My Global Hustle

Selma Jackson, director of 4W Circle of Art and Enterprise, will soon close the business due to rising rent.

After almost 17 years of helping black entrepreneurs open their own businesses, a Fort Greene group is a victim of its own success and will close its doors next month.

Rising rents in the now-trendy neighborhood led to the decision, said Selma Jackson, director of Women Working and Winning for the World (4W) Circle of Art and Enterprise.

In 1991, 4W rented its storefront at 704 Fulton St. for $2,000 a month. In 2008, the landlord wants to increase the rent to nearly $5,000, Jackson said.

“We feel we were a catalyst, sparking the renaissance in Fort Greene,” said Jackson. The incubator was started by Jackson and three other women: Lois Bell, Sheila Kennedy and Acquenetta Browne. For the past seven years Jackson has served as director.

“Now it’s time to move on,” she said. “One of the lessons I’ve learned and want to pass on is this: An independent business needs to buy property at the outset so you can control it.”

“Another lesson is the community must demand that developers not eliminate the fabric of a community by making it difficult for places that matter to remain,” she added.

The Municipal Arts Society of New York designated 4W Circle a “Place That Matters” in November 2006. The citation is given to groups that make a difference in their communities.

Karen Tappan said before she opened Karen’s Body Beautiful on Myrtle Ave. in Clinton Hill, 4W let her have a space in the Fulton St. location to sell her skin and hair care products.

“I learned about inventory management and customer service. We got feedback on our products and we learned how important word of mouth is. People would definitely come in after hearing about us from their friends,” Tappan said. “This is a big loss to the community.”

Other entrepreneurs who used 4W as they were starting out include clothing designer Brenda Brunson-Bey, owner of Tribal Truths Collection in Fort Greene, and Courtney Washington, who has a fashion outlet in Fort Greene and a boutique in Manhattan. His clothing is also sold at Nordstrom.

Jackson said she was thinking about writing a book and looking for ways in which 4W Circle could “reemerge … I’m thinking about what kind of space to create and where it would be.”

As news of 4W’s closing spread, Jackson received praise from many, including City Councilwoman Letitia James. She called Jackson “a model of success and entrepreneurial spirit”.

“I know she’s about to embark on another endeavor that will benefit all of us,” James said. “I wish her much success.”