8 black-owned small businesses promoting change in the UK

The Black Report is the first qualitative report about UK black startup founders, working with 60 black founders at the pre-seed stage. Some of its findings include:

• The founders’ teams were diverse, with 53% male, 46% female, and 1% non-binary staff
• 71% identified their heritage as African, with the next highest being the 8% who identified as Caribbean
• The founding teams were comprised of 48% female founders, and 52% male founders
• Of the reported 322 total staff, three-quarters identified as people of colour – three times more than the benchmark across the tech industries in both the UK and the US
• 88% of founders used self-funding to finance a part of their ventures
• Of investors currently investing in black founders, 38% are people of colour

Michael Chapman, founder at SOUL CAP

Describe the impact your business is having in its sector.

“There is a lot of misinformation and stereotypes surrounding swimming that we as a brand want to dispel. The racist rhetoric in science that claims Black people can’t swim, which simply isn’t true, has fed through generations and communities for too long.

“Something as simple as a swim cap that fits voluminous hair solves a massive barrier to the sport, and we’re so happy we’ve helped so many swimmers with the right kit.

“We’ve taken this issue further through our wider campaign work with our Brand Partner and GB Swimmer, Alice Dearing, through our #BlackGirlsDontSwim campaign, where we invited the public to tell us about their experiences of swimming while Black.

“By opening up a conversation around these issues and tackling them, we want to increase accessibility and inclusivity in the sport.”

What advice would you offer to aspiring/new entrepreneurs?

“Self-belief is key – I think it’s easy to doubt your ideas or underestimate your potential, especially when people tell you your idea is too niche and it won’t run. You miss the shots you don’t take, so my main advice would be to take that risk and take action, or else you’ll never know what could have been.”

As a business operating in the hair space, what more do you think could be done to promote change in your industry?

“I believe better representation and understanding of different hair types in the mainstream hair industry is needed.

“We’re really proud to have developed our microfibre hair towel that works wonders on all hair types, and that came from taking the time to research and understand those hair types.

“We’re really happy to be working with Hairitage, London’s first Afro and textured hair boutique, as one of our hair towel stockists, who focus on hair products for curls and coils.

“It’s easy for people to be using the wrong products for their hair and doing long-term damage when the offering does not necessarily cater to them. So it’s great to see small businesses tackling this problem, and hopefully this will snowball into the mainstream industry.”

Are there any myths about running your own business and/or your industry that you’d like to bust?

“In the swimming world, the main myth we want to bust is the idea that Black people don’t swim. We want to see more people in the water and enjoying the benefits swimming has not only physically, but also for mental health and wellbeing. There are so many existing sports that Black people celebrate and excel in, and we want to see the same in swimming.”

“You miss the shots you don’t take, so my main advice would be take to that risk and take action, or else you’ll never know what could have been.”

– Michael Chapman, founder at SOUL CAP

Rose Annor, founder of Bowë Skincare

Describe the impact your business is having in its sector.

“I made an intentional decision to put women of colour at the centre of what I present with Bowë: I wanted those women to experience Bowë, and to feel cherished and valued.

“In the light of Black Lives Matter and brands like Fenty, I feel that the mainstream beauty industry is starting to recognise that women of colour don’t spend with them anymore by default – that there are brands like Bowë catering to them with the vim they use to shut women of colour out.

“When I receive feedback telling me they can tell my products are made by a woman that’s been in their shoes and knows what they want, I know I’m on the right track.”

What advice would you offer to aspiring/new entrepreneurs?

“Consistency matters, above many things, if not all. I’ve had my ‘aha!’ moments in consistency. Showing up for your business day after day (as cliché as it may sound) allows you to see the patterns; shows you where and how to make changes.

“When you strike once and then bow out for a while, maybe it’s a hit, but you’ll have no idea why you succeeded – and importantly, how to replicate that win.”

As a business operating in the beauty/homewares space, what more do you think could be done to promote change in your industry?

“Stop labelling us as ‘other’ or ‘ethnic.’ It’s just another way to push us to the side. It’s assumed that we would only fit with a very small demographic, and yet there are mainstream beauty and homeware brands trying to copy what we do, and it’s seen as ‘ground-breaking.’ Spare me. We are just as good, if not better, than the status quo – and we’re doing it with much, much less.”

Are there any myths about running your own business and/or your industry that you’d like to bust?

“I’m not sure I would call it a myth, but I’d love to get rid of the idea that if you work super hard, you will generate a million-pound business quickly.

