Powerful partnership helps propel HHG Drums
Sam Thurau started HHG Drums with help from local resources for entrepreneurs like Startup Alleghenies and Ben Franklin Technology Partners and he’s continuing to grow the business the same way—by taking advantage of the strong local ecosystem that supports entrepreneurs. His Hollidaysburg-based business makes high-end custom drums.
Partnerships between resources like the Launchbox and the Sheetz Fellows program with small businesses are paramount
Serving a niche market, has relied heavily on social media to reach a wide audience. “Social media is at the top of my sales funnel,” he said. “All of my business exists thanks to visibility on social.” To build on the foundation of his success on social, Sam wanted to test out Tik Tok Shop, the platform’s e-commerce opportunity. While he was doing well on his own, he knew he the set-up would be time intensive. He also believed that tapping into Gen Z’s experience with Tik Tok could be a big benefit.
Through the Altoona Launchbox Supported by the Hite Family, he was able to connect with a group of six students in the Sheetz Fellows Program at Penn State Altoona. The program is designed to expose students to real-world business experiences and grow their leadership skills in entrepreneurship. The students took on the Tik Tok Shop and all of the business’s social media platforms, meeting with Sam once a week and also visiting his shop to take photos and videos.
Student Anna Batrus is part of the team that’s been working with Sam. “Partnerships between resources like the Launchbox and the Sheetz Fellows program with small businesses are paramount,” she said. “For students, it allows us to work with real businesses, building connections with business leaders in the community, helping them succeed, while giving us a learning experience outside of a textbook. For small businesses, they have the opportunity to benefit from our experiences. The program and this project really bridge gaps between generations and find different avenues for entrepreneurs to succeed.”
Sam said his instincts about the students and their experiences with social media were right on. “Their ideas and their execution have been so efficient and so relevant for Tik Tok and Instagram,” he said. “In addition to setting up the Tik Tok shop, which I would not have found time to do, they took over all the social media platforms for the business and have been producing and posting fantastic content.”
Their work has helped the business become an early adopter in the Tik Tok shop platform, which Sam believes will pay off in the long term. It’s also given them a chance to put their social media experience to use for a specific purpose.
Sam, Anna and the student group are enthused about continuing their partnership into next semester. “They’ve really hit their stride,” Sam said. “They took on a lot of responsibility and took the project very seriously.”
Startup Alleghenies helps startup and emerging small businesses succeed by providing free coaching to entrepreneurs in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon and Somerset counties. To access personal, one-on-one support from a coach in your county, including guidance, resources, tools and networking opportunities, sign up at startupalleghenies.com.
