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ANGELINA DARRISAW: Welcome back.
Thank you so much for hanging with us today.
I have decided to change the scenery because I want you all
to get in the fireside chat feel for us
as we have our small business panel right now with three
amazing entrepreneurs that I'm so
excited for you to hear from.
So first up, we have Shayla Foreman joining us
from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Her first salon opened in May 2011,
but she quickly outgrew her physical location
and decided to move and, while at it, expand her business.
And Randy is an entrepreneur who has gained national media
attention for his company, Talley and Twine,
where he designs and manufactures
watches and other accessories.
We have Renee King joining us from Mount Vernon, New York.
So New York is also in the house,
and she knows that it takes a village to raise a founder.
And she's on a mission to create that village for 10,000
Black founders.
Now, Renee, as someone who owns a service-based startup, what
are some of the unique issues that you
face when you think about navigating the digital space?
How do you find ways to integrate
technology and other tools into your business model?
RENEE KING: The unique challenge that we
face is, we've always been digital and only
a digital brand, a digital business.
We didn't have a physical footprint.
So the challenge, though, that you face
is how many people can you take on
through our process, which even though we are a tech platform,
we still have a human touch.
We still have a high human touch feel
of servicing and meeting our clients and talking to them.
So we have to create a balance of doing that so we can still
be efficient, take in enough customers,
but also give them the experience that they want.
So what we do is, we're using technology
like Google Workspaces, Google Drive, Google Forms,
different things where we can share and collaborate
and easily automate our onboarding
or automate the tools and tips that we
send to our entrepreneurs.
We leverage things like that.
And the other thing that I will say,
the biggest thing that has helped me
a lot because I would have never probably been
able to start this business without it,
is Google University.
So having the access to be able to Google whatever it is I
don't know because, trust me, entrepreneurship
is a game of tons of things you do not know--
so being able to learn as you're going on via different things
like Google University, Primer, Google Coaches program,
different things like that, has been also the game-changer of,
well, how do I automate this?
What is the best practice of doing this?
Who's done this before?
Give me the playbook, and then, that's what we do.
ANGELINA DARRISAW: Technology has played a part in all
of your businesses, though.
So, Randy, I'd love if you could speak
to how you might be using data to help
articulate your business value both on and offline.
RANDY WILLIAMS: Yeah.
The beautiful thing is, in the information age,
having data at your fingertips allows you to make smarter
choices and better decisions, especially as a small business
because we have much less room for error.
So we can't afford to kind of throw money
away trying things out.
And the way we utilize that data is taking that information
and using that to make smarter choices and better decisions.
So for example, we use one of our most trusted sources--
is Google Analytics.
Use that to find out who's going to our page, what
their demographics are.
What are their behaviors on our website?
And then we, in turn, use that to structure
the way that we do things.
And one of the big changes that happened last year
was that a lot of data became unreliable.
So it's good to have Google Analytics as a source
to go to for reliable data, using
that to make smart decisions.
So it's at the forefront of what we do.
We go to the data first, and then we
use that information for our benefit.
SHAYLA FOREMAN: Even if you have a brick and mortar,
make sure that you are present online.
Make sure because technology is the new normal.
This is our new generation.
This is the way things are going.
So you have to be online.
Your online presence has to be easy.
You should have a website.
You should have visuals, pictures, things like that
to keep people involved.
Things like your analytics, seeing
where your customers are going.
What are they clicking?
Are they clicking your address?
Are clicking your phone number to call you?
Are they clicking your website link?
So knowing that, if they're clicking your website link,
you definitely want to make sure your website is thorough,
consistent, you have good content,
and you keep it updated for everything that's currently
happening inside of your own business,
to lead them there, to your brick and mortar.
RENEE KING: It really guides every decision.
Once you get past the hurdle or you get help, which I did--
I got help from actual Google professionals
to say, like, tell me how to do this.
I don't understand.
What should I be looking at?
Once you get past that hurdle, every decision you make,
really, you can back it up with data.
So for us, there are products that we're testing.
And we are able to see, based on the data, OK,
did someone-- did they like it?
Did they buy it?
Did they download it?
We're seeing, what's the uptick?
What's going on?
And it gets addictive, I will say, for me.
It gets addictive.
Once you start understanding how to read your data
or how to understand, or learn, or wherever it is,
it does get addicting, where you'll
start checking it very regularly to see
what is the fruit of your efforts?
It's not just about sales.
It's to say what happened on the journey
as for why did that end up being a sale
or why did it end up not being a sale?
So just jump in.
I think it's intimidating at first, but jump in.
You're going to get addicted to it,
and you'll realize you can really drill down and make
some really great decisions for your business
based on the data.
ANGELINA DARRISAW: What tools are you
all using to make sure your business stands out
as Black owned?
And how do you also make sure you're supporting
other Black businesses?
And I'll start with you, Shayla.
SHAYLA FOREMAN: So first, for everybody
to know that I'm a Black-owned business,
I make sure that if there's an option for you to add
that you're a Black-owned business
on any type of platform that I use,
I make sure I have that checked.
I add that into my keywords.
I'm a Black-owned business as well as a woman-owned business.
So then, that way, when they're looking for a certain item
and they look up Black-owned businesses,
willfully, I'll come up in their search.
Also, utilizing hashtags as well.
Hashtags work as well because a lot of times people
will search hashtags, and then, that way, you'll
come up in that aspect of it.
I have a brick and mortar.
