Ryan Henry discussed his company, INSPIREsmall.biz and how they have reinvented themselves since the Pandemic in reaching entrepreneurs with innovative solutions.

"Rather than hosting nine different events, we changed to hosting two virtual events where we can still get together and expand our reach and record speakers that we invite to the group. Most of the time, our speakers are from the Indianapolis area while some are from northwest part of the state like Valparaiso and Munster. Last February, there was a speaker from Canada. The group that started in 2018 was based in Broad Ripple, which was our fifth one. The other groups were in Carmel, Fishers, Lawrence and two that were located on the southside of Indianapolis," he explained.

INSPIREsmall.biz assists small business in areas like Technology Coaching (with apps and tools), Learning Community (accessing guides and webinars), Branding & Websites (reaching customers on-line) and PC Repair & Support (within 30 miles of Indianapolis).

Ryan said, "I'm an accountant by trade and it was a hobby of mine in working with and repairing computers. In 2010, I started a computer repair services company that gradually worked into fairly decent business. The organization that is around today is all the things I wish I knew when I was getting started like writing a business plan and reaching customers. We wanted to create a place to make resources available for people who are starting their own business. Our philosophy is by using technology, we can allow entrepreneurs to leverage what resources are available to them in helping their small business succeed."

He has been making a successful and strategic transition during the Pandemic that: "The biggest thing that happened is that we changed our name from Open in Indiana due to COVID in July of 2021 to: INSPIREsmall.biz The biggest difference is that we shifted our focus from business here in Indiana to the entire US. Our meeting attendance has widened to where we have more attendees (viewers) from Los Angeles and even people from the United Kingdom that has created an international audience."

He mentioned some future events as well. "In March, we decided to invite speakers around a central topic to build cohesiveness with all our members. Beginning in April, our theme is Stress Awareness Month where the speakers that we invite will discuss topics related to stress management. On April 4, 2022, a life coach will talk about how to mindfully manage stress, balancing their family life and work. On April 7, 2022, a career strategist and confidence coach will provide anecdotes to combat negative belief systems. April 11th will feature a music therapist discussing how to manage stress with music. A financial coach will talk about how to reduce financial stress on April 18th," he said.

He described how some things have evolved with the group. "When we started, we weren't charging a membership fee at the time. Now, we actually have both options. Free members can have access to meetings that we host. Paid membership will allow users access to items on our website, like recorded meetings (https://www.inspiresmall.biz/blog), and content that can be used to help members build their business.

"Our target niche is people who are starting their business as a second career. We found that the people we connect with can benefit from this. Part of our future strategy is that as we ease to in-person meetings, these events will be casual and social with places in Broad Ripple to pick from that will be announced," he noted. A listing of their future events can be found at: www.inspiresmall.biz/official-events

As an entrepreneur and an accountant, Ryan Henry is helping entrepreneurs connect, learn and grow from their beginnings in Broad Ripple.