YSU's International Trade Network offers free help to small businesses

YOUNGSTOWN

In just a couple of years, the four owners of the Fire Pit Gallery have gone from local to international.

With help from the International Trade Network at Youngstown State University the company has grown from what originally started as a hobby to a full-blown bustling business.

“It is a great resource,” said Marlene Appel, part owner of the business. “I think more people should know about it.”

Tucked inside Youngstown State University’s Williamson College of Business, is the International Trade Network where students and advisor Mousa H. Kassis work with 90 small-to-medium sized companies on international trade at no cost.

The trade network started in 2012. It was a joint effort made by the Williamson College of Business and the Small Business Development Center at YSU – a technical assistance program for Ohio’s small businesses.

From the get-go, the network would be a way to help companies with their business and help students gain experience in international trade.

“It was good for everybody,” Kassis said. “[Our students] could provide a lot of research and a lot of manpower that many small companies do not have.”

Read more about the program in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.