Who remembers the Yellow Pages growing up?

OK, millennials and generation Z may think it was as ancient as the 8-track, but in a pre-Google world it was the go-to guide for learning the addresses and phone numbers for any local business. Nowadays, it may seem as finding a business is as easy as performing an online search. However, for many minority business owners, getting noticed is still a challenge.

That is where the Virginia Black Business Directory (VBBD) comes in. We recently spoke with Ernisha Hall, Co-Founder & Executive Director, about the directory’s origin as well as how they’ve been become the guiding source for black entrepreneurs in the Commonwealth.

“Well it started about two years ago,” Hall said. “We were asked through social media about where to find certain black-owned businesses. We did some research and discovered that while places such as Atlanta and Texas have directories aimed specifically towards these entrepreneurs, and even the DMV, Virginia did not have one of its own.”

“We as black people are great at being creative so when we came up with the concept of the Virginia Black Business Directory, we wanted the colors to be similar to the Yellow Pages, which was black, yellow and white.”

She brought up the necessity of having a consistent database for businesses. “Too often these entrepreneurs are only recognized during Black History Month or one day of the month. We wanted to be a toolbox for whomever wanted to find a business.”

What was interesting of note was that she emphasized the need for doing more than just creating businesses. “There’s always a need to continue to own our own businesses,” Hall stated, “but we should also look into owning franchises like McDonald’s. I know we’re going into a time of being virtual but investing in commercial properties is also very vital.”

We asked how is the VBBD different from the original Yellow Pages? It also serves as a news outlet.

“We’re so saturated with ads and social media that we don’t get the crucial information on what is going on in our community,” Hall added. “What we’ve been doing is using our media app to include news and information. We will cycle out information as it’s being received. So even if there was an event that happened a month ago, we want to provide a follow up so people will know.”

Although the state of Virginia is in a lockdown for non-essential businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hall and the VBBD are focusing on plans once the lockdown has been lifted. For instance, this October they will have the inaugural Virginia Black Business Directory Expo in Fredericksburg. She discussed how its important will be in line with their future goals.

“Collaboration, it is important to have this event. Some of these business owners can network and help customers who never knew they existed. We will have travel agents, artists, fashion designers and food vendors who will come together for connection,” Hall mentioned.

“No one is going to be able to bring true change without collaboration. We want over the years be able to reach Williamsburg as much as we reach Prince William County.”

If you’d like to know more about the Virginia Black Business Directory, or how you can be a part of it to expand your business outreach, visit them at https://www.vablackbusinessdirectory.com/.