The Retail Alliance and Phoebus Partnership announced five small businesses in Hampton will receive $3,000 to $5,000 grants and expert consulting as part of a pilot program.
The Retail Alliance is using a $100,000 Virginia Business District Resurgence grant from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development to help existing businesses in Phoebus.
Eleven businesses applied, and judges selected five: Art Central Gallery, Happy Hempo, Palace Jewelers, SeeWhich Books and Sly Clyde Ciderworks.
The consultant team will conduct individual evaluations of the customer experience from a multi-channel perspective and provide recommendations to the business owners on developing a seamless customer experience, Retail Alliance President and CEO Jenny Crittenden said. The grants will then help the businesses implement the recommendations.
In addition to the consulting services, the program will host three workshops for all businesses in the commercial district.
“The Retail Alliance team and their consultants are not just supporting individual ventures but investing in the overall economic vitality of the Phoebus district,” Dominique DeBose, executive director of the Phoebus Partnership, said in the announcement. “Empowering these businesses with the resources they need to not only thrive but also operate sustainably will help bolster Downtown Phoebus as a vibrant community and enduring destination.”
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