

which is that black ppl should go out of their way to support black businesses and create a movement behind it.

im not saying you should do without what you want or wait around for a black business to pop up selling the things you buy...i'm saying you should make a serious and focused effort into FINDING black businesses for you to support and support them exclusively. and encourage others to do so as well.

.

sorry, its just how I roll.

I mostly support Black restaurants...

No way I could do this exclusively tho.

and i've never come across a mexican who could make collard greens the way a black person can

I support them but I'm not doing exclusively

if I want Pizza, I go to the Italians.

if I want a v neck t-shirt, I go to Old Navy.

I support them but no way I'm going to exclusively go to them.

i cannot say i blame them.

succinct post for sure.

once you support said business does that business then support the community? spend within the community etc? or do they just go out and spend the money you spend with them elsewhere?

where the black biz owner defaults to supporting other black businesses.

it needs to be a thing.

be done abt it

But as far as supporting blk businesses, blk business owners need to UNDERSTAND that it is not a one-sided relationship

If I/we give them my/our $$$ then they should also be putting money BACK into those same communities...and far too often that doesn't happen

.

if you don't bend to please your customer(s) you will be out of business

burger king
chick fil a
jamba juice
they have it right

But stereotypes like this are why I don't have my photo on my etsy page and try and keep my hands out of the pictures.

(Before anyone gets huffy someone has studied this and online listings sell for less if there's a black hand holding them or in the picture).

black people in customer service positions, especially fast food and retail. But I must have just had really bad luck of the draw for the last 12 years.

and latinos get too comfortable with me too soon
yes, i'm latino but i still expect the same level of customer service you give Aislyn or Hailey when they walk in the door

>black people in customer service positions, especially fast
>food and retail. But I must have just had really bad luck of
>the draw for the last 12 years.

When they are pleasant. But I notice absolutely no difference in my interactions with black/Latino/white customer service people.

I asked a girl at the gap the other day, if she had any jeans in long and she looked shocked that I was talking to her, acted like my question was dumb and asked if had looked. I was like no I was hoping you could look in your computer system so I didn't have to look at tags on every pair of jeans in the store. She looked at a few pairs said nope and never looked it up on the computer. One time I went into ann taylor in this hoity mall and this white woman just stopped what she was doing and stared at me for a full 15 seconds straight. I went to look at an apartment a few blocks from here and this slovenly fat white bitch just walked by me smiling clipboard in hand. And nobody would pick up the phone or return my calls. I could go on for days, but I can't think of anything really bad to say about black customer service people, besides maybe their tone wasn't as upbeat and fake cheerful as white ppl.

that I get from alot of people here. It's that "I Want To Be Anywhere In The Cosmos But Right Here Right Now Ringing You Or Or Helping You" look.

Or helpful at a rate higher than black people. I could talk about shitty Asian customer service too. The only reason you have more negative interactions with black ppl is bc more black ppl work low wage customer service jobs in NYC/VA. Here where the demographics are different I can tell you it's not a black problem.

Also I think you may be projecting the nasty black woman, scary angry black man attitude onto these people. My beef with white/Asian/ others is actual poor service not perceived or imaginary attitude.

I can dig it

nah, i usually have good interactions. but i've only had really unpleasant customer service interactions from white people.

Another example I can think of I had a racist coffee shop owner in New York that just ignored me and tried to take the order of an elderly white couple who got there way after me. It was blatant and deliberate. i was there 15 minutes and finally at the counter and he looked past me to someone who was behind me to take their order.

I know it was the owner because 1) they had a help wanted sign on the door and had for over a month so they were short staffed 2) someone told me. A few months later, a German classmate umpromted told me she worked there but quit because they were terrible people and would say the most awful racist things.

