by Nahla Abdulrahman
April 17, 2024
The Beauty Supply Institute was supposed to help Atlanta entrepreneurs start their own stores, but it has not yet fulfilled its contracted obligations.
Complaints are mounting against the Beauty Supply Institute (BSI), which claims to support black entrepreneurship and has bankrupted many Atlanta businesses.
according to 11 alive, The company encouraged aspiring black entrepreneurs to own beauty supply stores. BSI has provided books, videos and hosted conferences to help you on this business journey. Participants signed a service agreement that paid for her BSI resources and granted access to build a business from the ground up.
Contract owners were to receive guidance from BSI regarding store operations and product acquisition. Instead, he claims he received vague and lackluster assistance. Pauline McLoughlin said he signed a contract with BSI three years ago but found himself at a loss with the business.
“I was looking for mentorship, a way to open doors to getting products and establishing relationships with vendors,” McLaughlin told the news outlet. They make you look like they want you to be elevated.But I’m in a much worse situation now than when I first met them [BSI]”
McLaughlin claims she did most of the work, including finding the space to rent. Although she completed that task 10 months ago, BSI has not yet provided the products she needs to launch her business. During that time, Mr. McLoughlin had to take on her two jobs to cover her outstanding expenses.
Many others have similar stories to McLaurin, as do several of the Maryland signees. Government-mandated refunds from BSI. The state also ordered the company to cease operations due to seemingly fraudulent practices.
But metro Atlanta entrepreneurs have yet to receive justice for BSI’s alleged misleading practices. The Georgia Attorney General’s Office confirmed that an investigation into BSI is ongoing.
BSI founder Devin Robinson spoke to reporters about the ongoing allegations. He believes his company is not entirely to blame. He said vendor delays and overwhelming demand are hampering that progress.
“We had to introduce new technology. We needed to do certain things to accommodate a certain scale. So our schedule also becomes an issue,” Robinson explained.
BSI also issued a statement regarding the growing concerns. But it has yet to make up for lost funds for many customers in Atlanta.
“We are proud to have pioneered this business for 20 years and successfully opened over 200 stores. “We faced challenges that we had to overcome, but we were able to implement new technology and successfully navigated the challenges and positioned ourselves for continued success.” “This company was born out of the need and desire to mentor people in our community to become entrepreneurs in the beauty industry. We always strive to meet our customers on opening day, even in difficult times. Our focus has been on welcoming people.”
According to the company’s website, BSI is still accepting reservations from potential customers, indicating that business has not stopped.
