MikeMooreMedia

Reidsville Everything Expo 09.24.24

Diane Sawyer, Reidsville Chamber of Commerce and JR Cecil, Liberty Tax Service preview this event at the historic Penn House October 24.
www.ReidsvilleChamber.org

Duration:: 13m
Broadcast on:: 24 Sep 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

Mike Moore Media. Hey everybody, Dan Sawyer here with the Readsville Chamber of Commerce. I am very excited to be here on the show today with J.R. Cecil from Liberty Tech Service. Welcome J.R. Hey Dan. I am very excited. We are exactly a month away from our expo that's coming up or everything that's been on the table. And you are one of our name and sponsors. Tell us a little bit about what inspired you to become a sponsor of the Everything Expo this year. It wasn't so much inspiration, more of just like a light bulb of this makes sense, right? The expo itself is about embracing the past and looking forward to the future. And so me and the other naming sponsor Eden Combs with Realty One, both of us are kind of putting that into practice, putting that into action Downtown Readsville. So both of us have purchased historic buildings they're on south scales right in the heart of downtown. And so with the expo being at the penthouse this year like the location, the theme, the vendors, the timing, it just all made sense. It wasn't really inspiration that I didn't track you down and say I have to do this it just clicked. Everything just fell into space. It fell into place, right? Yeah, for sure. And I know that in the past you've talked about, you know, when some of the feedback you've given us where you felt like the event maybe wasn't exactly what you were looking for. And as it's grown we've added and cultivated and worked through some of the things. So tell us a little bit about how that's worked for you personally. Yeah, a ton of value has been added by the chamber over the years. How it's evolved. I mean you look, you started the chamber what, 15 years ago? And that's about the time that I started with the chamber and that's when the expo kind of came back. And so getting out of the gate it was just kind of like an adult trick-or-treating I hate to downplay it like that but that's how I felt as a participant or a vendor at the event in the past was all I'm doing was giving up free stuff. I wasn't receiving a lot of value as a business owner. And it might have just been my expectations. You know I was there for one thing but other things is what was drawing in the public. And so, yeah, working with the chamber, giving feedback, having those honest conversations with those in charge of the chamber you included. Y'all have brought a ton of value. One of the biggest things y'all brought was the career piece. And that lined up with my business as this is the time of year that I recruit a couple seasonal folks. And so that career piece kind of drew me back in and then each year y'all continued to improve it with adding the health piece, improving the career piece of it, bringing in good vendors and so, yeah, I've had success at finding staff in the past. I know I can count three people that I've hired from that I've met from this event. So, it's brought value to me and my business. So, I figure we should participate actively sponsor and give value back to the community. Well, we are very excited that you feel that way. And I know that one of the things that you and Eden did was you helped work with us on the theme which is Pathways to Success and Cultivating Opportunities for Tomorrow. So tell me a little bit about what excites you the most about that and how you are, like you said, putting it into action with, you know, you and Eden being neighbors and what you've done and what that looks like. I mean, Reedsville's got such a big history where we just crossed, what, 150 years as a town. It's got such a big history. There's such history in the buildings and the businesses and in the city itself. And so, and for me to be able to embrace that, I was able to buy a building that was built in 1880, what I think seven years after the city of Reedsville itself was established. Eden bought a historic property next door and so we're embracing the past in that way and just kind of taking hold of it. But then also, you look at the past few years and the trend has been people are moving back to the small towns. You look at some of the employers that have come to town and invested, you look at how the city is making investments in the town, specifically at the Penhouse. And yeah, I'm excited for what Reedsville can become and what it is becoming right now. They just announced the depot district that's going to take some historic area and revitalize it. So excited to watch that unfold and excited to be part of downtown and part of Reedsville where that's going to happen. So just recognizing the history that Reedsville has and in the rich, I mean, family ties and everything that it has in its past and then to see what it can become in the future, you look at me and Eden, a couple business owners and how we're thriving in this community. You don't have to leave Rockingham County to be successful like a few people think. There's so much opportunity here and so we're trying to showcase that. We're trying to show off that there is opportunity here. There is real estate to open a business here. There's opportunity for consulting, work, whatever you want to do. Chances are you can do it here in Reedsville. I like kind of how you pull all that together and I think when you mention the businesses and you're talking about opportunity. So how does the Expo benefit small businesses? Both the established ones like yourself and then the newcomers. So me and you have talked in the past, you know, your net worth is your net worth, right? And there's no better place to network than at an event like this, like the everything Expo we have this year. I've made connections in the past. I found a print company that's created some things for me and supplied my business with things. My shred company, insurance agents, and thinkers. I've made all kinds of connections at the what used to be called the business Expo. Now the everything Expo there's not a lot of a better place to make those connections and to shake hands and to put faces with a name than in person. You know, especially through COVID, we did a lot of things over