The KickStart Columbus small business plan competition announced two winners of their very first program that is providing free retail space Downtown. City Paws Home Health is a new home pet care retailer, and Seven Studios is a yoga, pilates and life coaching studio. The two winners were selected from dozen of submissions by a panel of local business and civic leaders.
“The KickStart competition is helping to remove one of the biggest barriers to success for small businesses – access to capital,” said Columbus City Councilmember A. Troy Miller, a KickStart judge and chair of the Columbus City Council’s Small & Minority Business Development Committee. “These winners are receiving free and reduced rent for three years along South Third Street. This will give these owners a better chance of growing their business.”
In addition to free and reduced rents, the winners of the KickStart competition will also receive free business consulting sessions from ECDI, a one-year membership to the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, a one-year membership to the Small Business Beanstalk, a one-year membership to the AmSpirit networking chapter, a year of free advertising from ColumbusUnderground.com, and $1,000 to be used toward business signage.
“The Downtown community is constantly evolving and an important component to its success is the addition of retail storefronts,” said Cleve Ricksecker, Executive Director of Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District. “These businesses will complement the growing number of restaurants and living spaces that are making our urban core a more vibrant place to live and work.”
The new businesses will be located in retail spaces on South Third Street on the east side of the City Center Parking Garage.
CLICK HERE for more information and discussion about the KickStart Columbus program.