May 1-7, 2016 was the National Small Business Week which recognizes the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. In light of the week, the Urban League of Greater Atlanta Young Professionals and I Am Black Business, Inc. formed a partnership to highlight black-owned business owners and entrepreneurs in the metro Atlanta area - First Annual Salute To Small Business Week.
The week began on Monday, May 2nd with the Urban League of Greater Atlanta Young Professionals' May General Body Meeting: 2016-2017 Board Elections and YP’s in the Spotlight. This event allowed us to shine a much-deserving light on small business owners and entrepreneurs within the organization. These business owners such as Tomika Jones from Nerdy Girl Consulting, LLC, Chris Jones from SeeJones Creative, LLC and Octavia Gilmore from Creative Juice, LLC were allowed the opportunity to not only showcase their businesses to potential clientele, but to also talk about their experiences as business A few very important lessons learned from these business owners are to follow you passion and to do your research/plan before making the leap of faith to becoming a sole proprietor/entrepreneur.
On Wednesday, May 4th, we hosted a YP Small Biz Blackout in which all of the attendees had the opportunity to not only socialize, but also patronize one of four black-owned businesses in three different counties. The business owners of La Vie in Fulton, Purple Corkscrew in DeKalb and Thompson Brothers BBQ as well as The Wine Cellars in Cobb were ecstatic when we approached them about this Wednesday's collaboration; each business had an average of 14 attendees.
The culmination of the Small Business Week events was on Saturday, May 7th with the YP Small Business Bus Tour. This tour allowed us to travel around the metro Atlanta area on a shuttle bus provided by Pendergrass Charters. We were able to travel to four black-owned businesses, all of which have great products/services and amazing business owners.
The first place on the tour was IWI Fresh, a full-service spa located in Castleberry Hills. We were welcomed with open arms by owner and skincare chef Yolanda Owens. Our entire group was given a tour of the location, followed by a massage demonstration and conversation with Yolanda who provided invaluable advice to aspiring entrepreneurs and business. Before heading to the next location, we were each given a free body scrub sample which was made from organic ingredients and produced in-house.
The tour continued on to Vibe Ride, a high-tech spin studio located in Midtown. This business is owned by Courtney Anderson and Rebecca Colett who decided to combine music and indoor cycling with the "vibe" in an effort to build the community. Upon entering Vibe Ride we were greeted by Courtney and given a tour of the facility. We were shown the sleek, state-of-the-art Keiser M3i fully adjustable cycle. The cycle is equipped with a Bluetooth wireless computer that measures and displays your power (in watts), speed, calories burned, miles traveled and your heart rate monitor. We were also told of the many classes such as Rhythm Ride cycling which pairs upper-body movements with pedal strokes and upbeat, modern music. Before leaving Vibe we signed up for one free class as well as given an exclusive offer to purchase a bundle of classes at a discounted cost.
After leaving Vibe Ride we traveled over to Sublime Doughnuts to satisfy our sweet tooth. Sublime, owned by Kamal Grant, is located near Ga Tech on 10th street. Kamal graduated from Culinary Institute of America and perfected his craft on high-end desserts, plate presentation, classical techniques and the flavors and textures. Each of the attendees were given a15% discount on all purchases. When you get a chance stop by Sublime and order the A-Town cream, Dirty D, Red Velvet and Sweet Potato Cake. You will want to go back for more.
Our final stop was at Savoy Bar and Grill located in Stockbridge which is about 30 minutes south of Atlanta. We were already familiar with Savoy as they catered the ULGA-YP 2015 Holiday Soiree. Savoy is not your typical bar and grill. The food they prepare brings a luxurious twist and combines traditional bar food and other culinary classics. Their motto is "Luxury Within Reach.” One of their daily objectives is to provide the best customer service in Stockbridge. As soon as we arrived we were greeted by one of the owners, Eli Williams. We were offered the lunch special which consisted of a sample platter of honey lemon wings, chicken tacos and shrimp and grits along with either a long island or rum punch. The members thoroughly enjoyed the food as well as hearing Eli talk about his experience as a business owner/entrepreneur in the restaurant industry.
Small Business Week, with a focus on black-owned businesses, will become an annual event. Next year, our objective is to expand by increasing the number of businesses and participants.
Pendergrass Charters, Inc. - pendergrasscharters.com
Savoy Bar and Grill - savoybarandgrill.com
IWI Fresh - iwifresh.com
Vibe Ride - theviberide.com
The Purple Corkscrew - purplecorkscrew.com
Sublime Doughnuts - sublimedoughnuts.com
La Vie Hookah Bar & Bistro - lavieatlanta.com
Thompson Brothers BBQ - thompsonbbq.com
The Wine Cellars - winecellarsonline.com