Black owned businesses and entrepreneurs need our support every day. Buying from and promoting Black owned businesses shouldn’t be relegated to certain holidays or special occasions.
In my Portland Black Owned Businesses post, I said that my goal is to spend more money with Black owned businesses, so I put together this guide to help you do the same. By the end of this guide, you will be able to:
- Easily buy from Black owned businesses on a regular basis
- Allocate the money you’re already spending to Black owned businesses
Let’s get started!
Step 1: Look at your budget!
If you don’t have one, create one using these resources [from Black women entrepreneurs]:
- The Budgetnista’s My Money List template
- Talk Money with Tonya (of My Fab Finance) Creating and Sticking to a Budget YouTube video
- The Finance Bar’s 5 Tips for Easy Breezy Budgeting
Step 2: Choose one expense category.
Utilities and rent (or mortgage) might be challenging, so start with another category such as food, entertainment, or toiletries.
I’m going to use the toiletries expense category.
Step 3: Identify and list the purchases within your expense category.
Some example purchases in the toiletries expense category are:
- toilet paper
- toothbrush
- toothpaste
- menstrual pads
Here’s a Google Sheet you can copy (click ‘File’ in the menu, then click ‘Make a copy’) and use: How to Buy from Black Owned Businesses Every Day Worksheet
Step 4: Research Black owned businesses that provide the products and services in your purchase list.
Use these tools and websites:
- Official Black Wall Street business directory (or their app for Android or iOS)
- ShoppeBlack
- BLK + GRN
- Shop Black Biz
- WeBuyBlack
- Support Black Owned
- BuyBlack Chrome extension
Search Instagram using hashtags such as:
- #supportblackownedbusinesses
- #buyblack
- #shopblack
- #webuyblack
- #buyblack365
- #blacktech
- #blackstartups
- #blackentrepreneurs
- #blackbusinessesmatter
Use search engines (i.e. DuckDuckGo, Google, Bing) with keywords such as:
- black owned businesses
- black owned business directory
- find black businesses near me
- black owned restaurants
- black entrepreneurs
- african american chamber of commerce business directory
Step 5: Buy from Black owned businesses.
After you’ve made your purchases, don’t forget to leave a review and spread the word about the business (e.g. post on social media, tell your friends and colleagues).
Also, fill in your worksheet so you can keep track of the Black-owned products or services you’re buying.
Now, repeat the steps!
Go back to your budget, pick another expense category, and start the process again.
Additional Tips & Resources
Challenge yourself. This may seem daunting at first, but here are a few strategies to help you ease into buying Black owned products and services on a more regular basis:
- Pick the same day(s) every month to shop at a Black owned business. For example, eat at a Black owned restaurant the first Saturday of every month.
- For every special occasion (e.g. birthday, graduation, Mother’s Day) commit to buying food, decorations, or greeting cards from Black owned businesses.
- When you travel, commit to buying at least one Black owned product or service, so that you are supporting Black entrepreneurs all over the world. Check out Travel Noire’s articles on buying from Black owned businesses while traveling.
If you’re looking for professional services (e.g. legal, healthcare, financial advising) search for Black professional organizations. They might have a public listing of their members. Some example professional organizations:
- The National Black Lawyers Top 100 Membership directory
- BlackDoctor.org’s Find a Black Doctor or Dentist tool
- Association of African American Financial Advisors’ Find a Financial Advisor form
Keep up to date with publications that feature Black-owned businesses and Black professionals such as:
This guide is a living document and I need your help! Comment below with your feedback about what tools/resources are missing from this list, steps that need clarification, etc.
And don’t forget to share this guide with anyone who wants to make shopping with Black owned businesses a habit!
Original photo credit @marceau_photeau from nappy.co
