Local

Jacksonville black-owned businesses sees growth despite challenges

For a local mom turned entrepreneur, owning a business did not come easy.

It was a goal she set out to accomplish with nothing but her will to succeed and a passion for making women feel beautiful.

Sherrina Freeman shared with Action News Jax how she made it happen despite facing adversity and limited opportunities.

When Freeman was a budding hair stylist, her days began before the sun even came up.

“Five in the morning, yeah, and at that time I was pregnant with my first daughter,” Freeman said

She’s the owner of Beauty Bar on Beach Boulevard, a full-service salon for women and girls.

But what her business looks like today is a far cry from how she started out.

“Early on I decided I wasn’t going to get in debt taking out loans or things like that,” said Freeman.

“Little bit by little bit I bought tile, little bit by little bit I bought a can of paint here,” said Freeman.

She now has a strong following with clients who have been with her for years.

“I knew that one day I wanted to be a business owner,” said Freeman.

Freeman is part of a growing number of African-Americans who own their own business.

According to Official Black Wall Street, from 2017 to 2018 it saw a 37 percent increase in black-owned businesses using their platform.

For Freeman, opening up her own shop didn’t come easy.

“I did not have a parent that loaned me money; it was definitely I worked. I worked my behind off,” she said.

Freeman has now been in business for five years, a milestone she is celebrating. But isn’t stopping at just one business. Two years ago, she opened 2-Sisters Boutique and Spa in the same shopping center.

The boutique and spa caters to children Action News Jax reported last year how the store hosted a princess party for little girls battling chronic illnesses.

Freeman hopes to show young girls, including her two daughters, that it’s OK to step out on faith and be your own boss.

“It can be done. Just figure out what is it that you want to do and just hit the ground running with it,” Freeman said.