July 7, 2022 6:00 am
National Emoji Day is this month, on July 17th. Emojis have an interesting history, dating back to 1990s chat rooms. By 1999, the characters put together to express emotions in a chat room were given a name. “Emoji” comes from the Japanese words for “picture” and “letter” – only coincidentally sounding like the word “emotion.” More than 20 years later, emojis have only taken a firmer hold. There are approximately 3400 emojis in use today and it’s hard to imagine a society without them. At 3 Steps to Start Up, one of our “three steps” for supporting innovators in West[...]
June 7, 2022 10:00 am
“What’s long, brown, and sticky?” If your dad is particularly inclined to tell dad jokes, you have probably heard this one before. The answer, of course? “A stick.” [Slow clap] Dads can lend a special light to our lives, not least of which is bad humor. On the other hand, they are also sources of immense wisdom if we can tap into that wisdom. They’ve experienced so much more than we have! We can observe the same phenomenon when it comes to older, wiser mentors in the business. Some entrepreneurs are lucky enough to count their father as their mentor[...]
June 7, 2022 6:00 am
One of the ways we support West Virginia small businesses at 3 Steps to StartUp is by spreading useful knowledge. Our venture fairs and LIINC events last year brought innovators and entrepreneurs together to share their technical knowledge with aspiring small business owners. We also strive to provide information through our blog with posts like this one! Social media cannot be ignored in today’s business world. With widespread social media use by consumers, a small business would be making a mistake to skip participating in social media. Business social media pages are a primary source of inbound marketing in today’s[...]
May 3, 2022 8:01 am
Whoever the special mom is that you’re shopping for, you know you’ve got to get it right this Mother’s Day. One of the goals we have at 3 Steps to StartUp is to help small businesses survive and thrive in our state. We know that living in West Virginia gives us access to high-quality and unique options for spending our hard-earned money, and that includes gift-giving. What better way to say “Happy Mother’s Day” this year? Here are six ideas for your Mother’s Day small business shopping. Flowers The classic Mother’s Day gift, flowers are always an appreciated treat. Finding[...]
