Canada Post's small business contest, Tales of Triumph, returns this year with another opportunity for companies to win big by sharing their small business stories. With over $500,000 in prizes to be won, the Tales of Triumph Contest could help you write your next chapter. The annual contest, in its fifth year, recognizes small businesses by celebrating their unique journeys and successes. Canadian companies with less than $5 million in annual gross sales are eligible to enter. Each category prize includes $10,000 in Canada Post credits, $1,000 cash, production of a video to tell and promo ..read more

The recent contentious debate between rappers Drake and Pusha-T has once again brought blackface to people’s minds. Pusha-T, who on June 8 declared the battle officially over, had circulated an old photograph he found of Drake in blackface. Many of the usual questions were asked on social media as if new: “What’s so wrong with blackface?” “Does it still matter — 150 years after the heyday of blackface minstrelsy?” “Weren’t minstrel shows American and so irrelevant in Canada?” “Can blackface be racist if a Black person is involved?” In an age of instant information access, it is difficult ..read more

Outside in public: Smiling, dressed real fine, manners on point. I am well schooled on how to be respectful, how to take up space, how to use silence when necessary. Travelling home on transit listening to music to drown out my day — filled with injustices from the minute I left my “sanctuary” ten hours earlier. Fumbling for keys, nearly pushing the door down to my home. All I experienced outside threatens to crash down my door and engulf my insides and swallow me whole. My breath struggles to calm itself. Grief shadows me through the hallway. I self-talk my way into the kitchen, slipping my ..read more

The federal government’s Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund has only approved about 100 out of 16,000 applications, a situation that has caused financial distress for some of those waiting for funds. READ MORE HERE ---> https://tgam.ca/39iftZv ..read more

This week’s Featured Business is Royal Raine, a Black-owned boutique providing a modern approach when it comes to clothing and accessories 1. Tell us a little bit about your company. Royal Raine is a clothing boutique based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Our aim is to provide women with clothes that are appealing and give women confidence. 2. When did you start your business and how did you come with the idea? I started Royal Raine in 2018 because I was unable to find certain clothes that fit my body type.  3. Where are you located? We are located in Winnipeg, Manitoba . Our storefront w ..read more

No, no, no! Don’t start singing “Put a ring on it!!” because it’s not the case! We know Valentine’s Day is already gone, so we won’t mention it. We will show you some amazing creations of three Black jewelers. They have one-of-a-kind pieces, from rings to earrings to necklaces and bracelets. LOVE & LIGHT JEWELS comes with a very special Evolve Ring . It is a uniquely striking quartz point ring wrapped in rhinestones with an antique gold finish. For the non-connoisseurs, the clear quartz is one of the most powerful healing stones. It is a deep soul cleanser and it guides you in your sear ..read more

This week’s Featured Business is Maneuver, a Canadian Black-owned brand that changes the view on self-care, grooming and mental health 1. Tell us a little bit about your company. Maneuver was created to change the way men view self-care, grooming and mental health; to show men it is important to take care of their personal hygiene; and to emphasize the importance for men to talk about issues normally neglected or deemed taboo by society. We realize that the majority of barbershops and men's grooming products set a standard for how men should look; we want to set a standard of how men carr ..read more

  If you plan to start a business, you should review these 10 steps. It's not a complete guide, but it will help you get started in the right direction.   - 1) Ruthlessly identify your target market and your ideal client. It may be tempting, but you don’t want to market to everyone, you want to focus your marketing dollars and attention on the right people. - 2) Focus on what your target market wants to buy, not what you want to sell. Period. - 3) Keep your overhead as low as possible. An office in a luxury building may boost our ego, but a co-working space with all the amenitie ..read more

This week’s Featured Business is Lillon Boutique, an African-inspired brand offering accessories and home décor handmade by Black artisans 1. Tell us a little bit about your company.   Lillon Boutique sells African-inspired women accessories and home décor handmade by artisans from various countries. I design and also make some of my own jewelry using leftover fabric and beads. 2. When did you start your business and how did you come with the idea? I come from a family of business owners/entrepreneurs, so business has always been in my blood. I was making my own beaded jewelry when ..read more

Winter or not, we need to take care of our skin and hair. But we’ll talk about hair some other time. Let’s check out these three soaps made by Black-owned companies in Canada. We will look at the prices, ingredients and what they can do for us.  We will start with Coconut Milk & Vanilla Face & Body Bar from KNAPTURALS is just 6 dollars. This luxurious coconut milk soap is very gentle and will wash your skin without stripping it from moisture. The ingredients are olive oil; castor oil; avocado oil; cocoa butter; beeswax; coconut milk; honey/agave nectar; glycerin; vanilla extract. I ..read more