Tag Archive for: Building Resilient Businesses

TFTI Experience, Brian Andaya, Building Resilient Businesses Contest, Small Businesses, Kapitus

BRB Stories: Creating Libraries-worth of Unforgettable Memories!

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Congratulations to TFTI Experience, a Houston-based small business that takes “selfies” to a whole new level, for winning the 2nd place prize in Kapitus’ inaugural Building Resilient Businesses contest! TFTI, which stands for “Thanks for the Invitation,” will receive $50,000 to help grow their business

Picture Perfect

TFTI launched its first “selfie” exhibit at the Marq’E Entertainment Center in Houston in 2018 and became an immediate success. The business creates specially designed rooms that are ideal places for individuals, families and friends to take selfies. TFTI then took their unique business idea to showrooms in Atlanta and Dallas. 

After surviving the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, TFTI took off by opening a 5,000 sq. ft. space in

TFTI Experience, Brian Andaya, Kapitus, Building Resilient Businesses

TFTI’s Love Room has been the setting for many romantic gestures, including marriage proposals.

the Galleria in Houston which features 15 custom-designed rooms that provide unique experiences and backdrops for  customers to take the perfect selfies. 

“They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and if that’s the case, then we’ve created libraries worth of unforgettable memories with all of our guests,” said Bryan Andaya, founder and partner at TFTI. “TFTI is the original photo experience concept and we’re ready to create more. We are family-owned and started by first-time entrepreneurs who have learned so much since our opening back in 2018. All we need is the fuel to grow. Our name TFTI stands for the popular social media acronym ‘Thanks For The Invite,’ and we definitely want to thank Kapitus for inviting us to this wonderful opportunity.”

The Upside-Down

TFTI Experience, Building Resilient Businesses, Kapitus, contest, Brian Andaya

TFTI’s Upside-Down Room is one of its most popular attractions.

No, we’re not talking about the parallel universe in Netflix’s hit show “Stranger Things,” but we are referring to one of the coolest rooms at TFTI’s space at the Galleria – the room that mimics an upside-down apartment. The ceiling consists of hardwood floors and a fully decorated Christmas tree. Wrapped boxes and basic furniture are bolted to the ceiling. Photos of guests are turned upside-down, giving the appearance that they are defying gravity. 

There’s also the cherry blossom room where guests can sit on a swing, as well as the space station room where customers can put on astronaut gear and pretend that they’re floating in a space station. These are just some of the creative rooms TFTI has created for its guests. 

“People come just for the upside-down room,” said Andaya, adding that the room will change once the holiday season is over. He added that the “Love Room” has been used for marriage proposals, and the entire space has been rented out for parties. The creativity of the business is still flourishing, despite the bumpy economy. 

Expanding the Lens

Andaya said that the company will use the $50,000 to enhance the specialized rooms by installing high-quality photo booths in them. 

“TFTI plans to use part of the winning funds to start building photo booth systems in our interactive rooms,” said Andaya. “This will allow guests to take high-quality photos and receive them via text message or email on the spot. Perfect for guests who may not have the latest phone or [hightest] quality camera.”

Part of the prize money will also be used to enhance the company’s marketing strategy, said Andaya, noting that online advertising is the company’s biggest challenge. 

“Our biggest challenge currently is the rising cost of online advertising spend. Most of our guests can be found on popular social media platforms, but with online privacy changes and rising costs, they are becoming more difficult to target,” he said. “We work to overcome this by doing continuous organic postings, reaching out to local influencers in our area for partnerships and focusing on interacting with potential customers organically by commenting and liking their posts.”

Moving Forward

Andaya and his partners plan for continued success and expansion for TFTI, which was a natural offshoot of another company Andaya launched nearly 12 years ago, Lucky Shots. The company rents out portable photo booths that can print out custom, branded photos and has been used for events for big clients such as the Houston Texans, Houston Astros, CITY CENTRE and the Houston Rodeo.

Learn the stories of all of our small business winners:

BRB Stories: After Devastating Setback, Play Pits Takes First Place in Kapitus’ BRB Contest!

