Black business owners share their 3 secrets to success

VXPRO lost business when most large gatherings were canceled due to restrictions on large gatherings. But the social-justice protests after George Floyd's murder created new business

opportunities for Bell's company. "I experienced two months of no business activity,” she says. Then, “as the world became consciously aware of the social injustice surrounding the

lives of Black and brown people in the United Sates, I began to wonder how I can make a difference. My brain is constantly thinking of a new design or product to offer. "I pivoted to

creating social justice T-shirts to help to further awareness and connect with identity-driven customers,” Bell says. “I created tees to promote and support the 2020 presidential election

and donated a portion of the proceeds to the Biden-Harris campaign. The demand grew for my products. Since then, I have been asked to create more customized tees as well as other customized

products." 2. PERSEVERANCE IS KEY. There could be a moment — or moments — when the chips seem stacked against you, with no sight of a solution. When Tanya Hill, founder of ForeverFresh,

started as an entrepreneur, she soon felt outnumbered by the titans in the feminine care industry. But her grit and drive led her to keep digging to find gaps in the market. (Left to right)

Janie Dye, Tanya Hill and her great grandmother Hattie Lanier. Courtesy Tanya Hill Today, Hill has built a successful national business and received international accolades for

ForeverFresh, which makes disposable underwear for women for use during menstruation or incontinence. “I remember sitting in my kitchen one day and saying out loud, ‘God, if you give me one

idea that will make a lot of money, I will build a youth center and expose them to international business,' " she says. “What I thought of immediately was a pad with wings to

protect underwear during menses. I made a prototype and called my friends to share my excitement. "After the initial laugh, they said it was a good idea,” Hill adds. But success did not

come quickly. “I got very discouraged and put the prototype in the very top kitchen cabinet, the one you never use. Sometime later, one of those same friends who had laughed at my idea

called and told me the pad I had made was in the store, and it was called Always. I was totally deflated. But at that very moment, the thought of making disposable underwear came to mind,”

she says. Through the highs (receiving an award for her product in Geneva, Switzerland) and the lows (getting divorced and having to reboot ForeverFresh three times), Walker proudly admits,

“I survived. ... Not only did I survive, but I was able to get into the airport concessions business, rebuild ForeverFresh, get remarried and support causes that are dear to me.” 3. MISTAKES

ARE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES. Since he was 12 years old, Alan Goodman, owner of A Goodman's Desserts, loved to bake. It wasn't until he made desserts for a party that he felt the

entrepreneurial spark. After he was laid off from his job, he decided to launch his Milwaukee, Wisconsin, bakery.