Phoenix Rising lifts small businesses
ZANESVILLE − A year after the loss of the Masonic Temple, a group of small business owners want to make sure local small businesses are supported no matter what happens.
Equilla Howard, Joanna Burchett and Chelsey McIntire had businesses in the temple, which was destroyed by Jan. 6 2022.
McIntire ran Kids First, a local charity dedicated to helping underprivileged children. Burchett owned Southern Charm Handmade and J and L Bargain Deals. Southern Charm offered a variety of custom and promotional items, J and L resold new items from various retail outlets. Howard owned Quilla's Nails, the only one of the three that has fully restarted since the fire.
The three are part of the group behind Phoenix Rising, a local nonprofit dedicated to supporting small businesses in Muskingum County.
Almost immediately after the fire, the women felt the art community and business communities from the temple separated into two groups, with the art community garnering most of the attention and support.
"We were separated immediately because we were business owners, not artists. There was a huge separation within tenants of the temple, we came together when we were left out," McIntire said. "We formed the non profit, got our 501c3, and became Phoenix Rising."
The mission of Phoenix Rising is to support small business across Muskingum County. Their primary event is the Community Cares Day, which the group bills as an networking event for small businesses. Last year the event took place in June, and thousands attended, Burchett said.
Fifty small businesses were represented at the event and Phoenix Rising handed out a hundred networking bags, McIntire said. The bags contained pamphlets, pens, brochures and other branded materials to raise awareness of local small businesses. This year they hope to hand out 500. "Any up and coming small business, any community supplier, insurance agency, anybody at all that would like to get their name out there and needs extra advertising support" can be included, she added. The organization has already begun collected materials for the bags.
Last year's event meant closure for some, and the start of a new journey, she said.
In addition to the event, Phoenix Rising is accepting applications to help a small business "that is struggling or needs something," Burchett said. "Tell us about what they need and why they need it, and we will pick an applicant and provide it to them," she said. She used a new point of sale as an example.
"Last year started as a thank you," said McIntire. "It grew and got bigger and meant more, not only to us, but it was meaning more to the community." The event included live music and games for children, as well as a handful of food trucks. Also present were community organizations to connect community members with problem solvers.
This year's event is scheduled for Saturday, June 10 at Zanesville's Zane's Landing Park. The organization hosted a meeting over the weekend to discuss volunteer and sponsorship opportunities.
For more information or help with the sponsorships, visit the Phoenix Rising Facebook page.
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This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Phoenix Rising lifts small business
