Kathleen Moore

With Black History Month upon us, let's reflect upon the rich economic contributions made by Black entrepreneurs with some insights shared by Dr. Robert E. Weems, Jr.

No matter how steady your profits or loyal your customers, your business will eventually need money to finance its growth. The choice between small business loans and credit cards is a fluid one; most entrepreneurs will use a combination of both to meet their business targets at some point.

When it comes to business success, good gossip has always been marketing gold.  Get people talking about your product and you’ll convert mere shoppers to customers. Loyal customers. So, if your current customers are happy with your product, how do you capture the power of these opinions?

Your business ideas are hot — and fire in your belly is going to keep them that way. That’s the attitude that launches promising start-ups and sustains industry icons. It can’t be learned, faked, or manufactured. So hold onto it. It’s gold. 

For many of the more than 16 million self-employed individuals in the United States, the answer to this question is probably ‘both.’ All sole proprietors are, by definition, self-employed.  But not all self-employed persons are sole proprietors. A little confusing, right?

If you have decided it’s time to launch a new business, there’s plenty of inspiration to be found in the post-pandemic economy. An emerging optimism nudged record numbers of entrepreneurs into the single-owner businesses sector in 2021. Their persistent success shows no signs of abating.