Biz Buzz: Pocatello couple opens first 360-degree photo booth in eastern Idaho

Do you want to know what’s happening in the eastern Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered. Here is a rundown of this week’s business news across the valley.

BIZ BRIEF

POCATELLO

It’s the first business of its kind in eastern Idaho, and the owners say you’ll love it

POCATELLO – Melissa and Levi Lish of Pocatello are the proud owners of a new business, which they say is the first of its kind in eastern Idaho.

It all started with a search for a birthday present for one of Melissa’s relatives last summer. As Melissa was perusing social media for ideas, she came across a video showcasing a 360-degree photo booth. A retractable arm with a camera attached rotates in a circle, taking pictures at 120 frames per second of a person standing on a 46-inch circular platform.

The entire process takes about 30 seconds, and the video is quickly uploaded so the customer can share it however they wish. See how it works in the video player above.

Melissa liked what she saw, and she went to work tracking one down, but there weren’t any to be found in eastern Idaho. She and her husband, Levi, decided to bring one to the area.

360 Photo Booth launched in January and became fully operational on March 1. Melissa says customers are “pleasantly curious” when they first hear about it.

“They see the name and they’re like, ‘Ok, I think I like what you have but I’m not totally sure what it is and what it does.’ We’ve been educating people about what it is, and overall, people have been positive,” Melissa says.

The business is a mobile operation, catering primarily to weddings, parties and other events. For a fee, the couple will bring the equipment to your party and run it for those in attendance.

Melissa says it’s a unique way to capture memories.

“You feel like a superstar,” Melissa says, laughing. “You just feel so cool. We have LED lights and a money gun that shoots $100 bills. For 15 seconds, you just feel like a celebrity.”

RELATED | Local couple opens mobile kayak rental business

The idea of owning the first business of its kind in eastern Idaho is an exciting prospect for Melissa, who also runs a kayak and paddleboard rental business called YAKSUP with her husband.

She and Levi are looking forward to acquiring new customers for 360 Photo Booth as time goes on. To learn more or make a reservation, visit the website or Facebook page. You can also call Melissa directly at (208) 351-9561.

BIZ BITS

Local entrepreneur awarded Small Business Person of the Year

IDAHO FALLS – Ahead of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration has announced the winners of this year’s Small Business Person of the Year winners.

Marcella Medor, the owner of MarCom LLC, has been selected as Idaho’s Small Business Person of the Year for 2022.

“To be recognized as the SBA 2022 Business Person of the Year, in a state where intelligent and successful small businesses thrive, will forever be the greatest achievement of my career,” Medor says.

The SBA celebrates National Small Business Week by recognizing the achievements of outstanding small business owners and entrepreneurs nationwide. More than 50 small business owners and entrepreneurs from across the U.S. were awarded this year.

All NSBW winners will be recognized during a virtual event on May 5.

Registration opens for Rigby Stampede Days celebration

RIGBY – The Rigby Chamber of Commerce is gearing up for the annual Stampede Days this summer.

The annual two-day event acknowledges the efforts of farmers and ranchers with a parade, rodeo and dozens of vendors. The theme for this year’s event is “Let the magic begin.”

Those who would like to feature a float in the parade have until June 15 to register. A registration form can be obtained by calling Rigby Chamber President Teresa Anderson. She works at First American Title Company, which can be reached at (208) 745-8715.

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