“I founded the Black Pounds Project (BPP) as a not-for-profit community interest company in direct response to the growing number of Black business owners failing due to a lack of business acumen or understanding due-diligence requirements.

“Many have no awareness of the services they can access or the free business support available to them. BPP’s aim is to provide relevant training in professional development for Black-owned businesses in the West Midlands and greater access to finance and business support.

“We support diverse entrepreneurs at any stage to access the relevant resources, coaching and mentorship that will allow them to launch, scale and sustain their businesses. We also break down barriers and build confidence and trust while supporting business owners every step of the way.”

“After George Floyd was murdered and seeing how that infiltrated the world, I wanted to empower the Black and ethnic minority community in Birmingham.

“I decided to focus on businesses and how the community can strive through business growth, development, and ownership.”

“One of the key challenges of running an initiative like this is trying to create different offerings so you can cater to the needs of not only the community, but also the wider business support ecosystem, which also needs support in casting its nets wider.

• Watch CJ’s business story on Instagram.

   

“We believe our initiative is the first of its kind, and we are continually growing. We can provide support to Black and diverse entrepreneurs who are at different stages and help them to implement growth strategies so they can effectively scale their businesses.”

“My proudest personal achievement has been building an amazing team of business experts who are willing to volunteer their time to support the project.

“At an organisational level, I’m proud that we are continuing to grow from strength to strength and that we’ve been able to help so many businesses in such a short space of time.”

“I’m proud to be a Black business owner because I feel there are so many challenges and barriers that we have to overcome day to day, but by being a business owner you can start to create and pave a way for your own future. So that’s what makes me happy and what makes me inspired to continue working for the Black Pounds Project.”

Black Pounds Project supports diverse entrepreneurs on their business journey. Find more information here.