Supporting black-owned businesses is a great way to stimulate economic advancement of the African American community. Up until now, however, locating or identifying businesses with black owners was difficult to do consistently, especially outside of familiar areas. Now, consumers can more easily find black-owned businesses thanks to an innovative app designed for the purpose. The app was created by Around The Way, a company that specializes in developing smartphone applications, and supported by the U.S. Black Chambers Inc. Consumers around the country can use the app to find these businesses in any community in America.
Database Development
According to the president of USBC, Ron Busby, a prime goal of their efforts was the creation of a comprehensive database listing every black-owned business in the United States. By working with Around The Way, they were able to get the project done. Consumers who want to support black businesses can simply visit the USBC database, where they’ll find a list of such companies in any area. This promises to be a powerful boon to USBC’s mission to bolster African American businesses nationwide.
Convenience Through Technology
African Americans make up a significant portion of America’s consumer base, and many black consumers are conscious of their economic force and eager to support a positive brand that offers value. Now that Around The Way is available, black consumers will more easily be able to use modern technology in their efforts to locate and support the black-owned businesses that the U.S. Black Chambers has long been focused on boosting. This app is expected to be especially powerful considering the greater-than-average usage of smartphones by black consumers as more than half of the African American population uses them.
Completely Free
Users of iPhones and Android devices can download and use Around The Way at no charge whatsoever. The app works by tapping into each device’s own GPS to find their location and serve them a dynamic list of black-owned businesses within five miles of their present location. According to the USBC, the black community can bolster itself dramatically simply by using this app to stay aware of black-owned businesses and choosing their goods and services.
Consumers can find and download the app at www.ardounthewayapp.com. To learn more about the listings database used by this app, black business owners should go to www.usblackchamber.org. Finally, current members of USBC can register to get premium listings by going to www.usbc.aroundthewayapp.com.
