The Wilson Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Resource Fair is a time for people with small businesses to meet and find helping hands to navigate business ownership.
About 75 visitors perused Wilson Community College’s Small Business Center, connecting with vendors at 14 booths. Along with the Chamber and College, representatives from GigEast Exchange, Southern Bank, Truist Bank, Greenlight, Dress for Success, NC Grow with Google, the Wilson County Tax Administration, Wilson County Environmental Health, RIoT, Partner Capital, the city of Wilson and SBTDC brought materials and answered questions from small business owners.
“Vendors represent a variety of services available to small businesses, including grant programs, lending, permitting, counseling and networking opportunities,” said Chamber President Ryan Simons. “A new business opens in Wilson almost every four days. The 75 individuals who visited our fair not only represent the potential for 75 additional new brands in our market. These are 75 potential new employers, service providers, taxpayer, and contributor to the overall quality of life in Wilson.”
Jeffrey McKelvin, owner of Wilson Monogram and Embroidery, said the best part of the fair is learning from people who have walked in your shoes.
“I’ve been here a long time,” McKelvin said. “Two steps forward, two steps back, I hit my head. I thought it was time to get together with some people who have been there, done that and find out what they are doing. Most importantly, I did that today.”
McKelvin said Wilson Community College’s Small Business Center is of great benefit to anyone looking for help or guidance.
“This is the third event I’ve been to here,” McKelvin said. “I’m always learning something. I went online, sent an email, got one and showed up and now I’m trying to go to everything they do. There is always value in it.”
Simons said McKelvin’s words echoed the mission.
“The Small Business Center, Gig East, and the Chamber all recognize the value of these small businesses,” Simons said. “All of our missions are aligned to ensure that entrepreneurs have every opportunity to succeed here. Part of that includes bringing resources to startups that they may not be familiar with, but have the potential to enrich small business. that at the end of its journey. Knowing these resources at the beginning makes it more likely that the business will succeed in the long run.”
Natanel Valenzuela, president of the Universidad Teológica Interamericana (Interamerican Theological University), brought his children, Gabriel and Abigal, to the fair. He said working in a small business is about supporting family and providing for the next generation.
“If you have the opportunity to have a family and have a business, you can have more family and more time that you can enjoy with your family,” Valenzuela said. “The reason we come here is to see opportunities and ways to network to identify resources and ways to improve small business.”
Valenzuela said he was impressed to learn of the Chamber’s support for small businesses.
“A lot of people think the Chamber is only here for bigger companies,” Valenzuela said. “I saw the opportunities, support for funding and broadband. There’s a lot of things here to connect. The goal is to expand and help more people with what we’re trying to do.”
NATIONAL FALL PREVENTION DAY
Fyzical Therapy and Balance Center is offering free fall risk assessments throughout September to raise support and awareness for National Fall Prevention Day on September 22 and Fall Awareness Week on September 18- 22. Fall risk screening includes a questionnaire, static and dynamic balance exercises.
For more information, call 252-281-2607.
Christopher Long is a business reporter for The Wilson Times. If you have ideas for this weekly column, contact him at 252-265-7821 or clong@wilsontimes.com.
#Business #Small #Business #Resource #Fair #connects #suppliers #Restoration #NewsMedia