ALL the customer service interactions that left a really bad taste in my mouth have been with white people. I think ya'll are saying otherwise are in denial or not including the shitty racist attitudes of white people who won't rent to you or don't want to serve you.

but when i do, yeah, most black-owned businesses i frequented were pretty half-assed and disorganized (not to say that represents everyone). one thing i will say is that the medical and dental services i have received that were black-owned were all VERY well run. Also most of the retail managers (not owners) I got tight with were black; all of them were cooler, more personable and less robotic than their white or latino counterparts. again this is just my experience looking back on it.

i dont look for bad customer service in a black owned place

but at the same time

if i get good and friendly service I am almost always surprised

i hate that this is case and I feel like a jerk for thinking this

i used to always look to support them..after all they been in this community longer than any stored prolly since the 70s....service wasnt a problem...but the prices were.....everything i could get from the messicans or koreans 2 blks away in either direction, was marked up 50 or 60 %..... like they were still selling blunts for $1 a clip in 2015.....i said were bcz some messicans bought with the quickness and turned that store into one of them one stop int'l phone/internet spots...selling prepaid phone cards and cheap cell phones making a killing

I think its bullshit to ask that question when it comes to Black biz but have no problem spending your dollars in the mall, online, etc without those same demands.

If I support a Black biz and damn near all the employees are Black thats enough for me. If they are a small shop and use that money to buy a house, pay taxes, raise their fam its enough for me.

All I ask when I spend my money is for good customer service and a quality product.

Yesterday. I specifically had this in mind.

Why my people gotta make me wait 10-15 min for my order? Nobody else in line. Every other truck had stuff premade or at least close to expedient. That was hurtful.

But the waffles were insanely good, I admit. They just weren't urgent about nothin.

Should they have cooked a bunch of food and let it sit for hours?

>Should they have cooked a bunch of food and let it sit for
>hours?

****Every other truck had stuff premade or at least close to expedient.


you're at a Food Fair event so you should EXPECT that you will have at least 5 ppl in line wanting your food within the first fifteen mins of the Food Fair opening their doors.

This is just unacceptable.
Everyone else was prepared but the Blacks were "running a lil behind" (as usual).

Is Chipotle a "Black restaurant" because they are now out of carnitas and sometimes they run out of rice or tortillas. How area you going to be a burrito shop and run out of tortillas?

And it was 98% white folks. And as I said, I was the only one in line. Other trucks had mad people. I felt bad for the black folk in their lonely truck and said, "they deserve my money. They drove out here and nobody's givin them a chance. That's rude."

And then I was standin in the hot sun for 15 min and I was like "ohhhhhh I see it."

Sorry they didn't have some cold, soggy waffles and chewy, tepid chicken waiting there for you.

15 minutes is a long time for a food truck tho...

I called in a fried whiting from my soul food joint and they told me 15 minutes... which means when I get there in 15 minutes it will be another 15 minutes.

but the shit is so good, I be waiting.

Don't even know what you mean for 1.

On two though. Folk need to long term think and perhaps communally around the opening of businesses. It shouldn't be about supporting struggling small businesses. It should be about creating a business infrastructure that supports the community at large. Example... trucking company.

But honestly I think it's beyond all of that.

We need to support local manufacturing that produces local jobs. Everything else is just window dressing. If you don't have an employment plan that scales I don't need to support you at all.

█▆▇▅▇█▇▆▄▁▃
Big PEMFin H & z's
"I ain't no entertainer, and ain't trying to be one. I am 1 thing, a musician." � Miles

"When the music stops he falls back in the abyss."

I hope Auset was using hyperbole when saying she may have to go out of biz.

What she is facing is what everyone in business faces... someone will always try to copy, imitate or steal your shit. Not sure you can do anything besides keep making new items or keep reinventing yourself so people keep coming back.

The internet is like one big Canal Street.

That flows into growing employees. If you aren't planning for a competitor to do what you do faster and cheaper you aren't thinking long term. All successful businesses are scalable. Period.

█▆▇▅▇█▇▆▄▁▃
Big PEMFin H & z's
"I ain't no entertainer, and ain't trying to be one. I am 1 thing, a musician." � Miles

"When the music stops he falls back in the abyss."

http://www.huntingtonnews.net/22935

Well to do buppie couple vows to spend all of their money for a year at local black owned businesses in Chicago and documents their experiences. Conclusion was...shit is hard and expensive.

