Why Some Businesses Start 10 Steps Behind: It’s Not You, It’s the System, But We Can All Help🤍
Some businesses start their journey with funding, mentorship, and built in connections. Others start with passion, grit, and a dream, but none of the same resources.
That gap isn’t about ambition or talent. It’s about systems that were built without everyone in mind.
The Starting Line Isn’t the Same
When people say “everyone has the same 24 hours,” it ignores the fact that not everyone has the same starting line.
Access to funding: Historically, women-owned businesses receive less than 2% of venture-capital funding, and Black and Latinx owned businesses receive less than 3%.
Generational wealth: Many entrepreneurs from marginalized communities are the first in their families to build something from scratch and often without a safety net or financial backing.
Representation: When you rarely see people who look like you in leadership roles, it’s harder to imagine yourself there.
These barriers don’t mean someone isn’t “trying hard enough.” They mean they’re running the same race with extra weight on their back.
Systemic Bias Still Shapes Opportunity
Even today, discrimination and bias, conscious or not, affect who gets access to capital, credit, and visibility.
Banks may deny loans more often to minority business owners with identical credit scores.
Women and LGBTQ+ founders are sometimes questioned about “risk” and “stability” rather than potential.
Media coverage and brand partnerships still skew toward what’s already visible and familiar.
It’s not that these businesses are less deserving. It’s that old systems are still playing by outdated rules.
Why Representation Matters
When underrepresented entrepreneurs succeed, entire communities benefit.
They hire locally, reinvest profits, and inspire the next generation of creators who finally see themselves reflected in business.
Representation isn’t a buzzword. It’s the foundation of innovation. Diverse perspectives create better products, stronger ideas, and more inclusive marketing.
How We Can All Help
You don’t have to be an investor or policymaker to make change.
Every one of us can:
Shop intentionally. Support small, women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ owned brands.
Share visibility. Engage with their content, leave reviews, and amplify their stories.
Hire inclusively. Work with diverse creators, designers, and consultants.
Educate yourself. Learn about systemic barriers and talk about them.
The goal isn’t guilt. It’s awareness. Once we understand the “why,” we can all be part of the “how.”
Closing Thought
At Studio Hill Media, we believe visibility is power, and everyone deserves a fair start.
We’re here to help underrepresented businesses step into the spotlight, tell their story confidently, and claim the success they’ve always deserved.
Because when one underrepresented business rises, we all do. 🌿
