KENT COUNTY, MI – Michigan Women Forward is highlighting a Grand Rapids-area spa as an exemplary business for National Black Business Month this August.
body sculpt better body barBlack women-owned wellness spas offer “ancient self-care techniques powered by modern science and technology,” according to Michigan Women’s Forward, a community development financial institution that expands economic opportunities for women and entrepreneurs of color. It is said that they are doing so.
The nonprofit supported owner Monica Sparks, who opened her business at 3099 Broadmoor Avenue SE in Kentwood in 2021, with a microloan and technical assistance program.
“She is a dynamic woman who does great work in the community,” said Natalie Hall, chief development and programs officer. michigan women’s forwardwith offices in Grand Rapids and Detroit.
Since 2004, August has been the month to highlight and recognize the contributions of Black-owned businesses to the U.S. economy and promote equity and diversity.
related: Pop-up shop celebrates the past decade of Grand Rapids Black businesses.
Hall said shining a spotlight on businesses is important to the organization’s mission and wants business owners to tell their stories, especially when it comes to promoting Black businesses during the celebration of National Black Business Month. It is said that this is because
She says Michigan Women Forward wants to spotlight Sparks not only because she is an elected official in her community, but also because she has recent experience learning the ropes. he said. Since 2018, Sparks has represented District 12 on the Kent County Commission, which includes Kentwood and parts of Wyoming.
Sparks said the spa was created around the idea that people need wellness and relaxation in their lives.
In 2019, Sparks said she battled colon cancer using reflexology, which applies pressure to specific pressure points on the feet, as a treatment. And in 2020, she said, the COVID-19 pandemic made her realize everyone needed a place to relax and wellness was gaining traction around the world. .
“People didn’t have access to wellness services,” Sparks said. “They couldn’t get massages or facials, and things like that weren’t priced right, especially for people of color. I wanted to be able to provide that for women, for average, everyday women like me, to be able to afford self-care.”
Monica Sparks, owner of Body Sculpt Better Body Bar, poses for a portrait at her business at 3099 Broadmoor Avenue SE in Kentwood, a suburb of Grand Rapids, on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023. There is. Her August for National Black Business Month by Michigan Women Forward. (Ridley Hudson | MLive.com)Ridley Hudson MLive.com
Sparks said ancient self-care practices are merging with modern science, such as Reiki, which channels the body’s energy, and Chinese cupping, an alternative medicine that treats the skin by applying suction to localized areas of the body with a cup. It is said that there is.
Wellness Wednesday also offers take-home treatments, with wellness buses traveling to various locations in the Grand Rapids area for massages and other relaxation services.
Sparks said starting a business during a pandemic was tough, but it was something she needed. She said the most valuable part of the support from Michigan Women’s Forward came from the lessons on how to budget and manage capital at a micro level, rather than as a county commissioner dealing with multi-million dollar budgets. He said that.
“I love being a county commissioner because I think it gives me more insight into the challenges that small business owners have,” Sparks said.
“I’m a certified business mentoring counselor, so I’ve helped many small businesses myself, but it’s a different story for you. , it’s different when you’re an accountant for a business.”
Hall said Michigan Women’s Forward intentionally strives to expand economic opportunity and wants to grow what small businesses, especially minority-owned small businesses, can do with their capital.
She said putting a spotlight on a business includes promoting the name, owner’s face, and story on social media, among other efforts to promote a business that needs exposure to the community. He said that this includes making efforts to ensure that the issue is taken up by the public.
Sparks said the spotlight on his business and National Black Business Month will allow him to better support the members of the community he meets every day. What that means, she said, is “it’s time to say we’re here.”
“As a business for people of color, we are often ignored in favor of larger or long-standing organizations,” Sparks said. “But in reality, people from all walks of life have come here and said, “We saw you’re a Black business owner and we wanted to support you,” or “You’re a Black business owner. Or I saw that you’re a black business owner and I’m Latinx or African and I want to go somewhere with people who look like me.” I was relieved to know that.”
For more information about Body Sculpt Better Body Bar, please visit our website. here Or call us at 616-591-6636.
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