She Means Business: Black & Minority Business Owners

What has been your biggest challenge to date as a business owner, and how did you learn or adapt to that challenge? The biggest challenge to date as a business owner for me is being a new business owner. Seeking ways to grow my business and not only reach our target market, but also building a relationship with our community. I’ve learned that most people are afraid to try a new business not knowing what to expect. So as new business owners we have to build that trust and break those barriers. The Princess in Me Kids Spa has been able to adapt to this challenges by being more active within the community, participating in more small business workshops, and networking with other small businesses. We are all in this together!

How can Wichita support you right now? We are humbly grateful for the continuous love and support from our community and small business family. If you haven’t already please subscribe to our website to stay up to date on our exclusive promotions and offers: www.theprincessinmekidsspa.com. You can also follow @ThePrincessinMeKidsSpa on our social media handles (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). Like, Share, Comment, or leave us feedback on our social media posts, it helps us provide your little one with the best spa experience!

What have been some positive takeaways or lessons learned from the last several months? Sadly the unforeseen challenges of COVID-19 has pivoted our nation and businesses in so many ways. On the bright side we have learned that the strength of our community has grown tremendously. Our community has really stepped up to not only support our business but other small businesses as well. During the last several months, our Princess Team was able to stay connected with our little princesses virtually and keep them inspired during uncertain times. We’ve learned that despite the challenges you may face, continue to have faith and try to see the positive in every situation.

What makes your business special or unique? What makes the Princess in Me Kids Spa unique is we bring the glam to you. Our team creates a magical, fun-filled spa atmosphere to our little princesses in the comfort of their own home.

Tell us the best way to reach you and/or how to book an appointment or buy your products! The best way to reach us is to visit our website www.theprincessinmekidsspa.com or email us at [email protected].

What has been your biggest challenge to date as a business owner, and how did you learn or adapt to that challenge? We made our official announcement to open The Little Shop at the beginning of March. So we’re really only in our first few months of business. The biggest challenge to date has been adapting to growth. In the past few months, we’ve grown and learned so much. We are constantly adding new ideas to the mix because of growing demand and inquiries we receive. We’ve really had to start and grow our business under not so ideal circumstances but it has really challenged us in a positive way.

How can Wichita support you right now? The best way Wichita can support us is just by following us on all of our social media. That’s where we interact with the community to find out where they want to see us pop up next, what plants they are looking for, etc. Also our favorite thing to tell people about local businesses is to “Tell a friend!” Word of mouth is so powerful and the more people that know about local business they can support, the better.

What have been some positive takeaways or lessons learned from the last several months? We have definitely felt the love and support from our community during these strange and challenging times and we are forever grateful for that. Covid-19 has really forced us to grow quicker than we had anticipated as a new business but we are constantly telling each other if we make it through this we can make it through anything.

What makes your business special or unique? What makes us unique is that we are a pop up shop. We don’t have a store front location. During COVID-19 we have transitioned to mainly doing sales through our website and delivering plants straight to our customers porch. We also offer plant care advise as well as styling inspo.

Tell us the best way to reach you and/or how to book an appointment or buy your products! The best way to purchase our products and/or services is through our website www.thelittleshopict.com. The best way to reach us is at our email which is [email protected].

What has been your biggest challenge to date as a business owner, and how did you learn or adapt to that challenge? Baking and running a business from home has its challenges especially when your time has to be distributed among family. I’ve had to learn to balance between the two which was not an easy task especially when my children were younger. I adapted to early morning prepping and late nights baking. Finding creative ways to incorporate family time lead me to include them in on the work by giving them tasks to complete such as labeling or packing and occasionally my little taste testers they refer to it as quality control.

How can Wichita support you right now? I am thankful that the community has been supportive. You can continually support by following any of my social media platforms, by placing an order or leaving a review. Customers that leave review helps me tremendously too. Recommendations are always a support as well.

