HUNTINGTON ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” The Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce signed a ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œPartnership ProclamationÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Friday with Collective 37, Marshall UniversityÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s student-run communications agency.
According to Megan Archer, president and CEO of the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce, the partnership will allow the chamber to become a liaison between small businesses who are connected with the chamber and Collective 37.
Businesses involved in the partnership have been identified through the chamberÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Small Business Scholarship Program, meaning they meet the criteria of having a certain number of employees and income resources.
Currently, there are six businesses under the scholarship program who are involved, but Archer said the chamber is about to launch its 2025 scholarship applications and will accept 10 businesses, to be announced in May.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWe knew that if they were applying for the scholarship to become a chamber member, that probably meant that they needed [or] had some other opportunity or capacity for other support in regard to marketing and communications,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Archer said.
For example, Lacy FergusonÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s business, Twelvepole Trading Post in Wayne, is one of the scholarship recipients from the chamber and a pilot business to work directly with Collective 37. Twelvepole Trading Post is a farm market and cafe serving breakfast and lunch, a full coffee bar and bakery items. It also offers catering.
Ferguson said her initial conversations with the group have included navigating marketing obstacles and how to reach more customers. She said the companyÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s first in-person meeting with students to review their proposal will be next Friday.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWe are a very, very small business. And like most small businesses, weÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re very much just bootstrapping a lot of what we do. And so I had mentioned before that I love working with students because of the energy that they have, the creativity that they have, and the things that they see that I would have never seen,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Ferguson said.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWith their creativity and new ideas, I can see us reaching customers that ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥¦ havenÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t even heard of us before and ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥¦ they can focus on aspects of our marketing that I and other members of my team just simply donÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t have time to because weÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re already spread thin doing the things that weÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re doing.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Jesse LewisÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ business, Blue Kangaroo Packoutz in Huntington, is another scholarship recipient of the chamber that has already worked with Collective 37. So far, he said the group has created videos and social media posts for the business, bringing about ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œsome new energy.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Blue Kangaroo Packoutz is a restoration company that focuses on personal property and content restoration working with homeowners and businesses that have suffered losses from fire, water or other disasters.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ve been open for about 16, 18 months, so for us, we just like another set of eyes and another set of ears to come in and tell us the things that weÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re missing,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Lewis said.
Archer said of the students working with businesses like LewisÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ and FergusonÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s, ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œItÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s really to build the studentsÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ portfolio but also connect them with our business community.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œBecause these students are, a lot of them are getting ready to graduate ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥¦ and we know that relationship building is such a huge part of being a part of the workforce and getting jobs, and all of that kind of ties together to make both the students and the local businesses successful,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ she said.
Brooke Olivarri, co-director and co-founder of Collective 37, launched last year, signed the partnership alongside her co-director, Morgan Napier.
Olivarri said the ability to have hands-on experience provided through the connection with the chamber is important because it makes her feel as though sheÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ll leave Marshall being prepared for the real world.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThis collaboration isnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t just what we can offer to small businesses; itÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s also about what they can teach us,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Olivarri said in a speech before signing the partnership proclamation.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWorking closely with businesses, business owners, gives us first-hand insight into the challenges and success of entrepreneurship. It pushes us to think critically, adapt quickly and develop solutions that are not only creative, but also practical and impactful.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Maria Gindhart, dean of the College of Arts and ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥, said the partnership will ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œbuild what weÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re doing at MarshallÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ by both leading students into jobs after graduation and being part of the economic development of Huntington.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re all going to benefit,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Gindhart said.
