My guest today says less 4% of pet professionals are people of color. If you’ve ever been to a pet industry trade show, pet consumer expo or conference you may have noticed that it’s a bunch of white people.
Black-owned brands, businesses and pet professionals are underrepresented in the pet industry. In today’s podcast episode we talk about it, we celebrate new initiatives and provide some resources to explore how we can do our part in supporting these awesome pet bosses.
Lashonda Geffrard is the co-owner of a pet grooming salon in Ocoee, FL called The Paw Shop. She’s had a record year in 2021 and even just purchased a new mobile grooming vehicle to expand into those services this year.
On top of running a successful salon and charity, last year, Lashonda launched the Black Pet Business Network, a non-profit bringing together like-minded pet industry business owners, professionals and influencers with the mission of growing strong black pet brands. I love her spirit and courage to step up as a leader.
Guest Links
Racism, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
- Online Racial Equity Workshops – Educate yourself on systemic and learned racism. These online events will help you learn more — and inspire you to take action — on racial injustices and inequality.
- Paradigm – DEI Tools & Expert Consulting: They help you build a company people are proud to work for. Their comprehensive suite of technology, tools, and consulting are designed to transform your organization, cultivating a culture where employees from all backgrounds and identities can do their best work and thrive.
- Pet Sustainability Coalition
- Adrian Archie – Pets+
- Pet Business Professor – Race & Ethnicity in the Pet Industry
Financial Resources for Minority Pet Business
We find small businesses have more success with bank lending when going through a small, local community bank vs a large bank. They will want to see personal and business tax returns, income statements etc. They will tell you exactly what they will need. You will need a business plan and cash flow projections. They really won’t even dig into it that much, they just want to make sure you’ve thought all these things through, so don’t let it hold you up on getting started
- SBA Loans
- SBA Minority
- SBA Woman Owned Business
- Women Owned Business Grants
- Minority Business Grants
- Minority Business Development Agency
- Microloans for Minority Business Owners
