Sharonda Sammons was taught at a young age that she has to work extra hard. So nearly two decades ago, the Akron native established Sammons Safety Services LLC, a safety management company.

Her business, which now includes dump truck services, maintains contracts in Cleveland and Akron. During this time, she’s noticed a disparity facing Black businesses and contractors such as herself — including the lack of opportunities to complete restaurant or building safety compliance checks.

“We always get the scraps, bits and bottom of the barrel,” said Sammons, a graduate of Central-Hower High School.

Sammons hopes the economic impact report the Black Chamber of Commerce – Summit County and the University of Akron plans to publish will show how much Black businesses contribute to the region.

The first step needed to create the economic impact report is a survey.

Robert DeJournett, the president and CEO of the Black Chamber of Commerce – Summit County, believes the survey is the first of its kind in the Akron area, focusing on Black businesses regardless of size, industry or revenue. 

“We know that they contribute a lot to the economy and we’re really trying to capture that data,” said DeJournett, who previously served as the vice president of Opportunity and Inclusion at the Greater Akron Chamber.

The survey takes around seven minutes to complete. Business owners’ entries are confidential. 

Responses are due June 30. 

So far, DeJournett said approximately 150 business owners have completed the survey. The goal is to collect survey responses from 500 Black business owners — which includes solopreneurs such as beauticians, plumbers and electricians as well as faith-based groups and nonprofits. Data collected from the survey will showcase a variety of statistics, from how many Summit County residents are employed by Black businesses to the percentage that these businesses contribute to the economy.

“It’s not just for us to use — it’s for all of those who will find this data useful,” DeJournett said.

“Our whole ecosystem should be able to use this data.”