BRB Stories: Relying on Faith and Passion for Business Success

Strands of Faith, Ameka Coleman, small business, Building Resilient Businesses, Kapitus

BRB Stories: Relying on Faith and Passion for Business Success

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For small business owners, it’s all about keeping the faith – not only in God, but in yourself and your ability to succeed. That’s what drives Ameka Coleman, founder and CEO of Strands of Faith and one of the 3rd place winners of Kapitus’ inaugural Building Resilient Businesses contest. Strands of Faith is one of five 3rd place winners, and Coleman received $20,000 to help maintain and grow Strands of Faith. 

Starting her own business in 2018 took a tremendous amount of faith, courage, and hard work for Coleman, who gave up a lucrative career as a clinical researcher for pharmaceutical contract research giant PPD to become a small business owner. The Christian mother of four took the plunge into entrepreneurship when she realized that her passion was hair care.

Coleman was able to fill a need by creating a line of cruelty-free, non-toxic hair care products that

Ameka Coleman, Strands of Faith, Building Resilient Businesses, Kapitus, Contestof Faith

Ameka Coleman, founder and CEO of Strands of Faith, used her personal credit card, a small amount of savings and her faith to launch the business.

contain no parabens or silicone-based materials, yet keep hair moisturized and healthy.

“I launched the business in 2018,” said Coleman. “Prior to this, I never thought that I would one day own a business. I was in a career, Clinical Research, that I loved. It was truly a scenario of passion meeting purpose. Starting in 2006, I developed a passion for loving and embracing my natural hair and I was equally passionate about making progress in the field of clinical trials. Eventually, my science background and real-life experience merged into one to make a beautiful faith walk with purpose!”

A Wing and a Prayer

Like most small business owners first starting out, Coleman had few resources. She used a small amount of savings and personal credit cards to fund the launch of Strands of Faith, and her biggest assets during that time were support from her family and her passion for making clean hair care products. Even though she took a huge gamble by starting her own business, she found the resilience to push through the COVID-19 pandemic through hard work.

“Building Strands of Faith has been a journey of faith, hope, and resilience,” said Coleman. “If you would have told me 6 years ago that I would one day start a business, I wouldn’t have believed it simply because I didn’t have the mental fortitude, faith, and self-confidence to bet on myself. However, little did I know, my journey leading up to it was the perfect segway to creating my brand. While I was on a journey to finding myself, it resulted in me falling in love with the hair that God blessed me with. I then found great joy in encouraging and motivating other women to do the same.” 

Expansion Plans

Strands of Faith has found success through some rough times, and has grown to 10 employees and dozens of product lines, as well as a successful blog on hair care. Coleman said that she plans to use the $20,000 in prize money to help expand her team and strengthen its marketing efforts to serve customers both in the US and internationally. 

“This business became bigger than me,” she said. “I was led to create products that could help further the

Strands of Faith’s Holy Grail collection of natural hair care products has helped launch it to success.

mission by providing clean products for textured hair that would make women feel confident about their hair regimen. This entire journey has been one of faith. Starting out, I didn’t have many resources, but I didn’t let that stop me. I put my best foot forward, juggled all of the roles, and trusted God to lead the way. I was working my full-time job while also being a mom to 2 kids and a wife. It was rough but the vision made me stay committed.

“Now, as a mom of 4, I strive daily to be the best example to my kids, and it gives me great joy for them to see me keep pushing along this entrepreneurial journey. Building this business has impacted my life and others in so many ways but the most impactful way has been the reminder to simply keep the faith! This grant by Kapitus is such a tremendous blessing in allowing me to expand my team and marketing efforts so that we can continue to serve women all around the world.”

Maintaining Balance

Coleman may be unusual among small business owners in that she’s achieved something that many small business owners have not: balance between her personal and business lives. Her secret is putting her family and faith first. That balance, she said, is a key part of the success of Strands of Faith.

“I did the groundwork in the beginning and worked super hard to lay a foundation, so I now have a team who has helped tremendously with taking off some of the workload. Now, these days, though the business still needs much of my time to run, my priorities have shifted, and it is all about family first! Business now comes second to my family. I intentionally did the groundwork in the beginning when my kids were younger. Now that they are older, I am super intentional about being present for them!”

Advice to New Entrepreneurs

Coleman said that the beginning days of Strands of Faith were the most difficult as they are for most small business owners, but she advised new entrepreneurs that the learning experience of launching a business is well worth it. 

