Zion St. Laundromat Owner Jannelle Marshall shares what she enjoys about having a Hartford-based business. Why did you become a member of the Hartford Chamber of Commerce?JANNELLE MARSHALL: I became a member when the laundromat was first opening in December 2020 to get more exposure in the Hartford community.How has your involvement in the Chamber benefited your business?JANNELLE: The Chamber introduces us to good networking opportunities. For example, as a Chamber member, Zion St. Laundry had an interview with an Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC) coordinator and we were chosen as one of the businesses to participate in a two-day ICCC seminar.The event included a lot of other small businesses within the Hartford area in all different industries, not just a service-related. There were lawyers, healthcare providers, and clothing designers. It was interesting to connect with the owners of some different small businesses that are all local. We met a lot of different business leaders, heard their stories, and shared our experiences. It was great learning from what other business leaders had to say about their business or their uniqueness.How did you choose your business location?JANNELLE: Our location is an interesting one. I work as a realtor as well and I purchase properties within and outside of the Hartford community. I had purchased this property, which is a mixed-use residential and commercial building.At first, I tried having the commercial side be something like a barbershop, but it wasn’t approved by the City of Hartford. The building was originally zoned as a laundromat. So that’s how we ended up having the laundromat here.It’s a great location. We’re in the Frog Hollow neighborhood, at the corner of Park and Zion near Los Cubanitos Bakery. It’s also a unique location because it’s a small laundromat, but it fits the needs of the community. We get a lot of feedback from our customers who are grateful for the laundromat being there because it’s so much closer than others they sometimes had to take an Uber to get to, which was an additional cost for them to get their laundry done. So, Zion St. Laundromat is really serving that community and they’re happy with our location.NAN: What’s the best thing about having a business in Hartford?JANNELLE: I would say the people. All the people I’ve met within the community who come into the laundromat share stories of different backgrounds. That is, for me, what I love the most about having a business in Hartford.Learn more about Zion St. Laundromatwww.zionlaundromat.com | Facebook | Instagram