Themed fashion shows every Friday night on Facebook Live is one way a Macon small business owner saved her business during the pandemic. 

Virginia and Eddie Sharp Jr., owners of Daemarii’s Unique Boutique received a $25,000 enhancement grant through the Coalition to Back Black Businesses (CBBB). 

In September 2020, American Express established the CBBB to support Black-owned small businesses during the pandemic. The initiative is a growing grantmaking and training program that started out with $10 million spread to businesses nationally.

For the next three years, the Coalition will issue $5,000 grants every fall and $25,000 enhancement grants every upcoming spring, according to American Express. 

Virginia Sharp learned about the Coalition from the Middle Georgia Black Pages website on the day the application was due in September 2020. She finished the application just minutes before the deadline.

Last December, Sharp received a $5,000 grant. She used the money to save her business by building a new website, personalizing inventory, and finding her niche by having a fashion show on Facebook Live called “Friday Night.” 

After receiving the $5,000 grant, Sharp had to re-apply for the $25,000 enhancement grant. She found out yesterday that she was one of 25 Black-owned small businesses around the country to receive the funding. 

“I’m just blessed to be one of the ones that they did choose, and there were only two recipients from the Georgia area. So I’m super excited to be a part of representing Georgia,” said Sharp.   

She has many plans for the $25,000 grant, such as expanding her website and hiring another part-time worker, preferably a college student. She also plans to use the grant to open another boutique in her hometown of Cochran in honor of her mother Ruby Lawson. 

“We really don’t have nice shopping spots, so I want to bring a unique shopping spot right there for everybody to be able to take advantage of in my hometown,” Sharp said. 

Sharp noted how important this funding is for Black businesses. She explained that sometimes it’s difficult for small businesses to get bank loans. This enhancement grant will help Black owned businesses grow and increase their revenues, according to Sharp. 

“I’m so overjoyed when I talk to you about this,” she said, “This shows us that there’s going to be more help, more training, more mentorships, more partnerships with all kinds of programs throughout the United States.”

The next deadline for the program is in September 2021.