WVU hosts seven webinars to prepare businesses for reopening during pandemic

To help state small business owners wade through the maze of regulations after being closed for nearly two months because of the COVID-19 pandemic, WVU’s John Chambers College of Business and Economics is hosting seven webinars aimed at ensuring entrepreneurs are prepared.

The webinars, which run through May 19, are being hosted by Chambers’ Encova Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and are designed to answer questions about available resources as well as how to best be prepared for customers and clients.

The webinars were a collaboration between Chambers and Encova, said Encova’s Anna Carrier, who heads up its Community Business Program and is the owner of The Cupcakerie on Willey Street.

“I understand the struggles and excitement about reopening,” Carrier said. “I want to make this as easy as possible.”

The webinars, which are free to the public and available at wvu.zoom.us/j/4873927491, last an hour and cover a myriad of small business topics and are part of Encova’s Small Business Assistance Program.
The next seminar is 11 a.m., Monday, May 11 and will discuss using Google Ads and Digital Marketing for business. It will be led by Laurel Cook, assistant professor of Marketing, and Joanne Hunt, WVU assistant director of student media.

On May 12 the topic is ready to reopen: how to prepare your business to reopen safely and successfully. Ajay Aluri and Frank Demarco of the hospitality program at Chambers, as well as Susan Riddle, president and CEO of Visit Mountaineer Country Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, and local restaurant owners Bron Kayal and Ray Glymph.

Avoiding HR headaches and rebuilding your team post COVID-19 will be discussed on May 13. This session will be led by Maria Mancini, director of leadership and organizational development and the WVU Talent and Culture team.

On Thursday, May 14 Frank Golsborough, business coach at Small Business Development Center, will talk about navigating finances post COVID-19. The topic on Friday, May 15 is reactivating your supply chain. John Saldanha, associate professor of Global Supply Chain Management and Stephen He, assistant professor of Marketing will be the presenters.

Manufacturing opportunities learned from COVID-19 is the topic on Monday, May 18. This session will be led by Thorston Wuest, an assistant professor in the Statler College of Engineering; Staci Miller of the West Virginia Manufacturing Extension Partnership and Bill Woodrum of the Robert C. Byrd Institute.

The webinars wrap up Tuesday, May 19 with Chris Martin of the School of Public Health. He will discuss prepping your private practice post COVID-19.

“Businesses who open their doors prepared, adaptable and armed with the right resources to support their employees and customers will successfully navigate this crisis,” said Javier Reyes, dean of Chambers College and vice president of Start-up West Virginia, in a statement.