As of November 2020, the Wayne County Public Library began Project Click, a project that will benefit aspiring entrepreneurs in Wayne County, especially women, people of color, immigrants, and veterans, who may lack access to the digital tools and resources they need to be successful in an increasingly virtual world. This project’s goal is to advance equity and community economic health by increasing e-commerce support for all entrepreneurs, particularly underrepresented groups.

“Project Click will provide educational opportunities, digital tools, resources, and space for exploration to aspiring entrepreneurs interested in using online marketplaces and e-commerce sites in their business model;” said Cindy Pendergraph, Head of the Reference Department. “We want to empower small businesses and entrepreneurs and help them create a more professional appearance online. We want them to be able to best represent the quality of their products.”

Steele Memorial Library in Mount Olive and the Goldsboro Library on Ash Street will both have the equipment, such as high quality cameras, tripods, light boxes, and jewelry displays, needed for participants.  Entrepreneurs can bring their products to the library for a more professional setup and photo shoot, and then upload the photos to the online marketplace of their choice with assistance from library staff. They can then use library computers to track sales and execute marketing strategies.

Wayne County Public Library will host virtual training on a variety of related topics including the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program, finance, basic business planning, e-commerce content and copy writing, marketing, and product photography.

Wayne County Public Library also plans to create tutorials alongside this project to demonstrate how to use e-commerce, online marketplace, and marketing platforms. These training and tutorial videos will be recorded and made available to participants, along with small meeting spaces, at all library locations for patrons without broadband.  The project will also offer digital subscriptions and traditional library resources on topics related to e-commerce, small business, and online sales.

This grant is made possible by funding from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (IMLS grant number LS-246551-OLS20).

For more information about Project Click! or any of the Library’s resources or programs, contact Jessica Lozano, PR Coordinator, at (919) 735-1824 ext. 5130 or email her at mailto:[email protected].