Saadia Mingo opened Koald Beauty Spa in Northgate in July 2022. She’s since learned that owning a spa isn’t as relaxing as going to one.
Running your own business is “a lot” she said with an exacerbated laugh. But with a team of supporters behind her, Mingo is making it happen.
“We see successful people and we see the glory, but we don’t understand the hurdles that they have to go over to even get to that point of success,” she said.
The Gray Road Church of Christ in Spring Grove held its inaugural Black Business Bazaar on Saturday. Dozens of Black-owned vendors and businesses gathered to promote a range of products and services.
While every business wants to make sales, a dollar amount wasn’t the only metric for success, said host Tammie Renee, owner of Styles by Renee.
“The key to elevation is collaboration, she said. “That’s what it’s all about today: networking, using our black dollars to put it back into the community with other black businesses.”
2.7% of U.S. businesses are black-owned, according to a LendingTree analysis of 2021 data from the 2022 U.S. Census Bureau Annual Business Survey.