AUSTINTOWN, Ohio – Asked why he decided to open his own business and become his own boss, Dwayne Townsend Sr. didn’t hesitate.
“I didn’t want to get fired,” he said, drawing laughter from the crowd.
The lighthearted moment set the tone for the first Coffee and Connections event Wednesday morning at 717 Credit Union’s Austintown branch. Beyond the jokes, the exchange underscored the purpose of the new monthly networking series: bringing businesses together to share their stories, challenges and successes face-to-face.
The event, held at 6460 Mahoning Ave., is a partnership between 717 Credit Union and The Business Journal. It marks the official launch of the series after a January kickoff was canceled because of a snowstorm.
Dorian Smith, senior vice president for marketing and business development at 717 Credit Union, said the goal is simple.
“We wanted business owners, community leaders, community members to come out and just enjoy conversations over coffee at our Austintown branch. And every month we’re going to do it at a different branch for an opportunity to come and network,” Smith said.
The turnout, he said, demonstrated both interest and need.
“I think from today, we saw that small business needs the community’s help,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s really about how we can work together to support each other.”
Among the speakers were Townsend of Townsend’s Tax Network, Larry Wilson of Biker Brewhouse and Christopher McFall of Shotz Bar & Grill.
For Townsend, the event provided an opportunity to increase visibility for his small business.
“We sit in an office space. We don’t have the dancing Liberty signs and things like that. We rely on word of mouth and community awareness. Networking is the lifeblood of the business. So a networking event like this getting a chance to get our name out in front of all these people really helps,” he said.
His main takeaway was the need for more opportunities like it.
“We need to be at more events like this. There needs to be more events like this,” Townsend said.
Larry Wilson, owner of Biker Brewhouse, said the event provided an opportunity to connect across industries and discuss ongoing pressures facing small businesses.
Like many small business owners, he cited rising costs and workforce issues as ongoing challenges.
“Controlling ever-rising cost and employment, finding employees that want to work are the biggest issues,” Wilson said.
McFall, owner of Shotz Bar & Grill in Austintown, echoed concerns about workforce issues.
“The main challenge as a small business owner is employees, plain and simple,” he said. “Keeping them, keeping them satisfied, pay wise, and then finding quality employees and being able to to pay them something that will keep them on board.”
John Demmler, CEO of 717 Credit Union, thanked attendees and highlighted the partnership with The Business Journal.
“I think The Business Journal is an amazing organization. It is where you find out about what’s going on in the Valley, and one of the reasons that we wanted to do this was so that you can promote your businesses with The Business Journal and connect with each other.”
As part of the partnership, attendees receive digital-only access to The Business Journal for seven months and 17 days, reflecting the credit union’s name and focus on business engagement.
The event also aligns with the credit union’s broader mission, Smith said.
“Our mission is twofold. One is to help people improve their lives financially, and secondly, is to support the communities we support and we serve. So at the end of the day, it’s about bringing the community together,” he said. “It’s not just a sponsorship or going to a dinner. It’s more about bringing people here, making our branch a destination where they can have those conversations that otherwise they can’t have,” Smith said.
Additional events are scheduled for March 12 at the 717 Credit Union branch at 2301 state Route 59 in Kent and March 19 at the Canton branch, 4450 Belden Village St., Suite 104, in Belden Village. Future events will be held the third Thursday of each month at various 717 branches throughout its footprint, including Akron, Canton, Streetsboro and multiple locations in the Mahoning Valley.
Pictured at top: Larry Wilson of Biker Brewhouse, Christopher McFall of Shotz Bar & Grill and Dwayne Townsend Sr., owner of Townsend’s Tax Network.