AwayZone - Your Zone Away From Home

There are three problems that greatly effect the economic strength of minority communities. One, minority business owners disproportionately face the issue of lack of access and awareness to consumer markets in which to successfully sell their products, goods, or services. Two, that same lack of awareness effects consumers. If they do not know of the existence of these unique businesses they can not go there to support. Three, bridging the gap between the business owner and the consumer has been challenging because of the algorithmic bias that effects how minority owned businesses are found on mainstream search engines and business directories. The solution is to provide business owners and consumers a tool they can use to find each other based on their shared cultural histories. The AwayZone mobile app will help business owner and consumers overcome those obstacles. 

According to a study done by the Kaufman Foundation, one of the major gaps hindering the financial performance of minority owned firms is lack of awareness and access to consumer markets in which to successfully sell their products. This is confirmed by an analysis conducted by the US Minority Business Development Agency where, in 2016, they reported $378,000 performance difference between minority business owners and their non-minority counterparts. The issue of awareness and access transfers over to the consumer as well. If they don’t know the who, what or where, they can’t go there thus creating a disconnect between business owners and the customers who would be willing to spend money with those businesses. New America, a U.S. bipartisan think tank, published a report explaining how algorithmic bias in administrative processes and data collection "limits access to resources for those who need the resources most, and amplifies the effects of systemic historical discrimination".

AwayZone Inc. was established to create equity and prosperity for the racial, ethnic, religious affiliation or sexual orientation minority business owners who exist in the Arts and Entertainment, Beauty, Fashion and Retail, Health and Wellness, Food/Drink and Hospitality and Humanities (places of worship) industries. Through our on-boarding process, we help these owners understand that the AwayZone platform and mobile app gives them access to the marketing technology, travel and tourism, mobile application, and shared economy markets. Based on their business description, we will identify which area meets their objectives and work to ensure their exposure in that market. Additionally, the AwayZone platform has international implications as it could serve rural communities in developing countries that would like to promote and sell their home industry products to the first world in order to create disposable income. 

The AwayZone® mobile app is built around cultural access that will connect business owners and service providers who represent a racial, ethnic, religious affiliation or sexual orientation minority group to consumers who are looking for culturally specific goods, services, and experiences. The app works by having the user select cultural identifiers, they then select the business or services of choice, then by matching technology, they receive culturally specific, up-to-date, usable information on the minority owned businesses in the area with full information on how to access those places whether it be a physical location or an eCommerce website. Consumers can now quickly and efficiently find the goods, services, and experiences that meet their cultural expectations. 

What makes the AwayZone solution innovative is our deliberate effort to counter the algorithmic bias that exists on the mainstream search engines and business directories. Our objective is to drive traffic to our customers’ brick and mortar locations, websites and social media pages to increase focused awareness and engagement between the business owners and consumers. This is unlike our competitors, whose purchased advertisement program decreases awareness for the businesses that sign up for the free listing option. Premium placement on certain platforms comes at a cost many minority business owners cannot afford because of other business related expenses. For those who can pay the high cost of highly effective marketing expenditures, they edge out their competitors and are found at the top of the listing or on the first page of the search results. Based on the reports from the US Minority Business Development Agency, these are predominately non-minority business owners. This new application of existing technology will provide a fair playing ground for small- to mid-sized minority owned businesses to compete in their desired markets. Additionally, we honor and represent all under served and disenfranchised communities in the U.S., not prioritizing one over another. 

AwayZone is a digital platform that contains minority businesses, their services, and the cultures they represent. The platform is accessed through the AwayZone mobile app that will direct users to select their cultural preferences. Users then select the business or services of choice. Through matching technology, the users receive culturally specific, up-to-date, usable information on the minority owned businesses in the area with information on how to access those places via GPS coordinates. Additionally, the company's website and social media handles will be connected for tracking traffic between the sites. 