I have no issue supporting Black businesses, but I don't feel that I have to exclusively support them. I will support any business that wants my business whether they are Black owned or not. Poor customer service, subpar products or a combination thereof will result in me taking my $$$ & business elsewhere.

I'll buy Whipped goods before I buy a comparable white brand. I payed WAY more for an Ikire Jones shirt than I'd ever pay to a white designer. That said, Black business don't always meet my needs (and convenience is one of my needs).

Tha's not her only problem, she's said as much herself. It's up to every entreprenuer to figure out what's working and do more of that and figure out what's not working and do less of that and to be brave and try new things.

The online jewelry seller market is completely oversaturated and has been for years and all of them face competition from china and a lot have closed up shop.

Many "handmade" sellers have outsourced their production to asia which Etsy allows and basically encourages this (domestically or overseas) as a means of growth.

Most online sellers who make a living have to sell on multiple venues.

This is where the handmade movement and online selling is at the moment and black businesses aren't excluded from having to deal with it.

I didn't know Etsy let you outsource.

..the truth is plenty of people want to do/be in business with support from the community, without actually knowing/understanding commerce.

i see plenty of businesses (large & small) struggling to stay afloat, mostly because they're being stewarded by inexperienced people. i also know of quite a few business owners that haven't done their due diligence regarding the nature of their chosen market.

i support any business that supports my needs (and the needs of the community) in a consistent, efficient, fair, & professional manner.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

We need to develop expertise before opening businesses.

>We need to develop expertise before opening businesses.

..this is crucial.

*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

It's one thing to own a business...a whole 'nother thing to RUN the business.

I feel bad for black business owners trying to do everything to stay afloat, but being done in by bad/outdated business models. And for the most part, most of them just hire the wrong people.

that is why you see the tech industry moving more and more to folks launch with a minimum viable product

there is a ton of value in what you learn from customers using/experiencing what you are offering

this may mean that first business fails....but the lessons learned from that experience will go a long way in the next venture

so yeah....i think there are some basic business skills that an owner should know (or hire someone else who knows) but i think we also too often get bogged down in trying to learn/plan everything and never end up doing

entrepreneurship is a balancing act

>so yeah....i think there is some basic business skills that an
>owner should know (or hire someone else who knows) but i think
>we also too often get bogged down in trying to learn/plan
>everything and never end up doing
>
>entrepreneurship is a balancing act

while i agree that there will always be growing pains for any new business, it doesn't/shouldn't be at the expense of your clientele/customers. there's value in learning from our own experiences/mistakes, as well as the experience/mistakes of others.

my largest concern is that so many people push to be "entrepreneurs" for the wrong reasons (ie: no respect for authority). everyone wants the privilege of being the boss, but none of the responsibility. i cringe every time i hear someone complain about having to work late (or something unexpected/not listed in their general job description), only to then exclaim "..i can't wait 'til i run my own business..."

all i can do is shake my head.

running your own business (esp a start up) often means a huge sacrifice in personal time (among other things). while i do my best to set up (and adhere to) a decent schedule, i recognize that things can/will happen that force me to adapt. whenever someone asks what time i get off work, my reply is always the same:

when the job is done.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

> i cringe every time i hear
>someone complain about having to work late (or something
>unexpected/not listed in their general job description), only
>to then exclaim "..i can't wait 'til i run my own
>business..."

'cause just recently (last week) my ass was just up until 3am on a Sunday night/Monday morning working on a project only to turn right back around to get up at 6am to continue working on it.

My wife regularly complains about how I'm always in front of my laptop working, but it's what I have to do in order to get this shit poppin.


---------------------------

"Where was the peace when we were getting shot? Where's the peace when we were getting laid out?
Where is the peace when we are in the back of ambulances? Where is the peace then?
They don't want to call for peace then.

i'm saying that folks thinking about starting a business shouldn't get caught up in analysis paralysis
we live in a time of information overload
people will read and read and read
but won't pull the trigger out of fear that they don't know everything
my point is that with business you won't know everything
a lot of the learning comes from getting in the trenches and getting your hands dirty
and we as consumers have to cut these folks some slack sometime
now if the issue is constantly repeated then that is a different story
just my two cents

>i'm saying that folks thinking about starting a business
>shouldn't get caught up in analysis paralysis
>we live in a time of information overload
>people will read and read and read
>but won't pull the trigger out of fear that they don't know
>everything

..but what are they reading? this is why i always encourage people to consider the source. there are plenty of people taking bad advice from those with good intentions. on the flip-side, you find a lot of people refusing good counsel, (cutting corners where they shouldn't), compromising to save $$$ upfront, only to pay even more in the long run.

