15 Directories to Find Black-Owned Small Businesses (2024)

15 Directories to Find Black-Owned Small Businesses (1)

Consumers care more than ever about making sure their purchase decisions represent their values, especially younger generations. Ninety percent of Gen Zers believe companies should address racial equality, according to a 2021 McKinsey study.

While younger consumers recognize the importance of spending consciously to support entrepreneurs and minority merchants, it’s not always easy for customers to find Black-owned small businesses to patronize. However, directories and Google’s Black-owned business designation on business profile cards make them easier to identify.

These 15 business directories seek to increase the visibility of Black-owned small businesses and help conscious consumers connect with minority-owned brands. If you’re a Black business owner, it’s worthwhile to list your company on these sites to help new customers find your venture.

[Read more: 10 Resources for Black-Owned Businesses]

Black Business Green Book

The civil rights advocacy group Color of Change launched Black Business Green Book to support Black-owned businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Black Business Green Book offers ways to browse businesses in many different categories, including home goods, fashion, health and wellness, books, and art. There are different filters for shopping businesses in your state or online-only retailers. One of the great features of this directory is that submitting a business is easy, and your customers can even do it for you by filling out a form here.

Black Directory

Black Directory offers consumers Black-owned and operated products and services. Black Directory works hard for its members to level the playing field in business. It advocates for members to obtain federal and government contracts, access capital from financial institutions like JP Morgan Chase, and networking and marketing opportunities to continually promote and grow Black businesses.

Black Directory has over 50,000 consumers on its email list, so businesses can reach local and national audiences by becoming members. Interested businesses can choose their tiers of membership. Diamond members receive premium benefits like the first look at contracts and mentorship opportunities with 7-figure Black-owned company leaders.

BlackOwnedAssociation.com (BOA)

BlackOwnedAssociation.com (BOA) is a network connecting Black-owned businesses with consumers. While most of the businesses on the platform are located in North America, consumers can shop with Black-owned businesses in hundreds of categories from all over the world. There is no cost for a business to add a listing on the platform and it also offers opportunities for advertising.

Black-Owned Brooklyn

A husband-and-wife team founded Black-Owned Brooklyn in 2018 to help elevate businesses in their community. While the directory only lists Brooklyn-based businesses, Black-Owned Brooklyn also features stories from founders and business owners that can be a great resource for other merchants.

Black Woman Owned

As of 2022, Black women start businesses at a higher rate than white women and men, but the percentage drops as businesses mature, with only 3% continuing to run mature businesses.

Black Woman Owned seeks to scale visibility and success for Black women-owned businesses and create an economy in which they thrive. The website operates an aggregate listing of Black women-owned businesses for both products and professional services, sends a newsletter with giveaways and new content and sells a Moment Box — curated with luxury products from seven Black women-owned retailers.

To join, navigate to the Contact Page to fill out the form and provide the requested information.

[Read: 10 Women-Owned Business Directories]

ByBlack

The U.S. Black Chambers, with support from American Express, developed an extensive directory and certification program for Black business owners to join called ByBlack. Businesses that identify as Black-owned can join the directory for free by supplying the name of the business and the business owner; the business’s website, phone number, and address; and the business category, description, and NAIC/Industry code. Those interested in the certification must be majority-owned, operated, managed, and controlled by a Black/African American person or persons, among a few other requirements.

Black businesses looking to list themselves on ByBlack’s directory, receive the ByBlack certification, or both, can do so at no cost. Navigate to the ByBlack website to take the next step in verifying your business and joining the directory.

Chez Nous Guide

Don’t miss the beautifully designed Chez Nous Guide: “a volunteer-run inclusive and intersectional home for businesses, artists and organizations owned and run by historically marginalized people around the world and our allies.” You can find businesses owned by women, LGBTQIA+ merchants, and BIPOC entrepreneurs in major cities around the world. Search using several different filters, including category and place, or use the “go explore” button. This site includes more than 200 Black-owned businesses.

Official Black Wall Street is one of the largest business directories for Black-owned businesses, with over 5,000 listings in 10 countries.

