Free marketing training and support services are available for small businesses and startups by the Chattanooga Marketing Clinic. This training is available to those businesses and startups that are based out of the Gig City and register at least one of their locations within the 25 mile radius of the Chattanooga’s Innovation District.
Currently 17 organizations have signed up to become a part of the clinic, including six startups, 10 existing businesses, and one non-profit organization. These organizations represent the following industries: health and wellness, education, manufacturing, e-commerce, public transportation, professional and consulting services, retail and more.
The initiative is organized by Cresco Group, a Chattanooga-based business consulting and marketing firm. The clinic’s mission is to give small businesses and nonprofit organizations of Chattanooga access to free marketing consultations and basic support services by leveraging local business community and marketing professionals networks. Training sessions are held in small groups of 18-25 people and allow interaction between individuals. During the training sessions, presentations are kept short (up to 15 minutes) while Q&A part taking most of the meetings’ time. This allows for the needs of attending organizations to be the primary focus of discussions.
When asked about the reason for organizing the clinic, Cresco Group’s CEO Anton Demenchuk said, 'Chattanooga has had massive success in attracting larger-size investments, foreign investments in particular. And this is great! However, I believe that success of small businesses and vibrant startup environment are an important part of the Chattanooga economy and its long-term sustainability. Let’s not forget that competition is the key prerequisite to innovation.”
Chattanooga Marketing Clinic is supported by the following organizations: Tennessee Small Business Development Center of Chattanooga, INCubator, Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce, Edney Innovation Center, city of Chattanooga, UTC, American Marketing Association, and others.
The next Chattanooga Marketing Clinic training session will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 16 and will be facilitated by VaynerMedia, one of the largest social media and digital marketing agencies in the U.S. To learn more about the clinic or its upcoming free training sessions, visit ChattanoogaMarketingClinic.org or follow the hashtag #MarketingCha.