Invent@NMU, Innovate Marquette SmartZone offering free services to businesses

MARQUETTE — Businesses in the area may be struggling due to the coronavirus pandemic, but two NMU–related organizations are offering help.

Invent@NMU and Innovate Marquette SmartZone are offering their services to struggling businesses in the area for free.

The move is part of the #WildcatsMeanBusiness campaign, which looks to assist local businesses in the best ways possible.

“We’re basically just trying to do our part because we know a lot of small businesses are struggling right now,” said Nicole Johnson, Marketing Manager for Invent@NMU and Innovate Marquette SmartZone. “A lot of them have bills to pay, families to feed, so we’re just trying to help them bring their services, their retail digitally, to kind of bridge that gap.”

The services being offered by Invent@NMU include marketing, creating a social media presence, and online sales, among others. Regardless of a pandemic, these components are crucial for businesses to survive, and these difficult times only heighten the need for an online presence.

“What we’re trying to do during this period of time is contribute to the local economy by offering these services to small businesses in the community that are gonna need them now more than ever,” added Steve VandenAvond, Vice President for Extended Learning and Community Engagement for NMU.

Invent@NMU will be hosting a free web seminar April 29th at 6 p.m. For more information, or to reach out for business assistance, visit Invent@NMU’s website here.