Local black entrepreneurs on how shopping black-owned businesses on Cyber Monday can make an impact

Local black entrepreneurs on how shopping black-owned businesses on Cyber Monday can make an impact

Shopping online doesn’t have to be impulsive.

To kick off Cyber Monday, 23ABC’s Kristin Vartan spoke to some small, black-owned businesses locally, about the impact shopping can make when it’s intentional.

BE IMPULSIVE.

TO KICK OFF CYBERMONDAY, 23ABC'S KRISTIN VARTANSPOKE TO SOME SOME SMALL,BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES LOCALLY,ABOUT THE IMPACTSHOPPING CAN MAKE WHEN IT'SINTENTIONAL.

KRISTIN?LIVE:THIS YEAR, THE RESURGENCE OF THEBLACK LIVES MATTMOVEMENT, HAS TAKEN MANY TO THESTREETS TO SPEAK OUT AGAINSTSOCIAL INJUSTICES.IT'S ALSO SPREAD FAR AND WIDEVIA, SOCIAL MEDIA, GIVING BLACKENTREPRENEURS A PLATFORM THEYDID NOT HAVE BEFORE.

SOMEBLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES HAVE FELTTHIS LOCALLY AND AENCOURAGING THAT SUPPORT TOCONTINUE ON CYBER MONDAYAND BEYOND.PKG:KELI LOPEZOWER, KELI MICAH"I WAS GETTING TAGGED IN SO MANYLOCAL, BLACK-OWNEDBUSINESSES, PEOPLE WERE JUSTREACHING OUT TO MESAYING, 'OH I LOVE YOUR JEWELRY,YOU'RE DOING SO AMAZING!

KEEP UPTHE GOOD WORK,' FOR ME BEING AYOUNG ENTREPRENEURAND STILL LEARNING MY PATH INLIFE, IT MAKES ME VERYHAPPY."THIS SURGE IN SALES CAME FORYOUNG BLACK ENTREPRENEUR,KELI LOPEZ AND SHE SAYS SOME OFHER FELLOW BLACK CEOAFTER THE RESURGENCE OF THEBLACK LIVES MATTERMOVEMENT A FEW MONTHS AGO.SHE POINTS OUT THAT SUPPORTINGBLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES CANMAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE,ESPECIALLY WHEN THE BUSINESS ISSMALL.

AFTER ALL, THE NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD TAFT COLLEGESTUDENT AND SELF-PROCLAIMEDACCESSORIES HOARDER IS ALSOA...KELI LOPEZOWER, KELI MICAH"OWNER, PACKAGINGMANAGER..EVERYTHING!

((LAUGHS))"MEANWHILE OWNER AND OPERATOR OFBLAQUE MARKET,SASKIA BLACKMON HAS BEEN ABAKERSFIELD BUSINESS OWNERFOR YEARS.BEFORE SHE STARTED HER LINE OFHERBAL TEAS, SALVES AND OILSFOR NATURAL HEALING EARLIER THISYEAR, SHE CO-OWNED ANEVENT PLANNING COMPANY.

SHE SAYSKERN COUNTY AND THENATION STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TOGO IN SUPPORTINGBLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES.TAKE SOT:SASKIA BLACKMONOWNER AND OPERATOR, BLAQUEMARKET COMPANY"OUR COMMUNITY SPENDS MONEYEVERYWHERE, SO WHY NOT GIVETHESE BUSINESSES THE MONEY THEYNEED TO SURVIVE ANDTO BE ABLE TO BE TAX-PAYINGBUSINESSES?

BUT IT'S HARDER FORUS TO REALLY OBTAIN THE MONEY TOPUSH OURSELVES TOTHE NEXT LEVEL WITHOUT PULLINGEVERYTHING OUT OF OUR SAVINGS."NATIONALLY, A UC SANTA CRUZREPORT FOUND THAT 41 PERCENTOF BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES CLOSEDDURING THE PANDEMICCOMPARED TO 17 PERCENT AMONGSTWHITE-OWNEDONES.SASKIA BLACKMONOWNER AND OPERATOR, BLAQUEMARKET COMPANY"THAT'S WHY YOU SEE A LOT OFBLACK-OWNED BUSINESSDOING A LOT OF ONLINE BUSINESS,BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO GETTHE LOANS AND THINGS YOU NEED TOBE ABLE TO PUSH YOURBUSINESS INTO A FINANCIALLYSECURE AREA.WHEN LOANS ARE DIFFICULT TOSECURE, THERE'S A LOT OF POWERIN THE CUSTOMER TO HELP ABUSINESS FLOURISH--SOWHAT CAN THE NON-BLACK COMMUNITYDO TO KEEP UP THESUPPORT ON CYBER MONDAY--ANDBEYOND?

LOPEZ AND BLACKMONENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DOTHE RESEARCH AND INCREASEAWARENESS.

IT'S AS EASY ASSEARCHING A HASHTAG LIKE#BLACKOWNEDBUSINESS OR THESHOP BLACK STICKER, SOMETHINGBLACKMON SAYSCAN HELP NOT ONLY BLACK- OWNED,BUT SMALLBUSINESSES IN GENERAL.SASKIA BLACKMONOWNER AND OPERATOR, BLAQUEMARKET COMPANY((TEXT ON SCREEN)) "HASHTAGSMALL BUSINESSES ORLOCAL BAKERSFIELD BUSINESSES, OR661 SMALLBUSINESS AND YOU'LL FIND ALLTHESE SMALL BUSINESSES THATNEED YOUR SUPPORT!"AFTER ALL, THE KERN COUNTY BLACKCHAMBER OF COMMERCE'SPRESIDENT, NICK HILL SAYS THEREAT LEAST 150 TO 250 BLACK-OWNEDBUSINESSES IN KERN COUNTY TOCHOOSE FROM.TAKE SOT:NICK HILL IIIPRESIDENT, THE KERN COUNTY BLACKCHAMBER OF COMMERCE"DOING BUSINESS WITH OTHERETHNICITIES SHOULD JUST BE ANORMAL THING.

IT'S ONLY GOING TOENHANCE OUR MINORITYBUSINESSES, TO MAKE SURE THATAFTER THIS PANDEMIC ISOVER, THAT THEY'LL STILL HAVE ABUSINESS IN THE END, ANDTHAT THEY CAN THRIVE AFTER THEPANDEMIC IS OVER."TAG:WE'LL HAVE INFORMATION ON THECYBER MONDAY SALESBOTH SHOPS ARE OFFERING ON OURWEBSITE, TURNTO23.COM.AND IF YOU'RE A BLACK-OWNEDBUSINESS, FEEL FREE TO REACHOUT TO MY EMAIL, AND I WILL ADDYOUR SHOP TO THIS STORY ONTHERE AS WELL.LIVE IN DOWNTOWN BAKERSFIELD,KRISTIN VARTAN23ABC NEWS CONNECTING YOU.WHILE IT MAY BE CYBER MONDAY...