Hot topic: Does race matter when you are a black-owned graphic and website design company?

As a minority business, we were asked if race played any part in the type of clientele we have. It's something, that until recently, we really never focus on because as a small business, our services are available to anyone, regardless of their race. At the end of the day, a majority of our clients are referrals so we've been able to build our business that way.

So we sat down over coffee and talked about it and came to the easy conclusion that yes, our race had definitely had in impact on our business.  When visitors learn that we are a black company, they quickly exit our site and opt to go elsewhere.  This might explain why over 98% of our clients are black or another minority race.

It's a sad and unfortunate reality but it's our reality.  We had to do some digging and in our 15 years in business we have only had 7 caucasian clients, and went a whopping 10 years before we got our first!  We were deeply appreciative that these companies, who did quite a bit of research and also interviewed other companies, decided to hire us.

We wish it weren't this way but we can't force visitors to hire us or stay on our site.   We're more than qualified to do any job and take a great deal of pride in providing the best customer service to our clients.

It's a conversation we hate having, yet it's a reality we face daily. We don't quite call it designer discrimination and have yet to come up with a proper name. At the end of the day, we just remind ourselves that we love what we do and provide our services to those who trust in our abilities.

Are you a minority business who has had similar experiences?  Let's connect and have an honest conversation.

This post is short because we are in the process of making a video so that we can have a round table discussion to better share our thoughts.  Stay tuned.