Google Increases Efforts in Supporting Black Businesses During Black History Month
As we kick off Black History Month, Google wants to shine a light on Black-owned businesses and give some insight on how to find those businesses through the search process.
- In an effort to make it easier for people to support and spend dollars with Black businesses, starting today, Google is extending the Black-owned business attribute to Google’s Shopping tab, so people can easily identify and buy from Black-owned businesses on Google. Business owners can also add the Black-owned attribute by visiting theGoogle Merchant Help Center.
- This update builds on the Black-owned business attribute that Google launched across Google Search and Maps last summer and is another way people can shop with Black businesses across Google’s products and platforms.
- Reports have shown that 41% of Black-owned businesses — about 440,000 businesses — have been shuttered due to COVID-19. Through Google’s partnership with Opportunity Finance Network (OFN), over $30 million in loans and Google.org grants to support Black-owned businesses and community lenders have been distributed to local organizations; that’s out of the $50 million we committed through the Grow with Google Small Business Fund announced back in June.
- Google has also provided a $5 million Google.org grant to Common Future, which through its network, has distributed the funding to community organizations supporting women and minority small business owners throughout the U.S. and is providing technical assistance and coaching to businesses.
- In addition to financial support, Google recently expanded the Grow with Google Digital Coaches program to 20 cities across the U.S. in order to provide 50,000 additional Black-owned businesses with mentorship, networking and training they need to grow. To date, Digital Coaches have helped train over 58,000 Black and Latino small business owners through more than 1,000 digital skills workshops.
About the Author
Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.
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