Those in charge of purchasing products and services for businesses often bypass smaller ventures and startups. So three years ago the Community Action Development Corporation of Bethlehem and Lehigh University Microfinance Club organized an event to put a bunch of small businesses in one spot and promote them in the community.
“There are a lot of micro businesses we’re trying to develop,” says Ellen Larmer, the corporation’s director. She explains that her organization defines a micro business as an enterprise with five employees or fewer.
This is the third year that Lehigh will host the Lehigh Valley Microenterprise Expo, set for April 13. The college’s Small Business Development Center is another partner in the event, which will feature businesses in sectors including construction, business services, personal care and technology. Most of them are located in urban areas of Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton. Larmer says the space at Lehigh’s Rauch Business Center has room for 50 businesses and fills up quickly.
This year organizers have allowed time for networking among business owners because that has led to fruitful partnerships in previous years. Among them, last year JF Magic, which makes LED and fiber-optic lighting built into fabric, connected with a business specializing in designer dog clothes. The two have since collaborated to develop glowing dog clothing.
Source: Ellen Larmer, Community Action Development Corporation of Bethlehem
Writer: Rebecca VanderMeulen