Many Charlotte Black-Owned Businesses Are Thriving During Pandemic
CHARLOTTE — There are many businesses across the Charlotte area that are thriving despite the pandemic.
Alpha Male Nail Care Services is one of them. Sheena Pickett opened the salon 8 years ago. She says she had a vision to keep the business afloat and it wasn’t easy. Business was good she says, then the pandemic hit.
“I was kinda like ok, what do we have to do now, so I’m always thinking positive and so how can I pivot and turn this into a situation that is beneficial for me to be able to still operate my business and to comply with what’s going on with COVID,” says Sheena Pickett, owner of Alpha Male Nail Care Services.
Pickett’s salon was shut down for two months and reopened in June.
“Covid was a stress test for our businesses to see and examine the weakness and the strengths,” she says.
According to the North Carolina Business Council, from 1997 to 2018, the number of minority-owned businesses in the state nearly tripled from 61,551 to 183,333.
In fact, in the beginning of 2020, there were over a million Black-owned businesses across the U-S. But, with the effects of COVID—19, many simply couldn’t survive. The number of Black-Owned businesses has decreased 41 percent since the pandemic began.
“I definitely am grateful to still be here. My business was in a position to be able to accept loans
and the capital that has been raining down on small businesses,” says Pickett. “It’s trending now people are being super intentional about supporting Black business and I fit that category it’s been a good time. Woman-owned, Black-owned so a lot of energy is coming toward small business,” says Pickett.
and the capital that has been raining down on small businesses,” says Pickett. “It’s trending now people are being super intentional about supporting Black business and I fit that category it’s been a good time. Woman-owned, Black-owned so a lot of energy is coming toward small business,” says Pickett.
