Advocating for Educator Wellness: Chanelle Walker of Professional Inspiration
Chanelle Walker was forever changed by her decade as a public-school educator. She knows first-hand how joyful working with, and inspiring young people can be. She also remembers the burnout she encountered. Chanelle launched Professional Inspiration to help other teachers combat that burnout. The Cleveland-based company empowers clients to embrace wellness and self-care by offering
Leveling Up In Style: Valerie Mayén of Yellowcake Shop
As a recent art school graduate, Valerie Mayén didn’t see her style reflected in the retail chains, so she created her own clothing line. When a dress she designed didn’t sell quickly, she took it as a signal from the market and went back to the drawing board to create what would ultimately launch her
Meet The Participants Of The Cleveland Small Business Impact Program’s 18th Cohort
JumpStart’s Small Business Impact Program is a 12-week business accelerator that provides hands-on advising and industry-specific mentoring to participants. The program focuses on helping these entrepreneurs overcome key business issues, with a significant emphasis on financial projections and capital pitches. Throughout the program, participants will have the opportunity to work closely with the Impact Program
Partnerships Fuel The Future: Read Our 2023 Community Impact Book
For years, entrepreneurship has fueled economic growth in Northern Ohio. Building on a groundswell of community support for local startups and small businesses, entrepreneurial service organizations like JumpStart are helping accelerate this regional transformation. In 2022, the businesses JumpStart serves created nearly 11,000 jobs and generated more than $1.3B in economic impact. But beyond the
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Amy Witzigreuter of Witzi’s Raw Granola
Back when Amy Witizigreuter’s son was young, she was a mother on a mission. Faced with multiple health problems, including an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis, Amy was doing everything in her power to help her son Paul find relief and optimize his health outcomes. By the time he was eight, Paul had received both
Small Business, Big Conversations: Sharia Livingston of Living Rich
How do you prioritize a life on your own terms AND build a legacy of success for your family? Do what you love. Sharia Livingston has always dreamed of owning her own clothing business, but as a young mother, she opted for the safe bet and pursued a career in nursing. Her obsession with high-quality
The 7 Deadly Sins of Digital Marketing
As the piano man once said, ♫ I’d rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints. The sinners are much more fun. ♫ While that sentiment might make for a great social life, it can spell death for your digital marketing efforts. The seven deadly sins listed below are common mistakes that small business
Small Business, Big Conversations: Dan Brown of Rust Belt Riders
The average US family will throw away as much as $1,500 worth of perfectly edible food each year. This waste costs our economy significant sums of money, but by avoiding this needless waste, we can redirect those funds to invest in infrastructure and services to divert that material from landfills. Since 2014, Rust Belt Riders
What’s Worse For Your Business: A Terrible Website Or No Website At All?
I’ll admit it, I’m a snob. When researching new business (whether I need a service or a product) a bad website is an immediate no-go. Simultaneously, I do ALL my research online, so how would I ever give you my money if there’s no way to find you? It’s 2023 (I checked the calendar this
Small Business, Big Conversations: DaRon Henderson of LO-KEY Entertainment
When DaRon Henderson was a sophomore in high school, he was approached by a friend about the possibility of playing music at an upcoming junior high dance. He owned a pair of speakers and a set of turntables, so they decided to give it a shot to see what they could pull off. They brought
Rise Above the Rest: How To Outrank Your Competitors Using Google Ads
Pop quiz: How do new customers find your business? Other than word-of-mouth from your devoted clientele (you have that, right?) and any traditional advertising campaigns you’re running, chances are high that you were Googled. Nowadays, it’s absolutely essential for small businesses to rank high in Google search results to attract new customers and grow their
Celebrating Women’s History Month: The Importance of Supporting Women-Owned Businesses
March is Women’s History Month, a time to honor the countless contributions and accomplishments of women throughout history. One way to celebrate Women’s History Month is to support women-owned businesses. Not only is it a way to uplift and empower women, but it also has tangible benefits for society as a whole. Here are four