2021 McKinsey study

EatOkra

EatOkra is a directory of Black-owned restaurants, featuring over 2,500 restaurants around the United States. Users can search by cuisine and location, and even order delivery—the app will connect you to GrubHub or DoorDash so you can seamlessly order from those listings. If you prefer to visit in person, EatOkra will give you directions from your location or connect you to a ride-share service like Lyft. Listing on EatOkra is a great way for Black restaurateurs to reach new customers, earn more clicks on delivery platforms, and boost their visibility.

I Am Black Business

I Am Black Business offers an affordable, one-time membership cost, for access to join the Black Business Search Engine, niche product sites, and more. It offers a mobile app to search for Black-owned businesses wherever consumers travel.

In addition, users can “claim” their business, if it’s already listed, to update information like social media handles, business descriptions, and more.

Official Black Wall Street

Official Black Wall Street is one of the largest business directories for Black-owned businesses, with over 5,000 listings in 10 countries. Through the app, business owners can create a listing with reviews, photos, directions and more. The app also alerts users when they’re nearby a Black-owned business to help increase foot traffic.

The Nile List

Founded by Khadijah Robinson, The Nile List brings Black creators of retail products to interested customers. The Nile List ensures that whatever a consumer wants to buy online, there’s someone Black who makes it. Not only does The Nile List uplift Black brands, it also takes consumers’ other values in mind too, giving designations like “vegan,” “woman-owned,” “natural,” and “handmade” to satisfy each buyer’s needs.

Black business owners who want to see their business and products on The Nile List can register through a specific form on the site — but note that as of March 2022, The Nile List is temporarily not accepting new business.

Shop Black Owned

Shop Black Owned is a business directory specific to eight cities at the moment, with more to come: Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle. Shop Black Owned is a free, crowdsourced and map-based tool that makes it easy to find a Black-owned business in your immediate area. There are more than 1000 businesses listed and more added every day. To get your business listed or city added, send an email to shopblackowned@coastapp.com.

Support Black Owned

The Support Black Owned directory has been around since 2012, generating many listings over the years. It offers both a website database and an app, as well as advertising options for Black-owned businesses and user reviews and ratings. Search by state, category or even country一Support Black Owned lists businesses in 30-plus countries.

[Read more: 10 Resources for Minority-Owned Businesses]

WeBuyBlack

WeBuyBlack has been around since 2015. “Today, it’s the largest e-marketplace for Black-owned businesses,” reports Fast Company. What’s great about this directory is it shows customers how to make the switch from big brands to Black-owned brands for everyday consumer goods, such as cleaning supplies and toothpaste. It’s also got lots of deals on free and fast shipping.

Virginia Black Business Directory

Based in Virginia, the Virginia Black Business Directory works to close the wealth gap and bring equity to Black-owned businesses in the District of Columbia, Virginia and Maryland (DMV) region. As a 501(c)3 organization, the Virginia Black Business Directory uses community collaboration, provides educational opportunities and organizes networking events and programs to amplify Black voices.

Founded in 2020, the business already has over 1,200 businesses on its extensive list and hundreds of thousands of social media impressions. Membership costs $50 for the year and grants access to mentoring and networking opportunities. In addition to having a directory listing, members also enjoy benefits like exclusive coupons and deals, business development resources, and more.

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Published April 07, 2022

15 Directories to Find Black-Owned Small Businesses (2024)

FAQs

How do I find black owned businesses in my area? ›

Official Black Wall Street is one of the largest business directories for Black-owned businesses, with over 5,000 listings in 10 countries. Through the app, business owners can create a listing with reviews, photos, directions and more.

Is there an app to find black owned business? ›

Blapp makes it easy for you to find and support Black-owned businesses across the US. Once you find something that you love, you can jump to Etsy or Yelp to purchase or book it. Our mission is to support all Black-owned businesses and business owners.

Where are most Black businesses located? ›

Fayetteville, N.C., has the highest percentage of Black-owned businesses in the U.S., according to a new LendingTree study for Black History Month. Other metros in the South — including Washington, D.C. — join Fayetteville at the top of the list.

What is the most popular category for black owned businesses? ›

The most common type of Black-owned business is health care, as 32% of Black-owned businesses are in the health care category. Other popular categories include repair and maintenance, personal and laundry services, advertising firms, and auto dealerships.