What have been some positive takeaways or lessons learned from the last several months? Over the past few months inquiries and sales have increased, my social media insights are showing more engaging presence amid COVID-19 primarily because people are spending more time on the Internet. When the children were still in school, I had to juggle at home learning and baking. I often found myself up earlier and baking later to offset the time spent with getting my boys through virtual learning. As I mentioned, the increased time at home has benefited me through the increased use of social media and the desire for more carryout orders.

What makes your business special or unique? My passion of dipping chocolate covered strawberries created an obsession of baking delicious desserts with love straight from my heart and my kitchen. I am a self taught baker and my desire to bake became a constant thought and any opportunity I had to practice and learn, I seized the moment to do so. My strawberries are specially designed and customized with precise attention to detail. The gourmet toppings are unique in the flavors I select propelling them into gourmet delicacies.

Tell us the best way to reach you and/or how to book an appointment or buy your products! I can be reached exclusively on my Facebook business page at NCredibly Sweet and on Instagram at ncredibly_sweet. I can also be contacted by phone at 316-252-7572 or email at [email protected]

What has been your biggest challenge to date as a business owner, and how did you learn or adapt to that challenge? Time management- sometimes I make it look easy, but I’m really mentally at battle with what I should be doing. Sometimes I can get overwhelmed by being over productive, so I need to balance “treating myself” more. Self care is important! Mama needs time too.

How can Wichita support you right now? By liking, sharing, and of course buying some of the deliciousness! Even if you do not like donuts Hungry Bunny has t shirts, coozies, and stickers that anyone can purchase. If you cannot be close to someone during these times, a great way to surprise them is with a donut delivery right to their front door.

What have been some positive takeaways or lessons learned from the last several months? Everything has been so positive during these peculiar worldly times…. it’s kinda weird to say! Although it’s been a lot of darkness coming to the light, I cannot even deal with how unexpectedly busy I have been! I originally was just doing this to keep busy, and establish a side business. Once I was terminated from my 9-5 I had to make this my full time. I’ve had so much free time to perfect my recipe. Being at home, and the world being on hold really helped the business blossom.

What makes your business special or unique? A lot of us like myself are still taking precautions to keep ourselves healthy, and our families by quarantining. I know Wichita has fully opened the city with minimal restrictions, and my heart tells me to continue social distancing, and minimal outings. Because of this I went the virtual route. Even before the pandemic I loved all times spent at home, and anything being confidently delivered to me is always a win. We are a virtual donut shop without a store front. This business used to be a piece of paper, and in just a little under 5 months Hungry Bunny has touched so many individuals. 300 dozen of donuts have been pumped out of my 1 oven! From Oregon, to Florida our donuts have been shipped nationwide. We have been featured in Forbes, local news, and hand picked as one of the small black-owned businesses on Beyoncé’s website. 

Tell us the best way to reach you and/or how to book an appointment or buy your products! Our website is currently loading, and should be launching very soon! We currently take all orders through our Facebook page: Hungry Bunny Virtual Donut Shop or our instagram: @huungrybunny come say hi! if you want to collaborate, book me, or inquire about an event you can email us at [email protected].

What has been your biggest challenge to date as a business owner, and how did you learn or adapt to that challenge? Like most entrepreneurs, staying financially afloat can be daunting at times. It has been a learning experience figuring out how to market my services and make sure they are quality yet affordable. I’ve made the mistakes of both overpricing and underpricing. I’ve also made the mistake of relying solely on a plan A & B. But when unforeseen external influences impacted my ability to physically interact with clients, I had to adapt by coming up with a creative options such as virtual interaction.

How can Wichita support you right now? There are several ways to support Simply A Lady Co. and here are just a few: You may engage with me through my journey of learning and teaching on Simply A Lady Co’s Instagram and Facebook or book and attend a private, group, virtual or in-person workshop. You may also show your support for all future Simply A Lady Co. events and workshops by continuing to share our message and mission with everyone.

