Many aspiring black entrepreneurs are hesitant to start a black business aimed at a black customer base for fear that they won’t be supported as black business owners or by black patronage. We hear too often that black businesses don’t do good business, and the black community doesn’t support black businesses. This economic plague that continues to poison our communities is sadly based on many myths and outright lies that we foolishly believe, and even sadder, it’s also based on many realities.
With those odds stacked against us, it’s no wonder why some people think that I must be crazy by proclaiming in my free ebook that black entrepreneurs can make money with websites aimed at black target audiences.
You can call me crazy all you want, but I don’t buy into the myth that blacks won’t support black businesses and specifically black websites. The whole purpose of BlackWebSuccess is to dispel those myths by showcasing successful black web entrepreneurs so that we can inspire other wannabe black entrepreneurs by giving them examples of successful people who look like themselves.
When it comes to supporting black business, it’s true that we need step our game up a millions times over, but I’m going to demonstrate how blacks are already supported in business no matter what the B.S. myths and lies say. Pay attention.
BLACKS GENERATE A TON OF MONEY, BUT FOR WHO?
I recently watched the VH-1 documentary The Tanning of America from the book of the same title, and was astounded by how influential black rappers, athletes and entertainers from the Hip Hop culture have been all across the world. I have always known that they had huge impacts on popular culture, and that major money was being made, but this documentary put actual numbers to the millions and billions of dollars that were generated.
Like I said, I knew that hip hop’s influence was big, but I didn’t know that rappers actually saved companies like Courvoisier from going out of business. I knew that hip hoppers loved Timberland boots, but I didn’t know that it was essentially an unknown brand until rappers put them on the map. I remember the Tommy Hilfiger craze that all the kids had from my high school and college days. I even remember when Snoop Dogg rocked a Tommy shirt on Saturday Night Live. What I didn’t know was that the very next day his fans rushed to the department stores and grabbed everything Tommy Hilfiger sold off of the racks.
That’s what I didn’t know. What I do know is that those celebrities who generated millions of dollars for those mostly white owned companies have black faces. Those same black faces disproved the myths that white people wouldn’t support or buy from black people. Not only did whites support these rappers with their buying power, races all over the globe spent enormous money also.
Although the lion’s share of money was being made by white corporations, no matter what you call it, people were spending their hard earned cash because of the black men and women who directly endorsed brands via commercial and print ads, fashion shows, product placement in videos and concerts and so much more. They also indirectly endorsed brands by simply being tastemakers and trendsetters with their own personal styles, and name dropping what brands they thought were cool in the lyrics of their music.
SO WHAT’S MY POINT AND WHAT DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH BLACK WEBSITES?
My point is that blacks are supported in business to the tune of billions of dollars.
Did you catch what I said? Blacks are supported in business; unfortunately, it’s mostly for the financial benefit of non-black businesses instead of black businesses. This is still powerful nonetheless, because support is support and if customers will buy products because of endorsements from black people, then surely they will buy directly from black companies.
We often hear about how people…specifically black people…don’t support black business. The reasons we don’t support black businesses are often the result of bullshit myths about how terrible our business practices are.
You know the ones: Black businesses don’t open on time. Their prices are too high. Black people have terrible customer service, etc.
These detrimental stereotypes make aspiring black entrepreneurs scared to even go into business. They are also scared to aim their business at black consumers or even identify themselves as black businesses.
Hey! I get it, and I understand, but this inappropriate behavior must stop. The rappers have proved that blacks will be supported in business and many have even proved that rappers will be supported in black owned businesses.
YOU STILL HAVEN’T TOLD ME WHAT IT HAS TO DO WITH BLACK WEBSITES
The internet has changed the way business is conducted in the world and has made it easier for average Joes like you and me to knock down the barriers of entry into the business world. Savvy entrepreneurs are striking virtual gold on a daily basis and have access to customers all over the world. All of this is being accomplished from their computers. Internet business is the future. It’s actually the present, and we have barely scratched the surface of how huge and profitable it will be and it’s already pretty huge and profitable.
Black entrepreneurs are staking their claims online as well. However many are missing out on huge revenue opportunities by overlooking a target audience that they know intimately, by chasing everybody online instead of their own people. I touched on this a little more here.
Reaching a broad market is always optimal, but sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees. Although your reach can literally extend to the whole world, most success in online business comes from serving specific niche markets.
Many black webpreneurs bypass targeting black consumers and try to avoid being labeled as having black websites because they have bought into the myth that black consumers won’t support them because it is often said that blacks don’t support black business. As I mentioned previously, blacks are supported in business and that’s a fact, so that is a weak excuse.
DON’T BE AFRAID TO BET ON BLACK…OR YOURSELF
I hope that I have demonstrated to you that blacks are supported in business, way more than the lies and myths would have you to believe. I further hope that I have also inspired you to take action and create your own black business whether it is a website or a traditional brick and mortar one.
We can no longer allow fear and ignorance to be a barrier that keeps us from achieving great business success whether online or offline.
Fearing that our people won’t support our ventures should cease to be a problem when you consider all of the successful black websites that have disproved this with their success. I spoke about a few of them here. If they succeeded, then you can too.
Being ignorant of how influential and business savvy black entrepreneurs truly are because you bought the lies that were sold to you that said that we weren’t. This should no longer be a part of your mindset. Once you break free of that ignorance, then you should be super motivated to want to follow in their footsteps. I know that I’m super motivated.
Go ahead and take that leap to launch your website, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain and once you have it up and running, don’t forget to let us at BWS know about it so that we can all support you. Don’t forget to check out my free ebook Make Money Online Just By Being Black and good luck.
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