LOUISVILLE, Ky. — August is National Black Business Month, when many will go out and support black-owned businesses in their community.
In Louisville, 2.4 percent of business are black-owned, according to Tiandra Robinson, marketing consultant and coordinator for 502 Black Business Week.
The amount of Black, female-owned businesses is even slimmer. Many of these businesses first opened their doors just in the past couple of years.
This summer, one business opened their newest storefront on Baxter Avenue with a mission to give other Black entrepreneurs support and guidance.
Pocket Change first opened in Butchertown and has since moved twice, finally settling in Louisville's Deer Park neighborhood.
“When people hear 'pocket change,' I want them to know that we're more than a store. When you think of pocket change, think of home,” Brittiney Griffin, store manager, said.
The Highlands business offers free WIFI and free full-color printing up to 20 pages. They have a communal kitchen space which includes; a coffee and tea maker, air fryer, small fridge and freezer.
Pocket Change's free co-working space has various tables and desks intended for individual and group work. This area has a heat press, five laptops and various technology accessories intended for content creation
“Pocket Change is a retail space as well as a safe space for community involvement. You can learn how to open up your nonprofit, open up your own LLC,” Griffin said.
Pocket Change also has a lounge area furnished with three couches, a large bean bag chair and bungee chairs. This communal space has a television, board games and a charging station. There are even resource binders that break down step-by-step how to create a non profit or business.
Griffin said being able to bring the resources they have in the community is rewarding, especially as businesses continue to navigate starting up or even staying open.
“A lot of people want access to small black-owned businesses, but they don't have immediate access to support them," Griffin said. "In any community that you go to it is essential that you have that mental support there for people to breathe just a little easier, the world is already chaotic.”
If you'd like to help Pocket Change support Louisville's Black community, check out their social media page.
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