Charlotte, North Carolina · Public benefit company
Where Black businesses begin.
Most Black-owned businesses don't fail for lack of talent. They fail for lack of footing — the setup, the paperwork, the back-office foundation that's expensive to get right and costly to get wrong. We help you build it, connect you with attorneys and experts to get it right. For founders whose business isn't carrying itself yet, it's free — see how that's decided.
A great idea with no legal footing is a liability, not a business.
Lawyers, formation services, and compliance help are priced for companies that already have money. For a founder starting from their own savings, that's the wall they hit first. StartedBlack exists to take that wall down — so the businesses that build Black neighborhoods can start on solid ground and stay there.
The businesses that build our neighborhoods.
From advisory offices to product brands to the trades — different work, same need: a foundation solid enough to grow on. This is who we're here for.
The full back-office foundation — handled with you.
Seven areas where a small business needs to be solid. We help you get set up, explain every piece in plain language, and bring in our volunteer attorneys and CPAs when your situation calls for licensed advice.
Entity Formation & Governance
Plain-language education on business structures — LLC or corporation — plus filing assistance and the operating agreements and records that keep you organized.
Regulatory Compliance
Assistance with licenses, registrations, annual reports, and tax registrations — plus a compliance calendar so nothing lapses.
Contracts & Agreements
Plain-language education, solid templates, and volunteer-attorney review before you sign.
Employment & HR
Education on hiring your first people: worker classification basics, offer letters, and policies — with licensed-professional review when your situation calls for it.
Intellectual Property
Education on protecting your name and work — trademarks and basic IP strategy — and a path to counsel for filings.
Certifications & Contracting
Hands-on help getting certified — Charlotte SBE, NCSBE, federal SBA 8(a) — and into the procurement rooms that matter.
Digital & Institutional Infrastructure
A real website on your own domain, search visibility so customers find you, and the payment, brand, and policy pieces that make an organization look and work like one.
Four steps, and you'll know the price before step one.
Apply
Tell us about your business and where you're stuck. A short application — no cost, no catch.
Foundation review
We assess what's in place and what's missing across all seven areas, and map a clear plan.
We build it with you
Setup, filings, and certifications — done together, with volunteer attorneys for legal matters.
Ongoing support
You stay connected for the questions that come after launch — because the foundation has to hold.
Proof, not promises.
We'd rather show you the model than describe it. Our flagship pilot is a complete institutional web presence — built free — for a real Black-led nonprofit serving its community.
Ready to build on solid ground?
If you're starting a business, or running one that needs its foundation made right, we're here.
Apply for support