Entrepreneur moves from take-out only to full-service model.
Jarvis McClain moved to Atlanta in 1995 and worked in education for 15 years before deciding to follow his entrepreneurial dream. In 2020, he founded 2 Amigos Tacos and built a small customer base but ran into hurdles in his quest to expand from a take-out only to a full-service model.
Like many entrepreneurs of color, Jarvis found it hard to secure grants or capital at reasonable interest rates to expand his business. With the support of Urban League’s Capital Readiness Program, Jarvis secured a low-interest loan from Invest Atlanta, which funded his build-out. He also learned from coaching sessions designed to boost efficiency and revenue growth.
“I overcame challenges by seeking guidance from my Urban League Business Coach and diligently following up on his suggestions to improve my business strategies,” Jarvis said. “I feel more confident in my ability to thrive in this uncertain economy, knowing I have the support and access to resources that will help my business succeed.”
Looking ahead from a position of strength, Jarvis has set a goal of expanding to a second location within the next two years.
“We hope Jarvis’s story will inspire other entrepreneurs to connect and partner with an Urban League Business Coach to enhance their business knowledge, financial & operational best practices, sales & marketing strategies, and secure capital to grow their businesses,” said Antonio Shackelford, Metro Atlanta Capital Readiness Business Coach at ULGA.
“Statistics show a deep gap in the success rate of Black-owned start-ups versus white, most often attributed to historical bias in access to loans, grants, and other financing. Our goal at the Urban League’s Entrepreneurship Center is to close that gap and level the playing field for Black entrepreneurs to gain fair access to capital and to adopt strategies to guide success.”
Shackelford added, “Small businesses are the backbone of thriving communities throughout the state. When our entrepreneurs succeed, job opportunities increase, neighborhoods stabilize, and the tax base grows. Everyone benefits.”
Visit ulgatl.org/entrepreneurship to learn more about how the Urban League’s Capital Readiness program can help your business thrive.
