August is Black Business Month, and business is booming for some companies with different resources now available at their fingertips.
The Kaviar Beauty Bar is a Cinderella story in the Macon, Georgia, community. Opened in 2020 by Leigha Axom and Andria Sands, Axom told 41 NBC that she was unaware of the tools to help her build her business.
“As a Black entrepreneur, as a Black business owner, you have to show up everywhere that you can,” Axom said. “Tap in. Read about the different things that are taking place in the community.”
Kaviar offers an array of services while employing stylists, licensed estheticians, barbers, nail techs, and makeup artists. According to 13 WMAZ, customers can even get their teeth bedazzled. “God sent us some amazing people, and they’re booked and busy around here,” Sands said.
Unique services like this have landed the salon as a featured business in the Macon Black Pages, a directory created to promote Black-owned businesses in Middle Georgia. Publisher Alex Habersham says the goal of the Black Pages is for Black businesses to reach their revenue goal as he found African American consumers spend more than $3.5 billion a year. He feels those funds should go toward Black businesses.
“So the objective of the Black Pages is to get more of that revenue, more of that cash, more of that disposable income to circulate in the African American community, which will benefit the entire community,” Habersham said.
Axom credits Black Pages and nonprofits, such as the Central Georgia Coalition of Black Businesses, for leading the pack on giving Black entrepreneurs what they need to succeed. They are expanding their reach with an inaugural event called the Black Business and Community Expo on Aug. 19.
Held at the Macon Coliseum, the expo will feature vendors, live entertainment, and more, including back-to-school resources, education, and networking for small businesses. The salon owner says going to events like the expo has helped with exposure for her business.
“Now, since we’ve been pushing ourselves and getting more out in the community, people are knowing more about the Kaviar Beauty Bar, so we’re getting more customers from everywhere,” Axom said.
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