mobile and zoom and teams meetings and so on and you don't always have your camera on. You're an opportunity to do that and have better unencumbered conversations. I like the way that you put that. I think that the world has changed a lot and there's a ton of people who don't like the digital, don't like the zoom, but also it's kind of a necessary means to an end. We're kind of split here at the chamber. We're trying to do a lot in person just because I think that it adds value to be in person and be able to, like you said, shake their hand or speak out of eye in person and get that vibe. But also there are things that you just can't do in person but you can do online and then there are things that you can't do online that you can do in person. But I think that the value is more in the in person and one of those things that I think you talk about the health component. So we have the business, the career, and the health component. You can't check somebody's blood pressure online and you can't get a flu shot online. So having this event gives us the opportunity. So tell me what you think about these different components of the expo, the business, the career, the health, and how they align. Not necessarily with just Liberty Texas mission, but your other businesses mission and just in general for the community. I mean selfishly I have kind of a twofold you know interest in attending the expo. It's not only do I get to meet other businesses and make connections or find a better vendor to handle this part of my business or my technology or buying paper from or even you know scouting clients that way. I've also got the community that has helped my business thrive every the last 14 years here in Rockingham County that I plan on trying to give back to add value. We plan on having a couple stations at our booth. One of them of you know hey did you owe taxes last year or did you switch jobs? Do you need to paste checkup? Are you having enough withheld because they've changed those with holdings over the last few years? We want to try to give free tax advice at that point but also anybody interested in opening a business we're going to give some free business startup advice you know have a little bit of experience helping people whether it's should I be an LLC? Should I be an S corporation? Should I be a sole proprietor? I can give them all the tax advantages and pros and cons off of any of those so given some free tax advice for individuals and then also some business advice for those that want to set up here in town and hopefully we can help be a catalyst to opening up a new storefront and reads for or opening up you know you're you're towing business or your landscaping business or your barbershop or or whatever you want to do. So selfishly I want to meet both business owners in the community and also the citizens of the community. Yeah so for businesses that are participating for the first time what kind of advice would you give them to make the most of their experience? Make for sure you don't get stuck in your booth have somebody come in and either have two people there the whole time or at least have somebody come in and relieve you so you can go be a participant as well and go meet the other businesses bring a lot of business cards you may not be able to do a lot of business right there but I would make for sure that you bring your calendar and once you get in front of that banker that can help you with your your loan for your capital improvements to your business you know set an appointment to go talk to them later you can't do a loan application there but I'm sure you can set up an appointment for that next week to go see them so bring your calendar bring your business cards bring your smile make for sure that you you're able to ignite some relationships with with other vendors and also be be ready to receive the community the citizens of the community make for sure that you're not just sitting there looking at your phone the whole time that you're in your booth actually get active and get involved with the people that are coming by and be genuine in your desire to help folks if you go in there expecting to just get things from the people walking by they're going to sniff you out real quick and try to avoid your booth but if you're there trying to provide value and offer a service that can truly help people people will see that read that and come and see you and see what you have to offer them I agree with that I think that's awesome advice and I love hearing it from someone other than myself so last and final thought how can listeners get involved or attend the Expo this year get involved if you if you have something some kind of service or product or business that you want to offer to the community whether it's your church or your business itself or your healthcare or whatever it is it's it's the everything Expo so vendors are are welcome from all walks of life you can reach out to the chamber Denise Brady is going to be helping people set up what's the deadline September 30 to get a booth yes sir we're one week away and we have over 50 booths already so yeah and I think I think we max out at about that 60 range so we got room for about 10 more of y'all and then we'll have a quick orientation for those late late commerce if you cannot get a booth don't just not put it on your calendar make for sure you still attend they're still value in attending as a as a community participant and walking through and going through the pen house I mean we didn't even get to talk about the location this year it's going to be much more intimate as far as the the size of the rooms and things you'll be going through the carriage house the greenhouse and the pen house itself and you'll be able to have better conversations with those people at the booths than you would in the in the mass hall of or the the big gymnasium of over stimulation and you get drowned out you actually be able to communicate with folks I'm excited about the location too so get a booth and if you can't get a booth plan on being there anyway absolutely I am I am very excited and I think we are going to have a really great event I think the venue is going to be awesome our sponsors are awesome for sure so thank you to Liberty Tech Service and Realt C1 group results for that and JR thanks for being on the show today so excited thanks Diane