THE WHY
Black Women Business Owners of America is a business association that supports African American women business owners, entrepreneurs, and startup founders across the country. The women owns businesses in beauty, retail, real estate, restaurant, food & beverage, healthcare, financial & tax, marketing & communications, creative services, HR, and more.
According the the Black Women Business Startup Report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, African American women are the fastest growing group of business owners in the United States, having grown nearly 180% and doubled sales receipts to $42 billion. Despite these remarkable growth rates, African American women business owners still face significant challenges such as lack of financing, business knowledge, business mentoring, access to resources, and marketing.
"The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City recommends taking an entrepreneurship ecosystem building approach to support black women who own businesses. This approach looks at reforming, expanding, or developing organizations, institutions and programs that take a culturally sensitive and inclusive approach to supporting the needs of black women within a community context."
And that is where Black Women Business Owners of America comes in. Having been founded by two black women entrepreneurs, they have faced the same challenges, and wanted to create a network, a community, a support system of black women business owners to network & support each other; share resources & and information; do business with each other; and promote each other businesses.
Why is cultivating black women entrepreneurs important?
Looking back at the report, it states, "Businesses owned by black women tend to be significantly smaller on average than other business ownership identified by race and gender. However, research shows that these microbusinesses provide valuable contributions to local economies. Research also shows that an increase in entrepreneurial activity is associated with faster local economic growth, provides a potential pathway to developing economically challenged communities, and provides local jobs and improves the tax base."