Why Minority-Owned Businesses in Winston-Salem Thrive

Eric Waters

For Winston-Salem entrepreneurs, opportunities for support are plentiful. Small businesses can take advantage of programs like the Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) grant program through Greater Winston-Salem Inc. The 2023 grant cycle saw awards across 20 local businesses, including hair salons and trenching businesses that have already found growth and support through the program. Here’s a look at two successful minority-owned businesses in Winston-Salem.

A Shared Passion for Transformation

For Elricko and Tanethia Mack, working with hair is a way of making change in their community. The husband-and-wife duo own Mack’s Barber and Beauty Studio, with Elricko in the barbershop and Tanethia in the salon. Born and raised in Winston-Salem, the couple previously owned separate businesses but decided to operate together under one roof when they opened their newest business in 2016. 

“We realized we work well together,” Tanethia says. “We’ve been working together ever since.” 

When the Macks received an MBE grant in 2023, they decided to distribute the funds equally between the barbershop and salon sides of the business. This meant upgrading the space by investing in furniture, new lighting, repairs and even custom T-shirts to help market their business. For customers who have been with the Macks for years, the difference in the space was palpable. “They’ve seen the growth,” Elricko says. 

The Macks have also set up the studio space for the future. They hope to eventually offer educational classes to the community, from basic haircutting for youth looking to learn a trade to digital courses on hair styling. 

For the Macks, their business is about more than just styling and cutting hair; it’s about making an impact on people’s lives. Sometimes when customers come in with something weighing on their minds, a chat with a barber or stylist can make all the difference in their day. “You just don’t know what a haircut could do for a person,” Elricko says. 

“It’s a transformation – sometimes internally and externally,” Tanethia says. “People come in feeling one way and leave feeling a different way. And you’ve had a part in that. That’s gratifying.” 

Take A Shot Productions

Making a Difference in Winston-Salem

Antonio Catalan moved to Winston-Salem from Las Vegas in fifth grade and grew up here. After serving in the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton for several years, Catalan decided to return to North Carolina. “This area just felt like home,” Catalan says. 

Today, Catalan is owner and operator of Toro Trenching LLC, which earned a Minority Business Enterprise grant in 2023. The MBE grant program offers grants of up to $25,000 for minority-owned businesses in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. The funds can be used for special projects or put toward general operating costs. For Catalan, who used his own funds to get his business started, the grant was essential to his continued success. 

“Being a small business, I really didn’t have any extra income or any kind of help to get the business going,” Catalan says. “I just needed a little bit of help to keep operating and be successful.” 

In addition to the grant, the program offers a one-year membership with Greater Winston-Salem Inc., which offers support with social media, networking opportunities and other helpful resources. 

Catalan says the networking events have helped him form relationships with other local businesses that can point him toward opportunities in the area. 

In addition to providing trenching and drainage services to homeowners and commercial properties, Toro Trenching seeks out community service projects in the area. Catalan focuses on projects that would be difficult or impossible without machinery, like filling potholes or removing fence posts in concrete. 

“I was inspired by Greater Winston- Salem Inc. to be able to give back to the community that helps me to be successful and to make the community better in whatever way I can,” Catalan says. 

Hispanic League

Hispanic-Owned Businesses Find Helping Hand

May 2024 saw Winston-Salem’s first ever Feria de Negocios, a business summit put on by the Hispanic League geared toward owners of small- and medium-size businesses to help connect them with resources in the area. Conducted entirely in Spanish, the summit brought together more than 100 local business owners for a variety of events. 

“We were able to capture all the needs we saw in the community and provide those in this first business summit,” says Diane Massas, development and impact director for the Hispanic League. 

The Hispanic League surveyed the Forsyth County community to see what kind of resources business owners needed. The summit provided interactive workshops and informative panel sessions by successful entrepreneurs who shared tips and strategies about business planning, marketing strategies, financial management and much more. 

“As a new citizen here in the community, it’s hard to think where can I start looking for information,” Massas says. “This type of program helps people to have a head start.” 

The next business summit is already in the works, along with other Hispanic League-sponsored events. The Hispanic League also helps connect consumers with Hispanic-owned businesses through the Pequeñas y Medianas Empresas directory of small- and medium-size businesses. 

“I feel that Winston-Salem has the capacity to open its arms to a lot of these small businesses and entrepreneurs,” Massas says. “There are a lot of opportunities here, not only from different organizations and funding, but from the city and other entities that are here to support them, as well.”