>my point is that with business you won't know everything
>a lot of the learning comes from getting in the trenches and
>getting your hands dirty
>and we as consumers have to cut these folks some slack
>sometime
>now if the issue is constantly repeated then that is a
>different story
>just my two cents

i disagree here. while i agree that certain facets of business are learned through experience, i don't agree that we have to cut them any slack. there are far too many ways of testing your business model/product/service before bringing it to market. if the issue is lack of experience, find someone with that experience and bring them into the fold. i don't expect anything/anyone to be perfect, but i want to spend my $$$ with reputable businesses that commit to high quality products/services & professionalism.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

for the most part pushes kids towards fortune 500s more so than towards being entrepreneurs.

and support Black Businesses.

Good luck with that shit here tho. This place been white washed and niggas making a little over 30k getting too fancy for Black issues.

while i agree, the first thought should be to support your own, saying "mandatory" is a bit much. i actually make the effort to support black businesses when i hear about them...when i have certain business i do ask around about black owned businesses, but if there isn't one or if the ones i find aren't up to par, i will do business with others.

Auset's problem is NOT with black ppl not supporting her. It's with non-black ppl supporting knock off businesses. Her client base is strong and rocks with her. The ppl buying these asian knock offs are usually asians (japanese) who idolize black culture. her clients aren't leaving her to buy knocks offs...she's making less money than she would if that business didn't exists but they really shouldn't be a threat to her current business because she is reasonably priced and her presence is strong.

And sometimes when I TRY to support, black businesses work on their own hours. like if i want cake, and it's 3 pm in the afternoon, your bakery should be open. but it's not, so i'm going to the jewish bakery that's open until sundown.

Even the hardcore fans of your designs will cop a knock-off or two.

I've known dudes that had real Rolex, Longines, and other watches but still kept a couple of knock-offs around (the expensive, hard to spot knock-offs).

I've know women that had real Coach, YSL, and LV purses but still copped the better looking knock-offs.

Auset's fans will likely do the same. As well meaning as they can be, they still might want a bargain priced item if they see it.

---------------------------

"Where was the peace when we were getting shot? Where's the peace when we were getting laid out?
Where is the peace when we are in the back of ambulances? Where is the peace then?
They don't want to call for peace then.

her prices are reasonable...the knocks off aren't selling for that much cheaper than Auset's. I know, I have seen them. It's not like they are saving a bundle...the second thing I pointed out is her devoted clients, the ones who are really the backbone of her business, won't go cop knock offs. "Fans" may cop knock offs in an effort to save a 1 to 5 dollars...but the people who really got here to where she is, isn't going to buy a knock off.

Her core clientele business should not be affected and that's what really carries her from month to month...not random buyers buying an item here and there. So if she has to close it's because her core clients were never enough to support her business, which didn't seem the case to me. Perhaps it was. But but businesses can't survive on the money of flighty clients who buy one or two items a year. Which goes back to what Cyren said above. ppl have to learn businesses to keep their clients involved.

and have 2 days a week where they're off work and can wear big ass earrings and they're done. big ass earrings aren't something you need to buy new every year like cheap tshirts cause they get dingey. i think this is the kind of busienss that always needs to have new clients. it also doesn't really fill a particular need like say flora's business where people have dry skin and want solutions.

in these discussions.

Support is a donation.

Support, to me, is putting a sticker on your car.. a sign on your lawn.

Support, to me, is buying something you don't really want or need just to help the owner stay in business.

Support, to me, is doing something with no expectation of it actually benefiting you.

But if I provide a service or product you're in need of in exchange for money, that's business. These are two different conversations that are often conflated.

