Venezie Sporting Goods is Back ‘Full Throttle’ in 2021
Submitted by Vanessa Venezie, vice president of operations, Venezie Sporting Goods and Apparel, Ellwood City, Pa.
Is your business back to normal?
Yes! We shut down for the two months that we had to and reopened May 8th, 2020. We came back to jobs and were busy but we were forced to lay off again the first week of January, but for only one week.
In 2020, we faced a 32% reduction in revenue. We are coming back full throttle in 2021 and anticipate our growth to be back on track.
We love serving customers small and large and have the capability and staff to do so. As a new business in only its sixth year, we have gone from four to 26 employees and are hoping to maintain growth to create more jobs in our small town of Ellwood City, Pa. Our second location is in Eastvale of Beaver Falls, Pa.
What is your “new normal?”
We wear masks. We welcome all customers into our business. We have a Plexiglass stand at our front counter, sanitizing stations and social distancing practices. However, we still get up close and personal with the apparel we decorate! Our graphic designer works remotely but it has worked out for the best!
How do you Rally Around Small Business?
We help small businesses get their brand out there by helping them stay distinguished with custom apparel from T-shirts to embroidered polos, promotional products and everything in between. With access to upwards 30 vendors we can usually find what they need to look, feel and be successful.
We offer fundraising opportunities with an online contactless ordering portal where folks can online shop. Once the campaign closes, we fulfill the orders, pack, ship and offer pickup in our store. We use social media and post logos and items that have been decorated from our customers which gives them a little bit of free press as well!
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