Sabrina Shinde, a Florida-based financial consultant, focuses on coaching women and minority entrepreneurs to successfully launch new companies. Starting a business can be extremely difficult for anyone, especially those who struggle to obtain the necessary capital. There is a significant lack of awareness about how to find the right resources in non-traditional ways, and this lack of awareness can lead to a lack of confidence and prevent people from achieving their business goals.
Sabrina worked for over 20 years in a business development bank with a focus on small business growth through consulting and lending. There, she began to uncover her passion for working directly with Indigenous and other minority entrepreneurs, providing people from marginalized communities with the information and funding they need to start their companies. Here she learned how big that gap in the market really was.
“We find that aspiring minority entrepreneurs do not have access to capital or personal loans to invest in their projects,” Sabrina says. “We need to see more non-traditional forms of financing, such as grants and microcredit, that analyze projects in a more holistic way rather than in the same way as traditional banks.”
Sabrina grew up watching her father, a minority entrepreneur, take big risks to start a company. He had minimal access to financing from traditional lenders and had no choice but to use wild imagination to get back on track. Witnessing this firsthand allowed her to experience her own disparities, which she now dedicates her career to overcoming.
Sabrina recently became a minority entrepreneur herself after helping her husband buy his roofing business, where she manages day-to-day operations such as payroll and project management. Through this business, Sabrina encountered many of the challenges that others in her position experience, including little to no funding. This has only further motivated her to fill the gap, and she is well-positioned to provide valuable insight and support to those she works with.
In addition, my experience volunteering as a mentor with SCORE Broward, a local non-profit dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs in underserved markets, has led me to support local communities in economically depressed areas. Gained knowledge about market trends and best practices in financial consulting. This initiative inspired Sabrina to create a microcredit program to fill the gap for minority entrepreneurs.
For all new entrepreneurs looking to access financing for their business, she provides practical forecasts that clarify the products and services offered, the target market, and realistic expectations based on it. We recommend that you prepare a well-thought-out business plan that includes: Actual cost. It is also important to have good credit and experience in the relevant industry, or at least knowledge of the field and support to carry it out. She also encourages people to do their research and be prepared to get creative about accessing financing.
“If you are ready to start a new business and are looking for funding, the first place to start is by contacting the economic development office of the city in which you operate your business,” says Sabrina. “You may find grants tailored to local minority-owned businesses.”
Sabrina aims to fill a gap in the market by providing professional consulting services to diverse communities. According to the National Minority Supplier Development Council, minority businesses generate more than $400 billion in annual revenue and provide jobs for more than 2.2 million people. On top of that, these companies factor in his nearly $49 billion in tax revenue. Sabrina’s tremendous accomplishments in her industry allow her to provide significant economic benefits to diverse communities and improve the national economy in the process. Her work continues to be fueled by her passion and real-life experience, and she is optimistic about the future of minority entrepreneurship and all the advancements to come.
Spencer Hulse is Grit Daily’s editorial director. He is responsible for supervising other editors and writers, day-to-day operations, and reporting on breaking news.
