Coffee No Cream Ep. 68 - She Built an App So Black Entrepreneurs Can Hire Without Cash

The budget ain't budgeting. So what do you do when your business needs a lawyer, a brand, or a marketing plan and the money just isn't there?

Nicole Murphy had a short-term property management company that was doing really well. Then COVID hit and the business didn't survive.

Instead of going back to a job, she filed for a trademark, found a developer, and built a tech company with no tech background. That company is Barter Black, a platform where Black entrepreneurs exchange products and services with each other using Barter Bucks instead of cash.

We get into how the platform works and how Nicole actually makes money on it, why direct trades failed and Barter Bucks fixed it, and why launching with an app was a mistake. She also breaks down how she won over $30,000 in grants, pitch competitions, and accelerators to fund the build.

Then we talk about being a beginner again, who to stop telling your ideas to, and what it takes to start when fear has you sitting on a good one. If you've been going without help in your business because you can't afford it, this one is for you.

Connect with Nicole and Barter Black Website Social Media @ BarterCon , February 19, 2027 in Maryland (only 50 seats): ☕ Join the Coffee No Cream Community We talk about career, confidence, workplace trauma, healing, and navigating life as Black women, without apology. ► ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the private Facebook group ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ► ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Access 2,000+ free educational resources ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ► ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book a Motion Hour with Erin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to figure out your next step ⏰ Timestamps (0:00) No tech background, built a tech company anyway (2:01) What Barter Black is and how Barter Bucks work (5:30) From idea to trademark to developer (8:48) How Barter Black makes money (10:02) Why direct trades didn't work (14:09) Launching with an app was a mistake (15:26) Funding it with grants and pitch competitions (20:09) Getting started when fear has you stuck (23:37) Being a beginner and failing (32:30) What to tell family and friends (38:14) BarterCon (40:53) The vision for Barter Black (46:46) Where to find Nicole