What have been some positive takeaways or lessons learned from the last several months? When you look at the entire first quarter of 2020 from a historical standpoint, it has been both exciting and terrifying. We are witnessing our children become the new story tellers, the leaders and the writers of this new chapter. The way in which we interacted professionally and personally has shifted. Six months ago, I was teaching the proper way to greet and shake hands. Not too soft, not too hard, but a nice firm shake no more than 3 pumps. Now, it’s all about the air fives, elbow bumps, feet kicks and 6 feet distance air kisses. I’ve used this peculiar time to research and observe the new forms of protocol being written daily. From shopping etiquette to video conferencing etiquette, the rules are no longer the same. Despite these unforeseen changes, some things will never change. Kindness, courtesy and respect for one another will always be the basis of any and all rules.

What makes your business special or unique? Although kindness is a defining aspect of civilized human life, cultural competency and respect for others has become an elusive skill set to much of the general public. After realizing only a select few were provided opportunities that invested in cultural, professional and personal growth, I’ve developed an enjoyable, affordable, accessible learning experience to enhance their lifestyles that can be applied locally or internationally in our ever-evolving world.

Tell us the best way to reach you and/or how to book an appointment or buy your products! For inquiries or etiquette questions, contact Kianga via email at [email protected].

What has been your biggest challenge to date as a business owner, and how did you learn or adapt to that challenge? My biggest challenge as a business owner is work/personal life balance. I love the perks of making my own schedule but I had to learn how to put work away once I leave the office. An adaptation I have made to help with this is not seeing clients on Fridays. I call Fridays my “Admin Day.” During this time I catch up on notes, make phone calls, ensure all of the needs of my clients are addressed, and complete other miscellaneous business tasks.

How can Wichita support you right now? Seek mental health treatment if needed and support mental health awareness. Check in with your loved ones. Ask family, friends, and coworkers how they’re doing and really listen to the answers. Encourage kind language. People previously diagnosed with a mental health condition are more likely to feel psychological distress. Those with preexisting depression, anxiety, substance use or eating disorders are likely heavily triggered in the current climate.

What have been some positive takeaways or lessons learned from the last several months? Covid-19 has made a huge impact in my practice. I quickly had to learn how to utilize and I began using teletherapy for the first time. Shortly after transitioning to teletherapy my caseload increased with new clients needing services. Covid-19 has made a significant impact on the mental health of people around the world. In addition, I started supervising student therapists at a local University in the midst of the pandemic. The past few months had its challenges but overall, I am proud of how the mental health community in Wichita has supported each other.

What makes your business special or unique? I am trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) which can be helpful to reduce emotional distress in trauma related disorders. At Benitez Counseling, clients have a unique access to a multidisciplinary team of providers located in the Sedgwick County area called the Eating Disorder Consultants of Kansas. When needed, coordination of care is quickly achieved through this access for medical evaluations, risk assessments, nutritional services, and close communication with the team to ensure medical safety and stability while in outpatient care.

Tell us the best way to reach you and/or how to book an appointment or buy your products! You can reach me at www.benitezcounseling.com. You can also find and follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn at Benitez Counseling.

What has been your biggest challenge to date as a business owner, and how did you learn or adapt to that challenge? There are two challenges with the first being access to capital to open our restaurant which is where the signature premium products, our legacy business, would launch. We resolved this challenge by working with the Small Business Administration, SBA and acquiring a SBA Guarenteed loan. We also used personal savings to invest in our business venture. The second challenge was to develop the baked bean products for marketing and find and successfully secure a co-manufacturing company and contract with them to manufacture the products according to my specifications. To remedy this challenge I secured the guidance and assistance from Kansas State University to help with the development of the product and I contracted with 3 different co-manufaturers.

How can Wichita support you right now? Sharing the Miller Inc. story across different sectors of our community will increase our presence and potentially increase our sales.

