Don’t Let Lack of Money Stop You

#CapitalOnePartner Before I took the leap into full-time entrepreneurship, I did one thing to make sure I was set up for success and my business could grow into something major. #ad

I stayed at my day job.

I’ve told this story many times about how in the early days of Blavity, I was still working my 9-5 at Intuit, saving my money, and planning for the future. I knew that it took more than ambition and a dream to start my own business, but I also knew that without solid capital, my business would not be as successful as it is today.

With the money I saved from my day job and my first experiences in VC funding, I wanted to make sure that my business, from the beginning, had a sustainable foundation that would allow it to grow and change the digital landscape of Black media.?

These last few years in our world have been a whirlwind of changes, losses, and instability for all of us, but especially for Black small business owners – and?many have faced a number of challenges, including lack of access to capital and funding.

We can shop small and support Black-owned businesses both online and in our communities year-round, but in order to sustain the success of those businesses for the long term, equitable access to capital, digital tools and educational resources are critical for owners to sustain or expand their operations.?

In an effort to address the critical lack of access to capital and funding many small Black business owners face,?CapitalOneBusiness, in partnership with the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO), will provide grants to equip Black business owners?with the tools and resources needed to navigate our new reality and their entrepreneurial journey.?This program will award $10,000 grants to Black-owned businesses - a great step forward to decreasing the gap in cash for small business financing.?

I partnered with Capital One Business for many reasons, but the most important one is to share the resources and programs they have in place with my community. Capital One is committed to supporting all businesses, from the entrepreneurs just starting out to established companies, and I want to make sure you have all the tools and information you need to set your businesses up for true success.?

The application period for this grant program opens next month, so click here to learn more about the program?and sign up for updates on the applications. I hope many of you take advantage of this program and the free resources Capital One Business offers through?its online Business Hub!?