Finding a business that helps you close on a home is one thing, but having that business be owned by two African American women is another.
Businesswomen Danielle Andrews and Tamara Tedder have partnered to form Capital Hills Title Service — Florida’s first Black-owned and woman-owned title company.
The company launched this year and, according to them, its sole purpose is to “Bring a better way to do title business to Tallahassee and across the Sunshine State.”
The owners and other leaders of the community, including Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey and City Commissioner Curtis Richardson, celebrated the ribbon-cutting ceremony late last month to welcome the new business to town.
Providing innovative, modernized and smoother closings for customers involved in the title industry is an essential objective for Capital Hills. Customers of this company include home buyers, sellers, investors, real estate agents and lenders.
Starting a business in such a regulated industry as the title industry is not an easy task, especially when you are both Black and a female.
“It is tough to convince the underwriters to give us a chance. Also, hiring in a specialized industry during a pandemic is a challenge within itself,” co-owner Danielle Andrews said.
According to the National Association of Women Business Owners, more than 11.6 million firms are owned by women, and 5.4 million firms are majority-owned by women of color In the United States. While women-owned businesses generate $1.7 trillion in sales, $361 billion in revenue is generated from the businesses owned by women of color.
In Tallahassee, in 2012 5,857 businesses were women-owned, while 4,565 were minority-owned firms. Although these numbers reflect the year 2012, and there is no recent data that shows the current number of women-owned businesses, since the start of 2021 Tallahassee has been no stranger to women in business.
Just last month, the Gillium Sisters Soul Food restaurant had its grand opening, which has been busy since the opening of its doors on West Tharpe Street.
Andrews, who is a skilled Relator with knowledge and love for close-knit communities such as Tallahassee, and Tedder, who has a track record of success in the mortgage industry, partnered up to make this historic impact to the smaller demographic of women and minority-owned businesses. To them, being a woman in business means that they have the courage to uplift others and make a difference in each customer’s life.
“We hope that Black women around the world and within the Tallahassee community are inspired to chase their wildest dreams. The establishment of various Black woman-owned businesses around our city creates a foundation for the future that can only elevate others,” Andrews said.