The reason I say this is because you should only do business with those that best fit your idea of reasonable cost, convenience, and quality.

Not out of a sense of obligation.

That sense of obligation leads to resentment if you have a less than favorable experience.. i.e. "that's what I get for trying to SUPPORT Black business". So it often does more harm than good, as it contributes to the negative stigmas and stereotypes of Black business owners.

Death to "support black business". Do business with those that fit your needs FIRST, and if that happens to be a Black business owner, that's a secondary bonus. You should not EXCLUDE Black-owned business from your consideration based on stereotypes, however I do not believe in color being the FIRST consideration.

i like having a certain businesses in my neighborhood so even though they're not always the cheapest, i will buy something from them. it is in all of our best interest on some level to support black businesses so others see people like us succeeding. it's in my best interest to shop occasionally at the local grocer a block down the street so that they're there and open when i just need a lemon or an onion to complete a recipe.

"The reason I say this is because you should only do business with those that best fit your idea of reasonable cost, convenience, and quality."

Your comment speaks to convenience, which should be a factor in your decision as a consumer.

more because they add life to the community rather than they're convenient. i will go to the regualar grocery store and then buy expensive organic coffee at a local shop around the corner same day.

business owner to bank on that mindset. It doesn't help them to identify their competitive difference.

They need to give you more than expensive coffee. It may be in the service, it may be in the vibe of the place itself, but there needs to be more you're getting as a consumer than just the good feeling of helping out an entrepreneur.

>in these discussions.
>
>Support is a donation.
>
>Support, to me, is putting a sticker on your car.. a sign on
>your lawn.
>
>Support, to me, is buying something you don't really want or
>need just to help the owner stay in business.
>
>Support, to me, is doing something with no expectation of it
>actually benefiting you.
>
>But if I provide a service or product you're in need of in
>exchange for money, that's business. These are two different
>conversations that are often conflated.
>
>The reason I say this is because you should only do business
>with those that best fit your idea of reasonable cost,
>convenience, and quality.
>
>Not out of a sense of obligation.
>
>That sense of obligation leads to resentment if you have a
>less than favorable experience.. i.e. "that's what I get for
>trying to SUPPORT Black business". So it often does more harm
>than good, as it contributes to the negative stigmas and
>stereotypes of Black business owners.
>
>Death to "support black business". Do business with those
>that fit your needs FIRST, and if that happens to be a Black
>business owner, that's a secondary bonus. You should not
>EXCLUDE Black-owned business from your consideration based on
>stereotypes, however I do not believe in color being the FIRST
>consideration.
>
>


All of this is why we should support black business... Because it fits OUR needs as a people... Black people separating themeselves from the whole of the group is a bad thing in general for our people. This selfish thinking is what is keeping us down and will never benefit our people in anyway as a whole. Why do you think most Jews are so well off? Because they think of their people first and if they find something better than what their people are doing, then and only then will they use anothers service. You don't have to only support blacks business but the thing is to just think of your kind first. It's simple Mexicans do this all the time, Black people just got all kinds of issues.

If the economic future of blacks race relied on you conducting business with mostly black business would you still uphold the argument you have or would you change your mind?

I don't want people "supporting" me because I'm Black.

I want business because I'm good and what I do fits the needs of the people who elect to receive my services.

But yes, as a consumer I put the total experience inclusive of quality, cost, and convenience over color.

It's great if that leads to a Black owned business, but if it doesn't, it doesn't. And that's fine with me.

I should patronize businesses because they're Black-owned, above all other factors?

Business does not operate in a vacuum, I spent much of my money onblack business on the south side of Chicago and 1 of 2 things was true

1. the service was horrible and I couldn't take it any more

2. the prices were astronomical (likely because the owners did a poor job of managing the value of what they sold)

We need to stop acting like supporting black businesses will immediately = black wealth. The best way for us to get wealth is to get capital and spend it on innovation, not competing in this small-ish zero-sum markets that already have a ton of competition

The thought of "big business" blocking black business is largely moot these days.

so the narrative that "we need to support black business because capitalism is keeping us down with systemic racism" is stupid.

