Decatur is launching a small business incubator program to help budding entrepreneurs transition to physical stores in the city.
The city’s downtown development authorities (DDA) recently funded the program, which was created as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on brick-and-mortar businesses. While only a handful of Decatur-based stores shut down over the past year, Downtown Program Manager Shirley Baylis said she’s noticed lots of new businesses decide to pursue online or vendor models.
“We want to make this something that is available to business owners that just want to know how to get from A to B in that process of going into a space,” she told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Baylis said she had the idea for a business incubator in 2019, but it didn’t gain traction until she saw other cities, such as Baltimore and Dayton, Ohio, tout similar programs in 2020. She pitched the idea this summer to the DDA and was granted $25,000 in funding, which she said is enough for six small businesses to participate.
The DDA views Decatur’s business districts, especially its downtown square and Old Depot District, as core to the city’s culture, Baylis said. The incubator program will help small businesses find six-month leases to participate in those in-person retail markets.
“We want to make sure that we are giving people the full attention that they need to be successful in this process,” Baylis said. “The end goal is not for them to say, ‘OK, I did that for six months and now I’m gone.’ The end goal is for them to say, ‘Hey, I see I can make it in a space, and I want to go into a brick-and-mortar space.’”
The program will fund 50% of rental expenses and will help with marketing, advertising and legal costs. In addition, the city will connect participants with other small business owners, accountants and bank representatives for training and mentorship sessions.
To qualify, a small business must have 10 or fewer employees and must have existed for at least two years. The city began accepting applications Monday. Baylis said the city’s goal is to have participants in their newly leased space by mid-October.
“Our economy is largely built on experiences, so the incubator is an investment both in our future and budding entrepreneurs,” Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett said in a news release. “We hope this program signals Decatur is committed to bringing people back together and supporting the brick-and-mortar retailers that make our culture second to none.”
To apply, visit decaturdda.com/incubator. For more information about the program, email Baylis at shirley.baylis@decaturga.com.
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