VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) – August is National Black Business Month, an annual celebration recognizing Black entrepreneurs and their contributions to America’s economy.
Across the South Georgia region, the Southern Georgia Black Chamber has maintained a membership of over 80 Black businesses, nonprofits and employers – connecting them to resources on the state and federal level. According to the Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, Black entrepreneurs own 3.5 million businesses and employ over 1.2 million people across the U.S., which is a 7% increase in jobs created by Black-owned businesses in the past year.
“The resources that the Southern Georgia Black Chambers provides is invaluable as an individual or person looking to start a new business,” Shelbra McKnight, Bright Start Preschool and Learning Center owner said. “It gives you a head start and you don’t have to make a lot of the mistakes that lots of business owners make through trial and error, you have resources available to give you good guidance from the start.”
Dewayne Johnson, president and CEO of the Southern Georgia Black Chamber, said that many businesses share the same struggles, but Black-owned businesses are 10 times more likely to fail due to the lack of resources presented. This is why the chamber has developed partnerships with businesses of all kinds.
“It’s very important for businesses just starting out to get the right resources as soon as possible,” Johnson said. “That’s one thing that has been prevalent in our Black business community, that’s why we celebrate Black Business Month and we celebrate our businesses within the Southern Georgia Black Chamber; primarily because we historically have been lost from that conversation.”
Over the last few years, the chamber has developed a system for business owners to access resources to start to scale businesses; and connect with a supportive network of Black entrepreneurs. Together, we can build generational wealth, close the racial wealth gap, get your voices heard and advocate for change.
“What we need to do in our smaller communities where we are underserved and under-resourced is now bring the resources in by working together,” Johnson said. “And that’s why we want to make sure that we provide an ecosystem where we are stronger together.”
To close Black Business Month, SGBC is hosting the Black Economic Expo at the South Georgia Regional Library on Saturday, August 31, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., bringing state and federal business resources to one room.
Scan the QR code below with another device, or visit the website below to register.
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