Celebrating Small Business Week: Helping Entrepreneurs Tell Their Stories Through Short-Form Video

JEI, Live6, and DNEP/University of Michigan join forces to support small business resiliency through digital skills training.

Small businesses are the heartbeat of our local economy, creating jobs, energizing commercial corridors, and bringing character, creativity, and opportunity to our neighborhoods.

Last week, Jefferson East welcomed local small business owners to our Neighborhood Resource Hub for a hands-on workshop focused on helping entrepreneurs strengthen their social media presence through short-form video.

The session introduced participants to CapCut, a popular video editing platform used to create engaging content for Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and other digital platforms. For today’s small business owners, short-form video is more than a trend, it is a powerful tool for storytelling, visibility, customer engagement, and growth.

The workshop was led by JEI’s Community Tech Consultant, Diamond Hatcher, alongside our partners from Live6, Martina Hinton and Donovan Brown. Together, they shared practical tips to help entrepreneurs create videos that highlight their businesses, products, services, stories, and community impact.

At JEI, small business resiliency is at the core of our work. We recognize that entrepreneurs need access to resources, partnerships, and hands-on support to sustain, strengthen, and grow. This workshop reflects that commitment, and the power of collaboration.

We are grateful to the Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneur Project / University of Michigan for joining forces with us to help ensure small business owners have access to tools, knowledge, and support they need to thrive.

As we kick off National Small Business Week, JEI celebrates the entrepreneurs who continue to invest their dreams, creativity, and hard work into our neighborhoods.

To every small business owner in our community: we see you, we appreciate you, and we are proud to support your growth.

Interested in learning more about JEI’s small business support services? Visit us here. Questions? Contact Robin Toewe, JEI's Senior Manager of Neighborhood Resilience at RToewe@JeffersonEast.org or call (313) 254-5083.

Need tech support? Contact Diamond Hatcher at (313) 254-5408 or email: DHatcher@JeffersonEast.org. Schedule a 1:1 appointment here.