Top 9 Small Business Start-ups that Gave me a Little "White-Woman-Confidence"
While attending a session of one of the many support programs that I enrolled in, one of the participants mentioned the term: ‘White-Woman-Confidence.’ This made me think of the level of confidence that so many white women are privileged to experience. This privilege is universally understood by black women who see what white women get as a result of that privilege and confidence. Specifically, in this Black and Latinx crowd, the question was: “How can I approach and build my business with that 'white woman confidence?”
You see, even if you’ve never heard the term, ‘we’ all know exactly what it is. It is the thing that they get to experience while we are ‘glass-walled’ from enjoying that experience of sheer confidence.
This is unlike the term ‘Karen,’ a label which some of us may not immediately know. When I first heard ‘Karen’ I had to ask my 76-year father, who is armed with an iPad and a Facebook account (which he posts on regularly ~ check his stuff out here).
My daddy explained that a Karen, “is a lower- or middle-class white woman who calls the police to enforce her will on black people they encounter.” (He also helped me with the terms ‘on fleek,’ and ‘twerking.’)
In 2017, I started my entrepreneur journey after a lengthy conversation with my husband, Shadeed (owner of FreshKissTea and founder of Core2Globe non-profit). Excited, I registered my company, secured a domain, and got my website up and running. Then I stopped. I either didn’t know what to do next, or I didn’t have the confidence to push to the next step. Maybe it was a combination of both. I’m sure this is something that many have experienced.
It wasn’t until I connected with an accelerator (an organization with a mission to help people get started with their business) that I not only figured out my next steps, but I got a little taste of that ‘White Women Confidence.’ My venture was dormant for two years before I took the next step. In 2019, I not only started signing up (which is the first step), but I started showing up (which is the most important step) to accelerator workshops, courses, and support programs.
As of 2019, I have a fully functional site making sales and generating what they call in the industry: REVENUE!! (Don’t get too excited. I can’t pay a bill with that revenue yet). Check out my abacus-based math products here if your want to support.
I ain’t big yet, but I’m on my way~ I feel it, and I have some of that ‘white woman confidence’ boosting up my “can’t stop me-TUDE.”
My Favorite 9 Business Accelerators
Below is my ranked list of all the accelerators, incubators, or support programs that have seriously helped add some of that ‘white woman confidence’ to my entrepreneur journey:
#9- SBA
The Small Business Administration is a mammoth. They are huge, and it can be difficult to find what you need. But if you have the persistence and patience, you‘ll find some pretty good resources for your business startup. I would also suggest connecting directly with one of their many coaches nearby and scheduling a meeting. It’s a gold mine talking to people in an industry who know way more than you.
I connected with a coach and found our sessions very helpful. The SBA is mostly free.
#8- ACE
Georgia’s largest small business-focused community development loan fund has a focus on women, people of color, and low to moderate-income business owners. I enrolled in the ACE, Women Business Enterprises (WBE) certification program, which is hugely important if you are interested in doing business with the government.
Some workshops are free while some have a minimal cost.
#7- ATDC
The Advanced Technology Development Center, located on Georgia Tech’s campus, is open to all technology entrepreneurs in Georgia. Participants receive coaching, industry connections, and a community that fosters your venture’s development.
ATDC has a great group of talented and helpful people across a multitude of industries, but their services are for technology or technology-related ventures (software, website, physical products). There is also a rapid prototyping lab if you’re needing to prototype. If you are going into business in a service field, this is not the support program for you. Lastly, all or most of their offerings occur between 9 AM and 5 PM, which made it difficult for me to fully participate.
There is a $25 to $125 quarterly membership fee to take part in all their offerings.
An excellent idea coined by Doretha H. White, roughly thirty of us met each day during the shelter-in-place order for the purpose of building our ventures. This was a great concept, too bad it did not repeat or continue. At the end of the program, each of the participants shared a reflection that will be part of a ‘how to’ with all members sharing royalties of the proceeds. Ingenious! There’s such power in what aspiring female entrepreneurs can do when we support each other.
This cost a hefty fee of about $180.
#5- konscious-kidz
Kelly Hickman self-published her book Imagine That through Amazon KDP and found the process so easy that she created a platform to share the process. I signed up for one of her 1-on-1 virtual workshops and less than a week later, my first workbook was also published on Amazon. One person can push you into doing what you’ve always dreamed of. Contact her if you’re interested self-publishing. She’s real cool.
She charges about $45.
#4- GA Patents
Georgia PATENTS stands for Pro bono Assistance & Training for Entrepreneurs and New, Talented, Solo inventors. The program assists solo inventors, non-profits, and small businesses with finding patent agents and attorneys to help them file patents on a pro bono basis.
If you live in Georgia, South Carolina, or North Carolina and need to protect any intellectual property- this is non-profit for you. For a $50 annual membership, you have access to so much. They set up a clinic where I presented my idea to a team of attorneys. (It was intimidating.) My idea was selected, and I worked with an attorney to complete my patent application. My only cost was for the actual filing, which was about $450. This service on average would cost over $10,000. They also assisted me by arranging for me to meet with trademark attorneys. Check them out, they also support artists.
This support program has a $50 annual membership fee.
Digital Undivided is an organization founded to assist Black and Latinx women with building, growing, and scaling their businesses. I’m currently in their START 2020 Cohort 1, which is being offered virtually. We’re discussing the lean model canvas, and in the small sessions, and we discuss the practicality of starting and running a business. They also offer 1-on-1 coaching sessions, pitch development and practice. The first session was amazing. Again, the power of a group of black women is AMAZING. Check them out.
The program cost $99 and worth every penny. Get in quick, because $99 is a COVID-special.
#2 and #1 tied 4.0 Schools and gAlpha
I rank both 4.0 Schools and gAlpha as number ONE because of the hands-on support and funding that they provide respectively. I’ll start with 4.0 Schools, based in New Orleans (but accept entrepreneurs from all over). They offer two fellowships where you are given pilot training, support and a micro-grant to test your idea! Can you imagine an organization taking a chance on your idea?
Next is gAlpha. This organization has so many legs and arms that I can’t begin to pretend that I have a grasp of all of the resources that they offer. But I do know that they offer three main accelerators: gAlpha, gBeta, and Gener8tor. I participated in their summer gAlpha. Twice a week, I met with at least two coaches. They looked over my website, asked hard questions, helped me reaffirmed my idea, and set goals. As an aspiring female entrepreneur, this was all invaluable. They even have an arm where they arrange for you to have the opportunity to pitch to companies. I’m getting ready for my pitch now. Wish me luck or reach out to me and ask me how things went.
When starting out, I’ve found that having a little seed money and a little hand-holding goes a long way, which is why I would recommend that you apply to the next fellowship round with 4.0 Schools and the next round of gAlpha. It’s worth your time.
Before 4.0, I wasn’t sure if my idea was worth pursuing, but after 4.0, I’m confident that I’m doing the right work. Before gAlpha, I didn’t have a clear direction, but now I have traffic and sales on my site, my products are on Amazon, and I’m currently in talks with a charter school!
Support groups can give you the tools and help you need to develop your business. I would encourage all aspiring female entrepreneurs to check out these programs and organizations.
