Supporting Rhode Island Small Businesses Through RI Rebounds Grants
In late 2023 and into 2024, I had the privilege of partnering with RISBHub to help small businesses in Rhode Island through the RI Rebounds program. These grants gave local businesses the opportunity to grow, and I was fortunate to assist them with professional photography, video production, and website design.
The variety of industries I worked with was incredible—everything from a local pizza shop to an small e-commerce food and beverage company, a horse training academy, a Pawtucket distillery, a cooking school, and a construction training academy. Each project presented unique challenges and opportunities, and I approached everyone with the same goal: elevating their brand and increasing their visibility through high-quality visuals.
A Personal Passion for Small Businesses
Working with these Rhode Island small businesses was not just a job—it was a passion project for me. I’ve always been driven by entrepreneurship, even as a child, when I used to write business plans and run mini-businesses. Over the years, I focused more on corporate clients, but this experience reignited my passion for small businesses. It reminded me of how vital these local companies are to our communities and how much joy I find in helping them succeed.
Behind the Scenes: The Creative Process
For each project, I used the same professional equipment I employed for my large corporate clients, ensuring that these small businesses received world-class service. For some, we created micro-videos using an iPhone, while others required more elaborate setups with full video equipment. No matter the scale, I approached each project with the same level of dedication and brought my vast experience to their project.
At the Rhode Island Construction Training Academy, for instance, we created a series of videos to introduce new students to the academy. This was part of a broader effort to improve their recruitment efforts. Similarly, for the e-commerce jam company, I worked on Shopify to enhance their website, making it more user-friendly and visually engaging.
The Impact of Visual Storytelling
By creating high-quality visuals, we were able to help these small businesses increase their visibility and share their unique stories. For instance, the pizza shop now has a sleek online presence that better showcases their food, while the distillery benefited from a new visually appealing website that flows well and allows them to easily showcase their classes and products. In addition to the video we created for their website and new photography. One standout example was the small e-commerce food and beverage company—after creating their Shopify website, optimizing SEO, and integrating social media marketing, they saw a direct increase in sales.
Ready to Help More Small Businesses
While I continue to work with large corporate clients, I am now offering specialized services for small businesses looking to improve their websites, social media, video content, and photography. The RI Rebounds program may have been the catalyst, but my commitment to helping small businesses thrive is long-term.