Access to capital is the only barrier for businesses to branch out and provide goods/services that people want.

These days, its a-b-c simple to get a business license to run an e-business and you can nullify how much capital you need.

The fact is that we as a people limit ourselves into where we can play in the business space, its a mental thing, DEFINITELY not a financial thing.

My wife had zero knowledge of how to run a business and now she runs a spa with 15 employees, I watched her go from an idea to a web app and management and competing with others in her space.

We have no excuse. Neither to others.

>The thought of "big business" blocking black business is
>largely moot these days.


>so the narrative that "we need to support black business
>because capitalism is keeping us down with systemic racism" is
>stupid.

We're trying to attain power to do this we must be in cohesion and support each other. It's still a good thing to support black business right? so why downplay the argument... Jews adopted this strategy, look at the position they are in.


>Access to capital is the only barrier for businesses to branch
>out and provide goods/services that people want.
>
>These days, its a-b-c simple to get a business license to run
>an e-business and you can nullify how much capital you need.
>
>The fact is that we as a people limit ourselves into where we
>can play in the business space, its a mental thing, DEFINITELY
>not a financial thing.
>

I can respect this...

>My wife had zero knowledge of how to run a business and now
>she runs a spa with 15 employees, I watched her go from an
>idea to a web app and management and competing with others in
>her space.
>
>We have no excuse. Neither to others.

Very good for her...

One should support black businesses.

and

Auset's company is failing.

Have nothing to do with each other.

I hope she is about to sustain herself through more clients but like people have said in this thread lack of black consumer support isn't what is making Auset's company not as profitable as it once was.

Also I agree with whoever said we shouldn't feel obligated to "support" a business. We purchase goods from a deserving business we don't just blindly support just because they are black like us.

>One should support black businesses.
>
>and
>
>Auset's company is failing.
>
>Have nothing to do with each other.
>
>I hope she is about to sustain herself through more clients
>but like people have said in this thread lack of black
>consumer support isn't what is making Auset's company not as
>profitable as it once was.
>
>Also I agree with whoever said we shouldn't feel obligated to
>"support" a business. We purchase goods from a deserving
>business we don't just blindly support just because they are
>black like us.


Anti-gentrification, cheap alcohol & trying to look pretty in our twilight posting years (c) Big Reg


Get 25% off www.karmaloop.com w/ rep code JR9103 |
Nike, G-Star, Herschel, Adidas (Men's & Women's clothing)

i was trying to say that we should make patronizing black and brown businesses an essential part of our culture. a lot of folks in this post feel that black businesses should not be supported blindly, and that's valid. but i also think that if we really believe supporting black businesses is necessary for us and our future generations to survive an thrive, then we have to figure out ways to make it more of a reality.

if you dont think its necessary, thats one thing. but if you do think its necessary, then why shouldn't we focus on how to get to that point? if it means we need to put our heads together and figure out how to improve black businesses themselves, then thats what we should try to do.

i get that rachel's situation is more about the larger business of manufacturing and i stand corrected on a few points. however i still think businesses like hers need more support and i do not mean financial support in this regard. i mean support in terms of resources, ideas, strategies, etc.

in any case, we need to get our bargaining power up. some kinda way.

some of it is a little disturbing but this is how a lot of black people think when it comes to consumerism.

I think Cyrenyoung pointed out much of the problems of unskilled business failures. I've found that many businesses around here are not prepared to sit in the red for a year or two. They expect and need to make a profit from the beginning.

The other thing is that in general Black people do not trust or respect other Black people. Black business owners, in general, act as if they are entitled to your money. Your money is their reward for showing up at all, not a form of exchange for a service or goods. They run their businesses as if they are employees, not owners. Business training doesn't remove the mistrust and competitive mentality many Black business owners exhibit. They are paralyzed by fear of competition, fear of criticism, mistrust of their communities and people who offer help. Those things combined with customers being treated like supervisors (undependable, excuses, declining service for regulars, price changes at will without explanation or justification, poor long-term preparation, etc.) makes it difficult to remain a long-term customer.

I think we need more local community building and the support for Black business will flow from that, plus they will reinvest in the community and mentor future business owners.

