FREQUENTLYASKEDQUESTIONS
General FAQs
New to the Catalogue or just curious about how it all works? Start here for the basics—what we do, how the Catalogue is built, and what you can expect as we continue to grow.
What is the Colour Catalogue?
A curated directory designed to make finding Black-owned businesses easier, whether you’re at home, traveling, or exploring a new city. We built it because “Where are the Black-owned places?” shouldn’t be such a hard question to answer.
How do you determine whether a business is Black-owned?
We do our homework. Businesses are researched using publicly available information, including company websites, social media, business profiles, interviews, news coverage, and other reliable sources. Ownership can change, so if you see something that doesn’t look right, let us know and we’ll take another look.
What types of businesses are included?
The Catalogue is organized into four main categories: Food & Beverage, Beauty & Wellness, Retail, and Services. Services covers everything from legal, financial, and health professionals to home services, creatives, consultants, automotive businesses, travel professionals, and more.
Why isn’t my city in the Catalogue?
We’re getting there! The Colour Catalogue is being built city by city, with each one researched and curated individually. We’d rather take our time and build each city well than rush to put dots on a map, so keep checking back, more cities are on the way.
How often is the Catalogue updated?
All the time. We regularly add businesses, update information, fix links, and make corrections as we find them. Businesses move, hours change, websites disappear, and new places open every day, so the Catalogue will always be a work in progress.
How do you decide which cities to include?
We started with cities with significant Black communities, strong Black-owned business ecosystems, and places people frequently live, visit, work, and travel. From there, we’re expanding across the country with the goal of making the Catalogue useful wherever life takes you.
Is the Colour Catalogue available nationwide?
We’re on our way. The Catalogue is expanding across the United States city by city, and our long-term goal is to represent Black-owned businesses across the country. If your city isn’t here yet, stay tuned.
Does the Colour Catalogue recommend or endorse the businesses listed?
A listing in the Colour Catalogue is not an endorsement or guarantee. We research businesses for inclusion, but experiences, services, licensing, operations, and ownership can change. We always encourage you to use your own judgment and check current information before visiting or doing business.
Can I use or reproduce information from the Colour Catalogue?
You’re welcome to share the Colour Catalogue and individual businesses you discover here, in fact, we hope you do! However, the Catalogue’s original content, organization, branding, design, and compiled collections should not be copied, scraped, republished, or reproduced for commercial or directory purposes without permission.
Who is behind the Colour Catalogue?
The Colour Catalogue is independently created, researched, and maintained by two HBCU graduates who got tired of asking the same question everywhere we went: “Where are the Black-owned places?” What started as a simple idea has become a labor of love, built business by business and city by city to make the answer a whole lot easier to find.
FAQs for Businesses
Already in the Catalogue or think your business belongs here? Find answers about listings, updates, corrections, and how businesses make their way into the Catalogue.
How do businesses get into the Catalogue?
We find you! The Colour Catalogue is independently researched and curated, which means businesses do not have to apply or pay to be included. We look for Black-owned businesses city by city and add those that fit the Catalogue as we find and verify them.
Do businesses pay to be listed?
No. There is no fee to be included in the Colour Catalogue, and businesses cannot pay for placement. Keeping listings free allows the Catalogue to remain focused on discovery, not on who paid to be seen.
Can I submit my business for consideration?
Absolutely. If your business is Black-owned and you think it belongs in the Catalogue, head to our Contact Us page and select Add a Business. We’ll review the information you provide and determine whether it fits the Catalogue.
What information do I need to submit my business?
Give us enough information to find and verify your business. That typically includes your business name, website or social media page, location, and the category that best describes what you do. The more complete the information, the easier it is for us to review your submission.
My business is already listed. Can I update my information?
Of course. Businesses change, and we want the Catalogue to reflect the most current information available. Use Update a Business on our Contact Us page to send us changes to your address, website, hours, business details, or other listing information.
Can I submit a new photo for my listing?
Yes. If you own or represent a business listed in the Catalogue and would like us to consider a different image, you can submit one through Update a Business on our Contact Us page. Please only send images you own or have permission to provide for use.
