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By Sarah Gallaher | Staff Writer
The Cen-Tex African American Chamber of Commerce welcomed small business owners to the seventh annual BOSS Conference to help expand the businesses of minorities. The conference ran from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday in Cashion Academic Center and included panel discussions with local business owners.
The African American Chamber is a nonprofit that serves the Waco area. According to a BOSS Conference press release, the Chamber is “dedicated to improving the economic, education and cultural opportunities of its membership and community.”
The BOSS Conference aims to educate business owners about topics such as banking and marketing, furthering the success of their entrepreneurial endeavors.
“I think it empowers them because they get a chance to network with other businesses,” Jocelyn Williams, the Chamber’s center of business excellence coordinator, said.
Although the African American Chamber hosted the conference, entrepreneurs of all backgrounds were encouraged to attend. The Chamber exists under the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, which serves a variety of communities.
“We have a couple of chambers here: We have the Hispanic Chamber, we have the African American Chamber and we have the Greater Waco Chamber,” Williams said. “Each chamber kind of does their own type of resourcing. So we particularly work with small business owners — mainly minority, but you can be women-owned, veteran-owned, whatever. We work with everyone.”
At the conference, attendees chose from a variety of breakout sessions with panel discussions on topics of interest to small business owners. Morning sessions covered marketing, business structure and banking, while afternoon sessions dealt with estate and retirement planning as well as building and preserving wealth.
Denitia Blount, the owner of Oh My Juice, spoke as a panelist for the banking session. Oh My Juice is a local juice and smoothie spot that is popular among Baylor students. Blount said she would not have been able to expand her business without the willingness to overcome her fear, and she encouraged attendees to do the same.
“Fear is a big deterrent for a lot of entrepreneurs, for a lot of small business owners,” Blount said. “For me, it wasn’t that I didn’t want the opportunity. I was afraid of the opportunity.”
By putting her fear aside, Blount was able to make the financial decisions necessary to expand Oh My Juice to Baylor’s campus and its additional Woodway location.
Blount is one of many small business owners in Waco, which has seen economic growth in recent years due to the popularity of Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Market. Tourists visiting Waco explore the downtown area during their stay, providing opportunities for minority small business owners to expand their markets.
“Waco is on the rise for all types of development, … so I think there is a great opportunity for small businesses to grow and to thrive,” Williams said.
In addition to a rise in tourism, funds like the Cen-Tex Minority Business Equity Fund allow for the growth of minority businesses in Waco. The fund benefits minority business owners and allows them to gain access to capital that kickstarts their businesses.
The BOSS Conference fills the gap between funding and empowerment, teaching attendees how to turn their passion into a profitable business.
“I think most entrepreneurs start based on their passion, not on their ability to run a business,” Blount said. “I think a lot of small businesses get in trouble because they have a passion that they’re really good at. … But there’s a flip side to that coin — it’s not just your passion, it’s your business.”
Entrepreneurs at the BOSS Conference asked questions and utilized the resources available to turn their passion into a business or to further a business they already own. The conference allowed attendees to learn more about owning a small business and the resources available to minorities looking to expand their business endeavors.
“We hope to continue to grow the BOSS Conference,” Williams said. “We’re excited about the turnout that we’ve had. If it can reach one or two people and somebody walks away with something that they can use right now or start researching or follow up with, to me, it’s like a 100% win.”
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