“I would say that the most challenging parts, in the beginning, were wearing many titles,” she said. “I now appreciate the process of first getting the experience in each role because over time it built me up to be an efficient business owner. I have learned that entrepreneurship is not just a journey by itself but, instead, it is also a personal healing journey! There will be many times where the journey may feel lonely, but this is when it becomes super important to lean on your self-confidence and focus on the past wins to get you through and, of course, God’s given strength.”

Congratulations to All the Winners

Kapitus’ inaugural BRB contest awarded $250,000 to 7 small businesses that are the epitome of strength and resilience – two crucial ingredients needed to launch and operate a small business. The first-place prize was $100,000, the second was $50,000 and five third-place winners each received $20,000. All of the winners also will receive a complimentary, 8-hour consulting/advisory session to help their business. Kapitus also looks forward to this being an annual contest starting every spring.

Learn the stories of all of our small business winners:

BRB Stories: After Devastating Setback, Play Pits Takes First Place in Kapitus’ BRB Contest!

Play Pits, Building Resilient Businesses, Chantel PowellKapitus

BRB Stories: After Devastating Setback, Play Pits Takes First Place in Kapitus’ BRB Contest!

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Congratulations to Play Pits, an African American-owned producer of specialty deodorants made from all-natural ingredients, for being named the winner of Kapitus’ inaugural Building Resilient Businesses (BRB) contest. The Atlanta-based family business will receive $100,000 and 8 hours of complimentary educational consulting/advising sessions on its business. 

Embodiment of Resilience

Chantel Powell, Play Pits, Kapitus, Building Resilient Businesses, contest

Chantel Powell’s small business has endured the COVID-19 pandemic and a warehouse fire, making it one of the most resilient businesses out there.

For Chantel Powell, creator and CEO of Play Pits, resilience isn’t just a trait, it’s a necessity. The four-year-old company suffered through the pandemic shortly after it was created – a period in which nearly 40% of all black-owned businesses were forced to shut down. As if that weren’t enough, in September 2022, its Atlanta-based headquarters and warehouse (where all of its inventory was stored) were completely burnt to the ground in a fire – a catastrophic event that left Powell and her family reeling.

In the aftermath, however, instead of giving up, Powell and her family members are determined to rebuild the business and will use their $100,000 prize to help do so, making  Play Pits the very embodiment of everything for which BRB stands..

“It’s by the grace of God that we won the Building Resilient Businesses Contest because in the last few weeks, Play Pits has proven that we are the personification of a resilient business,” said Powell.

A Family Commitment

Play Pits. Chantel Powell, Kameron, Kapitus, Building Resilient Businesses, Contest

Chantel Powell was inspired to launch Play Pits by her son, Kameron.

After spending nearly six years as an executive assistant at Viacom International Media Networks and graduating Summa Cum Laude from Clark Atlanta University with a degree in fashion design and merchandising, Powell had picked up the skills she needed to pursue her passion for launching her own small business. All she needed was an innovative idea and a product to sell.

That idea came in 2017 when she picked up her six-year-old son, Kameron, from basketball camp. Like most active kids coming home after attending a sweaty sports camp, Kameron’s body odor hit Powell hard. 

“My exact words to him were, ‘You smell like a grown man!’” said Powell. She was determined to make him wear deodorant but didn’t want to use the typical ones that were filled with toxic chemicals. When she searched for deodorants that used natural ingredients, she found them to be boring products that she knew she would have to fight her son to get him to use them. 

Powell spent days in her kitchen using organic ingredients to make an all-natural deodorant that she felt comfortable with her son wearing. To her surprise, Kameron loved the deodorant and suggested that she make it for all his friends at camp.

“After my initial refusal, I quickly reconsidered once it hit me that Kameron had a genius business idea!” she said.

Hard Work and Self-Sufficiency

Like many seeking to achieve the American Dream, Powell put in a lot of hard work and $3,500 of her own money to start Play Pits. With no outside investments, she spent nine long months perfecting the secret formula to create the first all-natural deodorant free of aluminum, parabens, synthetic fragrances and other harsh chemicals found in most deodorant products, and one specifically designed for active kids. 