What is black directory? ›

Black Directory provides news and headlines from the African American perspective through a variety of African American, African-Caribbean And African-owned media while giving users access to events, activities and information in the African diaspora and throughout the world.

How do you know if a business is black-owned? ›

When trying to figure out if a brand is Black-owned, the first step is to go to the website and find the About, About us or Contact Us tab. Most of the time, the company will provide background knowledge on how the company was founded, who founded the company and who owns it.

Is there a black owned social media platform? ›

Entrepreneur Launches First Ever Black-Owned Social Media Networking App in the Metaverse. Meet Matthew Newman, the founder and CEO of TruSo, an audio-visual social media networking app for the Black community worldwide.

What are some black owned apps? ›

Here are seven Black-owned apps that are inspiring us:
  • We Read Too. Kaya Thomas wanted to make it easier for young people to find books written by people of color and featuring main characters and authors who look like her. ...
  • EatOkra. ...
  • Liberate: Black Meditation App. ...
  • Goalsetter. ...
  • Kickstroid. ...
  • Official Black Wall Street. ...
  • Swivel.
1 Feb 2022

What is black app? ›

The Black App's mission is to take the momentum of black tech entrepreneurship and put every black owned business on the global market to help us prolong the life of the black dollar in our community.

What state has the most Black businesses? ›

Maryland

The Free State ranks 1st nationally for the most Black-owned businesses per 1 million people (1,213), and also ranks 1st in percent of the workforce employed by Black-owned businesses (3.49%).

What is the richest black-owned company? ›

RLJ Lodging Trust, one of the largest publicly owned Black businesses, reported total assets of $5.92 billion in June 2020.

What percentage of small businesses are owned by Black people? ›

In 2019, there were a total of 5,771,292 employer firms (businesses with more than one employee), of which only 2.3% (134,567) were Black-owned, even though Black people comprise 14.2% of the country's population.

What race owns the most small businesses? ›

The most common ethnicity among business owners is White, which makes up 70.8% of all business owners.

Is Coca Cola Black-Owned? ›

Coca-Cola Florida, one of the largest Black-owned businesses in the U.S. and the largest in Florida, has been selected as a 2022 U.S. Best Managed Company. Founded in 2015, Coca-Cola Florida is the third-largest privately held and sixth-largest minority-owned business in the state.

What is black business in a box? ›

Enter Black Business Boxes, a local Black-owned business that has created monthly subscription boxes, similar to Birchbox and Stitch Fix, that include specially curated products from Black-owned businesses across the country.

How many black-owned businesses are there in the US? ›

In 2019, there were 134,567 Black-owned employer businesses (businesses with more than one employee) in all sectors of the U.S. economy, an 8% hike from the 124,551 Black-owned employer businesses in 2018, according to the ABS.

What is National Black Business Month? ›

Black Business Month is celebrated in August — it's a time to acknowledge and appreciate black-owned businesses across the nation and all that they represent in the country's continual striving for diversity and equality.

Why should you support black-owned businesses? ›

Reducing the Racial Wealth Gap

Black business owners are also wealthier than their peers who do not own businesses. And many Black business owners hire from within their communities, which helps to fuel job opportunities in neighborhoods of color, according to a report from the Association for Enterprise Opportunity.

How do I find out who is Black-owned on Google? ›

Google announced that black-owned businesses can now also show a special label or indicator in their product and shopping results within Google Search. The label reads “identifies as Black-owned” and shows in the product listing results within Google Shopping. What it looks like.

What was the first Black-owned business? ›

But over the decades, E.E. Ward came to earn an even greater distinction: the oldest Black-owned business in the United States.

Who was the first Black entrepreneur? ›

Walker (born Sarah Breedlove; December 23, 1867 – May 25, 1919) was an African American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and political and social activist.

What is ramse app? ›

Welcome to RAMŚE

RAMŚE is an elite social media site designed to bring users the ultimate Social Experience. The acronym “RAMŚE” is the abbreviation for “Royalty App Members Superior Experience”. RAMŚE was created to make everyone feel like Royalty!

What is black twitter app? ›

Black Twitter app is somehow similar to Youtube's dark mode as it reduces strain on your eyes, especially at night. If you're using an official version of the Twitter app, you can simply shift to the night mode with just a few steps. You can also find the dark mode settings on different third-party Twitter apps.

