The Black upStart Trains Entrepreneurs to Launch Businesses

We want to increase the number of Black-owned businesses that have the capacity to employ others, is the mission of  The Black upStart based in Atlanta. The organization hosts a creative mix of training, content, and social media activity to educate and inspire entrepreneurs to action.

I was really impressed with the work they’re doing to quantify Black spending power. They created an app to allow consumers to upload their receipts for purchases made at Black-owned businesses.

 

 

 

The MyBlackReceipt site aggregates this money and visitors can see the collective total spending. You can also follow the hashtag #myblackreceipt.

For June 19 (Juneteenth) – July 6, 2020, the goal was to reach $5 million in spending with Black-owned businesses. The actual receipts added up to nearly $7.7 million blowing the goal out of the water.

How do you find the businesses? The app integrates YELP listings and business owners “self-identify” as Black-owned. Yeah, I know this is sketchy but this area that could be tightened as the project moves along and builds momentum.

Having the proper mindset is critical for business success. For The Black upStart, this is embodied in “the hustle” approach. CEO Kezia Williams advises to be a “risk-taker, be open-minded, fail forward, and respect the journey”.

Williams brings ten years of experience training African Americans to start successful and profitable businesses. She has managed initiatives for two national nonprofit organizations that serve African-American donors and entrepreneurs.

At this moment focusing on economic development, empowerment, and building generational wealth is critical.

[tweet_box]Too often moments are fleeting and there is no sustainable Movement.[/tweet_box]

The heightened interest, social media, and digital tools provide exciting new means to finally leverage the more than $1.3 trillion in annual spending by African Americans.

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normbond

NORM BOND is widely recognized as an international authority on marketing, social media and public relations. He's passionate about using social media and digital technology as tools for economic development of the global African community. He blogs at BlackEconomicDevelopment.com and NormBondMarkets.com

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