• Celebrity
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Black Beauty Awards 2022
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Sponsors Recognition Page 2022
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2022 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • Wellness House
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United

WHERE BLACK WOMEN COME FIRST

Every day we're serving Black women deeply. Come get a plate of goodness! Sign up for daily content and exclusive offers you'll love!

Your email is required.
Your email is in invalid format.
Confirm email is required.
Email did not match.
By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and that you have read our Privacy Policy
Skip to content
SUBSCRIBE
  • MAGAZINE
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Celebrity
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
      • Paint The Polls Black
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Black Beauty Awards 2022
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Sponsors Recognition Page 2022
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2022 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • Wellness House
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Beauty Boss Melissa Butler Cautions Entrepreneurs Against Depending On Stimulus Funding: ‘Apply But, Don’t Rely’
By Rachaell Davis · Updated December 6, 2020
Home · Beauty

Beauty Boss Melissa Butler Cautions Entrepreneurs Against Depending On Stimulus Funding: 'Apply But, Don't Rely'

By Rachaell Davis·Updated December 6, 2020
"You cannot expect that this money is going to be the money that carries you through to the next quarter," she says.

Getting your money right as a business owner can seem like half the battle, but The Lip Bar CEO Melissa Butler is urging her fellow entrepreneurs to be mindful of leaning on short-term funding as a long-term solution.

Speaking alongside Red Rooster Restaurant founder Marcus Samuelsson during the ESSENCE + New Voices Entrepreneur Virtual Summit and $100k New Voices + Target Accelerators Pitch Competition, the beauty boss offered a word of sound advice for businesses preparing to take advantage of much-needed government funding during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Article continues after video.

“Most small business owners are not funded so, we’re operating our businesses paycheck to paycheck, for the most part,” Butler said. “And even if you do get a round of funding, it doesn’t mean that you’re necessarily going to get another round of funding. Or maybe you don’t have the expertise to know what to do with that round of funding. So, I think it’s a matter of, first of all, of course, apply for those loans, apply for those grants—apply but, don’t rely. You cannot expect that this money is going to be the money that carries you through to the next quarter.”

Earlier in the conversation, Butler noted how consistent consumer engagement and relationship building with her support base even when she wasn’t pushing a product has been instrumental in her success. Pulling from that experience, she encouraged other business owners to communicate openly and honestly with their consumers to garner support during challenging times as one of a few alternative options to help avoid becoming solely dependent on stimulus funding, or other inconsistent sources of funding. With so many families struggling financially during this pandemic, Butler emphasized the sometimes-overlooked value of non-financial support.

View this post on Instagram

#SupportBlackBusinesses! ✊🏾Tag a Black entrepreneur in the comments and let them know about the ESSENCE + New Voices Entrepreneur Summit starting TODAY at 10am ET! #EssenceEntrepreneurSummit #PitchNewVoicesXTarget

A post shared by ESSENCE (@essence) on Apr 24, 2020 at 6:15am PDT

“Some of that can be financial [support] but also, there are tons of ways that small businesses can lean on support from their community that don’t require money,” she said. “Whether that’s engaging on social media, or sharing your [businesses] story, or forwarding your e-mail. There are lots of ways that we can and should be reaching out to our very community to say ‘hey, this is why we need support and these are ways in which you can support.'”

Hear more of what Melissa had to say in the video clip above and then be sure to head back to ESSENCE.com to see everything you missed at the ESSENCE + New Voices Entrepreneur Virtual Summit.

COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now