Is Clubhouse black owned? ›

The Nation's First Black-Owned Golf Clubhouse Is Now A Historic Landmark.

Who created the Blapp app? ›

Comedian Jon Laster Creates The Blapp App To Boost Black-Owned Businesses. A New York City-based comedian named Jon Laster is launching an app which supports Black-owned businesses, but his new mission is no laughing matter.

How do I black out apps on iPhone? ›

How to hide apps on iPhone
  1. First, create a folder by tapping and holding down on an app and dragging it on top of another app. ...
  2. Now, drag the app that you want to hide into the folder you just created. ...
  3. If you want to hide more than one app, drag any others into the folder too.
8 Aug 2022

Is BLK a hookup app? ›

Chat. BLK is the new app for Black single men and Black single women with a simple mission: To create an exclusive community where Black men and Black women can find meaningful connections with people who share similar likes and interests.

What is Black SMS? ›

As you might have guessed by the name of this app, Black SMS will keep private messages between you and your intended recipient. Black SMS works with iMessage, which means that Android, BlackBerry, and Windows users are out of luck for now, but iPhone users will likely find this app very handy.

Is BLK app free? ›

While the BLK experience is free, BLK offers Premium membership packages ranging from $9.99/month to Elite membership at $19.99/month. BLK is available on Google Play and Apple App Store.

Is the owner of Lowes Black? ›

Ellison was born to parents who worked as sharecroppers. He grew up in a segregated community in the South. Now, he is one of four Black CEOs in the Fortune 500.

Are Black-owned businesses less successful? ›

Black‐owned firms have lower revenues and profits, hire fewer employees, and are more likely to close than white‐owned businesses (U.S. Census Bureau 1997). The relative lack of success of black‐owned businesses in the United States is a major concern among policy makers.

What are the largest African American owned businesses? ›

  • Salamander Hotels & Resorts. Revenues: $220 Million. ...
  • Devon Industrial Group. Revenues: $234 Million. ...
  • Georgetown Metal Processing. Revenues: $235 Million. ...
  • Bird Electric. Revenues: $238 Million. ...
  • Baldwin Richardson Foods. ...
  • Adams Communication & Engineering Technology. ...
  • Millennium Steel of Texas. ...
  • Global Automotive Alliance Corporation.
19 Jan 2021

Who is the most famous Black entrepreneur? ›

The most famous black entrepreneur is Oprah Winfrey, who has been a household name for decades since her daytime talk show debuted. Oprah now runs her own media company, Harpo Inc.

What is the most successful black-owned business? ›

What is the largest Black-owned business? The real-estate investment trust company RLJ Lodging Trust is one of the largest Black-owned public businesses in America, with assets of $5.92 billion as of June 2020.

Is Johnson & Johnson a Black-owned company? ›

In March of 2009, Johnson Products Co. was purchased by an African American investment firm, which reestablished its position as a Black-owned company.

Why the rate of Black business ownership is going up? ›

The growth in Black self-employment has several potential reasons. First, African American business ownership was also already growing prior to the pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic then led to a huge boom in small-business formation in general, as people quit their jobs and realized they could be their own boss.

What are some challenges that black owned businesses face? ›

Black small business owners struggle more than other business owners with healthcare issues: 41% say their personal finances got worse during the pandemic. 41% are currently in financial debt due to health care costs. 24% have no health insurance, compared to 13% of other entrepreneurs.

Which ethnic minority group owns the largest number of small businesses in the United States? ›

Asian-owned businesses had the largest estimated receipts ($863.3 billion) among minority groups. Blacks or African Americans owned approximately 124,551 businesses, with about 28.5% (35,547) of these businesses in the Health Care and Social Assistance sector, the highest percentage of any minority group.

What percentage of entrepreneurs are Black? ›

New entrepreneur rate, by race U.S. 2000-2021

In 2021, the rate of new entrepreneurs among Black U.S. residents was 0.28 percent, or 280 new entrepreneurs for every 100,000 adults each month.

What is the average age of a small business owner? ›

Small business ownership statistics from Experian tell us that American small business owners are 50.3 years old, on average. Entrepreneurs in the construction industry are the youngest, at 48.3 years, on average. Financial, insurance and real estate professionals are the oldest, at 54.1 years.

