Lost and Found: The Black-Owned Businesses Hiding in Plain Sight

How many Black-owned businesses do you know that have so many customers they’re struggling to keep up and serve them all? That would be a great problem to have—but for most Black-owned businesses, the real challenge is quite the opposite. The issue isn’t overwhelming demand; it’s not having enough customers.

This is a fixable problem if we address one important mission. Because the bigger question remains: How can we intentionally support Black-owned businesses (giving them an overflow of customers) if we don’t even know who they are?

The answer is simple: We can’t.

That’s exactly why we created the Chicago Black Business Directory—a free, easy-to-access listing of Black-owned businesses across the city, organized by industry, so customers can find and support them with intention. 

Why We Can’t Shop Black If We Don’t Know Who You Are

We often say we want to support Black-owned businesses. We talk about it. We post about it. We share viral videos about the importance of keeping our dollars in our community. But how can we truly buy from Black-owned businesses if we don’t know who they are? We must acknowledge the urgency of this problem and make it a mission to take action.

When we first had the idea for this project, our goal was to list at least 240 Black-owned businesses across 12 industries. We thought that number was low and easily doable. Turns out, it’s been six months, and despite sharing this mission in our Bronzecomm newsletter, on social media, our website, and in previous blogs, we haven’t even reached 100 completed entries.

Let that sink in.

Why Aren’t We Showing Up for Ourselves?

We know you’re out there—talented Black entrepreneurs running businesses across Chicago. We kinda see you, but can’t remember that one social media post you made weeks ago now that we need you. We’d like to frequent your establishments but we forgot where we saw you that day we were rushing somewhere else. We want to spread the word and advocate for your economic power, but you don’t have a website. 

Black businesses aren’t marketing, advertising, or promoting themselves enough, yet for some reason, our directory still isn’t full.

Is it skepticism? Is it doubt? Is it simply procrastination?

Let’s address some of the common reasons we suspect are holding our business owners back from taking action:

• “I don’t believe it’s real.” This directory is 100% real, and it’s being created to benefit you. It will be a beautiful PDF ebook for those who’d like a hard copy and an online version that is updated monthly for those that want a “search engine” like experience. You can check out the online version now by clicking here. It’s not finished but we want you to see where we are going with it.
• “It’s probably not really free.” It is absolutely free. There are no hidden fees, no obligations, and no gimmicks. Yes, we sell advertising in our newsletter and you are welcome to consider us for further promotion but you don’t have to advertise with us to be included in the free directory.
• “There has to be a catch.” No catch. Just a mission-driven initiative to make doing business with Black-owned companies easier. Not everyone is out to get you. We acknowledge that there are many gimmicks and scams out in the world. But we believe Black-owned businesses must stick together if we are all going to make it to the top. This is our effort to do our part.
• “I’m too busy.” It takes less than a minute to submit your business information and maybe another minute to email us your logo. Two minutes to potentially bring in new customers and grow your network sounds worth it to me. You have 2-minutes. Unless you’re telling me that you are overflowing with customers and not able to get away to do more advertising.
• “I don’t think I need it.” Maybe you don’t, but what about your community? What about those searching for a Black-owned alternative to the businesses they frequent? What happens if business fluctuates. If you are advertising now, if you ever do hit a slow point you will already have an outlet. And maybe because you have this outlet you may never know what a slow period looks like. 

Literally, that’s our dream, that our directory becomes so popular that it is the go to resource for buying Black in Chicago with ease. We envision a world where Black-owned businesses ThriveWell because we support each other and take action to promote our businesses. 

The Mission Behind the Directory

Our mission extends beyond just creating a directory; we aim to serve Black-owned businesses in ways that promote happiness, health, and wealth. By connecting consumers with these businesses, we contribute to community resilience and economic power.

Statistics show that supporting Black-owned businesses can significantly impact local economies. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, minority-owned businesses contribute over $1 trillion annually to the economy. However, without visibility, these businesses struggle to thrive.

The Cost of Waiting

We were supposed to release this directory last Friday. But we couldn’t—because we don’t have enough businesses listed.

And that’s heartbreaking.

Every day we delay, we miss opportunities to redirect our dollars into our own communities. Every day we put this off, Black businesses miss out on new customers, partnerships, exposure and most importantly money. If we want to build wealth, this is where we start.

We know you believe in supporting Black businesses. But belief isn’t enough. Action is what builds sustainable change.

So, we’re asking—no, we’re urging—you to do two things:

1. If you own a Black business, sign up. It takes a minute or two, click here. Complete the form to send us your logo by reply to the welcome email we send you. Once you complete the form and click submit you’ll receive an email from us welcoming you. Again you should reply to it and send us your logo. However, if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions add that to your reply email as well. So, that’s it. That’s all you have to do if you are a business owner.
2. If you don’t own a business, share this with your favorite Black-owned business. Send them this blog, forward our newsletter, tag them on social media. Send it to every Black-owned business you know. Make sure they know about this directory so that we all know about them.

Why You Should Share This Blog

If you find value in this initiative, I urge you to share this blog with other Black business owners you know. Encourage them to join our directory and be part of this movement. Together, we can amplify our voices and support one another in meaningful ways.

As we look ahead, let’s commit to taking action—not just for ourselves but for the entire community. We wanted to launch this directory last Friday, but without enough entries, we couldn’t do so. Let’s change that narrative together.

If we say we care about supporting Black businesses, then let’s prove it. If we say we want to stay in business, let’s do something to make sure that happens. Because if we don’t make it easy for people to shop Black, how can we expect them to?

Sign up today. Share today. Let’s build something powerful—together.

Click here to add your business to the Chicago Black Business Directory