5 minute read
Support black businesses
SUPPORT BLACK BUSINESSES FOR COMMUNITY GROWTH
It’s estimated that the spending power of UK black consumers is £300 billion and the question that is often asked is how much of that is spent within our community?
Two years ago, The Voice published The Voice Black Business Guide magazine to highlight self-sustained small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) and sole traders across the United Kingdom. Many of these businesses are run by unsung heroes and heroines, and their products and services contribute significantly to the UK economy.
The Voice will continue to highlight the valuable contribution that these businesses are making, not only by generating wealth for the community and revenue through taxes for the economy, but in job creation as well.
According to figures released in 2018, more than 55,000 businesses have been launched with the help of government start-up loans since 2012, creating more than 66,000 jobs. Significantly more than twenty percent of these enterprises are black owned.
With the global pandemic Covid-19 adversely affecting our lives and the livelihood of black business owners and their families, it is even more crucial that they get our support.
The Voice is calling on everyone to consciously support black businesses now more than ever.
This Voice Black Business Guide is important as it gives these businesses a platform to showcase their many products and services to a wider audience and enable people to find them. Potential customers in Leeds can be aware of black business establishments in London and use their services. Likewise, someone in the Midlands can buy from a supplier in Kent or other parts of the country.
This third edition of The Voice Black Business Guide covers businesses in a wider range of sectors – from the hair and beauty industry to health and wellness.
When the guide was first published in October 2018, it was followed by the first Voice Black Business Fair at Lambeth Town Hall in Brixton, south London. The event attracted over 2,000 visitors who were eager to support black businesses and purchase their gifts in time for Christmas.
The second staging of the Business Fair took place in December 2019 at the newly refurbished Fairfield Halls, in Croydon and many of the businesses featured in this guide also exhibited at the show. Unfortunately, we are not able to host the Business Fair this year, but hopefully it will be back in 2021!
Spending your money with black-owned businesses will create wealth in our community and pave the way for future generations.
Black Pages Directory
Connecting you with the Black and Caribbean Business Community
Naturally tribal skincare was born from Founder Shalom Lloyd’s personal experience. In 2014 after four IVF cycles “I was blessed with the birth of my twins”. Son, Joshua had “miserable eczema – scratch ‘till you bleed’ irritation” Not able to bear the idea of putting chemical emollients and steroids on her babies’ skin, as a qualified pharmacist she knew there was another solution.
“I understand the enormous value of medical treatments; however, our skin is a huge exchange organ which absorbs a lot of what we put on it. So, when you think about it, what we put on ourselves, and our family’s skin, should be just as important as what we eat.”
Looking to her African heritage for inspiration, she recalled recipes containing all-natural ingredient. Experimenting in her kitchen using high quality Shea Butter as a main base, Shalom stumbled across the right formulation and within three days of applications, Joshua’s skin was cleared.
Shalom who is currently taking part in the NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator in Milton Keynes shared the following with us.
Q: What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
A: I consider myself a 50/50 nurture entrepreneur. I was born to entrepreneurial parents, have always had the desire to discover, create, innovate, build, change and solve. At the same time, I have learned and acquired
a number of entrepreneurial skills along the way.
Q: Do you have a mission?
A: To transform natural ingredients into amazing products by ethically sourcing organic seeds, tree nuts, oils and turning them into innovative and enriching premium skincare products for skin conditions. Achieving this whilst at the same time changing lives and protecting the natural environment from which these unique ingredients originate. Our vision is to become a sustainable business built on ethical sourcing, innovation, empowerment and love for our planet, on a mission to become the leading indie skincare brand that inspires everyone to love their skin, naturally!
Q: What positive impact does the business have on your community?
A: Our business goes beyond the Naturally Tribal range of skincare products and now gives us the chance to make real difference, improving the lives of women in Africa who make the high-quality Shea used in our products.
Q: What have you learned from being on the accelerator programme?
A: I have learned the meaning of one of my favourite proverbs - “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”
This is what the Accelerator does! We are not alone, we have the support of Accelerator managers as well as a community of cross-industry fellow entrepreneurs. I am pleased that it is open to myself and my team. n
Find Naturally Tribal at: www.naturallytribalgroup.com Facebook: Naturally Tribal Twitter: @NaturallyTribal Instagram: @naturallytribal LinkedIn: Naturally Tribal
n Helping the UK’s entrepreneurs get their business off the ground and thrive in their communities is central to the bank’s strategy. We want to help more people start and grow their business than ever before, helping them achieve success and contribute to a strong national economy. Now more than ever, it is vital to have the right tools and support businesses and entrepreneurs at all stages (whether you’re just starting out or an established business looking to make a change). It’s free and you don’t even have to be a NatWest customer to join. Business Builder is entirely self serve and can be accessed 24/7 through the dedicated online portal. It was designed to support entrepreneurs and business owners to upskill and develop themselves and their business at a time and pace that suits them. Users can access a blended programme of support consisting of three key pillars:
