According to recent news reports, Black banks are falling on hard times, with many of them struggling to remain relevant. Of course, part of the problem is that the Great Recession has hit the Black community particularly hard.
But as the Huffington Post pointed out this past week, many customers are fleeing to larger banks that offer more services and branches.
And so many Black businesses find themselves in the classic Catch-22. Black businesses often don’t have the resources to provide the most comprehensive services, so they lose customers to businesses that do. But without a strong customer base they’ll never gain the cash flow needed to offer the comprehensive services that attract customers in the first place.
Complicating the situation, one bad experience with a Black-owned business often taints our view of other Black businesses.
As a member of a large African-American student organization, I watched as we decided to use the services of a local Black-owned business to print conference programs for our national convention. This was a critical task as advertisements placed by sponsors in the program helped pay the $100,000+ conference costs.
The final product was riddled with so many spelling mistakes and factual errors that it would have made a second grader blush with embarrassment. The financial ramifications were huge.
I have to admit, my confidence in Black businesses plummeted after that fiasco. But only later did I realize how shortsighted I had been in my assessment. We seem to be one of the few minority groups that will so quickly dismiss all of our businesses because of a few bad apples.
How many times had I put up with incompetence and shoddy service from multinational corporations? My own national bank recently lost $200 from my account, accidently giving it to another customer. Had experiences like that made me vow never to use the services of another large corporation?
For that matter, how often do African-Americans repeatedly shop at businesses in their communities that are owned by people of other ethnicities, even when they charge us sky high prices, offer lousy service, and treat us with frank disrespect?
Yes, my one bad experience had blinded me. Looking back now, I can objectively recount many fine African-American businesses that have offered me exemplary service.
As I’ve matured, I’ve learned to be open to businesses of all sizes, from mom and pop stores to the multinationals, and I patronize businesses owned by anyone, whether they be Asian, Mexican, Italian, or Black.
And since many Black businesses reinvest in their communities with jobs, services, and investment dollars, I am particularly open to trying any Black businesses I come across.
But while Black businesses deserve a shot at our business, I do not necessarily believe they automatically deserve our loyalty. As with any other business, only respect, great customer service, and a good product is deserving of that.
BMWK, do you go out of your way to support African-American businesses? Has a bad experience ever rocked your faith in other Black owned businesses? Would you support a Black business even if it could not provide you with all the services that a large national corporation could?
Roger Madison says
Should you go out of your way to support Black businesses? The short answer is YES!
Now, the long answer. The upward mobility struggle of African Americans over our history in this country indicates that we accomplish the most when we achieve a level of unity that can make a difference. That unity makes it possible to collaborate with others with greater resources. What that means is that the advance of any individual Black person is closely tied to that of all the others. I am a disciple of Nelson Mandela, and in South Africa it is called “The Spirit of Ubuntu — which means, I am because of who we are.” So, we should go out of our way to make sure that “we become all that we can become through supporting one another.”
The practical appication of this charge is easier in the 21st century, where the virtual Black community can be accessed via the Internet — just as we are having this virtual dialog. We should look for local alterntives, as well as virtual alternatives to help create a critical mass of Black-owned businesses who have the capacity to offer services that are offered by mainstream organizations with more resources. We need to be as careful about our decisions to support Black businesses as we are with decisions about mainstream businesses. We should no more support a business simply because the owner is Black than any more than we would use a single thnic criteria to support another business.
There is another very practical application. Most of the employees of Black-owned businesses are Black. So supporting the growth and success of Black-owned businesses will have a positive impact on Black unemployment.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have been spending the past 6 years compiling a directory of Black-owned businesses at https://www.izania.com/black-owned-businesses/. There are more than 2680 businesses listed FREE. We also share as much information as possible through our weekly newsletter.
We should use directories like this, and others to “go out of our way to support Black-owned businesses.” The effort is not difficult. And the reality is that we have reached a stage of progress where there are no new federal government set aside programs, or affirmative action programs at the state and local levels. The answer to the progress of Black businesses is that they need as much support from within the community as possible to help gain the capacity to compete in the mainstream.
This is a question where our answer is definitely a part of the solution, or a part of the problem.
Briana Myricks says
Have I? No. Should I? Yes. Being an upcoming black entrepreneur, I would want to be supported, so I should do the same. I’ve had some bad experiences in the past, and it’s frustrating and disheartening, but I’m not going to let it set my mind for the rest of the businesses out there.
Chelsea Allen says
I try to, and I have in the past and will continue to do so in the future. However, I am often faced with a more relaxed attitude when dealing with black businesses. Its like because they are black and I’m black I should “understand” more when the services are delayed or not what I expected. That is what bothers me. I know things happen as with any business, but why should I as a customer paying my hard earned money expect anything less than the service I am paying for?
Pamperuandco says
Our money. as a race stays in our community for only for hours according stats . That is why we as blacks are no longer counted on the unemploment charts . As a whole we are not in the employment Business When we support our black businesses ,we help employ another races ,,,, ie communities .How many Asian employ black people, How many hispanics employ our people ??? Stop being a consumer ( to be consumed by others ) Built businesses. support Black Business Developed your own Community Please before it to late for our grand children
Larry L. Wright says
I think we need not look at the black picture. I operate a black business, however if you didn’t ask or see it you would never know the business was black owned. We need to be professional at all times. I love to see a black business doing well, so yes support the businesses all over your communities.
On the other hand, let stop looking to pay .50 cent for the cookie if it cost $1 dollar, just because your my brother or sister. Stop stealing and robbing from your black owned business. We are killing our own business slowly and the future of the children on the community. The business blacks operate need to be passed down to family, not closed down.We already have to pay more for supplies, gas, food, and housing from the truly rich (Bush).
Other races often lose focus and allows a curve or cut from customer service just because we the black customer allow a lesser service or a higher price just because we are black. All pricing is higher in the inner city. All you need to do is look around you.
Keep this in mind, whites support whites business, hispanics really support hispanics, asians always support asians, blacks need to support blacks….. blacks need to alway be professional and proud of your businesses.
The answer is yes support your black businesses and stop giving the customer less quilty for there moneies no matter the color. Help your child see the road you’ve worked hard to pave. The long days and night it take to reach the dream of a black american. Remember lets pass it down, not close it down!!