Small business expo held in Montgomery

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – At least 20 Black business owners showcased their products and services that a business expo at the ALOE Center Sunday.

Businesses included cosmetics, jewelry, hair, clothing boutiques, candles, soaps and financial services.

Some business owners, like Larry Davis of Lux D’aire Cosmetics, traveled to be a part of the expo.

“I come to this one specifically because it’s always a great turnout,” Davis said.

Expo host and owner of Posh Brand Management Jessica Jones-Boggan said she tries to hold expos multiple times throughout the year to give small Black businesses more exposure to people in Montgomery.

“A lot of them don’t have storefronts or online presence, so we just want the community to know that they are here,” Boggan said.

Business owners at the expo said it’s important to have in-person exposure to gain trust with potential customers.

“You want to build that rapport so they know that they can trust you,” Erica Blowe of Staying Classy Boutiqu, LLC said.

Blowe mentioned as a small business owner, she managed to get through the pandemic since she started her business online.

However, Blowe said she faced some difficulties keeping her prices low for her customer, adding products and shipping went up due to inflation.

“I still like for my customers to be able to shop affordably,” she said, “I don’t really want to be it’s where you got to pay a Louis Vuitton price.”

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