Black-Owned Businesses

Chamber Member Black-Owned Businesses
Would you like to add this 'Black-Owned Business' Badge to your directory? Go to your member portal here to submit these changes!

*Don't see your business on this list? Message Kaytee Lorentzen, Marketing & Communications Manager, at klorentzen@chamberbloomington.org with your business information.

How to support Black-Owned Businesses

Use your buying power to support minority-owned businesses.
Contact your federal, state, and local representatives.
Take stock of diversity in your own business operations.
Share these businesses on social media, podcasts, blogs, etc.
Ask what is needed.
Write and share a review.
Extend and expand opportunities for mentorship and sponsorship.

Resources for Black-Owned Businesses

Black Business Association: Founded in 1970, the Black Business Association (BBA), headquartered in Los Angeles, the oldest active ethnic business organization in the state of California, has been committed to ensuring that African American and other diverse business owners benefit from our advocacy efforts to impact, improve and implement policy that improves access to contracting and procurement opportunities with the public and private sector, in addition to providing access to financial resources.
Black Enterprise: a website and magazine that provides Black business owners with information about minority business news, trends, and education, as well as opportunities to network with other Black entrepreneurs. Black Enterprise focuses on supplying resources and articles targeted to the specific needs of Black business owners, with content geared towards small business news and financial growth.
Black Founders: creates an ecosystem that stimulates tech entrepreneurs and fosters economic growth for Black business owners. Black Founder’s “Gust” system connects Black-owned startups who are currently raising money and actively looking for investors with a collection of investors around the world. The organization also connects business owners with networking, workshops, conferences, and hackathons.
Black Owned Everything takes a more modern approach to the idea of Black-owned business directories by curating photos and products from Black-owned businesses via a popular Instagram account. Businesses that want to be featured can register with the service and then photos from their Instagram may be promoted for free to a much larger audience.
Bloomington Economic Development Tool: Find local information to help your business make smarter, faster, better decisions.
City of Bloomington - Boards & Commissions: Through a variety of boards and commissions, established by the City of Bloomington, citizens can provide input on the policies that shape their government and their city. There are currently more than 30 boards and commissions that advise the Mayor and City Council on a vast array of issues. To apply to a board, go to https://bloomington.in.gov/boards.
City of Bloomington Business Academy: The City of Bloomington believes that a thriving business community enhances the quality of life for citizens. These are resources are for businesses ready to operate in Bloomington.
City of Bloomington Business Resources: Local government must take the lead in envisioning and creating a thriving community, identified by the health of its environment, the vitality of its economy and the equity among its citizens. Creating such a community requires cooperative participation from both the public and private sectors. This section describes the City's approach to business and sustainability, and the resulting economic development initiatives and business incentives.
Grants
- Coalition to Back Black Businesses
- Minority Business Development Agency
Indy Black Chamber of Commerce: The leading advocate for Black-owned businesses in central Indiana
Minority Business Certification - By Black: The U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. has developed ByBlack as the only national certification exclusively for Black-owned businesses. ByBlack provides Black entrepreneurs a way to reach new customers and unlock opportunities to secure contracts with large potential buyers.
Trainings:
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office: February 17, “Defining tomorrow,”: Learn firsthand from successful innovators about networking, strategy, and securing funding for a business.
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office: February 24, “Invest in ideas,”: Learn how your creative spark can help build generational wealth.
U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.: Also known as The National Voice of Black Businesses, the U.S. Black Chambers (USBC) provides leadership and advocacy for economic empowerment of Black-owned businesses. They create resources for a network of African American Chambers of Commerce, which can also be accessed directly on their website. These include free digital training courses and tools, webinars, podcasts, programs and events.
U.S. Small Business Administration continues to help small business owners and entrepreneurs pursue the American dream. SBA is the only cabinet-level federal agency fully dedicated to small business and provides counseling, capital, and contracting expertise as the nation’s only go-to resource and voice for small businesses.