U.S. business owners of a racial, ethnic, religious affiliation or sexual orientation minority are challenged with connecting with consumers who understand and appreciate their culturally specific offerings. Historical difficulties, anecdotal evidence and empirical data demonstrate that minority-owned, businesses have larger hurdlers when it comes to customer acquisition than their mainstream counterparts. AwayZone Inc. is committed to helping underrepresented business owners increase their access and engagement to specific consumers markets and overcome the algorithmic bias that leads to limited culture focused findings on modern search platforms and business listings. The success of this platform is dependent on the amount of money that can be raised to finance technology needs, the sales strategy to grow a two sided platform and marketing campaigns. The resources needed include: (1) $150,000 ($50k for technology updates and improvements to enhance the user experience, $50k to purchased special rates from the business owners to attract consumers to the businesses, and $50k to hire two part-time employees. (2) Those resources support activities such as streamlining the cultural criteria matching process. Outputs result from manually facilitating at least 10 interactions per day to ensure both sides are connecting, offering incentives for at least 10 consumers per day to increase business visits, and engaging in social media with two posts per day on three different platforms, while also making business recommendations on behalf of the owners to increase their social media presence.  

Currently, AwayZone Inc. is supporting 30 Central Indiana businesses with our service. We have set a goal to have 250 minority owned businesses on the platform by Dec 31st, 2019. In five years, we strive to have a minimum of 1500 minority owned businesses, concentrating heavily in the Mid-West region.

The overall goal for AwayZone Inc. is to drive more traffic into the brick and mortar and online stores of minority business owners. The potential of increased revenue will help these unique business owners with organizational longevity, the ability to train and hire more people and contribute to the economic prosperity of their communities. Consumers are able to do the same buy supporting the businesses that help their community thus giving them a role in enhancing community outcomes. Within five years, we will have accomplished this for multiple undeserved and underrepresented communities representing Blacks, Latinos, LGBTQ, Hindi, Muslims and any other overlooked population. 

The barrier that currently exist is lack of capital. An influx of capital will allow AwayZone Inc. to update the database software and make improvements to the mobile application that will enhance the user experience. Additionally, more money will allow for the hiring of additional employees. These employees will assist in understanding and executing specific cultural nuisance, manually facilitate engagement between business owner and users, and keep the organization updated on significant events and situations that impact our customers. The five year goal is to pad the team with people who understand the implications of improving the economies of certain populations and have enough experience, education, or understanding about those populations to develop strategies that will allow AwayZone Inc to enter into certain populations. 

To overcome the barrier of insufficient capital, AwayZone Inc. continually applies to grant opportunities, angel investment and crowdfunding. Crowdfunding serves the dual purpose of promoting the platform and raising money from people who are interested in achieving the overall goal of the organization and community. To address the personnel concern, we will partner with a local university to work with interns who are studying marketing, history and public affairs. 

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2 - Part-time (includes Founder and Senior Technologist, both have full-time jobs))

1 - Contractor (Software/app development firm)

5 - Board of directors

4 - Advisory board members (representatives from various cultural backgrounds)

The AwayZone team consists of Founder, Owner and CEO, LaToya Johnson. LaToya holds her Master’s in Public Health, the discipline of study that focuses on the overall health of the population as a whole, especially as the subject of economic, medical and governmental regulation and support. Her research on minority business performance, coupled with conversations with minority business owners and minority consumers, combined with independent customer analysis has helped her identify the increasing importance of a platform aimed at serving the underserved. She is supported by experienced professionals in in technology, strategic planning, public relations, legal, and finance. Additionally, the AwayZone Inc. team is comprised of individuals who represent Black, LGBTQ, and South Asian communities. The total team can speak personally and academically to the struggles minority communities face in the U.S. 

