It's not easy running your own business, and when things get hard, you may even find yourself questioning if it’s even worth it. We spoke to eight Black business owners to find out more about their businesses and why despite the ups and downs, they still love what they do.
What do you love about being business owners?
"Everything we do impacts women just like us. We've heard our shop described as a 'love letter to Black women' and there's no better feeling than knowing we've succeeded at creating an uplifting platform for our tribe." – Co-Founders, Alesha & Samantha
What do you love about being business owners?
"I love running Ore mi because everyday I get to do something that I thought was impossible. I get to share positive Black stories with our audience, each one intertwined to a memory of nostalgia growing up in London and the experiences of being a child of Nigerian parents. Each of these stories are fused into every aspect of our products, from the fragrance combinations we use, to the colours and imagery on our labels. Customers are always excited to learn more, or relate to the stories we tell, and we hope these inspire our customers to embrace and celebrate their cultures." – Founder, Karen Olla
What do you love about being business owners?
“We get to push rum into a premium direction one bottle at a time. Rum is a beautiful spirit and is still fighting for its respect on the world stage. However, Las Olas is at the forefront of change, and every sip grows our community and strengthens the cause.” – Co-founder, Seb Williams
What do you love about being business owners?
"We love that our platform is making a difference to the landscape of Black British culture! Knowing that we're helping talented Black makers pursue their passions and seeing how excited shoppers are to discover them through Jamii, is what keeps us going. And when we get to collaborate with organisations such as Pinterest to create campaigns showcasing phenomenal Black entrepreneurial talent, it shows us no goal is too big!" – Co-founder, Courtney Ismain
What do you love about being business owners?
"My mission when I started BRAAI FLAVOURS five years ago was to ultimately give back and make a difference to my community via leadership and personal and professional coaching of young men and women who come through the business, as well as to our customers with great tasting and flavourful healthy food. What I love the most though, is seeing the progression and growth of young men and women who come through BRAAI FLAVOURS, and go on to bigger and better things, whether it’s university or apprenticeships. Knowing we planted the right seeds and mindsets is really us living our mission – it's an incredible feeling." – Founder, Ken Gambura
What do you love about being business owners?
"We love what we do because we get to serve Black women – our community. We feel seen because they feel seen and represented by us." – Co-founder, Ope
What do you love about being business owners?
"I love owning my own chocolate factory because we are challenging the status quo. Chocolate should never be about child and slave labour, chocolate shouldn't be about dark chocolate being bitter and milk chocolate being too sweet. Chocolate is like wine and coffee – different regions create different flavours.
To make a change in the world you can go down many routes from campaigning to lobbying to making conscious buying decisions. By starting our own chocolate company which makes chocolate from scratch, using cocoa beans that have only been ethically sourced and paying farmers a living income for the beans they grow, is our way of making a change in the chocolate industry. Showing that you don't have to exploit people to make a product. And guess what...you get a better product as a result." – Founder, Amarachi Clarke
What do you love about being business owners?
"I love running Line & Honey because running a business like this feels like such a privilege – it's a total reflection of who I am, what I value and believe in, and it's provided a platform for me to connect with such a wonderful community! And on top of that, I love the fact that I have full control over the kind of brand I get to be and the kind of space I want to take up. Running it alongside working full time in a sector where Black women are still very invisible, means Line & Honey is a safe space for me." – Founder, Amberlee Green