Supporting the Communities Where We Work and Live
June 16, 2020
Edison Interactive’s founders, Jeremy Ostermiller, CEO and Nick Stanitz-Harper, CRO believe in supporting the communities in which we work and live. If we didn’t have the support from our communities, we wouldn’t be as successful as we are today.
Why is it important to get involved? Minority-owned businesses need more support. According to a government census, 81 percent of businesses are white-owned, black and Asian individuals own less than 10 percent of businesses — and Hispanic founders own just 5.8 percent.
Whether you’re a consumer, business leader, business owner or an employee of a company, there are a variety of ways to get involved to support diversity in the workplace, and promote growth for minority-owned businesses.
Make a difference. A simple solution is to put your dollars back into your community by buying products and services from minority-owned businesses. For instance, many black consumers are taking a stand by supporting their communities by dealing only with black-owned businesses. There are a variety of resources that encourage consumers to buy from black-owned stores like Black Pages and We Buy Black.
Where you spend your earned dollars can really make a difference to our communities. It can create growth, job opportunities and encourage others to be entrepreneurs.
Diversity in the workplace is crucial. Diversity in the workplace means that a company’s workforce includes people of varying gender, age, religion, race, ethnicity, cultural background, sexual orientation, religion, education, etc. It has been noted companies that have established a diverse workforce can experience more of an innovative and creative office environment, higher retention rate and have attained great talent. At Edison Interactive we have implemented initiatives to support a diverse work environment.
How does technology support minority-owned businesses? Another way to support minority-owned businesses is to provide them the tech and tools to succeed. For instance, Edison Interactive empowers minority-owned business owners with its video conferencing solution. Many businesses that were affected by COVID-19 were struggling on how to stay afloat financially. Video conferencing is one way to help businesses stay connected to their customer base, and with EdisonLive’s features these companies are able to generate much-needed revenue. Many minority-owned businesses are using the platform to stay connected to their consumers (restaurants, fitness facilities, fashion designers, etc.) and are able to increase their cash flow.
Another example of how technology is helping minority-owned businesses is the amplification and development of mobile apps. There are apps that highlight where to find black-owned businesses like Black Nation and eatOkra. Google navigation now has the option to select black-owned businesses in its search field.
Minority-owned businesses need our support whether it’s putting your earned dollars back into your community or supporting diversity not only in the workplace but everywhere else.
