The Christmas shopping season is in full swing in the Bay Area. But between the pandemic and the rise of online shopping, many retailers are struggling to stay in business.
A gathering of black business owners in Oakland on Sunday highlighted the need for courage and imagination to succeed in today’s tough economy.
A Black Santa greeted visitors at the 7th annual Black Sunday Holiday Shopping Experience pop-up event for local African American entrepreneurs. But according to Cathy Adams, president of the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce, just because the companies weren’t huge doesn’t mean they were inexperienced.
“There are small businesses like this that aren’t in a commercial building, and they’ve been in business for about twenty years!” she said.
One of them was the decorator for the event. Cathyfara Brown started by making simple balloon animals, and now her company creates balloon masterpieces that are in high demand during the holiday season.
“I just wanted to make sure I learned well, but I was never intimidated,” Brown said. “And this job has given me the strength to know that whatever I do, I can do it. And it’s taken me further than I thought I could do.”
Della Edwards had the courage to listen when inspiration whispered in her ear.
“And this idea said put a dress on a bottle of apple cider. And I’m like, what?” Edwards said.
But from there were born his “Chic Champagne Coats”, an elegant decoration resembling an evening dress or a tuxedo that slips over the neck of a bottle, transforming it into a unique gift.
“So, I went to Walmart,” Edwards said, “bought a hundred bottles of apple cider and started playing with these dresses, and then I started selling them in the parking lot of the grocery store.”
And “New Orleans Bill” Washington was selling his spicy potato salad in department stores when the pandemic began hurting sales. He therefore turned to the production and direct marketing of seasoning kits.
“They just add the potatoes to the kit and a little mayonnaise. And that’s it. They have my Creole potato salad that I’ve been selling in stores for about 25 years,” Washington said.
It takes intelligence, courage and creativity to succeed in today’s changing marketplace. And business coach and strategist Dr Lynette McElhaney said this is a historic strength of the black community.
“Over time, I think some people lost confidence,” she said. “There’s been a lot of pressure to get a college degree and go work for someone else. But we see entrepreneurs being born every day in the African American community and this is one of the ways that we can survive economic downturns.”
The business environment is changing rapidly and, like the dinosaurs of old, those who cannot adapt quickly are unlikely to survive. But African Americans have always had to rely on their own drive and ingenuity, and even in this economy, that makes them quick to respond when opportunity presents itself.