So I also have a sticker in my window, a Black-owned business
sticker, as well as a poster that I also
have hanging up in my business to let people know
that are driving back past or walking past
that I am a Black-owned business.
Also, for the other Black-owned businesses, one thing
I am, I'm really into giving back
or us working together to help market each other.
So I allow other Black businesses
to bring their merchandise into the salon
and have it in there at no charge.
Whatever the customers purchase, that's all their money,
and that way, their business is advertising for me,
and I'm advertising for them as well, creating
revenue and wealth for us all.
ANGELINA DARRISAW: How do we make
sure as Black women we're standing out
in the growing market where there's so much opportunity?
RENEE KING: Leaning into your authenticity
is how you stand out in the market.
Just be authentic around what is it you're building,
what's the problem you're solving, how you're solving it?
All of the elements of how you're designing your business,
be authentic with it.
And also, listening to your customers.
Those are the two things I would say.
Be authentic with what you're building
and how you deliver it to your customer,
and then, just being really in touch
and listening to what your customers' needs are
and meeting their needs is how you stand out.
I think that's the two things that have worked for us as
for why people choose us.
And that's part of storytelling too.
Really, it all gets wrapped into storytelling,
where people can understand we jumped into this space
because we want to fund Black entrepreneurs, period.
And we told the story that catalyzed that,
and people come still to this day,
they remember, oh, I saw you on this video when you said that,
and I can't believe-- so lean in.
Lean in.
This is a time that we can shout out exactly how we are.
We don't have to sugarcoat things.
We don't have to change our whatever it is, our appearance
or how we code switch.
You can be you and authentically you, down to your services
and everything.
Enjoy it.
SHAYLA FOREMAN: As long as you're walking in your purpose,
you'll be OK, and your business will run successfully.
Being consistent.
Be consistent with your consumers.
Be consistent with your staff.
Be consistent with yourself because consistency drives
success.
It drives anything that you're doing.
And be the energy that you want to attract.
That's my motto.
You be the energy you want to attract.
You give off positive energy, you give off
positive information.
And you'll get the same back in return.
You never know.
Your positive energy might rub off
on somebody who's having a bad day or needed that.
So those things will successfully
have you on a different level of business
dealing with the consumers because of people need you.
Sometimes people need you for more than just your service.
They need you for the energy that you have and are giving.
RANDY WILLIAMS: It's important when
starting a business to understand why you exist
because, whether you know it or not,
this is the question that customers are going to ponder,
either directly or subconsciously
is why do you exist?
Why do I need this product and this type of way at this time?
And if we think about that question a little bit,
I think it will improve how we develop
our products and our services and it will also
differentiate yourself from the competition a lot.
So understanding why it is that you exist,
for me, is something that's really, really important
when you're starting out.
ANGELINA DARRISAW: Shayla, what advice would you offer?
SHAYLA FOREMAN: When opening a business,
you want to go with continuing education.
It's so important to know where to start to build
your foundation with strength.
Getting the education, there's a lot of free education out
here, like Google Digital Coaches.
Google Digital Coaches is a free program that's state wide.
Get enrolled.
Register.
Hashtags as well to find out what to do next.
Go to Google and say, hey, I want to start a nail business
or I want to start a hair business
and see what they pull up.
Find other resources.
Find a network of people.
I've met a lot of people going to Google Digital Coaches.
A lot of other businesses, we network with each other
on a constant.
So you have to form a relationship.
You have to form a relationship with other businesses,
even if you join groups.
Whatever will help you take that risk.
Allow other people to give you, hey, you know what?
I did this.
This helped me.
I tell people, I did Digital Coaches Program,
and it took me to a whole other level.
So they're in the states near you.
Google it.
Find it.
I'm telling you, it will change your life.
ANGELINA DARRISAW: I couldn't agree more.
Renee, any other advice that entrepreneurs watching
need to know?
RENEE KING: One, start where you are.
Use what you have.
And you have a lot right at your fingertips,
right at your phone, right online.
Really, you have, like Shayla had mentioned,
you have Digital Coaches, you have Google University,
to just figure out, yeah, you have this big vision
of an entrepreneurial journey or an entrepreneurial business
that you want.
But let's start small.
Start small and just get going because you
may plan this big, elaborate plan in your head.
And when you actually are in it, I'll
tell you, as an entrepreneur, what I've planned when I go in
is not what happened.
So the sooner you get in there and start,
the quicker you're going to figure it out.
You're going to figure it out as we go.
None of us know this stuff.
I'm telling you.
We don't know day to day.
We are literally figuring it out as we go.
And build the crowd that you need to support you,
people who when it's really rough, you can turn to them
and be like, today sucked and they're
going to have your back, people who they have advice for you.
They've been there.
There's founders who are further along in the journey
that you can say, how did you do this?
People who could be potential customers, friends, family,
new people that are online--
build this crowd of people that you need.
I'll say politicians.
I'll say everybody.
You need everyone to be in your corner
when you're building this business.
It takes a village.
I've said it before.
I think Angelina said it in the beginning.
It takes a village just to raise a baby and to raise a founder.
So start building your village, even when
you haven't figured it out.
Lean on that village to get the advice and the help
you need as you're building it.
So start where you are and build your village.
ANGELINA DARRISAW: Wow.
Wow.
Thank you for sharing that.
And thank you all for sharing your wisdom
and being a part of the village of everyone
who is watching with us.
Randy, Renee, Shayla, thank you so much for being here.
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