As the 1st of February is slowly approaching we are eager to welcome the start of Black History Month 2022. As a Black-owned business, Ms. Meri Mak has always been up and ready to highlight the importance of illuminating the accomplishments of every pioneer of the community alongside millions of people who strive to create a line where our Black past, present, and future collide every February.
Celebrating Black-owned businesses and inspiring entrepreneurs in 2022
While we certainly need to celebrate and honor the work of Black leaders and activists every day of the year, this is also a great opportunity to shed light on the numerous entrepreneurs who, despite barriers that make it difficult for them to gain access to the resources, funding, and assistance, continue to set goals and thrive. To put this into perspective, Black female business owners receive less than 1% of venture capital funding. Moreover, Black entrepreneurs start with $35,000 in capital, on average, compared to $107,000 for their white counterparts.
Certainly, the fact that approximately 4.3% of the 22.2 million businesses in the U.S. are Black-owned, and less than 1% are generating a median profit margin greater than 20% can be very disheartening for new entrepreneurs. However, it can absolutely serve as a motivation boost to go all-in and set your own path to success.
The importance of being the first black-owned clothing boutique in Guelph
For Denise Mansur, owner and founder of Ms. Meri Mak, being the first Black-owned clothing boutique in Guelph has been her dream since the very beginning. Fuelled by her passion to create a safe space for black, indigenous, and people of color, she set her mind to become an example.
Setting the way for Black representation in the market
Opening the first black-owned clothing boutique in Guelph was Denise’s own way of further diversifying the economy and allowing for more Black representation in the market. By supporting female-owned businesses, like Ms. Meri Mak, customers help maintain a positive cycle of empowering businesses to grow. This way, there is an even bigger need and capability to hire new employees, while also boosting the local economy.
Inspiring BIPOC to grow and thrive
Denise Mansur’s passion project aims to encourage other BIPOC aspiring business owners to follow their dreams and set realistic goals for next generation to celebrate their own cultures, create their own products, and have access to resources necessary to overcome wealth inequality.
With the help of women artisans who love to explore and experiment with different techniques, Ms. Meri Mak is on a mission to empower and uplift fellow creatives through the beauty of art and fashion.
For Black History Month 2022 and beyond, our passion, resilience, strength, compassion, and joy will continue to motivate and hold space for our communities in the most inspirational, revolutionary ways possible.