Spotlight on Black-owned Businesses: Shanita Miller

Successful small business idea for Black Girl’s Guide to Atlanta

This month we’re shining a spotlight on Shanita Miller, founder of Black Girl’s Guide to Atlanta, which recognizes and promotes local Black-owned businesses and women-owned businesses in the Atlanta community. When founder Shanita uncovered that many of these businesses don’t have the time to consistently market themselves to potential customers, she created a social media platform to showcase not just their products and services, but also their stories.

Where did the idea come from for Black Girl’s Guide to Atlanta?

The inspiration for the business spawned when a transplant friend asked Shanita for local Atlanta hotspot recommendations. Miller realized that Atlanta had a lot of transplants who didn’t know about all of the great things the city has to offer - she wanted tourists and other companies to discover Atlanta just like the locals do. What started out initially as bite-sized content highlighting areas and places to frequent, evolved into other local businesses raising their hand with the request to be featured too.

Which businesses do Black Girl’s Guide to Atlanta help?

In terms of how she selects which businesses to spotlight, Shanita stays in the know by keeping a close pulse on what’s going on in the community and keeps track of local publications to stay informed on new business openings. The best part – the businesses she features always experience positive reactions, both from the business owner and the community. Owners are grateful for the spotlight, often realizing the power of social media (if not utilizing it) and how it can broaden their audience and let them engage with new potential customers.

How does Black Girl’s Guide to Atlanta help businesses?

According to Miller, what makes Black Girl’s Guide to Atlanta truly unique is how it shines a light on those she believes are normally overlooked in society. That’s why she doesn’t just stop at taking a picture of products and posting them. She makes it a priority to tell the individual story of each featured business owner. “People want to hear the stories of these businesses and to shop at these businesses whether folks are in this community or are just simply supportive of those communities,” she says. Black Girl’s Guide to Atlanta makes sure to celebrate the human element behind each business, not just the products.

Black Girl’s Guide to Atlanta future plans?

As for what she hopes to accomplish in the future, Miller shared she’s in the talks of creating a potential podcast for other business owners and is in the process of exploring other growth opportunities, and she’s often asked about expanding beyond Atlanta.

Black Girl’s Guide to Atlanta’s message to business leaders

When asked about the importance of diverse leaders in the Atlanta business community, Shanita stated that the best way to honor and value people and their community is by hearing them, acknowledging them, and giving them a voice.

“We have a means to elevate this community to help change the narrative around some of these businesses being one-note, which sometimes is the characterization they get, and to demonstrate that these businesses are highly valuable and worthy of being successful. I always think of this as my way of helping to give back and to feature diverse voices in the Atlanta area, because representation matters.”

If you or someone you know are a business owner with a unique story to tell, let us know at openforsmallbusiness@elavon.com.