Being Black in Business

By Deanne Gage

the number of Black-owned businesses in Canada is unknown, but according to a recent study by Abacus Data, 76% of Black Canadian entrepreneurs surveyed believe their race makes it harder to succeed. Black Business Journal asked three Black entrepreneurs what helped them overcome barriers and be successful in business.

Have a simple idea.

“All great businesses start with a small idea that fits a need”, says Nevell Provo, founder and CEO of Smooth Meal Prep in Halifax. Provo’s brainchild began when he was a national-level university athlete. Pressed for time, he needed convenient healthy foods to eat on the go. Turns out, many other people have a similar need or abhor cooking themselves.

For nearly two decades, Calgary entrepreneur Brian Lanier worked in executive positions for several major corporations. Faced with corporate drudgery and subtle microaggressions in

...As Lanier put it, “money talks.”

the workplace, Lanier chose to venture out on his own. Lanier built his consulting firm, The Leaders Circle, on what he already knew — leadership development training for executives.

Seeing the footage of the killing of George Floyd in May 2020 however, deeply affected Lanier. “I realized I had the capacity to make a difference in how businesses operate going forward,” he said. Within a week, he pivoted his firm to focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. “It’s about helping to create business cultures where everyone has the experience of feeling like they belong”.

After years of working as a stylist in Toronto, Chantal Carter noticed melanin models rarely owned undergarments that matched their skin tone – a requirement in the fashion industry. She believed she could fill that void by designing her own undergarments thus setting the foundation for Love and Nudes, a line of intimate clothing for women of colour.

Don’t give up. Keep going.

Carter first pitched her idea to a white investor, but he rejected it, asserting that four different skin tones was too many for a product line. “Never mind that bra stores offer every colour including red and purple,” she noted. “Why can’t there be a range of brown bras?” The investor’s feedback didn’t deter Carter; she explored other funding opportunities. Some loans required immediate repayments — not appealing to a burgeoning business. She was eventually approved for a line of credit big enough to grow Love & Nudes. She’s still seeking additional financing options for future business expansion.

Lanier applied for an increase to his line of credit, but his bank informed him that he “didn’t have a track record.” But when significant revenue from a top client started flowing through his account with each passing year, the bank finally extended his line of credit. As Lanier put it, “money talks.”

Join networking groups.

Lanier is the vice-chair of advocacy for the newly founded Calgary Black Chambers, a non-profit group of local Black professionals and entrepreneurs committed to ending systemic racism. He also recommends networking on LinkedIn, reading posts and articles that resonate with you, or joining like-minded Facebook groups. “People naturally want to help people,” he says. “Start by reaching out to people who look like you. If you happen to encounter somebody who isn’t helpful, it doesn’t mean there aren’t others who will help. As a testament to our ancestors, we must resist the temptation to go it alone and we must persevere in transforming the system.”