August is National Black Business Month

Frederick E. Jordan hardly had any financing options when he started his engineering and construction management company in 1969. Despite the rough start, F.E. Jordan Associates Inc. has three national offices and has completed over 1,000 projects; one project including resurfacing President Obama's street in Chicago. Jordan Associates clients include, but not limited to Bank of America, Procter & Gamble, and transportation departments in Washington.

It's not easy being a black business owner. Black business owners carry the stereotype of not being professional, not completing a job, or a poor job will be done. It has nothing to do with race; it has everything to do with what kind of business owner the person is. It can't be denied that these characteristics frustrate customers, but no business is perfect and to place these traits on one race in business is just flat out short sighted. Another, unfair circumstance is the margin of error allowed. The majority of black consumers practice a stringent "no mistakes on my money policy" with black owned businesses. All right, you got poor service at one black owned business. That's not a good reason to turn your back on all of them.

In an attempt to get attention to the needs of black entrepreneurs, Frederick Jordan partnered with John William Templeton, President and Executive Editor of eAccess Corp, to have August recognized as National Black Business Month. Jordan and Templeton chose August because it was the month that most black family and social events occur.

Not only does Jordan and Templeton think that black business are treated unfairly by consumers, they also believe that the reason unemployment is so high among blacks is because there isn't that many black owned businesses. "Our research indicates that there should be 2.5 million African-Americans in business and we only have half that many. If you look at the black and white unemployment disparity the essential idea is the only way we're going to get the level of employment we need is to support black businesses," said Templeton to Black Enterprise Magazine.

Black Business Month's website list 31 practical ways to support black-owned businesses in August. One is to patronize a black-owned hotel while traveling. Another suggestion is to do business with other black entrepreneurs. Patronize a black restaurant in August. For more ways to support Black Business Month got to www.blackbusinessmonth.com

Jason Evers Roberson, "Celebrating Black Business," Black Enterprise.