Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Anastasia Volynsky was slowly building her company’s social media presence by showcasing Lucky Goldie’s custom charm jewelry. But she wanted to quickly grow brand awareness of her San Francisco Bay area-based company, so she turned to Verizon Small Business Digital Ready. After applying learnings from the program’s free courses, Volynsky increased her social media followers by 80% and boosted her sales in the holiday season – her busiest time of year – by 144% over the previous year.
She credits the sales growth in part to the AI aptitude she learned in Verizon courses, which allowed her to save time and automate processes. As a solo entrepreneur, Volynsky found that using AI allowed her to do things she simply wouldn’t have time for on her own. “I took a course called “Getting Started with AI” and it completely opened up my eyes to a whole different world of AI,” she says.
Along with automating invoicing and experimenting with sales-generating chatbots, Volynsky began strategizing how to use AI wherever she could. After taking a Digital Ready course on writing contracts, for example, she then utilized AI to draft a contract to use at corporate events. “I put two things that I learned together and ended up with a final contract that I now use,” she explains.
She also values Verizon as a resource she can return to, again and again, thanks to constantly refreshed offerings. “One thing that Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is really good at is keeping up with their courses and adding new things depending on what's going on and what’s trending,” Volynsky says. “They’re really good at adding new things like that.”
Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is part of Verizon’s goal to support 1 million small businesses by 2030 with free resources to help them succeed. To sign up, visit Verizon Small Business Digital Ready. Visit CitizenVerizon.com to learn more about the company’s responsible business efforts. An individual user's experience may vary and results are not guaranteed.
Anastasia Volynsky was slowly building her company’s social media presence by showcasing Lucky Goldie’s custom charm jewelry. But she wanted to quickly grow brand awareness of her San Francisco Bay area-based company, so she turned to Verizon Small Business Digital Ready. After applying learnings from the program’s free courses, Volynsky increased her social media followers by 80% and boosted her sales in the holiday season – her busiest time of year – by 144% over the previous year.
She credits the sales growth in part to the AI aptitude she learned in Verizon courses, which allowed her to save time and automate processes. As a solo entrepreneur, Volynsky found that using AI allowed her to do things she simply wouldn’t have time for on her own. “I took a course called “Getting Started with AI” and it completely opened up my eyes to a whole different world of AI,” she says.
Along with automating invoicing and experimenting with sales-generating chatbots, Volynsky began strategizing how to use AI wherever she could. After taking a Digital Ready course on writing contracts, for example, she then utilized AI to draft a contract to use at corporate events. “I put two things that I learned together and ended up with a final contract that I now use,” she explains.
She also values Verizon as a resource she can return to, again and again, thanks to constantly refreshed offerings. “One thing that Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is really good at is keeping up with their courses and adding new things depending on what's going on and what’s trending,” Volynsky says. “They’re really good at adding new things like that.”
Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is part of Verizon’s goal to support 1 million small businesses by 2030 with free resources to help them succeed. To sign up, visit Verizon Small Business Digital Ready. Visit CitizenVerizon.com to learn more about the company’s responsible business efforts. An individual user's experience may vary and results are not guaranteed.








![Long Island sign maker’s business lights up, thanks to new digital marketing strategies
Ron Fisher’s entrepreneurial journey began nearly a decade ago when he and his former business partner took over an existing sign business to launch Fisher Signs & Shirts in Southampton, NY.
They produce storefront signs, vehicle lettering and banners as well as printed flyers, business cards, stationery, custom T-shirts, laser-engraved products and company uniforms. Today, Fisher Signs & Shirts has two locations and has grown to 12 employees, including current co-owner and business partner Jerry Smith.
Fisher first learned about Verizon Small Business Digital Ready through a partnership with the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. The course offerings, he says, immediately resonated.
“I knew that social media marketing was really important for my business, but I didnt know where to go to learn it,” Fisher explains. “When I found Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, I saw courses that really spoke to me, that were titled [with] exactly the information I was missing.”
The Basics of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) taught Fisher that he might need to hire an outside vendor to help strategize for SEO. When I was meeting with potential vendors to offer that service to my business, I knew what to ask for, I knew what to look for,” Fisher says. “And I printed out the [Verizon] course guide, and had it right there as a resource.”
He also redesigned the company website and learned how to use free analytics tools from search engines and social media platforms. “It allows us to tailor our content to what’s working, whats impactful and what inspires people to reach out to us,” he says.
The results have been clear: “Since initiating SEO and the website revamp, we have seen a 25% increase in customers taking action by emailing or calling. Our web traffic is up 57% and we’ve passed one of our competitors in [search engine results] ranking,” Fisher says.
Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is part of Verizon’s goal to support 1 million small businesses by 2030 with the resources to thrive in the digital economy. Visit CitizenVerizon.com to learn more about the company’s responsible business efforts. To sign up for Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, visit digitalready.verizonwireless.com. An individual users experience may vary and results are not guaranteed. Long Island sign maker’s business lights up, thanks to new digital marketing strategies](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sLuYyg5ESv8/mqdefault.jpg)

![Mannequin Madness finds a new business partner in AI
Judi Henderson has “always been curious about the next, newest thing.” That’s how she found herself buying a single mannequin in 1999 for an art project — and ended up an entrepreneur.
Henderson, 69, is the owner of Mannequin Madness, a thriving mannequin sales, rental and recycling business in Oakland, California. The business has grown thanks in part to her willingness to keep learning about new technology, from digital marketing and social media to practical AI tools for small businesses. Verizon’s free skill-development programs have helped her build those skills and put them to work in her business.
How Judi is using AI for her small business Social media: In Verizon’s free online courses, Henderson learned how to identify the most strategic platforms, saving her time and marketing dollars.
AI for content: Henderson uses AI tools to generate images for her website and help create content for her blog.
AI for tasks: She also uses AI to respond to customers, automate tasks and prepare for vendor meetings. She estimates this gives her 20% more time in productivity alone.
Coaching and reviews with experts: Henderson takes advantage of Verizon’s expert coaching, both live and online. She appreciates the diversity of people taking part.
As the retail landscape changes, Henderson is dedicated to changing with it. “AI [feels] like a whole new world, and I like that it gets me excited,” she says. “I feel like I could be on the cutting edge of something and that is appealing to me.”
“I’m amazed that something that’s free has so much value,” Henderson says. “Verizon gives us the tools we need, making sure small businesses are not left behind.”
Discover free AI courses (https://digitalready.verizonwireless.com/results/ai?) and resources designed to help small-business owners put AI to work.
An individual users experience may vary and results are not guaranteed. Mannequin Madness finds a new business partner in AI](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tGQBay-psQo/mqdefault.jpg)