6 Tactics Black Businesses Can Apply To Spur Revenue Growth In A Post-DEI World

Black small business have been forced to explore new revenue streams due to cuts in DEI initiatives.

Here’s a breathtaking statistic: Black-owned small businesses are among the firms that have lost $217 million in federal contracts since the DEI rollbacks started around a year ago.

The staggering number is according to a new analysis of federal government data provided to BLACK ENTERPRISE by the online community business platform Orisunn. The figures are from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Business Development 8(a) federal contracting program.

Black small businesses are among the largest groups that rely on the program. When the funding flow drops, those firms typically experience large revenue declines. These businesses are now being forced to explore new revenue streams, no longer just relying on Fortune 500 DEI firms for growth as they have for decades.

Further, the $217 million does not include needed aid from areas like SBA loans, corporate supplier diversity programs, state and local contracts, or the private sector.

The fresh focus is being driven largely by anti-DEI attacks by the Trump administration, which has changed how the federal government, federal contractors, and many companies engage in DEI. The DEI bans have cost small businesses megabucks, created uncertainty, and choked their growth.

Orisunn founder and CEO Bek Sunuu said the 8(a) program is the federal government’s main channel for routing contract dollars to disadvantaged and disproportionately Black firms. When the channel is cut, he explained, it can create dire setbacks for Black firms such as fewer new awards with anchor customers, reduced access to credit, and less commercial growth.

“In Trump’s first two months of controlling federal contracting, hundreds of millions of dollars that would have flowed through the 8(a) pipeline did not,” Sunuu said.

Sunuu’s firm helps Black-owned businesses with access to capital, mentorship, and growth opportunities. It also connects Black entrepreneurs with new clients, mentors, and investors in a growing post-DEI world.

Before starting Orisuun in late 2024, Sunnu worked in corporate law and finance for 10 years. He is a former product leader at financial intelligence firm S&P Global. By launching his firm, he shifted his focus to building long-term infrastructure for Black-owned enterprises.

To counter the scale back from DEI, Sunuu offered some tactics Black business owners can pursue:

Target mid-sized businesses that still have budgets, growth incentives, and are not government-influenced or -dependent.
Join regional and national Black chambers of commerce to revitalize them and grow their influence. Also, enter referral programs and discount networks to boost revenue, lower costs, and increase exposure.
Reframe language in your proposal that mentions minority- or Black-owned as that may trigger increased legal scrutiny. Use other options like “local” or “U.S.-based.” For consumer brands, propose the specific customer base you reach.
Focus your efforts on such areas as procurement and community investment. ESG and innovative partnerships when dealing with companies. That will help you shift from referencing DEI, a traditional business infrastructure that is essentially dead.
If your product/service can be adapted to be customer-facing, then seek out and cultivate direct-to-consumer channels and let go of traditional thinking when considering and evaluating potential partners. The bottom line: Black-owned businesses should be doing more business with each other, intentionally. Do more business with other minority-owned firms.
Be mindful that not all companies have rolled back their supplier diversity programs. These corporations still have needs that your business may be able to supply and support. If your business has a product or service that fits their needs, or if you have an existing relationship with the corporation, you should keep pursuing those corporate partnerships.

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