The Truth Staff
On Wednesday, August 9, several local Black media representatives met with a number of small Black business owners in an effort to spread the word about marketing opportunities and to network about the world of entrepreneurship in the Toledo area.
Stayce Fowler of Stalwart Magazine, Rick and Deb Hogan of The Juice 107.3 radio station, Fletcher Word of The Truth and Virgilio Baker of Millennium Media Group, in an event organized by Toni Battle-Gaines, sales manager at The Juice and The Truth, and hosted by Doug Keetion, owner of Studio 32Nine at 4062 Monroe Street, spoke not only about the advantages their particular medium might offer but also about the importance of crafting a marketing plan in order to put their business resources to the best use.
A marketing plan is too often the last aspect of starting and running an enterprise that a small business owner focuses on because so many other operational costs are of such seemingly primary concern. As one attendee said: “I don’t think I can afford to have a marketing plan.”
In unison, the media representatives replied: “you can’t afford not to have a marketing plan.” The point of that reply is that if a business owner/operator cannot let the public know about business, what it has to offer, that chances of surviving and thriving are pretty low.
The attendees were fairly unanimous in their desire to hear more and another sch meeting is planned for the not-too-distant future.
For more information on this event or future ones, contact Toni Battle-Gaines at Tonibattle44@gmail.com.