In September, I started a series called the State of the Black Business Directory. My goal was to chronicle some of the issues I Am Black Business, our "competitors," and black consumers are experiencing. As we reach the end of the 2016, I want to recap those earlier posts as well as look forward to 2017.
For 2016, the series consisted of three posts:
At a high level, each one of these posts dealt with issues around adopting black business directories. One might think black business owners and consumers would swarm these apps and use them consistently, but that has not been the case. Black business directories are also businesses, and they will progress and improve over time. As with most businesses, we're committed to serving our customers - black consumers and black business owners. Our customers play a huge role in the feedback loop. Without feedback and engagement, we take the risk of building directories that don't meet our customer's needs. With black consumers adopting the apps and giving constructive feedback, there's no reason black business directories shouldn't be successful.
As the creators and owners of black business directories, we must hold ourselves up to high standards in ensuring our directories are robust and clean. Mobile apps and websites should function properly and always be supported when there are issues. Finally, we should seek and listen to black consumer feedback. IABB is dedicated to the black dollar movement.
I hope you have enjoyed this series so far. It has been fun and rewarding to think critically about our business and industry. I definitely plan to continue the State of the Black Business Directory in 2017 as IABB continues to mature. There may be changes to the format, but the content will be similar. If you have any ideas or comments on the series, send an email to our team at team@iamblackbusiness.com.