Frequently Asked Questions

• Everyone can help promote Black Coffee on social media by having professional social media accounts and by using the right hashtag.
• We currently use #BlackCoffeeAU.
• We can also help to promote other regions by promoting those Twitter accounts on ours. Use #BlackCoffeeAU and #IndigenousBusiness on Twitter and Instagram.

• We are gradually building the non-Facebook communications via a newsletter.
• We aim to send out the list of upcoming events during the second week of each month. Hopefully all month events will be listed.
• Region Coordinators who get information to us quickly at the start of the month will have their events included.
• People can subscribe to this list: http://eepurl.com/dzRbHv

• One of the original goals of having a Black Coffee event in multiple locations was to video conference together. This is still a goal that is occasionally hampered by technology limitations. To prepare for this, you should aim to have a laptop, mobile internet, video camera ready.
• Note: Unfortunately this initiative hasn’t been as successful as we’d like, due to internet difficulties. We will continue to pursue this feature over time.

• If you would like to Livestream from your Black Coffee, we can coordinate times to do this. It might look like: 7.30am – 7.45 Townsville and 7.45am – 8.00am SEQ: Moreton
• You will need to already have access to the Facebook page and have a smartphone that can handle Facebook Live.
• Contact BC Admin so we can work out the logistics.

• The original idea of holding Black Coffee on the same day was so that we could all Zoom together.
• The time (7.30 – 9.00am) is designed to allow those workers and business owners to do their networking before the work day starts.
• That said, if your region feels it more appropriate to host another day or another time, that’s perfectly fine.
• Just let us know so that we can properly prepare and promote your event.

There’s two ways to approach this:

1. If we can train our community to use Twitter or Facebook, and have them used to checking Twitter and Facebook for updates) then we can notify them that you won’t be able to make it.
2. If possible, appoint a Region Coordinator and Assistant Region Coordinators to help. Many hands make light work.

• • You also may not be able to make an event because you’re out of town, having a few helpers will free you up to build your business.

• Most events have no more than 10 attendees so are able to be catered for by most cafes.
• However, at the end of this document, we’ve attached an email that has been successful in approaching cafes. Please feel free to copy, change the names where appropriate and send them to your local cafe.

• Making the most of your hosting experience

  Black Coffee provides you with an opportunity to showcase your business and/or organisation. How you use this opportunity is up to you. We have some ideas you might like to try:

  • Having your event booked in advance allows us to share it repeatedly in the lead up to your event
  • Providing the Black Coffee team with attractive images to showcase the venue
  • Retweeting and sharing the Black Coffee invitation through your networks
  • Bring some marketing materials, including flyers and business cards
  • Work with your venue, can you secure discounts for your guests?
  • On the day, “work” the room, get to know everyone – it’s your networking experience, take advantage of it.
  • After the breakfast, send out an email to everyone who attended (and whose business cards you were given), and tell them more about your business and if they’d like to connect with you via your newsletter, LinkedIn profile, Facebook or Twitter.

  We do not support individual Region Coordinators to state on their self-generated collateral “This Black Coffee was sponsored by ”.

• Every region is different and the types of people who attend are different.
• While we encourage everyone in the Indigenous business sector to attend, the focus SHOULD be Indigenous business owners.
• Be careful to manage the attendance of “corporates” over individual business owners.
• Black Coffee is an event aimed at Indigenous business owners, Indigenous professionals and those who support Indigenous business.

Let us write about you and your peeps

• We would love to write stories about our members and their new products or initiatives.
• Every post we write is shared across all our channels, repeatedly over time.
• Help us to feature your work and business, by providing us with all the information, including images to write an interesting story/feature article.
• We can publish stories on www.seqicc.com.au

• At this stage, during this growth phase, we are asking people to use the one channel – the official Black Coffee Facebook page to promote all events.
• You can share the event through your own networks.

All official Black Coffee events are listed under Events on the Black Coffee Facebook page. That event is then shared on personal and organisational pages.

• This is a topic that has raised a lot of discussion.
• Black Coffee is not trade-marked as we want to encourage as many people as possible to establish events across the country (the power of numbers).
• However, there is a protocol and we ask that all new regions respect the origins and objectives of this initiative.
• You will note that there are no individual logos on the Black Coffee promotional material (including that of the founders). It is expected that at this point all Region Coordinators are volunteering their time for the betterment of the Indigenous business sector.
• As a result,
• all promotional materials will be created by the Black Coffee Organisers.
• all Black Coffee events will be created by the Black Coffee Facebook page.
• DO NOT create collateral that says “This Black Coffee was sponsored by ’.
• If you would like to promote your business through official channels, we ask you to look at the Black Coffee Newsletter and the new Conversation Starters as a sponsorship opportunity.

• You can promote Black Coffee on your own business page, using language such as: “We were honoured to be part of this month’s Black Coffee event in Cairns”
• Add Black Coffee Region Coordinator (dates) to your LinkedIn profile and follow the Black Coffee LinkedIn Company page.

• Black Coffee is free. Always.
• If you want to leverage the networks you have created through Black Coffee to host your own event under your personal business name, then you can charge an entry fee.
• You can also advertise your event via the Black Coffee Newsletter and (the new) Conversation Starters)

• Absolutely.
• We actively encourage people to go to as many Black Coffee events around Australia as you can.
• Because they’re (mostly) all held on the last Thursday of the month, wherever you are you can connect with Indigenous business.

• Great question. The amount of time you will put in will depend on you and your region.
• Some Region Coordinators just find a venue, confirm the date and time and email us. That’s it.
• Other Region Coordinators look for potential partners, invite the local Mayor, plan signature events.
• It’s much easier to go big if your business is of a particular type and if you have managed to build a team around you.