West Midlands businesses celebrate after winning free national TV advertising slots

Channel 4 and Lloyds have now announced the 2024 winners of their Black in Business initiative, with West Midlands-based firms Flora & Curl and Nylah’s Naturals set to receive £150,000 in TV advertising airtime, business mentoring, and a bespoke TV advert to elevate their brands nationally. 

This initiative addresses the structural barriers Black entrepreneurs face, as highlighted in Lloyds’ research showing that 84% of Black business owners experience discrimination.

Following the success of the first year, the four winning businesses will each receive £150,000 worth of TV advertising airtime on Channel 4 which will run from July onwards. Alongside this, each business owner will receive mentoring from a ‘senior sponsor’ executive from both Channel 4 and Lloyds, providing expertise tailored towards the specific needs of their business.

Flora & Curl is a haircare brand specialising in natural, plant-powered products designed for individuals with textured hair. As a winner of the Channel 4 and Lloyds’ initiative to support Black-owned businesses, the company is thrilled to gain national recognition and a boost in sales.

Following a dedicated two-year rebrand, Flora & Curl sees this opportunity as a rewarding milestone, celebrating the hard work and passion that has gone into refining its brand and products.  

"I am incredibly honoured to have been chosen as a winner of this incredible initiative by Channel 4 and Lloyds Bank to promote and uplift black-owned businesses on TV," said business owner Rose Ovensheshi. 

"Myself and my whole team are buzzing and we can’t wait to see the sales uplift and experience the national recognition after a busy last two years of our rebrand project which has been a labour of love. We are just over the moon!”

Nylah’s Naturals is another haircare brand that is empowering Black women to embrace their natural hair. Using advanced ingredient technologies, the brand focuses on stimulating hair recovery and promoting hair wellness.

“Given the disparities black and female founders face in accessing the capital needed to market our initiatives, this opportunity is transformative. It will amplify our voices and help us further our mission to promote hair wellness and provide solution-focused products for women dealing with challenges like hair loss," added Kameese Davis from Nylah’s Naturals.

Dave Atkinson, Regional Director for the West Midlands at Lloyds, said: “These talented entrepreneurs have shown tremendous passion in starting and scaling their businesses, and that passion shone brightly throughout this year’s competition. Creativity and resilience are key to running a successful business so we look forward to seeing these winners thrive and inspire others. 

“We already support over 1 million British businesses at all stages of their journey, across the UK, so whether you’re planning to turn a side hustle into a viable business or looking to grow an existing one, our Black entrepreneurs programme is committed to supporting those ambitions and helping Britain prosper.”