Directory created to help Roanoke minority- and women-owned businesses

ROANOKE, Va. – As extra individuals search for methods to help native companies, there’s a brand new initiative that goals to make that simpler.

Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce is launching a brand new listing to spotlight minority and women-owned companies.

“If somebody is in search of like a contractor, or a cake maker or no matter, they may have a neater time finding these of us,” Roanoke Regional Chamber President and CEO Joyce Waugh mentioned.

Entrepreneurs who meet these demographics merely fill out the online form for free of charge.

Robert Jeffrey Jr., Colours VA Journal president and metropolis councilmember, mentioned this might help bridge the income hole that these kind of enterprise house owners expertise.

“There are nice small companies on the market who work on a regular basis who attempt to make a dwelling of their group,” he mentioned. “And this is a chance that we are attempting to create for them, extra publicity to assist them develop.”

FarmBurguesa Co-owner Kat Pascal agrees.

She mentioned minority enterprise house owners miss alternatives as a result of they have a tendency to get missed.

“There could be a whole lot of totally different variances as to why these companies are missed,” she mentioned. “It may be wherever between a language barrier to simply not understanding who to attach in the neighborhood.”

Pascal can also be the co-founder of Nuestro Comercio Latino, a corporation that spotlights Latino owned companies within the space.

So relating to this new listing, she provides it two thumbs up.

“My hope is that the Roanoke Chamber of Commerce will discover grass root organizations and lead this to be an even bigger and higher operation,” she added.

The net listing might be obtainable on the chamber’s website by March.