Small Business Week 2019: May 5 – May 11
Many people are celebrating Cinco De Mayo, but we’re celebrating the start of Small Business Week! As a small business, we’re celebrating! According to the United States Small Business Administration, more than half of Americans either own or work for a small business.
In our community, small businesses allow us the opportunity to connect with our friends and family in all settings. From mom-and-pop restaurants to local print shops to our friend’s little boutique across town, we enjoy helping our small, local businesses grow. We’d like to share a little about some special businesses around town.
Almost Famous Popcorn
Almost Famous is famous for “delivering moments that pop!” Since 2012, the Rieckhoff family has been able to offer over 150 flavors of popcorn, gourmet sodas, a crazy variety of ice cream, and other treats for shoppers to enjoy. Their family business has been “popping” in our city as they outgrew their original location in 2014. With their success, Almost Famous has been able to support many neighborhood activities, events, and causes to help grow our community. Our crew is a huge fan of their sweet treats, and we’re always happy to share their business with our clients!
Rickard Sign & Design
When Wired Production Group was a new brand after the Rausch Productions and 16th Avenue Music merger, we had a lot of work to do. During the time of Rausch Productions, Ron connected with Brett, owner of Rickard Sign & Design in Lisbon, Iowa. Brett worked with our staff to develop interior and exterior signage for our office as Rausch Productions, then helped us with the re-branding efforts as Wired Production Group. His vinyl looks great on our trucks and his gorgeous custom exterior sign looks amazing in our front yard. Let’s just say that Brett makes us look really good!
Advancement Resources
Headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Advancement Resources is dedicated to helping organizations reach and exceed their fundraising goals through meaningful philanthropy. With over 15 years of experience in the field, the business leaders at Advancement Resources provide a creative and targeted approach for organizations to inspire donors and staff to help their organization grow. Some of their clients include Arizona State University, Community Health Network, March of Dimes, University of Delaware, and University of Colorado. Client portfolios can be found on their website. We are honored to work with them on projects all across the United States.
Office Express Office Products
For over 30 years, Office Express Office Products has been providing office supplies and more to Cedar Rapids and surrounding areas. Our relationship with Ben Keel, VP of Office Express Office Products, has been amazing over the years as he has always been able to provide the tools we need to help us to be successful around the office. Their supplies are always delivered in an extremely timely manner (usually less than 24 hours!) for an affordable price. When our office manager and marketing coordinator are scrambling for last minute supplies, Ben and the Office Express crew always comes through!
MOXIE + mortar
With thoughtful gifts, curated wine, and inspiring home decor, MOXIE + mortar in Solon, Iowa brings joy to shoppers. Owners Angela Janssen and Gretchen Swan were inspired by Pinterest to create the perfect gathering spot for those who “need happy” in their life. In addition to some of the best boutique shopping in the area, MOXIE + mortar offers a special wine and cheese pairing experience as well as a unique event space to rent for bridal showers, birthday parties, and more.
Strategic Print Solutions (SPS)
In our industry, we often need creative display products for our clients’ trade shows, fashion shows, and corporate conferences. When we’re on a deadline, we always know who to call: Strategic Print Solutions (SPS) in Hiawatha, Iowa. Shane and the SPS crew are just about 2 miles from our office and never disappoint. From name badges for our event crew to over-sized headshots to floor decals for stages, we throw every project under the sun their way and their creativity (and pricing!) is hard to beat. We appreciate their willingness to work with our event managers and technical production team year-round.
Solberg’s
If you see any of our team members on a show, you will see them sporting our Wired Production Group gear. We’ve got hats! We’ve got polos! We’ve got jackets! Who do we get them from? Well, our friends at Solberg’s, of course! For many years, Kris and Steve have gone above and beyond the call of duty to meet our requests for apparel and company “swag.” Solberg’s provides high-quality apparel at a reasonable price with the best customer service in town, hands down. With their impressive selection of apparel, we always trust the Solberg’s experts to take care of us. We can’t wait to try out some of our new apparel items this spring!
Wired Production Group
Yes! That’s us! We kinda love what we do, so we’d like to toot our own horn. Wired Production Group is proud to have formed as a small business 20+ years ago in the basement of our President and CEO, Ron Rausch, as Rausch Productions. After 15 years of successful partnership, Rausch Productions and 16th Avenue Music joined forces to form Wired Production Group in 2016, which is now the largest event production company headquartered in the state of Iowa. Our team of live event production specialists serve clients locally and nationally in full-service video and live event production with over 20,000 square feet of warehouse space filled with equipment and an office with multiple video editing suites.
Wherever you are and whatever you do, support your small, local businesses. Help grow your community by shopping local. To learn more about Small Business Week, visit the Small Business Administration website.