INM United - 10th Anniversary Promo Video

Anniversaries of businesses are dime a dozen, but heres one thats a bit different: Joel Erb is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the founding of his integrated marketing and communications agency, INM United. Thing is, Joel is 25 years old. You do the math.

And his is not the story of a kid running a little Web business out of his parents' basement. On Sept. 19, Erb will mark a decade of a very successful business with a blow-out celebration of 300 of his clients, vendors, supporters and political friends at Richmonds Main Street Station. Here, he will announce a new partnership and a new outreach program geared to underserved youth with an initial focus in inner-city youth.

The twentysomething CEO is already talking about giving back.

I was almost a high school drop-out myself, Erb said. And I sure wasnt thinking about college. I had my business going at 15 and didnt need an education.

One of the first business calls he ever made was to the New York marketing offices of Armani. Though Armani didn't need any Web work, Erb scouted around and found other New York clients many of whom he would lose in a dramatic turn of events a few years later.

In 2001, Erb had 12 employees and was taking high school classes online with no plans ever to go to college. Business was rolling, money was flowing, and on a clear September morning, the Twin Towers fell.

With them went 80 percent of Inet's revenue, most of which came from New York. At 18 years old, Erb fired all but two employees, and he faced a genuine threat of losing his company.

"Now, I think of my diploma as an insurance policy," said Erb, who, after having already been taught a tough lesson on risk, paid his premium by going back to school and getting a bachelors degree from the University of Richmond.

Nobody understands the importance of a good education more than I, Erb said. Thats why I want to encourage young, disadvantaged youth to stay in school and to explore opportunities in communications, technology and business.

As part of its outreach program INM United is offering an internship for four students each semester to expose them to the communications, marketing and interactive technology fields.

We are just getting started with our outreach program, Erb said. My goal is to see this grow beyond INM United to a national outreach program. This is just the beginning.

Today, INM has nine employees, up from five last year and the company is experiencing the biggest growth in its 10-year history. Revenues have already doubled from 2007. INM has developed Web sites and interactive technologies for BFGoodrich, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Garren New York, Air New Zealand, Harborview Nantucket, 3North, Workshop APD, Peter-Blair and many more.
INM United is a boutique integrated marketing and communications agency located in the Shockoe Bottom of Richmond, VA. While offering boutique interactive media, brand development & advertising services, INM United also offers large-scale production services that integrate technology for measuring effectiveness and return on investments.

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• INM United
• Inet Network
• Richmond
• Virginia
• web site design
• interactive
• marketing
• advertising
• Joel Erb
• Main Street Station
• outreach
• inner-city
• business
• entrepreneur