WRTA taking nominations for ‘Give Small Business a Lift' campaign
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – The Western Reserve Transit Authority (WRTA) has announced the start of its Give Small Business A Lift campaign.
The campaign, now in its fourth year, promotes and honors local small businesses.
Twelve small businesses that 'exemplify the Valley's entrepreneurial spirit and work ethic' will be honored and promoted. A panel of business and community leaders will choose the featured businesses from a list of nominees.
WRTA is now taking nominations for the campaign.
To qualify, small businesses must be located in Mahoning County, and an entry form must be completed by an owner or authorized officer/manager. Visit WRTAonline.com to nominate a business. The deadline for nominations is Monday, April 14.
The winners will be notified by email and honored at the kickoff event on Wednesday, April 30 at Lariccia Community Center in Boardman Park.
The winning businesses will receive promotions on WRTA buses, WRTA's digital sign downtown, on social media and in TV commercials.
One business will also be selected as 'Small Business of the Year,' earning it a free TV advertising campaign donated by WKBN and a social media campaign donated by Farris Marketing/StrategiX Social.
WRTA encourages all small businesses in the county to apply — even if the business applied previously.
'We cannot overstate how important small business is to our local and national economy. But starting a small business also seems to take a special sort of grit and determination that exemplifies what America is all about,' said Dean Harris, WRTA's executive director.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Community gathers for ‘Good Evening, Austintown'
AUSTINTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — Austintown is touting a bright future. On Tuesday night, community members gathered for 'Good Evening, Austintown,' a community-wide update featuring township leaders, local businesses, and schools. Residents packed Biker Brewhouse to hear news from township trustees and Austintown Local Schools. Highlights included new plans for community development, a rundown of new local businesses and an introduction to Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course's new GM. It also included a celebration of Hyne's Industries' 100th year. 'Austintown has been really good to us. We started off on Oakwood. We had three of four facilities in that area, and we consolidated on Hendricks Road to a 300,000-square-foot manufacturing facility. Austintown has really been helpful with employees and the infrastructure we have there,' said Ryan Day, CFO of Hynes Industries. The event also recognized key sponsors helping fuel growth in the community. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
JobsNOW: 24-hour daycare looking for dedicated workers
CAMPBELL, Ohio (WKBN) – Childcare is important. The state has rules on how many workers must be watching with various numbers of children present, and a local provider is hiring. Children grow fast. La La's Daycare Learning Center in Campbell is growing just as fast as the little learners. It was started to provide a different option. 'We are a 24-hour childcare center, and that's something that sets us apart from a lot of childcare centers in the area,' said Latisha Weaver, owner of La La's Daycare. La La's Daycare had its grand opening on Easter. It needs more childcare workers with a quickly growing roster.'It seems like we have majority of preschool-age kids. So, anyone interested in working with the younger kids, we definitely could use help with the younger kids,' Weaver said. Employees must pass a background check. They also get training in multiple areas of safety, health, and recognizing abuse related to children. La La's wants workers who are excited about taking care of children, and also teaching them.'That's a big thing that La La's Daycare Learning Center is about, is actually teaching the kids to their ability — what their ability is,' Weaver said. Weaver prefers a worker with experience. She can provide a shift to meet your need, too, whether it's days, evenings, or overnights. The children have big personalities. Weaver feels they're fun to be around and wants a worker who can match that personality with compassion. 'You definitely have to have patience with kids. You definitely have to get to know their strengths and weaknesses, because all kids are different,' she said. And they all get treated the same at La La's. Weaver is ready to talk with people who are interested in working with her and the children. She is also hiring home health aides for the other side of her business, which is La La Love Healthcare. To apply, call and make an appointment at 330-937-2248. The daycare is located at 178 12th Street, Campbell. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Local startup looking for kids to test new product
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – The winner of the Youngstown Business Incubator's Shark Tank competition last year is looking for families to test its new product. Read next: New retail theft task force makes first arrest in Ohio Little Tusk is a financial literacy edtech startup dedicated to teaching children in kindergarten through eighth grade about financial responsibility in a fun and engaging way, according to a news release from YBI. It is the brainchild of Jordan and Lauran Woolley, of Austintown. The company is now looking for local children ages 8 to 12 to participate in a user testing experience designed to gather feedback and shape the future of the project. 'We're excited to take this next step in bringing Little Tusk to life,' said Lauran Woolley,founder of Little Tusk. 'Participation and feedback are vital to our success, and we can'twait to showcase what we've been working on.' Parents and guardians who are interested in the opportunity can sign their children up for consideration beginning Friday, June 13, online here. The testing takes place at YBI, at 252 W. Boardman Street in Youngstown, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, July 12. There will be various sessions, and selected participants will be contacted with more details. There will be prize packs for kids and Dunkin' Donuts gift cards for their accompanying adults as a thank-you for their time and insights. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