“There’s a benefit to what we see as low and slow: there’s much to learn going through the seasons over and over as a business owner.

“You learn which times of the year are most important for growth, you can build a genuine relationship and trust with your customer base, you get to understand your audience and what truly makes them tick; there really is no shortcut to long-term success.”

“There’s a benefit to what we see as low and slow: there’s much to learn going through the seasons over and over as a business owner… there really is no shortcut to long-term success.”

– Rose Annor, founder of Bowë Skincare

Natalie Manima, founder of African homeware brand Bespoke Binny

Describe the impact your business is having in its sector.

“I think I offer something that has not been widely seen in the interior design/decor sector, and it’s nice to be that breath of fresh air. I don’t think I’m as widely known in the industry as I would like to be, but I’m working on it!”

What advice would you offer to aspiring/new entrepreneurs?

“‘Persistence is the way forward’ would be my advice – especially in times such as these with COVID. It’s really important to find ways to continue to add value to your customers/clients; think about ways you might need to adapt and change how you work, and be persistent but flexible with your goals for your business.”

As a business operating in the beauty/homewares space, what more do you think could be done to promote change in your industry?

“When we say change, are we talking about diversity? I think with my industry, as with many others, the important thing to keep in mind is looking at who is represented in the industry – and more importantly, who seems to be missing.

“There are people with gifts and talents from all walks of life, genders, races, sexualities etc., so in whichever industry we might be talking about, if we don’t see them there, it’s not because they don’t exist – it’s because they aren’t being represented.”

Are there any myths about running your own business and/or your industry that you’d like to bust?

“I think a typical one is the idea of an overnight success – I’m yet to see one! Someone who looks like they have blown up overnight had probably been putting years and years into what they are doing before they were discovered.”

“There are people with gifts and talents from all walks of life, genders, races, sexualities etc., so in whichever industry we might be talking about, if we don’t see them there, it’s not because they don’t exist – it’s because they aren’t being represented.”

– Natalie Manima, founder of African homeware brand Bespoke Binny

Black-owned businesses and funding

Bowe Skincare, LIHA Beauty, and Bespoke Binny are all recipients of a dedicated marketing fund, an initiative launched by Fanbytes, a Gen Z marketing agency.

The fund was started by Timothy Armoo, CEO at Fanbytes, to promote real action and change in response to the BLM movement.

The fund is set to support £100,000 of marketing campaigns. Not only is the fund an excellent boost to these businesses and their marketing strategies, but it speaks to another challenge facing black-owned businesses: a lack of access to funding.

Indeed, improved access to external finance for EMBs was another recommendation raised in the aforementioned CREME report for the FSB.

This also echoes the work being done by ImpactX, a double bottom line (measuring the social impact, as well as the traditional financial output, of a business) venture capital company. It focuses on supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs in Europe, particularly those from the Afro-Caribbean diaspora.

This London-based firm has an ethnically diverse team, and members have backgrounds in business, finance, and academia. Its work is focused on funding creative, entertainment, media, and tech enterprises through seed, series A and series B rounds (the early stage funding processes for startups).

Simeon Quarrie, founder and CEO of VIVIDA

Describe the impact your business is having in its sector.

“At VIVIDA, we are creating a radically different approach to corporate training – particularly in the D&I and cybersecurity spaces. We have all sat through corporate training seminars or computer-based training modules and wished we weren’t there. The message doesn’t sink in and it’s a waste of everyone’s time.

“Now imagine you are able to fully immerse yourself in a scenario, whether that be a black man looking to enter a corporate environment, or dating a cybercriminal that is trying to glean information from you for an attack. It is much more engaging, and that is what we create through our unique blend of storytelling and technology.”

What advice would you offer to aspiring/new entrepreneurs?

“Diversify. We hire people from numerous different backgrounds for our projects, which brings a totally fresh perspective to our experiences. Cybersecurity is generally seen as a white, male, technical pursuit, but we employ voice actors, designers, camera people and creatives from a range of ethnicities.

“Suddenly, you get ideas bouncing around that the cybersecurity industry would traditionally miss out on. You get people from outside the industry contributing fresh ideas – bringing not only diversity of ethnicity and gender, but also diversity of thought and understanding.”

As a business operating in the technology space, what more do you think could be done to promote change in your industry?

“I think tech companies must do more to reflect the community they are trying to serve. Tech is dominated by white men, which for a young black woman might be enough to put you off ever working in tech. That is a real shame as the industry is missing out on a lot of much-needed talent.

