Goodbye, 2015! If the number of stories that have rolled across our desk at The Metropreneur this year is any indication, there’s a lot happening in the small business world in Columbus. Here are some of the the best profiles, biggest trends and most insightful advice from the 2015 archives.
January
Retro Dinner Diva is the plan-ahead, meal-preparer we all want to be – and her signature freezer meal parties are making it easy to jump on the bandwagon. Nobody wants to be on the receiving end of legal bullying, but Barnes & Thornburg has some insights on how to navigate the situation as a small business. Instead of a Columbus business wanting to expand to a larger city like NYC, digital creative agency Wondersauce did it the other way around. Marketing and branding company Fulcrum Creatives became only the eighth Ohio-based business to receive the rigorous B Corp Status.
February
Columbus College of Art & Design took a special interest in business and entrepreneurship, building a department with specially tailored classes for its students. Franklinton is earning its name as an arts district, but mobile 3D scanning company Knockout Concepts adds some tech to the mix with their industrial, open space. Did you know Columbus has its very own wooden bat manufacturer? Learn more about Phoenix Bats. Another NYC-based company made its way to Columbus with thelab adding a Midwestern headquarters in Grandview. Bonus: Startups.co umbrellaed six websites to take businesses from idea to launch.
March
Two startups are on their way to disrupting industries. Clarivoy wants to change they way TV advertising is bought, sold and measured, while CollegeEase’s simple mission to match students with the best college is a game-changer. The Columbus Chamber offered some advice on the very first steps you need to take to launch a business. Cheers! Columbus has a serious love of craft beer and local breweries, allowing things like Columbus Brew Adventures to exist!
April
Apparently April is the month for expansion with Rambling House, Basecraft, Robert Mason, Middle West Spirits and BungalowBranch dropping announcements. Rev1 Ventures offered five reasons to start a technology-based business in Columbus. Telhio Credit Union explained four things to look for in a relationship with your financial institution.
May
Instead of scattered articles highlighting different coworking spaces, we complied all the details into one handy guide…only to immediately have more to add (new space coming soon in Franklinton!). Keep an eye on the roundups for the coming months as there were even more spaces established in 2015. The first annual Startup Week Columbus also presented a number of interesting discussions, covering topics like measuring entrepreneurial ecosystems, how to build those ecosystems and how to scale a business’ culture. CAUV Design is also building some really awesome, meant-to-last-a-lifetime furniture.
June
And right away in June, another new coworking spot to add to the list, this time in Grove City with Cultivate. New healthcare startup Ardina presented an AAA-like option to bridge insurance coverage gaps for younger generations. Connections, connections connections! The Columbus Chambered offered some tips to become a networking pro. Barnes & Thornburg tackled the complicated issue of asking about criminal history on job applications. All the delivery services! It got a lot easier to get food delivered to your doorstep in June. MyToGo.Place is working on it, while OrderUp and SkipTheDsihes went full on launch.
Check back later this week for highlights from July through December!