She officially launched Play Pits in March of 2018, and success came quickly for the new business. Powell saw 497% growth after just 20 months in business, with over 12,200 units sold. Play Pits soon had both out-of-state and international customers, and distributed through both Amazon and Target, as well as directly.

Powell also worked hard by engaging in one of the toughest types of marketing campaigns a business can engage in: word-of-mouth. Powell works extremely hard to market the company through social media and customer recommendations. She also doesn’t keep herself on the company payroll. “Every dime made is completely due to us bootstrapping our business, getting out there and hustling. It has been the best method for us to advance and grow Play Pits,” she said.  

“Quietly, Play Pits has become the nation’s largest 100% black-owned deodorant company,” said Powell. “This grant money is going to be invested in scaling our company by allowing us to purchase larger amounts of raw goods and materials at reduced costs, increase our marketing efforts into youth and professional sports, and to add knowledgeable professionals to help us meet customer demand by expanding our product line and increasing revenue.”  

More Than Just Survival

As Play Pits recovers and rebuilds from the devastating fire, its mission to educate parents about the

Play Pits, Chantel Powell, Building Resilient Businesses, Contest, $100,000, Kapitus

Paly Pits has endured the pandemic and a devastating fire to come back better than ever.

dangerous ingredients found in commercial deodorants and to provide a healthier, all-natural solution for their children, remains the same. The business is still seeking to grow both domestically and internationally, and to never forget where it came from. Since launching, Kameron has been named the company’s Chief Inspiration Officer and is still active in sports, while Powell continues to work hard to market and sell the company’s products. 

“As we start recovery from this tragic event, this grant money is needed now more than ever as it will play a key role in helping us to rebuild, replenish lost inventory/materials, equipment etc., while still allowing us to continue our initial expansion plans,” she said.  

Building Resilient Businesses Contest Kapitus Small Business

Help Kapitus Award $250,000 in Cash Prizes to Deserving Business Owners!

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Kapitus is excited to announce the finalists for its inaugural, $250,000 Building Resilient Businesses contest after weeks of painstakingly judging over 300 video submissions. The contest was launched this summer as a way for Kapitus to give back to the small business community, which represents the backbone of America’s economy and personifies the American Dream of hard work, sacrifice and success. 

The submissions, which came from small businesses scattered across 37 states and the DC metro area, were all distinct and well-thought-out, but 15 videos stood out for their passion, storytelling, creativity, and the ways in which they would use the first-place prize of $100,000 to benefit and grow their businesses. 

Now that the 15 finalists have been chosen, Kapitus is relying on you, the public, to vote on which of the finalists should be included among the 7 winners of the competition.

Vote for your favority business

The prizes are: 

  • 1st place (one winner): $100,000
  • 2nd place (one winner): $50,000
  • 3rd place (five winners): $20,000
  • All winners will be given a complimentary, 8-hour consulting/advisory session to help them with their businesses. Advisory sessions are available in digital marketing, financial management and data analytics.

The finalists’ videos were chosen by members of Kapitus based on their storytelling, creativity, enthusiasm and the ways in which they would use the $100,000 for their business, but members of the public can use whatever criteria they see fit when voting. To vote for your favorite, please go to https://kapitus.com/brb-vote/, carefully watch the videos, and select the one you believe stands out above the rest. Only one vote is allowed per person and voting is open from Monday, September 19, 2022 through Monday, October 10, 2022

Please help us congratulate the 15 finalists (listed in reverse alphabetical order): 

