INDIANAPOLIS — August is National Black Business Month.
WRTV's Amber Grigley met with The Indy Black Chamber to see how black-owned businesses are doing in the Circle City and learn about the support available for entrepreneurs.
"Black Business Month means an opportunity to highlight other businesses that normally would not receive the amount of attraction and exposure that will help them flourish," Leland Baptist, Marketing Director and Consultant with Indy Black Chamber, said.
An opportunity for black-owned businesses to capitalize and remain in profit.
In 2020, there was a 60% increase nationwide in the number of new black entrepreneurs. A boost Baptist said the Circle City experienced, but now post-pandemic.
"Many of those businesses have basically decimated. I would say a 50% drop-off from those actually incorporated during the pandemic to now," Baptist said.
"I've been in business since 2020," Tiffany Richmond, Owner of Tiff’s Love Butta, said.
Richmond told WRTV her business was inspired by her love of seafood, with a side of butter. Now her product is soaring across the circle city.
"My customers are great, my food is great, the place I'm at is great. It's just an ongoing issue of finding good accountants and good marketing people. People that will help you push your business to the next level," Richmond said.
All difficulties Baptist said black-owned businesses are now struggling with. The issue forced Indy Black Chamber to come up with a strategic plan.
"Our growth method will specialize on generating and also building relationships," said Baptist. "We want our business owners now to start using this method to become wiser and stretch that advertising and marketing budget to get a good turn on investment."
An investment Richmond said she's already preparing for her business.
"I'm planning on next year to be really big. I want to go international," Richmond said.