To achieve outputs and outcomes thus far, we have partnered with local organizations such as the Juneteenth Social Network, an Indianapolis based social group that coordinates the Juneteenth celebration for African American in Central Indiana. AwayZone Inc. was an event sponsor providing resources to execute the event. In return we received data and contact information from minority business leaders and consumers. Indiana Pride of Color, a statewide organization for the LGBTQ community with a focus on community members of color and the trans population. AwayZone Inc. is working with the organization to coordinate a fundraiser event that will finance resources needed for the organization. In return, AwayZone receives 10% of the proceeds and the contact information for all attendees and vendors. The InnoPower conference hosted by the Indiana Black Expo, a local not-for-profit responsible for coordinating significant culturally focused events in Indiana. The InnoPower conference is designed to build inclusive economic ecosystems. AwayZone Inc will present and collect data from local business owners and possible end users of the platform. 

The successful operation of the AwayZone platform is supported by the business users who pay a monthly subscription fee that creates an opportunity for them to increase and promote their unique brand awareness while simultaneously gaining access to new customers representing culturally specific groups (racial, ethnic, religious affiliation or sexual orientation). Our dedicated tech team will maintain the platform ensuring ease of onboarding for businesses and end users. To support this, there is a $50/month subscription fee that each business will pay to be a part of the platform. Additional paid advertising opportunities are available on the platform. Businesses that are 51% owned or controlled (and/or serve) racial, ethnic, religious affiliation, or sexual orientation minority communities make up our customer base, both businesses and end users. The AwayZone platform has been bootstrapped by the Founder/CEO via her personal savings. Additionally, we have participated (and placed) in local pitch competitions, received small grant opportunities from central Indiana funding networks, and a small crowdfunding campaign.

The path to financial sustainability is reliant upon increasing the number of businesses on the platform, advertising and monetization of user data. We will achieve and maintain this by deploying a multi-level sales and promotion strategy. We start with touring college campuses to speak with student organizations that represent minority groups, pitching the AwayZone concept, then asking that they download the app, as it is free to end users. We will take the data collected to business owners to demonstrate there is a group of people ready to support their business and appreciates the business for their unique services. Additionally, we will offer a 30-day free trial with a 6-month commitment. We will focus on increasing the data, SEO impressions, reach and traffic to the platform thus increasing those outcomes for the registered businesses. As we increase traction for the AwayZone platform, we will continue to seek investment from like-minded organizations with a sincere commitment towards the economic success of minority communities.

AwayZone Inc is working to gain access to critical audiences like other entrepreneurs, press, supporters, potential funders, investors, and partners. While we are headquartered in Indianapolis, IN., we want to provide the app in other markets outside of the midwest. Partnering with Solve will help us achieve that goal. 

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Backstage capital or 1863 ventures.

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If awarded prize money, my team and I will move forward with our dual marketing strategies. Executing tactical actions like touring college campuses to speak with smaller subculture groups like the African American club, LGBTQ club, etc. and pitch culture-specific informationals where they will be asked to download the app, as it is free to end users and then take that data to business owners to demonstrate there is a population of people ready to support their business. Our year 1 and year 2 focus will be to increase the data, SEO, impressions, reach and traffic to the platform thus increasing those outcomes for the business. We will offer early adopters a 30-day free trial and a referral bonus for new businesses they get to sign up. Our efforts will be focused on cities that have prominent college & university communities, large for-profit employers with national and international operations, cities that are or are near foreign trade zones, cities with not for profit organizations involved in global outreach and support programs, and cities that have an established chamber of commerce.  

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If awarded prize money, my team and I will move forward with our dual marketing strategies. Executing tactical actions like touring college campuses to speak with smaller subculture groups like the African American club, LGBTQ club, etc. and pitch culture-specific informationals where they will be asked to download the app, as it is free to end users and then take that data to business owners to demonstrate there is a population of people ready to support their business. Our year 1 and year 2 focus will be to increase the data, SEO, impressions, reach and traffic to the platform thus increasing those outcomes for the business. We will offer early adopters a 30-day free trial and a referral bonus for new businesses they get to sign up. Our efforts will be focused on cities that have prominent college & university communities, large for-profit employers with national and international operations, cities that are or are near foreign trade zones, cities with not for profit organizations involved in global outreach and support programs, and cities that have an established chamber of commerce.  

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