  1. The Tree Yoga Cooperative – South Los Angeles, CA – Black & Latina-Owned hub of holistic wellness and community support. We provide accessible, inclusive, trauma-informed and culturally centered yoga classes and training to all body types, abilities and ages.
  2. the Enchanted Rose Emporium – Vancouver, WA – Providing a unique collection of vintage style gifts and craft supplies emphasizing sustainability and teaching classes in the handcrafting skills of yesterday to children and adults – preserving these art forms.
  3. TFTI Experience – Houston, TX – Houston’s original photo experience. 15+ creative installations for jaw-dropping photos including Infinity Mirrors, LOVE Letters, Upside Down room, DJ Confetti Room and more. TFTI has something fun for everyone.
  4. Superfit Hero – Los Angeles, CA – Superfit Hero is the world’s most inclusive line of premium plus size activewear for women, with sizes L-7XL. Fitness is for Every Body.
  5.  Strands of Faith – Pearl, MS – SOF is a conscious beauty brand curated and formulated with cruelty free rich ingredients to nourish, restore, and refresh textured strands while increasing moisture-length retention and overall healthy hair.
  6. Stir it Up – Fairbanks, AK – Inspired by a little boy with allergies and a town lacking options, Stir It Up provides options for your dietary lifestyle, guaranteed. A women-owned company specializing in gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian & low-carb options.
  7. Postal Petals – West Hollywood, CA – A new way for people to enjoy the beauty of flowers through the experience of arranging them. Fresh-cut flowers are shipped nationwide for customers to create their own DIY floral arrangements.
  8. Play Pits – Atlanta, GA – 100% all-natural deodorant, free of aluminum, parabens, synthetic fragrances, and harsh chemicals. Play Pits is a mother’s solution to providing a kid-friendly, all-natural hygiene option for youth with active lifestyles.
  9. Monolith Games – Siloam Springs, AR – A small husband- and wife-owned board and card game shop. We have created a safe space where people can hang out, play games, and above all – be themselves.
  10. Kai’s Kookies – Houston, TX – Specialty bakery offering low-carb gluten-free treats with no added sugar. Inspired by a father and daughter who recreated their baking style due to allergies and a commitment to improving health.
  11. Frères Branchiaux Candle Co – Indian Head, MD – Frères Branchiaux Candle Co. is a mission-based company that creates vegan fragrance products. Founders Collin, Ryan, and Austin Gill have donated $40K to homeless shelters through sales of their products.
  12. Fat Lady Cakes – Amherst, NY – Fat Lady’s Cakes and Pies specializes in the creation of gourmet desserts made from all-natural ingredients. From classics to new innovations, we offer a full range of flavorful treats.
  13. Courtside ATL – Lithonia GA – Creating VIP basketball experiences where anyone can participate, by deconstructing the game into: Shoot, Dribble & Pass. We employ tech features to transform, gamify and transfer content for elevated experiences.
  14. Brash Brownies – Winston-Salem, NC – A mobile, black woman-owned, bakery with small batch desserts based on old family recipes and innovative imagination. Brash Brownies is bringing Louisiana culture to North Carolina.
  15. Black People Will Swim – Long Island, NY – Smashing the stereotype that Black people don’t swim, Black People Will Swim is based on four foundational pillars encouraging people to F.A.C.E. (Fun. Awareness. Community. Education) their fears.

Official winners will be announced by October 28, 2022.

(Originally Published September 19, 2o22)

Americans with disabilities, small business funding, Kapitus

Does Your Website Make You Susceptible to an ADA Lawsuit?

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Most small business owners know that their physical stores or offices must be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (after all, they’ve had more than 30 years to learn and comply with the law), but did you know that despite your efforts, you may still be susceptible to an ADA lawsuit? 

That’s because the ADA itself obviously predates the advent of the internet, and therefore no one is really sure how much legal liability risk you’re carrying as it relates to your website..

Gil vs. Winn Dixie

When the 11th Circuit Appellate court ruled in April that the ADA does not entirely apply to websites in

the Gil v. Winn Dixie case, it gave some short-term clarity on the issue. However, while the court ruled in favor of the business, the case generally put a renewed spotlight on the ambiguous subject of whether business websites should be required to accommodate people with physical and mental impairments. 

In Gil v Winn Dixie, a customer sued the grocery chain because its website did not accommodate visually impaired people, and therefore treated disabled people as “second class shoppers,” according to the plaintiff’s affidavit. In short, the plaintiff, Mr. Gil, claimed that he was given less preferable treatment than non-disabled customers. 

The 11th Circuit court, which covers Alabama, Georgia and Florida, ultimately ruled that Winn Dixie’s website did not fall under “places of public accommodation” under Title III of the law, and therefore its website is not required to be accessible to impaired or disabled people, even though its brick-and-mortar stores do need to be ADA compliant. 