Can I request that my business be removed from the Catalogue?
Absolutely. If you own or are authorized to represent a listed business and would prefer not to appear in the Colour Catalogue, contact us and request removal. We may ask for information to verify your connection to the business before making the change.
Why wasn’t my business included?
It probably just means we haven’t found you yet. The Catalogue is built through ongoing research, and no directory can find every eligible business on the first pass. If we missed yours, send it our way through Add a Business on our Contact Us and we’ll take a look.
Can I pay for a featured or preferred listing?
No. Placement within the Colour Catalogue cannot be purchased. We may occasionally highlight businesses we know, love, have experienced ourselves, or simply think deserve a little extra shine, but those decisions are ours. From time to time, we may also offer separate promotional opportunities through our social channels, but paid promotion will never determine whether or where a business appears in the Catalogue.
Does being listed mean the Colour Catalogue endorses my business?
Inclusion in the Catalogue means we found your business, did our research, and believe it belongs here. Along the way, we hope to personally visit, shop, eat, sip, book, and experience as many businesses in the Catalogue as humanly possible. It may take us the rest of our lives, but we’re willing to give it a shot.
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When we find places we personally love, we may give them a little extra shine. That doesn’t make the Catalogue a ranking system, and a business appearing higher or lower on a page should never be read as a rating, review, or reflection of our experience with it.
FAQs for Individuals
Looking for a business, wondering how the Catalogue works, or want to help us keep it current? Start here for answers about using, exploring, and contributing to the Catalogue.
Why isn’t my favorite Black-owned business listed?
We may not have found them yet! The Catalogue is built through ongoing research, and as much as we’d love to catch every business, we know we’ll miss some along the way. If you know a Black-owned business that belongs here, head to our Contact Us page and select Add a Business. We’d love to know about them.
I found incorrect or outdated information. What should I do?
Please tell us. Businesses move, hours change, websites get updated, and sometimes places close. Use Update a Business on our Contact Us page to send us the correct information, and we’ll take a look.
How can I suggest a business?
Head over to our Contact Us page and select Add a Business. Send us the business name and whatever information you have to help us find it. We’ll do the research from there.
Can I search for businesses by city?
Absolutely. Looking for a quick hit? Pop over to the menu at the top of the page or the hamburger menu and head straight to your city. Prefer the scenic route? Explore our regional pages, browse the cities along the way, and see where the Catalogue takes you.
Can I search by type of business?
Yes. Each city is organized across our four main categories: Food & Beverage, Beauty & Wellness, Retail, and Services. Within those pages, you can use the available filters to narrow things down and find what you’re looking for.
What should I do if a business appears to be permanently closed?
Let us know. We regularly review the Catalogue, but sometimes the community finds out first. Send us the business through Update a Business on our Contact Us page, and we’ll verify the closure before removing the listing.
What should I do if I believe a business listed isn’t Black-owned?
Tell us what you know. Ownership can change, information can be outdated, and occasionally we may simply get something wrong. Send us the business and any information you have through our Contact Us page or send us an email at info@colourcatalogue.com. We’ll review it and make any necessary changes.
What should I do if a link, address, or business hours are incorrect?
Please send us the update. With thousands of links, addresses, websites, and business details throughout the Catalogue, things will change between our reviews. Use info@colourcatalogue.com so we can check it and get it corrected.
Can I share businesses I find in the Catalogue?
Please do! One of the reasons the Colour Catalogue exists is to make Black-owned businesses easier to discover and share. Send a business to a friend, make your weekend plans, build your vacation itinerary, or tell somebody about a new favorite. And we’ve made it easy. Head to the footer on any page to find our share button and social media links, so you can spread the word wherever you are.
How can I stay updated as new cities and businesses are added?
Stay connected with the Colour Catalogue on Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn for new cities, businesses, Catalogue finds, and everything we discover along the way. You can also sign up for our newsletter to have the latest from the Catalogue delivered straight to your inbox. And, of course, check back often. There’s always more to come.