Yes, Summer has started, even though you wouldn’t guess it with the rain and cool temperatures we are experiencing.

Just as with the weather, change is upon us and will require we adopt new ways to cope with its unpredictability. The same is true in business, whether you are an accountant or an electrician. I have noted in the past, the Supreme Court decision on affirmative action in higher education that will be issued sometime this month and once again warn you that it could have a significant impact on the programs that are designed to “level the playing field” for minority businesses.

The stronger your business is to weather what could be a devastating blow, the more likely you will stay open and prosper. My commitment is to ensure that Tabor 100 provides significant support to you through our business assistance programs. Please go to the website and figure out whether one or more of our offerings and those from our many partners, work for your business.

One of the biggest initiatives underway here at Tabor 100 is our partnering with the City of Seattle, University of Washington’s Foster School of Business and Seattle University’s Albers School of Business, to launch the Liberty Project. This is borne from the fact that the City of Seattle has a 7.9% Black population, yet less than 1% of its business revenue can be traced to Black businesses.

The new program offers a wide array of services, including business consulting and strategy services, finance and accounting services (including loan application assistance), marketing services, technology services (such as website development and equipment assessments/upgrades), and contract bid preparation. Limited legal support will be provided through Communities Rise and local minority Bar associations. The new initiative will annually serve a minimum of 30 Black-owned businesses from the retail, personal services, commercial construction, food and beverage manufacturing, restaurant, and power utilities contract industries. These six industries were chosen due to their high concentration of Black-owned businesses and significant market demand for their services.

We are excited to be a part of this incredible new effort and look forward to helping grow our businesses in a partnership that leverages the strengths of organizations that have specific expertise and resources to take your business to another level. More to come, but this is a real chance to uplift the community