Butterflies in Business
African American Women Are Getting Down To Business
Today, African American women are truly getting down to business. It seems that having a small business is big business. It’s hard to believe that Black women-owned enterprises were almost non-existent many years ago.
According to the National Women’s Business Council, there are 911,728 African American women-owned businesses in the United States. This reflects a tremendous 66.7% increase in number since 2002 and a 191.4% increase since 1997.
Obviously, many women have done what it takes to enter the corporate market and build a strong revenue base.
Since caring is sharing, successful strategies most often cited by women business enterprises and corporate purchasing professionals are listed below:
Cultivate relationships – network with industry movers and shakers and maintain connections to a diverse group to increase your chances of receiving good referrals.
Increase your visibility – use marketing to promote you, your products, and your services.
Expand opportunities through subcontracting – align your business with contractors as a way of participating in the corporate marketplace.
Get certified – let certification validate your firm as a major woman-owned firm and operated company.
Be Responsive – remember that change is inevitable. Business owners must always be ready to adapt to a changing business climate and environment.
Use cost effective strategies – always strive to cut operational costs whenever possible.
Let your creativity flow – strive to be creative and think out of the box to develop winning strategies. Also, stay abreast of new technological and social media trends.
Persevere until the end– hold steadfast to your dreams and have faith in your talents and abilities.
These are just a few strategies that have helped women-owned businesses to survive and thrive! With such record growth over the past years, African American women-owned firms are likely to continue to prosper and soar to new heights. They will continue getting down to business.
To read full article, go to: Kennedy Center Names First Director of Hip-Hop Culture | NBC4 Washington
