SAVVY Grace Trowbridge left her marketing job in the leisure industry intending to start her own property business.
But, after moving from London to Petersfield, Hampshire, at the height of the pandemic, she found that it was much harder than she had envisioned.
Instead, she decided to set up an online marketplace where independent black-owned businesses could promote themselves.
Now her award-winning Simply Noir website hosts more than 60 companies, selling a diverse range of high-quality products.
Grace, 37, who has two young children, stressed that her business is more than just a sales platform.
She said: “We also support black businesses by running business workshops and mentoring sessions and offering external PR and guidance on getting the best out of social media.”
The £5,000 grant will help Simply Noir develop an app and sponsor two other businesses – Beau Polish and Softly Shea.
Grace said: “We are so thankful, and feel fortunate that we can use this money to help other companies to grow and employ more people.”