What have been some positive takeaways or lessons learned from the last several months? The Covid-19 pandemic has showed the nation that we are resilient individually and collectively. I experienced a reduction in purchases for the months of March and April. I continue to be optimistic about the remaining months in 2020.

What makes your business special or unique? It’s rare for a food product to maintain its market share for more that 5 years. Our brand initially grew primarily by word of mouth which is as organic as you can get. Word of mouth is also one of the best type of advertisement. As a business we pride ourselves in listening to our customers and being responsive.

Tell us the best way to reach you and/or how to book an appointment or buy your products! email: melody@millersfamousbaked beans.com, website: millersfamousbakedbeans.com. Our products can be purchased at most Dillons in the Deli. Miller’s Beans with Beef and Miller’s Bold & Spicy Bar-B-Que Baked Beans Call: 316-734-876. 

What has been your biggest challenge to date as a business owner, and how did you learn or adapt to that challenge? My biggest challenge as a business owner has been finding a happy balance between family, entrepreneurship, and personal time. It’s easy to become accustomed to the busyness and persistent state of pressing through a day of shuffling kids to school, appointments, grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, laundry, emails, social media etc. Before you know it you’re running on fumes and eating lunch in the car daily! This lifestyle wreaks havoc on your body, your mental health and overall can reduce your quality of life. I often remind myself to practice what I preach! Take a break and take them often. It’s okay to do something pleasurable for yourself or to actually do nothing at all.

How can Wichita support you right now? I am 6 months away from celebrating my 2nd anniversary at Emerge Skin & Body Spa and I truly feel blessed to have made it this far. I attribute my success to everyone that has sowed a seed in my small business in a array of support and I hope it continues to thrive. So far the best support I’ve received has been: Book & receive services, purchase Gift Certificates for family and friends, take time to share feedback regarding personal experience by leaving reviews, sign up for a monthly membership, sponsorships and collaborations for public events, purchase retail items for themselves and family members, word-of-mouth referrals, share social media content.

What have been some positive takeaways or lessons learned from the last several months? This may sound a bit cliche but COVID-19 has reinforced my belief that my family is everything to me. Like so many other businesses I had to temporarily close my practice without any financial support. Like most other self-employed individuals in the industry of self-care services I felt like I fell through so many cracks, yet I remained prayerful that my life, my family members’ and friends’ lives would be sustained and so far they all have been. I utilized my time away from my business to analyze and regroup my practice and my home. While at home I decluttered my home, painted a few rooms, rested my mind and body, cooked several times a day, I enjoyed being a full-time stay-at-home mom again and it felt refreshing. I really needed the forced extended stay-cation that COVID-19 afforded. Since re-opening I found it necessary to condense my services and business hours for work to ensure a healthy balance for my business, my family and myself. I found out that I really didn’t enjoy being so busy as much as I do enjoy being able to be present with my family.

What makes your business special or unique? My ultimate goal is to use every ounce of my mind, my body and my power to help my guest transform; to EMERGE. Each session delivering the gift of a transformative skin treatment or a stress-busting massage; leaving my presence feeling renewed and then to repeat this everyday, every session, every time. I am an Internationally qualified therapist in Beauty Treatments via ITEC (International Therapy Examination Council), recognized in 33 countries. I am a life-time student so I am always seeking educational trainings and seminars, studying ingredients and learning modalities to enhance my repertoire of skills.

Tell us the best way to reach you and/or how to book an appointment or buy your products! Utilizing my online booking page on the web www.emergeskinandbody.com provides the easiest and fastest way to view my availability, book an appointment and view a detailed list of services. Being that I am the solo Esthetician and Massage Therapist at my practice I am unreachable whenever I am with a guest, I strive to respond promptly to all emails, messages and missed phone calls. Email: [email protected] Cellphone: 316-390-4509 Web: www.emergeskinandbody.com Facebook: Emerge Skin & Body Spa Instagram: Emergeskin.body 

What has been your biggest challenge to date as a business owner, and how did you learn or adapt to that challenge? Building awareness about my business has been the biggest challenge so far. My strength is not in marketing, so learning about effective ways to advertise has been challenging. However resources like Boot camps offered by the Hive Wichita, Lee Gray Business Coaching and online materials have helped me learn about Facebook ads and other possible strategies.

