Marlon Meyer
Northwest Asia Weekly
“Sorry, we’ve spent our life savings,” Maggie Haywood told her husband. She had $64 in her bank account.
A small business owner who rents out work and event space with a commercial solution, she was cheated by a partner, and no one will now rent her space for less than the first six to eight months’ rent (~$150,000).
“They didn’t even check my credit rating, they just knew I was a black woman,” she told Asia Northwest Weekly.
Then the blessing intervenes.
The day before the deadline, a friend texted her to apply for a $10,000 grant from Comcast to small businesses of color and women-owned.
“These questions are not exhaustive,” she said. “There are some technical questions about my business, but mostly I just tell my story.”
It helped her rebuild her business last year when she was selected along with 99 other small business owners.
Making up for social inequalities in COVID losses
These grants are part of Comcast’s efforts to eliminate the vast inequities in our society, especially since COVID-19 has destroyed minority businesses at a rate far higher than mainstream businesses.
From February to April 2020, 41% of Black-owned businesses closed. For Latino-owned businesses, 32% closed. For Asian companies, 25% fail.
However, the national average for small business closures is 21%.
As for women-owned businesses, the situation is equally dire. Nationally, 42% of businesses are owned by women, and 1,800 new businesses are established every day.
But they’re growing at half the rate of male businesses because they don’t have access to the same capital and resources.
In a news conference last month held by Comcast, the cities of Seattle and Tacoma, and other civic and business organizations, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said the grants would help ease “resource-rich” “Rising social inequalities in the region.
“Decision makers like Comcast are giving back,” Harrell said at the company’s rebuilt Work and Play Lounge in Haywood.
“While we are based in Philadelphia, we are committed to helping women and people of color in the Seattle-Tacoma area… We encourage small businesses to apply,” said Marianne Bichsel, vice president of external affairs at Comcast.
After Maggie, who spoke later, summed up her story, she burst into tears and hugged Bixel (Maggie prefers to be called by her first name).
However, it’s not just cash grants.
Comcast provides grants, marketing services and technology upgrades. Cash grants of $10,000 will be provided to 100 local businesses for a total of $1 million.
different types of funding
Art and design menswear retailer Ian Story was devastated by COVID-19 when its main dealership closed.
“Everyone is closed,” he said.
Like Margie, Story’s business is a major risk to everything he owns, his family, and comes after a somewhat desperate but firm and thoughtful decision to throw himself away.
After 35 years in retail, his company asked him to re-market its products—with new designs and brands.
Story has been observing customer needs and preferences for decades.
But when he came up with his concept, overlaying fun summer-themed graphics on T-shirts, swim trunks and more formal menswear, the rest of the company held back.
His designs include flamingos, ice cream sandwiches, palm trees, pineapples, magnolia leaves and other patterns printed on clothing.
“But my vision was out of sync with the rest of the company, so we parted ways,” he said in an interview.
At first, he looked for a partner, but eventually decided to go it alone. So he funded it entirely with his savings, found a graphic designer, and created his first line, which he followed at a trade show in Las Vegas.
He called it public art clothing.
“There have been some reactions, albeit small, but it’s a start,” he said.
From there, over the next six years, he developed relationships with specialty stores across the country. In an extremely competitive market like Seattle, his business has barely reached a sustainable level.
Then came COVID.
Story initially applied for the cash grant, but didn’t make the final 100 that Comcast selected last year. However, he instead received a grant from the company for marketing assistance.
A representative walks him through the process of creating a TV commercial for his company.
Comcast then offered $6,000 to buy airtime between November and January.
A company expert guides him in preparing slideshows and voiceovers for the ad.
“It’s fantastic,” he said.
Easy application after disaster
When Maggie decided to start her own business, she also took a bold, life-changing step.
Coming from a very difficult poverty background and seeing the different impacts of the criminal justice system, she decided to become an advocate and a social worker.
But in 2015, her two children suffered a serious accident. And, in the hospital, watching them recover, she realized she wanted to pursue a dream. She shuts down the computer and starts planning.
By 2018, she had started hosting social events that brought different groups of city dwellers together in what she called “instant communities.”
At one event, community members attended a themed party called “The Roaring Twenties” where they dressed in period costumes, danced and watched “The Great Gatsby.”
Children are also invited and encouraged to dress up.
“We never targeted any one community,” she said.
Another event called “Meet the Sea” was held at the Seattle Aquarium.
“We had people coming on date nights and people proposing,” she said.
She has also opened a space where people can come to work on commercial projects while receiving technical and emotional support.
Unlike coffee shops, the design aims to encourage community, warmth and empowerment.
Users can book spaces in advance so they have seats. They make their own espresso any way they want, using any of the many ingredients available. There is healthy food and comfort food. Heywood said the space is warmer than the coffee shop, which is purposely cold to keep customers from staying too long. In addition, there is meeting space, podcasting space and equipment on-site, and even technology and consulting services.
“We welcome your name,” she said.
But in 2019, Maggie signed a lease with a woman who used legal means to hold Maggie accountable for her debts.
By the time Maggie was able to stop the lawsuit and the judge ruled in her favor, nine months had passed and her resources had been exhausted.
“She got me through every possible dilemma, she weaponized the legal process,” Maggie said.
In the end, Maggie had to sell most of her furniture from the space. The rest – because she couldn’t afford a storage room – was carefully wrapped up by her husband and put in a handmade storage shed built in the backyard with the help of a friend.
Today, when you walk into the Work Play Lounge, you can see it along the walls, as well as in private and public spaces—lush purple sofas, long, inviting tables and office equipment.
On the day the reporter visited, there were fresh bagels on the counter.
Margie offers the following advice to those who are considering applying for funding but may be hesitant:
“Tell your story, tell the truth about your journey, and that will help you get funding.”
The grant “gives me the opportunity to ramp up my marketing efforts,” she said.
who can apply
Criteria for applying for Comcast funding include:
- Businesses must be owned by people who identify as people of color or women.
- Businesses must have fewer than 25 full-time and part-time employees.
- The business must be in operation for at least three years.
- The business address must be in Seattle or Tacoma.
Applications are now open and the deadline is no later than October 16.
“We don’t want people to wait,” Comcast marketing director Dave Mandapat said in an interview. “People need money now.”
Results will be announced before the end of the year.
To apply, please visit comcastrise.com.
Mahlon can reach info@nwasianweekly.com.
