This news item expired on Thursday, August 31, 2023 so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.
For many people in Buncombe County and across the nation, owning a business is the definitive example of the American dream. But access to business ownership isn’t always equitable. In the United States, about 19.9% of all businesses have marginalized owners, and nearly 21.4% are owned by women, according to the latest statistics from the Annual Business Survey. Here in Buncombe County, Census Bureau data used in the State of Black Asheville notes there are 858 black-owned businesses compared to 26,122 white-owned businesses with annual sales totaling $40,000 versus $400,000 respectively.
August is National Black Business Month, a time to encourage and support Black-owned businesses. To help raise awareness, the County is sharing this list of Black-owned, local businesses you can help support.
Buncombe County understands that business ownership is a vital part of creating generational wealth, and we are committed to helping support marginalized-owned business enterprises. Two key goals for the County’s Finance Department are increasing the number of marginalized businesses invited to participate in our bidding process and establishing baseline data to track progress on this initiative. Increasing equity in our bidding process is also foundational to our 2025 Strategic Plan. To help us reach this goal, we are utilizing new contract management software that will allow vendors to register themselves online and identify as a marginalized- or women-owned business. This is expected to go live this fall and we will work with our media partners to make an announcement.
Meantime, here’s how Black-owned businesses can get involved in the County’s bidding process:
If you have additional questions about Buncombe County’s procurement process, please call (828) 250-4154.