On 27th June 2020, Black Pound Day, a monthly day dedicated to investing in black-owned businesses, was launched. Founded by Swiss, a former member of the British music group So Solid Crew, this initiative has never been done before in the UK!

There was much talk about the day on social media and the news leading up to it. Now, as we closely approach the second Black Pound Day on the 1st August, we spoke to some black-owned businesses to find out how the first of its kind affected them. Going forward, Black Pound Day will be on the first Saturday of each month.

Bespoke Binny

Natalie is the founder of African Homeware and Gift brand, Bespoke Binny.

Sharing the impact Black Pound Day had on Bespoke Binny, Natalie says ”I received a month’s worth of sales in a day. These sales were 70-75% UK and then 25% USA. I have also generally noticed more followers during the period of the BLM movement, and the lead up to Black Pound Day”.

”I am pleased to see people starting to think carefully about how they spend their cash. When people start to think more carefully about how they spend their money on that one day, I think it will trickle down to them starting to think about their choices on other days too, and that’s a positive thing”, she says hopefully.

On the day, Natalie bought a doormat with a Ghanaian greeting from ZenByZen. ”I also bought some lovely skincare products from BOWE skincare, and subscribed to Woke Babies for my daughter”, she further details.

You can follow Bespoke Binny on Instagram @bespokebinny and order their products online.

Leanne Creative 

Leanne is a graphic designer and founder of Leanne Creative, an Afrocentric greeting card, and gift shop.

”I noticed a great increase in sales and new customers on the first Black Pound Day”, Leanne says. ‘‘Customers were buying multiple items and it was great to see more traffic to my website and following my social media platforms”, she further details.

”It was such a powerful day. People were discovering my work, not only within the UK but also in the US. That day, I had approximately 4/5 times more orders than I usually get per day. Since then, my sales have been consistently higher than they were at the beginning of the year”.

Sharing a special offer Leanne will be holding on the next Black Pound Day, she says ”I will be sending two free bookmarks with all orders placed on the day”.

Giving her thoughts on what she thought of Black Pound Day, Leanne states ”I think it is a beautiful movement and it showed the power of the Black Pound. When people choose to support us by buying just a few items, it can make such a huge impact. I hope this movement continues and we are able to grow even more and have our missions seen”.

Detailing how she used her Black Pound on the launch day, Leanne shares ”I bought some gifts for friends and family as well as hair care items for myself from some amazing partners on lovejamii.com. Since Christmas 2019, I tried to buy gifts from black-owned businesses. So, I will be continuing to do so because I know how great it feels to hear that order sound!”.

You can keep updated with Leanne on Instagram @leanne_creative and order from her website.

KnotsUK

KnotsUK is an African-inspired headwrap company based and made by women in London. Founded by Sandra, KnotsUK also sells other accessories, like jewellery.

On Black Pound Day, which also happened to be Sandra’s birthday, KnotsUK experienced a 40% increase in sales. They also received around 140 new social media followers! ‘‘It also helped by doing an interview on the day with UK Jamii”, Sandra explains.

Sharing her thoughts on Black Pound Day, Sandra says ”anything that encourages shoppers from all backgrounds to support black businesses is a win. Out of this horrific trauma came this amazing positive energy/ a movement/ a vibe! I hope it will continue for a long time. When one of us wins, we all do!”

Sharing how she spent her black pound on the day, Sandra says ”I supported other black businesses listed on the UK Jamii website”.

You can follow KnotsUK on Instagram @knotsuk and purchase their products online.

We are happy to hear that Black Pound Day has had a positive impact on these Black British businesses. We hope it will continue to grow and are excited for the next one on 1st August 2020! Please visit the official Black Pound Day website or follow them on Instagram to stay updated with the latest news regarding this great initiative!

Written By: Maxine Harrison – Maxine is a freelance writer and founder of the Remi Reports blog – a blog helping freelance creatives build their business and lifestyle. She has published pieces in The Independent and The Voice Newspaper.