How can Wichita support you right now? Share, share, share! Wichita is a GREAT place to live, to flourish and to grow. We offer a lot of cool things here, my business is one them! Please share my business with anyone and everyone! You can also support us by buying gift certificates or booking an appointment for someone you know! We also have services which can be provided nationally. Thank you Wichita for your love and support!

What have been some positive takeaways or lessons learned from the last several months? Stay flexible and innovative because pressures will always come to challenge your dreams and dedication. The Covid-19 virus has challenged the entire human race to be creative in meeting needs and new demands, it inspired me to think of ways to make my business more accessible to the public, to make my services more available to customers when and where they are available- not just during my normal business hours! From that experience, I extended PAMP Parties to include an online experience!

What makes your business special or unique? A healthy pregnancy is more than just about physical health. I offer prayer and resources for those needing to nourish their spiritual, mental, and emotional well-being. We create an environment where families celebrate their little miracle through experiences that strengthen the bonds between those involved which may include: coworkers, friends and community members. In the spirit of bringing you together we offer PAMP parties in person and online! PAMP parties are paint events which feature a chosen design, your guest becomes the student painter, and the experience is captured with a mini photo shoot! Pregnancy can be full of emotions and challenges, and I am passionate about transforming lives through art and ministry.

Tell us the best way to reach you and/or how to book an appointment or buy your products! The best way to reach us is on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ictbabybumpstudio/ or by phone: (316) 512-1109.

What has been your biggest challenge to date as a business owner, and how did you learn or adapt to that challenge? We have been blessed to work with clients from diverse backgrounds! As 3 African American women trying to make our mark in this industry, it has been hard to prove our capabilities beyond color. Even when people see the work, or hear the outstanding reviews, it’s unfortunate that opportunities are often times not given based on biases or assumptions. All we’ve done and will continue to do is prove people wrong through our work. Breaking down barriers and being thankful for the ones who entrust us with their special moments are all we care about now, and eventually, God will make the way for us to enter more doors.

How can Wichita support you right now? The biggest way Wichita can show support is by of course follow all of our social media handles. On Instagram @StylishICT and on Facebook at Stylish ICT. Share our posts, tell friends we’re accepting clients, and genuinely reach out to give an encouraging word. Gaining clients would of course be the biggest way to support right now, but we recognize everyone is still shifting to the new normal.

What have been some positive takeaways or lessons learned from the last several months? The biggest takeaway that we gathered from COVID-19 was to slow down. Events have been cancelled, weddings have been postponed, and we were forced to look to one another and simply sit down. We’re believers, so we have faith that God is going to provide in some way, shape, or form and He kept his promise to never leave us during this time. We’ve had to be strong for our clients but they were comforted when they realized they had more time to add or change aspects of their special moments. COVID was truly bittersweet.

What makes your business special or unique? Our business can not thrive without the amazing collaborations we make with local vendors. There have been plenty of times where we could have tackled the job alone, but we love the fact that we’ve built relationships with some of Wichita’s most sought out vendors and therefore, provide discounted services. Some clients fear that their event can’t be what they’ve dreamed of because of price. We do everything we can to make magic happen, even if it’s a fraction of what they’ve envisioned. We could not do that without collaboration.

Tell us the best way to reach you and/or how to book an appointment or buy your products! Visit us at www.stylishict.com to book your free one-hour consultation or email us at [email protected]

What has been your biggest challenge to date as a business owner, and how did you learn or adapt to that challenge? I’m a very social consultant having to use Zoom was very challenging.

How can Wichita support you right now? Referrals are nice! I would like to network more when our city opens up.

