Updated: 717 Credit Union Launches Business Accelerator Program

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to add the locations where three of the events will be held.

WARREN, Ohio — An entrepreneur making and selling a great product locally may want to make the leap to online sales, but the world of e-commerce can be intimidating to a small business owner without experience.

Christine Hughes, business development manager at 717 Credit Union, notes that the whole concept of which e-commerce site to choose, how to set it up, and how to ship your product after the sale can all be a challenge.

E-commerce can be just one of the many hurdles small and new businesses need to overcome on their path to success. The 717 Credit Union Business Accelerator Program, launching July 25 with the topic “eCommerce for Beginners,” aims to help business owners learn, grow and connect. The program will delve into a variety of topics.

“The idea of the accelerator came together to be able to support businesses, to help them to grow,” Hughes said. “We want to be able to provide practical information that helps businesses to be able to solve pinpoints that prevent that from happening and also to provide training on practical things that maybe they do not know about that can prevent their business to grow.”

Hughes will conduct the eCommerce program. It will be held via Zoom from 11:30 a.m to 1 p.m.

Barb Cibella, owner of Black Cat Tax, will host a session Aug. 15 on accounting and tax practices. A webinar Aug. 27 with Michelle Herron, manager of recruitment and training at 717 Credit Union, will cover finding and hiring great employees. Attorney Joe Datchuk will host a program Sept. 19 on business law basics.

Another offering of the program will be the Contractor Workshop, which will be held at Brite Energy Innovators in downtown Warren. Hughes said this is a program through the Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership, which has obtained a grant from the Ohio Department of Development. That program has provided a pool of money available to contractors that provide lead abatement and home improvement projects.

But in order to access that pool of money, contractors have to become certified, and this program helps them understand the process and get added to the list of possible providers.

“From our perspective it provides residents of Trumbull County, where our home office is and many of our members live, with support to be able to make their homes safer and more comfortable,” Hughes said. “And that money is then going to contractors who have relationships with 717 to help our residents in Trumbull County. It’s like this big circle of support that we think is really beautiful and helpful to our residents in our community. We’re excited to host that program. This is the second contractor’s workshop that we’re hosting and the first one was a smashing success.”

The Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership has a deadline to spend the money, and Hughes said local contractors who went through the initial program are well on their way to certification.

Hughes, who has a personal passion for e-commerce techniques, says the eCommerce webinar will help business owners compare the pros and cons of three e-commerce platforms – Etsy, Shopify, and Amazon including which type may fit their businesses best.

“There are clear differences between each of those three platforms,” Hughes said. “There’s a world of possibilities for businesses on eCommerce and it is intimidating to try to figure out what is the best way to begin selling online.”

Hughes sees eCommerce as a great way for businesses to diversify income streams, including adding products that might be used with their initial product without the high cost of keeping inventory locally.

The final installment of the Business Accelerator Program will take place Oct. 9. The Business Marketing Bootcamp will be conducted by Tanisha Wheeler, regional director for the Minority Business Assistance Center. Wheeler points out that when someone starts a business, they are more geared toward what their product is and less about who they are selling it to. There are many ways to get product information in front of potential customers.

The Business Marketing Bootcamp will look at a current marketing strategy and help participants find ways to improve it, ensure it is targeted to the right customers, and expand on it.

“We’ve hosted this type of Marketing Bootcamp before,” Wheeler said,” and we’re excited about the partnership with 717. We definitely have a strong partnership with the city of Warren through Mayor (Doug) Franklin and his office. So we wanted to make sure that we offered it not only in Youngstown, but also in the Warren area.”

The 717 Business Accelerator programs are being offered as a free tool to strengthen local businesses through partnerships with the Youngstown Business Incubator, the MBAC, and the Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership. The only potential cost is a fee for lunch if it is served at in-person events.

Hughes said she is hoping for additional feedback from business owners about other topics they are interested in or additional information about current topics.

Registration is required and the program will need a minimum of 10 attendees. Business owners can sign up for one or multiple topics that interest them.

The programs are as follows:

• eCommerce for Beginners
  • Date & Time: Thursday, July 25, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
  • Speaker: Christine Hughes, Business Development Manager, 717 Credit Union
  • Location: Webinar
• Business Accounting and Tax Best Practices
  • Date & Time: Thursday, Aug. 15, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
  • Speaker: Barb Cibella, Owner, Black Cat Tax
  • Location: The Chophouse, 9519 E. Market St., Warren
• Finding & Hiring Great Employees
  • Date & Time: Tuesday, Aug. 27, noon – 1 p.m.
  • Speaker: Michelle Herron, Manager of Recruitment & Training, 7 7 Credit Union
  • Location: Webinar
• Contractor’s Workshop
  • Date & Time: Tuesday, Sept. 17, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
  • Location: BRITE Energy Innovators, 125 W. Market St., Warren
• Business Law Basics
  • Date & Time: Thursday, Sept. 19, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
  • Speaker: Attorney Joe Datchuk, 7 17 Credit Union
  • Location: The Magic Tree, 7463 South Ave., Boardman
• Business Marketing Bootcamp
  • Date & Time: Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
  • Speaker: Tanisha Wheeler, Regional Director, Minority Business Assistance Center
  • Location: The Chophouse, 9519 E. Market St., Warren

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