Welcome to Breaking the Blueprint — a weblog sequence that dives into the distinctive enterprise challenges and alternatives of underrepresented enterprise homeowners and entrepreneurs. Learn the way they’ve grown or scaled their companies, explored entrepreneurial ventures inside their firms, or created aspect hustles, and the way their tales can encourage and inform your personal success.
White-owned companies obtain a mean of $18,500 in exterior fairness at funding, in comparison with simply $500 for Black-owned companies.
On prime of that, it may also be difficult for Black entrepreneurs to search out mentorship, assets, and even neighborhood with different enterprise homeowners with their shared experiences.
Fortunately, there are cities the place Black entrepreneurs, previous, current, and future, thrive and have entry to the assets and help they want. Learn on to find 5 of the highest cities for Black entrepreneurs.
Prime Cities for Black Entrepreneurs
1. Washington, D.C.
Typically known as the Chocolate Metropolis, Washington D.C. was the primary majority Black main metropolis in the USA in 1957.
Its Black inhabitants has lessened since then, however LendingTree ranks it the second-best metropolis for Black Entrepreneurs, with 8,649 of its 111,872 companies being Black-owned with a mean income of 95,230 (in line with IncFile).
Black entrepreneurs within the metropolis have entry to varied packages, assets, and help, just like the Higher Washington DC Black Chamber of Commerce, Black Owned Small Enterprise Expo, and the Washington Space Neighborhood Funding Fund.
It’s additionally residence to HBCU Howard College, the place HubSpot has made vital investments in serving to college students with entrepreneurial pursuits develop their abilities, a few of whom is likely to be concerned about working for a brand new enterprise enterprise.
2. Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas, is the birthplace of Beyoncé and Megan Thee Stallion, two well-known Black girls with profitable entrepreneurial ventures.
Nearly 4 thousand of over 111,041 companies within the metropolis are Black-owned, however the metropolis makes up for it in its choices. For instance:
The Black Advertising and marketing Initiative brings Black entrepreneurs by way of a coaching, mentoring, and networking program to assist them succeed.
3. Atlanta, Georgia
Dubbed the Black Mecca, Atlanta is residence to well-known Black entrepreneurs like Rick Ross and Cardi B. In a metropolis of 113,110 companies, 7,539 (6.75%) are Black-owned, which means that there’s a neighborhood of Black entrepreneurs that already dwell there.
Atlanta additionally has ample assets and alternatives for Black enterprise homeowners, just like the Atlanta Black Chambers, the College of Georgia Workplace of Small Enterprise Growth’s Multicultural Enterprise Division, and occasions like WeBuyBlack that champion Black-owned companies and their merchandise.
Morehouse School and Spelman School, two HBCUs, are additionally within the metropolis, so current enterprise and entrepreneurship graduates desperate to be taught and make an influence are doubtless open to development alternatives.
4. Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina’s largest metropolis, is residence to the Mecklenburg Funding Firm, the primary Black financed and occupied constructing within the metropolis. When it first opened it housed quite a few Black companies, and the realm across the constructing turned generally known as Black Wall Avenue as companies prospered.
With such a wealthy historical past of Black entrepreneurship, Charlotte is price contemplating for entrepreneurs seeking to set up roots and develop their companies — 14,000 Black entrepreneurs have already completed so.
Organizations just like the North Carolina Black Entrepreneurship Council and Black Enterprise House owners of Charlotte provide help, neighborhood, recommendation, and illustration from these with comparable experiences. Town can be residence to BLCKTECHLT, a enterprise that assists startups in bringing their concepts to market, serving to with branding, funding, discovering assets, and mentoring alternatives.
5. Richmond, Virginia
The Jackson Ward Neighborhood of Richmond, VA, is likely one of the first Black Wall Avenue communities. Richmond’s Maggie Lena Walker was the primary African-American girl to constitution a financial institution and function financial institution president.
This entrepreneurial neighborhood remains to be prevalent and thriving, and LendingTree has ranked it third in its listing of finest cities for Black entrepreneurs, with 7% of companies within the metropolis being Black-owned and a 79.54% startup survival fee for the state of Virginia.
Entrepreneurs in Richmond may also discover help and neighborhood within the Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce, Virginia Black Enterprise Expo, BLCK Avenue Convention, and the Jackson Ward Collective, which connects Black entrepreneurs with the assets they should obtain their targets.
Black Neighborhood Help Can Assist Black Entrepreneurs Thrive
One of many important issues for Black entrepreneurs is having neighborhood help from folks with shared experiences. Take inventory of what’s most necessary to you as you begin your new enterprise — all the cities on this listing have lots to supply and would possibly simply be the birthplace of your profitable enterprise.