Jury Still Out, Despite Decision

It’s important to note, however, that the judges’ decision in the case was somewhat narrow in its scope. Although they ruled in Winn Dixie’s favor, they did so largely because the company’s website is not a point-of-sale. The judges noted in their decision that there was nothing to prevent Mr. Gil from making transactions at any of Winn Dixie’s physical stores, which are ADA compliant. 

Legal experts have pointed out that if the website were a point-of-sale and disabled people could not conduct transactions on it (i.e., the customer had to renew and pay for a prescription on its site), the decision may have been different. So if your business has a website in which customers can make purchases, you may still face legal liability risk if your site is inaccessible.

Why the Case Matters

In recent years, website accessibility lawsuits have skyrocketed as the legal community continues to wrestle with the issue of whether websites should be ADA compliant. 

According to a study from UsableNet, the number of ADA-related digital lawsuits climbed to 3,550 in the US in 2020, up from 2,314 in 2018. Gil v Winn Dixie, however, was one of the few cases that made it to the Appellate Court, and while the court’s ruling ultimately favored businesses, it also puts a renewed spotlight on how companies – especially small businesses that may not be able to afford costly legal battles – should take steps to avoid sometimes-frivolous ADA lawsuits by making their websites accessible to people with disabilities. 

Last year, the 116th session of Congress ended up voting against the Online Accessibility Act which would have amended the ADA to include requirements to make websites accessible, but with a new Presidential administration and the fact that Senate Democrats now hold a slim majority, the issue could be taken up again shortly.

What are the Current Laws?

ADA requirements for physical stores and offices have been around for nearly three decades and are well-known, but – barring legislation from Congress – the question of how the ADA applies to websites is still murky.

In 2010, the US Dept. of Justice passed the Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design, mandating that electronic and information technology, such as websites, be accessible to those with disabilities such as the visually and hearing-impaired. The act does not, however, cite specific steps companies need to take to make their websites accessible. 

Today, many companies use the Worldwide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1 as a guide to making sure their sites are up to standard. While WCAG is not a legal document, W3C is an international community of web developers that is respected around the globe.

Avoiding an ADA lawsuit

While the issue is still ambiguous, if you’re a small business owner, it’s probably best to err on the side of caution when it comes to your website, lest you find yourself having to pay exorbitant legal fees in order to fend off a lawsuit. 

If you’re concerned about your website and are seeking to make it ADA compliant, you may wish to consult with an attorney. There are also plenty of software packages out there that can assist you in making sure your site is accessible to those with disabilities. 

Screen readers for your website can help you avoid a costly ADA lawsuit.

The first thing you may wish to do is invest in a screen reader for your site. A screen reader is a software program that allows blind or visually impaired individuals to read the text that is displayed on a computer screen via a speech synthesizer or a pad that will translate text on the screen into braille. Many of these software packages are available online and are free.

Following WCAG 

Additionally, your best bet is to carefully read WCAG 2.1 and make sure that your website follows its guidelines. You may wish to do this with an attorney. There are 4 basic principles to WCAG. A website must be:

  • Perceivable – Your website must be perceivable in terms of touch, sound, and sight. This is where a screen reader would most likely come in handy.
  • Operable – A user, regardless of their disability, must have ways to operate and browse your site. For instance, someone with motor difficulties should be able to use a keyboard instead of a mouse.
  • Understandable – Your website must use clear terms, simple instructions, and be able to explain complex issues.
  • Robust – Your website must use recognized standards, such as clean TML or CSS language so that users do not have to rely on additional technology besides their computer to use your website. 

Other Suggestions

Aside from the four principles stated, there are other actions to take to follow WCAG 2.1. On your site, you should make sure to:

  • Create alt tags for all images, video and audio files so that users with disabilities can read or hear alternative descriptions of your content.
  • Create transcripts for video and audio content so that hearing-impaired users can easily access your content.
  • Offer customers alternatives when they run into input errors. If a user is having difficulty navigating your site because of their disability, it is your responsibility to offer recommendations on other ways to navigate to the content they are looking for.

While making sure your website is accessible to all users will take time and energy, it is an exercise worth undertaking. First, it will enable you to avoid a costly lawsuit. Second, showing the world that you’re empathetic to people with disabilities, and making your site accessible will improve your public image. Third, it could even increase your customer base to include more people with disabilities.

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