Caribbean Food Rochester

"We got started as a store just to fill a need for Caribbean food in the area," he said. "Because of our location and there's no [nearby] markets, our inventory has shifted to a lot of local needs."

He plans to open another, larger Caribbean and African market in the Rochester area next year.

The National Black Chamber of Commerce records indicate that there are 2.1 million African-American business owners in the U.S. In Rochester, the U.S. Census Bureau survey estimates about 20 percent of businesses are owned by African-Americans. These New York state businesses make up the largest number of black-owned firms in the country at 204,032, with receipts of $12.8 billion, according to the census.

Ebony Miller, program manager at the Saunders College of Business Center for Urban Entrepreneurship at RIT, works to triage businesses that are either based in urban areas or do work out of urban areas in Rochester.

The organization provides a variety of resources including educational workshops and facilitates networking opportunities.

Miller finds financial challenges are the biggest difficulty with small businesses. Many business owners didn't learn proper procedures before starting their own enterprise, she says.

"Their support happens when they enter our classes," Miller said. "What most businesses don't realize is that their struggles mirror one another."

Craig Carson of Greece has been practicing law in Rochester for almost four years, and makes up the 5 percent of African-American lawyers in the nation, according to census statistics published by the American Bar Association. Carson believes Rochester's small job market as well as a lack of diversity in the field contributed to his personal self-doubt in running his own business.

Ebony Miller (Photo: Provided)