What have been some positive takeaways or lessons learned from the last several months? I’m optimistic and never stopped working on my clients future because I never give up. During covid19 I had to adjust to not being hands on.

What makes your business special or unique? My firm is small and able to devote one on one attention to each client. Their business success matters.

Tell us the best way to reach you and/or how to book an appointment or buy your products! Please call me at 316-207-5794 or visit my website www.rmillerconsulting.com where you can book a session.

What has been your biggest challenge to date as a business owner, and how did you learn or adapt to that challenge? My biggest challenge to date has been getting over fears of inadequacy. The comparison game is a ruthless one, that robs you of your peace. Yet, I struggled with it constantly, and was afraid to really put myself out there. I adapted to that challenge by reaching deep within myself and realizing the only person who could stop me from reaching my goals of being a successful business owner, is myself. Once I changed my mindset, I’ve been grinding ever since.

How can Wichita support you right now? Wichita can support me by letting people know that I exist (recommendations always help small businesses!), interacting with me on social media (this is free 😉) or by booking with me. Any amount of support is sincerely appreciated by me.

What have been some positive takeaways or lessons learned from the last several months? For me, COVID-19 proved to me that I could adapt to anything. For example, instead of meeting in person, I can meet via video conference. No matter the circumstance, being resilient and believing in yourself can go a long way.

What makes your business special or unique? What makes Lens & Snap unique is that I am not just a shoot-and-burn photographer. It is common for clients to want digital files and there is nothing wrong with that. However, after I personally experienced all of my beloved photos on my phone disappearing because of a glitch while upgrading my operating system, it changed something within me that helped me see the true importance of having images that are printed. To ensure I offer the best service to my clients, I give them the opportunity to order albums, prints and wall art so they don’t have to experience the hurt I did after losing my digital images.

Tell us the best way to reach you and/or how to book an appointment or buy your products! The best way to reach me is by email at [email protected] or in my social media inboxes! (I try to answer either as quickly as possible, within my hours of operation).

What has been your biggest challenge to date as a business owner, and how did you learn or adapt to that challenge? My biggest challenge as a business owner has been learning the hidden questions to ask and communicate often. Early on, I would assume that people would just get it. WRONG, I needed to explain to everyone the plan in my head properly to ensure they were ready for the event. I learned to asked the questions with vendors, sponsors or even upset participants. There is always more to the story than what people share in the beginning. As a black, female business owner in a sport that does not reflect me, made me do more research, lock in facts and be present and allow my voice to be heard and not dismissed. I preach this to my two daughters, they will have to work harder in class than others, so allow the hard work to set in early to ensure they are use to working hard and giving more effort to be on top.

How can Wichita support you right now? Wichita can support Oz Events in two ways. The first way would be to know where your money goes when signing up for race or training. Oz Events host excellent events with thought, safety and fun put in place to ensure your happiness when crossing the finish line. An additional way to support Oz Events would be to consider us for your social media needs. If your company is on social media, we can manage your content properly.

What have been some positive takeaways or lessons learned from the last several months? COVID-19 hit us hard, as we are a gathering company. We have been unable to hold in-person races since February. We have turned two races into virtual runs and I had more support from the runners than I thought. Very little push back and so much kindness and words of encouragement. This has been my career for several years and realized how much the runners/walkers change from participants to friends who care. Our running community have missed each other.

What makes your business special or unique? Oz Events is special because I created this company out of a need to cater to all. Having been less than active, having been the one who said, “running is dumb, I will drive you where you need to go.” I wanted to create this company to fuel the fire we each have in us, but sometimes is overshadowed by our self doubt. I will be amazed at the first finisher and I will be equally amazed for the final finisher. Everyone deserves a cheerleader, I know from my past. If you do not have one, when you sign up for the race, you will know we stay until the end and value all.

Tell us the best way to reach you and/or how to book an appointment or buy your products! Oz Events, 145 N. Main, El Dorado, KS 67042 [email protected] or 316-633-5428