“There are some encouraging signs of diversity – such as Women in Tech, which is a global initiative aimed at getting more women into tech careers – but we must build on this and do much more to promote diversity throughout the industry, across gender and ethnicity.”

Are there any myths about running your own business and/or your industry that you’d like to bust?

“Loads, but I think the main one is that a career in tech or cybersecurity is dull or uncreative. I don’t think for a minute that it is for everyone, but I am a creative storyteller at heart. A decade, or even less, ago I would’ve laughed if you’d told me I would end up working in cybersecurity or tech, but I love it.

“Tech is no longer about being the guy sat behind a bank of screens – there is enormous scope for creativity and fun. To flourish, the industry needs to not only fully realise this, but also promote it, and make noise about how great a career in tech can be.”

“You get people from outside the industry contributing fresh ideas – bringing not only diversity of ethnicity and gender, but also diversity of thought and understanding.”

– Simeon Quarrie, founder and CEO of VIVIDA

Jidé Maduako, CEO at Yoke Network

Describe the impact your business is having in its sector.

“We’re having a huge impact. We’re building a Gen Z brand with the launch of the Wave House. It’s currently home to six creators from our network, and serves as an environment for them to develop their craft – and it already has nearly three million followers on TikTok.

“We’re also helping creators build and generate an income on TikTok through the Yoke App. We’re really proud to be bringing new brands into the industry, and, in a way, that we’ve now got competitors trying to copy what we do.”

What advice would you offer to aspiring/new entrepreneurs?

“Solve a problem: that’s my number one piece of advice. There are lots of opportunities if you’re a person who wants to solve problems and help people – especially with the current crisis and all the uncertainty it brings. If you can facilitate some kind of certainty, you can make a really valuable contribution.

“My second piece of advice is to do something you’re interested in. Do something that you’re thinking about when you go to bed and when you wake up: if you don’t care about it to that degree, then it’s probably not a career that’s your best fit.”

As a business operating in the technology space, what more do you think could be done to promote change in your industry?

“Our part of the industry is young – it’s changing constantly, and we’re partly responsible for changing it by making it more professional. But within the wider marketing sector, there needs to be a recognition that media ownership is shifting – that media is owned by creators, not the platforms.”

Are there any myths about running your own business and/or your industry that you’d like to bust?

“There’s this idea that if you’re running your own business, you get to be your own boss. You really don’t. In fact, it’s almost the opposite: you work for everyone except yourself.

“If I want to see my mum, or spend time with my girlfriend, or hang out with my little cousins, I literally can’t tap out – I have to be available all the time. If you work for someone else, you can switch off.”

“But within the wider marketing sector, there needs to be a recognition that media ownership is shifting – that media is owned by creators, not the platforms.”

– Jidé Maduako, CEO at Yoke Network

Eliza Jones, founder at Chosan By Nature

Describe the impact your business is having in its sector.

“Being so closely focused on running Chosan does not leave much space for stepping back to see its impact.

“Along with other businesses, not just UK black-owned businesses, Chosan is promoting change through the introduction of novel, innovative, unique products in its marketplace that are also natural, ethical, and sustainable.

“As a business that is now starting up for the third time, we are still learning as we try to build up a retail network.”

What advice would you offer to aspiring/new entrepreneurs?

“Make sure you have a good support network – it’s very tough running your business on your own. So it really helps to have people you can turn to for advice, to sound out your ideas, and to share your frustrations with – people who may tell you what you don’t want to hear, but who will do so constructively.”

As a business operating in the food and drink space, what more do you think could be done to promote change in your industry?

“Getting your products on the shelf – getting past the gatekeepers, and getting hold of the decision-makers – continues to be a big challenge. Black business owners do not have the contacts in retail, wholesale, distribution etc. to facilitate this.

“Fortunately, there are now a number of accelerator programmes, as well as food and drink networks to help with this, but often they require financial investment that may be beyond the reach of many black startup entrepreneurs bootstrapping their businesses.

“So there’s also a need for more targeted action to help black business owners successfully access financial, business, and mentoring support that may be available – along the lines of Rich Visions.”

Are there any myths about running your own business and/or your industry that you’d like to bust?

“The belief that all you need is one lucky break to set you up and overcome all your problems is, in my view, a myth.

“The lucky break certainly makes a huge difference, but I find that once you cross a particular challenge, you find many others lying in wait. So hard work, persistence, and staying positive are all an essential part of the mix you need to run your own business.”

“So hard work, persistence, and staying positive are all an essential part of the mix you need to run your own business.”

– Eliza Jones, founder at Chosan By Nature