The Town of Marion Office of Community and Economic Development concluded the 21st round of “Pop Up Marion” last week. Nine teams representing 28 attendees presented their business concepts to a panel of judges as the first of two steps toward one of three $5,000 start-up grant awards.
“It was an amazing class,” said Marion’s Director of Community and Economic Development and creator of “Pop Up Marion” Ken Heath. “We are blessed to have so many passionate, driven entrepreneurs in this community, and we’re excited to work with each of them to make their business dreams come true.”
Presenters now have two weeks to finalize a written business plan and turn it in to Heath, where a second round of judges will review and score. The two sets of scores will then be tallied, and the top three will win a $5,000 grant to help start or expand their Marion business. Winners will be announced on Wednesday, Nov. 24..
Business concepts included a variety of dining options, from expanded menu offerings to new food trucks; new retail shops, a “maker’s space” concept for artisans, and expanded lodging opportunities.
“This is exactly what the program was designed to do,” added Heath. “To empower people to live their dream. Small businesses are the lifeblood of a community, and the unique, locally-owned businesses are the heartbeat. ‘Pop Up Marion’ provides the business basics to move folks through the idea phase to evaluation, and ultimately to opening – moving from the couch to the cash register – and creating new businesses, new jobs, and new lives for those willing to invest the time to learn and network.”
“Pop Up Marion” started in the fall of 2012, and to date, has trained 315 people, sold 12 downtown buildings, filled an additional 23 storefronts, created 33 new businesses, 121 new jobs, assisted with three façade improvements and spurred over $2.6 million in private reinvestment. The program has plummeted Marion’s downtown storefront vacancy rates from over 17% to under 4%, and is being used in communities across Virginia and the region, and “Pop Up Marion” is the model for the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Community Business Launch program. The five-week class brings local experts from a variety of disciplines to teach individual class sessions, with topics from basic credit to business financials, legal and marketing, to assist participants in developing their presentation and business plan.
Additionally, the Town of Marion offers $15,000 small business low-interest loans through a partnership with USDA Rural Development for any eligible new and expanding business within the Town of Marion. That program has assisted an additional 30 businesses to date.
“Pop Up Marion” is a program of the Town of Marion’s Department of Community and Economic Development, and is funded by the Town of Marion and Wells Fargo bank. The program has won numerous awards, including from the Southern Economic Development Council, the Virginia Municipal League, and US Small Business Administration. For additional information on business opportunities, contact Heath at (276) 378-5026 or email [email protected].
