Running a local business can be incredibly rewarding.

It can also feel incredibly lonely.

You may have employees, customers, family members and people cheering you on, but unless someone has built a business themselves, it can be difficult for them to understand the pressure that comes with it.

The decisions never really stop.

How do I attract more customers?

Who can I trust to help with my website?

Am I spending money on the right software?

How do I hire, grow and keep everything moving without burning myself out?

These are questions local business owners deal with every day, and too many of them are trying to figure everything out by themselves.

That is why Chad Tennent and I helped create Wooster Entrepreneurs United.

Built by Local Owners for Local Owners

Wooster Entrepreneurs United is a membership network for business owners in Wooster and the surrounding area.

It was created around one simple belief:

Local business runs better together.

Chad and I have both built businesses in Wooster, but we have done it in different industries and through different experiences.

Chad has built and grown several local companies and now leads Scroll Theory, where he focuses on websites, software, business systems and helping local companies get discovered online.

I built Scrimo Fitness from the ground up. Through that experience, I have learned about developing a recognizable local brand, creating relationships, earning trust and giving people a reason to keep coming back.

We have both made mistakes.

We have both spent money on things that did not work.

We have both experienced the challenges of trying to grow something while managing everything happening behind the scenes.

Instead of keeping those lessons to ourselves, we wanted to create something that could help other local owners move forward faster and avoid some of the mistakes we made.

More Than Another Networking Group

There are networking events and organizations available to business owners, and many of them do valuable work.

However, we saw a need for something focused on the practical, everyday work of running a business.

Wooster Entrepreneurs United is not meant to be another place where you exchange business cards, listen to a presentation and then go home without knowing what to do next.

The goal is to provide real help.

Members receive access to practical information about websites, marketing, software, hiring and growing a business. They can access useful software, have their businesses included in a maintained local directory and connect with other owners who understand the challenges they are facing.

Sometimes, a business owner does not need another motivational speech.

They need an honest answer.

They need a trusted referral.

They need to talk with someone who has already experienced the problem sitting in front of them.

That is the type of community we want to build.

Supporting Local Requires More Than Shopping Local

We often encourage people to shop locally, and that is important.

Every time you eat at a local restaurant, hire a local service provider or purchase something from a locally owned store, you are supporting the people who make our community special.

However, supporting local businesses also means helping those businesses become stronger.

Strong local businesses create jobs, support community organizations, sponsor youth activities, contribute to local events and help make Wooster a better place to live.

When one local owner learns something that helps another owner succeed, the benefits can extend far beyond those two businesses.

That knowledge can lead to another job being created.

It can help a business stay open during a difficult season.

It can connect a customer with a dependable local company.

It can keep more money, talent and opportunity within our community.

Supporting local business is not only about where we spend our money. It is also about creating an environment where local owners have the resources and relationships they need to succeed.

Making Local Businesses Easier to Find

One part of Wooster Entrepreneurs United is its local member directory.

The directory is designed to be a maintained resource where customers and other owners can find businesses serving Wooster and Wayne County. Rather than simply displaying a collection of logos, it helps people understand who the members are, what they do and where they can learn more about them.

That matters because many people want to support local businesses but do not always know where to find them.

They may search online and only see larger companies.

They may ask for a recommendation and receive the same few names.

They may not realize that the exact service they need is available just a few miles away.

The more visible and connected our local businesses become, the easier it is for our community to support them.

There Is Room for You

Wooster Entrepreneurs United is still growing, and that is exciting.

We are not trying to build something that looks impressive from the outside but does very little for the people inside it.

We want to build a real community of local owners who are willing to share knowledge, answer questions, make introductions and help one another succeed.

I know firsthand how much our community can support a business.

Scrimo Fitness would not be where it is today without the people of Wooster choosing to trust me, work with me, refer their friends and support what I was building.

Wooster Entrepreneurs United is one way Chad and I can give some of that support back.

We believe business owners should not have to figure everything out alone.

We believe local knowledge should be shared.

We believe the strongest communities are built by people who are willing to help each other move forward.

Most importantly, we believe local business runs better together.

To learn more, browse the local directory or become part of the network at WoosterEU.com.