Without even thinking I can name several black-owned restaurants, coffee shops, auto shops, babershops, beauty salons, etc. where this is absolutely NOT the case.

But as long as we treat Black-owned business as its own category, the negative generalizations will persist. Because people associate bad with "Black", and not simply bad business.

So people are free to do business with whomever they like, and can spare me the "support Black business" mindset.

>The other thing is that in general Black people do not trust
>or respect other Black people. Black business owners, in
>general, act as if they are entitled to your money. Your
>money is their reward for showing up at all, not a form of
>exchange for a service or goods. They run their businesses as
>if they are employees, not owners. Business training doesn't
>remove the mistrust and competitive mentality many Black
>business owners exhibit. They are paralyzed by fear of
>competition, fear of criticism, mistrust of their communities
>and people who offer help. Those things combined with
>customers being treated like supervisors (undependable,
>excuses, declining service for regulars, price changes at will
>without explanation or justification, poor long-term
>preparation, etc.) makes it difficult to remain a long-term
>customer.
>

Your statement implies that I'm saying something that deviates from honesty.

I also know of black businesses that don't fit neatly into that generalization, established black businesses that have been around for decades mainly.

You know of those businesses, which of them are mentoring others and going into the community to help the next set of business owners be successful?

I get what you're saying but I don't agree. I also don't believe it to be a problem faced by only "black business". We're talking about black business here and I believe there is a dearth of community cohesion in many local Black communities. I believe it stems from the competition and fear of scarcity that insinuates itself into our communities. I also believe it is present in a number of the businesses we run.

Anecdotally it's unfortunate that I have to call my landscaper several times for service or to get an invoice; or that I have to listen to way too many personal TMI stories at the hairdresser/barber shop; or that my soul food sometimes comes with a side of attitude unless I go to one of the franchised Black-owned spots where the food isn't as good as it was when they were new, but the service is consistently positive; or the number of spots that can't stay open long enough for word of mouth to catch on; or the wait times and being unprepared or understocked. It is not always, but way too often the cost of doing business with Black businesses. I don't treat Black businesses in the same way I do others.

Because I root for Black business I cut a lot of slack and deal with things I wouldn't deal with otherwise. I don't think I'm alone in doing that either. That's why it is, at least from my perspective, supporting Black businesses. With time those that can adjust do. Those that can't adjust don't, so they fail. But sometimes the learning curve is steeper and more "support" is necessary to get them there.


________________________________________
Keep Penis Clean Or Find Genital Spots

>Your statement implies that I'm saying something that
>deviates from honesty.
>

No I'm implying that your statements are better placed with "bad" business, not "black" business. But "bad" is regularly associated with black, so whenever discussion of black business comes about, it's usually dominated by talk of the "bad".

>I also know of black businesses that don't fit neatly into
>that generalization, established black businesses that have
>been around for decades mainly.
>

Yes, we all do.

>You know of those businesses, which of them are mentoring
>others and going into the community to help the next set of
>business owners be successful?
>

Not sure, but that's not my focus. It's up to each individual business to do their homework and tons of them do.

>I get what you're saying but I don't agree. I also don't
>believe it to be a problem faced by only "black business".
>We're talking about black business here and I believe there is
>a dearth of community cohesion in many local Black
>communities. I believe it stems from the competition and fear
>of scarcity that insinuates itself into our communities. I
>also believe it is present in a number of the businesses we
>run.
>
>Anecdotally it's unfortunate that I have to call my landscaper
>several times for service or to get an invoice; or that I have
>to listen to way too many personal TMI stories at the
>hairdresser/barber shop; or that my soul food sometimes comes
>with a side of attitude unless I go to one of the franchised
>Black-owned spots where the food isn't as good as it was when
>they were new, but the service is consistently positive; or
>the number of spots that can't stay open long enough for word
>of mouth to catch on; or the wait times and being unprepared
>or understocked. It is not always, but way too often the cost
>of doing business with Black businesses. I don't treat Black
>businesses in the same way I do others.