Who owns most business in America? ›

The majority of U.S. businesses are small, relatively new and owned by white Americans, according to new data published Thursday by the Census Bureau. The bureau estimates there were 5.4 million companies and businesses with paid employees at the end of 2014.

How many black owned businesses are in DC? ›

Overall, about 7.7% of businesses in the region have Black owners, which shakes out to be 8,649 out of 111,872 total businesses.

Who owns co*ke Florida? ›

Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC (co*ke Florida) is a family-owned independent Coca-Cola bottler. co*ke Florida's exclusive territory covers over 20 million consumers across 47 Florida counties, and includes the major metropolitan markets of Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa.

Does Coca-Cola support small business? ›

We're driving inclusive economic growth by investing in entrepreneurs and small businesses across our value chain, by providing training, skills development, and access to finance, equipment and mentors.

Are there any black banks? ›

Today, there are 42 Black-owned banks in the US. These institutions are working diligently to provide financial services to underserved communities.

How many black-owned businesses are there in the US? ›

In 2019, there were 134,567 Black-owned employer businesses (businesses with more than one employee) in all sectors of the U.S. economy, an 8% hike from the 124,551 Black-owned employer businesses in 2018, according to the ABS.

Is Mrs Prindables black-owned? ›

McBride Sisters Collection is the largest African-American-owned wine company in the United States. Mrs. Prindables: Shop for delicious, gourmet caramel apples from Mrs. Prindables.

What does it mean black-owned? ›

The U.S. Census Bureau's Survey of Business Owners defines a black-owned business as a firm with African American owners holding at least a 51 percent or greater stake in the business.

What is the largest Black bank in the United States? ›

OneUnited Bank, the largest Black-owned bank in the U.S., has partnered with Lendistry, a Black-owned financial technology company, to offer business loans of $50,000 up to $5 million to help Black entrepreneurs maintain working capital and build wealth.

What is the largest Black owned business in America? ›

RLJ Lodging Trust, one of the largest publicly owned Black businesses, reported total assets of $5.92 billion in June 2020.

Is Citizens Bank still Black owned? ›

Founded in 1921 by five black businessmen, today Citizens Trust Bank is a federally certified CDFI and one of the largest African American owned financial institutions in the nation with assets of more than $388 million.

Who is the first Black millionaire? ›

Madam C.J.

Walker (1867-1919), who started life as a Louisiana sharecropper born to formerly enslaved parents in 1867, is usually cited as the first Black millionaire.

What state has the most Black-owned business? ›

Maryland

The Free State ranks 1st nationally for the most Black-owned businesses per 1 million people (1,213), and also ranks 1st in percent of the workforce employed by Black-owned businesses (3.49%).

What race owns the most small businesses? ›

The most common ethnicity among business owners is White, which makes up 70.8% of all business owners.

What is the oldest Black-owned business? ›

Founded by entrepreneur John T. Ward in 1881 in Columbus, Ohio, E.E. Ward Moving & Storage Co. has withstood the test of time and continues to operate as the oldest Black-owned business in the United States.

Is Coca Cola Black-Owned? ›

Coca-Cola Florida, one of the largest Black-owned businesses in the U.S. and the largest in Florida, has been selected as a 2022 U.S. Best Managed Company. Founded in 2015, Coca-Cola Florida is the third-largest privately held and sixth-largest minority-owned business in the state.

Is Johnson & Johnson a Black-owned company? ›

In March of 2009, Johnson Products Co. was purchased by an African American investment firm, which reestablished its position as a Black-owned company.

Who was the first black entrepreneur? ›

Walker (born Sarah Breedlove; December 23, 1867 – May 25, 1919) was an African American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and political and social activist.

Why is it important to buy from black-owned businesses? ›

When Black-Owned Businesses are in high demand, the companies become more profitable. Supporting these businesses contributes to creating entrepreneurial opportunities. Entrepreneurship fuels economic prosperity and serves as a bridge for low-income families to move up to middle-class status.

What percentage of entrepreneurs are black? ›

New entrepreneur rate, by race U.S. 2000-2021

In 2021, the rate of new entrepreneurs among Black U.S. residents was 0.28 percent, or 280 new entrepreneurs for every 100,000 adults each month.

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