Scott, a small business owner in Wise, Virginia, is living his dream. Through his T-shirt business, Legacy Creations, he gets to use his design skills and to have an impact on the community — both personal passions.
The business grew 14% in 2020, despite the pandemic and the fact that Scott doesn’t have a website and has only a limited social media presence. He credits the relationships he has in the local community, such as the one he has with Sykes Enterprises, a partner in our Prosperity Hub program.
“Sykes has helped me get to where I’m at,” says the father of three, who was born and raised in Wise, and whose dad was a coal-miner.
Started in 2016, our Prosperity Hub program helps communities in need by creating jobs, preparing people for jobs of the future, and equipping entrepreneurs to start and build successful businesses. As of last fall, the program had generated 2,300 jobs and $123 million of annual economic contribution to communities in need.
Prosperity Hub communities span the United States, Canada and Britain and our partners, including Sykes Enterprises, Concentrix, Alorica and Sitel, support us to help create well-paying jobs that help assist Intuit customers. Customer success agents help customers get the most out of Intuit’s products and services. About one-third of the jobs are permanently virtual and designed for people like those in military communities, who must often relocate, and people with varying abilities.
But there are other benefits to having a Prosperity Hub in the community. Together, Intuit and Sykes Enterprises have helped stabilize the local economy in the post-coal era, offering higher-paying jobs, which in turn benefit small businesses. Call it a virtuous cycle — one that boosts community resilience and even hope.
Scott has done a lot of business with Sykes Enterprises and Intuit — including designing and printing shirts for new hires, corporate teams, and to celebrate veterans and company picnics. And Scott shares the companies’ vision of giving back to the community. He’s given away hundreds of T-shirts to the local high schools, churches and other charitable organizations. He truly enjoys working with other businesses, inspiring them to chase their dreams, like the 12-year-old girl from San Antonio who started a T-shirt business during COVID-19 to raise funds for charities.
In fact, Scott’s business model has been to collaborate with other businesses rather than compete against them — even if they’re in the T-shirt industry. Last year during the pandemic, Scott partnered with two other small businesses to collaborate on his created, “Lovin’ Local” project that was able to raise funds for struggling small businesses in the community. Shirts were sold and the proceeds were given to a business in need. The approach seems to be working. This year he finally was able to leave his day-job and transition to his dream job of focusing on Legacy Creations, full time. His dream, his passion and giving back to the community is what he wants to pass on to the next generation. Building a Legacy to impact the next generation and today’s local communities.
“One of my biggest things that I want my kids to experience is that I want them to chase dreams,” he says.