Then I would really suggest finding another landscaper, salon, and place to eat. If they aren't doing the job you need the way you need it, find someone who can, regardless. I really mean that. As long as you feel that you are "carrying" or "supporting" those businesses your negative view of "black business" will continue. However, if you only patronize the ones that do a great job, with no feeling of obligation to those that don't, your view should improve.

>
>Because I root for Black business I cut a lot of slack and
>deal with things I wouldn't deal with otherwise. I don't
>think I'm alone in doing that either. That's why it is, at
>least from my perspective, supporting Black businesses. With
>time those that can adjust do. Those that can't adjust don't,
>so they fail. But sometimes the learning curve is steeper and
>more "support" is necessary to get them there.
>

Cutting slack is fine, but only within reason. If these businesses are egregiously bad as it pertains to the things that really matter, they simply don't deserve your business. But that goes for any business regardless of race.

>Your statement implies that I'm saying something that
>deviates from honesty.
>

No I'm implying that your statements are better placed with "bad" business, not "black" business. But "bad" is regularly associated with black, so whenever discussion of black business comes about, it's usually dominated by talk of the "bad".

>I also know of black businesses that don't fit neatly into
>that generalization, established black businesses that have
>been around for decades mainly.
>

Yes, we all do.

>You know of those businesses, which of them are mentoring
>others and going into the community to help the next set of
>business owners be successful?
>

Not sure, but that's not my focus. It's up to each individual business to do their homework and tons of them do.

>I get what you're saying but I don't agree. I also don't
>believe it to be a problem faced by only "black business".
>We're talking about black business here and I believe there is
>a dearth of community cohesion in many local Black
>communities. I believe it stems from the competition and fear
>of scarcity that insinuates itself into our communities. I
>also believe it is present in a number of the businesses we
>run.
>
>Anecdotally it's unfortunate that I have to call my landscaper
>several times for service or to get an invoice; or that I have
>to listen to way too many personal TMI stories at the
>hairdresser/barber shop; or that my soul food sometimes comes
>with a side of attitude unless I go to one of the franchised
>Black-owned spots where the food isn't as good as it was when
>they were new, but the service is consistently positive; or
>the number of spots that can't stay open long enough for word
>of mouth to catch on; or the wait times and being unprepared
>or understocked. It is not always, but way too often the cost
>of doing business with Black businesses. I don't treat Black
>businesses in the same way I do others.

Then I would really suggest finding another landscaper, salon, and place to eat. If they aren't doing the job you need the way you need it, find someone who can, regardless. I really mean that. As long as you feel that you are "carrying" or "supporting" those businesses your negative view of "black business" will continue. However, if you only patronize the ones that do a great job, with no feeling of obligation to those that don't, your view should improve.

>
>Because I root for Black business I cut a lot of slack and
>deal with things I wouldn't deal with otherwise. I don't
>think I'm alone in doing that either. That's why it is, at
>least from my perspective, supporting Black businesses. With
>time those that can adjust do. Those that can't adjust don't,
>so they fail. But sometimes the learning curve is steeper and
>more "support" is necessary to get them there.
>

Cutting slack is fine, but only within reason. Continuing to spend your money with them doesn't do anything for you or them in the long run. If these businesses are egregiously bad as it pertains to the things that really matter, they simply don't deserve your business. But that goes for any business regardless of race.

I don't believe it is isolated to the black community. I am more familiar with issues facing the Black community and am more willing to cut certain businesses slack. My support isn't just money. I speak to them and offer them my criticism or suggestions. Things to watch out for as indicators of their future success and or failure, and resources.
Some fail and some succeed. I invest time into people who are actually trying to get it right.

Not patronizing a business you don't like is a good way to let your dollars speak. However I'm supporting the business because I want to see them grow and pass the information on. I tell them so they can correct their mistakes at the time instead of watching them close and blaming them for all the information they didn't know and the resources they didn't realize were available.

Not everyone is built to be a business owner, but kudos to those who try. We need more like them.
________________________________________
Keep Penis Clean Or Find Genital Spots

a post asking for a listing of Black Owned Businesses...I tried to start an ongoing post where you could insert the biz.... it fell off though....



"Get ready..for your blessing..."