The Main Street Laurens Economic Enhancement Team this week announced a second Jump Start business Competition, where new businesses get special inducements to open in Downtown Laurens.
Laurens Main Street Director Jonathan Irick said Last year’s competition was a great way to “jump start” new businesses in the downtown. He said “After the announcement of Yo’ Cup Cafe and Coffeehouse as the winner, we started receiving more interest from new business owners in available properties in downtown.” Irick said after Yo’Cup opened, three other new businesses opened on the Square.
Main Street Laurens’ Jump Start is a business plan competition with a goal of at least one and perhaps two new businesses to open in the historic downtown in time for the Christmas season. Main Street Laurens may award two businesses up to $2,500 each in rental assistance, which is for up to 50% of the rental amount for the first 6 to 12 months of the new businesses operation. Additional in-kind professional services will be provided by local businesses which could include, but not be limited to, accounting, legal, payroll, telephone/internet, signage, office supplies, and advertising. The total award package for the winner will be around $5000.
Til Culbertson and Courtney Taylor Mims, owners and operators of Yo’ Cup Cafe and Coffeehouse in Clinton, attribute the Jump Start program to the reason they opened their 2nd location on the Downtown Laurens.
Applications for this year’s Jump Start are available now. Deadline for the application is 5:00 pm Monday, June 15th. Semi-finalists will be notified the following Monday June 22nd. These semi-finalists will turn in their business plans on July 8 and make a business pitch to the MSL Economic Enhancement Team on Thursday July 23. The winner(s) of the 2015 Jump Start program will be announced August 28th.
More information on the program is available at the Main Street Office on the ground floor of the Historic Laurens County Courthouse, or by calling 984-2119.