Love at first ... sale?

On Thursday, store owner Billy Wheeler paired up with Darla Main-Schneider, owner of Rising Sun Breads, and Colleen Butker, owner of Uptown Sweets. The two Martinsville bakeries will start selling some of their baked goods at the independent grocery store in Ridgeway, according to Wheeler.

Call it a match made in heaven. Two matches, actually.

Wheeler met with Main-Schneider and Butker during a “business matchmaking” event at the New College Institute. Sponsored by the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corp.’s (EDC) small business division, the event was designed to foster partnerships among local businesses through networking.

Valerie Harper, the division’s director, said that when she has talked with business operators and mentioned other businesses, often she has found that the operators were not aware that the other businesses exist.

“There is no reason why we shouldn’t try to get to know each other,” Harper told about 40 business people who attended the event.

Residents are encouraged to shop local to boost the area’s economy. Businesses should be encouraged to shop local, too, Harper reasoned.

RaesWear, a Collinsville-based maker of sportswear, has had much success forming local partnerships, owner Leigh Cockram told the crowd. For instance, she noted, her firm buys fabric from Solid Stone Fabrics; its products are made by Mollies Originals, a cut-and-sew operation; and Mallard & Mallard handles the firm’s accounting.

Knowing the people with whom you do business is helpful, according to Cockram.

She mentioned this hypothetical example: If an error is made, it can be easier to reach the other parties than if they were out of town. Even if they do not return your phone calls or emails, chances are you will see them at the store and be able to confront them there, she said.

The matchmaking event was similar to speed-dating. Participants sat on both sides of tables, talking to each other for 2 ½ minutes. When a buzzer sounded, participants on one side of the tables got up and sat down in the seats next to them, meeting someone new and telling the person about his or her firm’s products or services.

Like when on a romantic date, you shouldn’t just talk about yourself, Harper told the participants.

“That’s highly insensitive,” she said.

Wheeler said he thought the matchmaking event was worthwhile because it brought local businesses together to learn about each other.

“Some of these people (and their businesses) are so close in proximity, but they don’t have the time to get out (of their businesses) and talk” to each other, Butker said.

Mollies Originals owner Sharon Sleeper said she enjoyed learning about all of the businesses. She mentioned that her firm aims to hire some new employees, and everyone with whom she talked knows someone with sewing skills.

Representatives of many firms said they made some new customers or believe some of the people with whom they talked will become customers.

Kerry Fountain, owner of Wet-Down LLC, a power-washing business, said he talked to some people who could be considered competitors in his business. Yet from those encounters, he sees opportunities rather than problems.

“We can form relationships and work together” on projects, Fountain said.

Not all of the participants were business owners or managers.

Martinsville City Councilwoman Sharon Brooks Hodge said she participated to learn about local businesses and their needs as well as how city officials can help meet their needs. She said that when officials know that a business needs something and another business can supply what it needs, they can help the firms get in touch.

Hodge also said she learned about businesses that can provide services to the city. For example, she mentioned that local bakeries can provide snacks for officials to munch on during long strategic planning retreats.

A few years ago, the EDC held a similar event for contractors. However, this was the first time that the idea was used to help small businesses become acquainted. Harper indicated that another matchmaking event probably will be held in the future.

There were a few minor problems at Thursday’s event that must be worked out, such as people getting confused about how to rotate at the tables or lingering too long at a station after the buzzer sounds, Harper said.

Overall, though, she believed the event went well and everybody was able to get to know everyone else, she said.

To see the original Martinsville Bulletin article, click here.