Morning Momentum: Building awareness for business offerings
The Morning Momentum series is hosted at 121 Tech Hub in the Old City Knoxville, and organized by the Knoxville Chamber.
In the brand-new lower level of the 121 Tech Hub, dozens of Knoxville’s top community leaders, partners, innovators, and small business owners gathered to support Knoxville’s entrepreneurs. Unlike a pitch competition, where founders are encouraged to boast about their business success – Morning Momentum is a more vulnerable approach to business growth. Participants are encouraged to voice their hardships and seek advice from wise counsel.
During February’s session, Melody Ratliff, the Co-Founder of Able Trade, and Mike McLaughlin, the Branch President of RobotLAB took the stage.
Attracting Makers to Able Trade
Ratliff started Able Trade with her husband, Spencer, in the spring of 2020. Of course, launching a shared studio space amid a global pandemic came with its own set of challenges; however, Able Trade has managed to situate itself as a fixture in the Knoxville Maker community. When they first opened at 203 Jackson Ave. in July 2020, they offered 16,000 square feet of space. Since then, they have added 8,000 square feet.
So, how does it work?
A maker in the community can rent a physical studio space – each being 150 square feet or larger, or participate with the Able Trade community on a membership basis. Membership allows them access to communal spaces, tools, and assets like a photography studio, metal machining workshop, forklifts, and various classes and events. A bonus to being a part of the Able Trade community is being able to display work during the First Friday Art Walks, as the public wanders through the Able Trade studio spaces.
The monthly part-time membership fee is $100, the full-time membership fee is $200, and the studio space costs $2.50/ square foot per month.
Ratliff explained how most of their members are entrepreneurs who invest in their craft on a full-time basis. Some of the individuals who originally joined Able Trade have expanded their businesses and need a larger space, some pivoted, some closed shop, and a handful decided to pursue their carpentry, renovations, or other crafts on a hobby level versus a full-time business. As such, the Able trade owners have seen an increased number of studio spaces opening up.
“We are looking for members who need and value this space and the equipment we offer,” Ratliff said. “We also want people who are passionate about being present for First Fridays and are eager to get involved with our community.”
Not for a lack of effort, the couple has struggled to raise awareness. One challenge is that Able Trade’s location off Jackson Terminal, though centrally located, is tough to spot unless you know what you’re looking for. They have had coverage from news outlets, social media, First Fridays, events, and other outreach efforts. Yet, about 17,000 square feet of studio space is empty.
The audience of business leaders weighed in, pointing to opportunities to connect with The Maker City and lead classes, workshops, and even more specialized events. Furthermore, others suggested building out a robust YouTube channel to engage the younger audience, and provide value to Able Trade members by featuring them on the channel.
“Our community is tight-knit and valued. We know there are makers and creators are out there who need a space like this, we just need to find the right avenue to reach them,” she said.
Softening the Approach to Selling Robots
Teknovation covered RobotLAB’s ribbon cutting at their new office off Middlebrook in November of 2024. The Branch President Michael McLaughlin shared his excitement for bringing robot implementation services to East Tennessee and the Southeast region. However, since he’s arrived, he’s noticed a bit of hesitation from the community in implementing the technology.
For some background, RobotLAB sources all sorts of robots, covering every physical corporate need from janitorial cleaning robots to Chefbots, and security dogs. Beyond abilities in the corporate sector, RobotLAB also offers robots that can assist with memory care, special education, and customer service.
“We offer any solution for any business who has a process that could be automated,” McLaughlin said.
One of the most touching examples he shared was in regards to the memory care robots available on market. These helpful bots can be bedside in an assisted living facility, repeatedly answering the same questions a hundred times per day, and deliver the same caring, patient response each time. They can also pull up photos of family members, places, and special moments to help jog patients’ memories.
“Robots are consistent & reliable,” McLaughlin said. “For high turnover positions, our robots could be a cost-effective way for companies to save money in the long term.”
The biggest challenge he has had with RobotLAB is getting decision makers to believe it’s a viable option for their business “a lot of people think it’s cool, but don’t take it seriously when it comes to discussions of implementation.”
The business community at the Morning Momentum event offered a number of helpful suggestions – including bringing along a small physical robot to meetings as a demonstration of the technology, and providing a pitch for how much money can be saved in the long run.
For more information about the Morning Momentum Series, visit the Knoxville Chamber’s website.
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