The City of West Park offers the Mom and Pop Small Business Grant Program, which was created to provide financial and technical assistance to qualified small businesses that are approved for funding. This program has allowed small owned and operated businesses within the City the opportunity to interact with local government under favorable conditions, ultimately bridging the gap between the two entities.
The program provides needed financial assistance to further the economic viability of recipients; grant funds can be used on the following items, but are not limited to: Inventory/Supplies, Minor Interior/Exterior Renovations, Businesses Equipment, Security System, Marketing/Advertising and Commercial Liability Insurance. Since the program’s inception in 2015 the City has successfully awarded grants to 14 small businesses including:
• Rose’s Delight
• IRK Upholstery
• Rapid Auto Lube
• Day’s Dry Cleaners
• Purple Palace
• A & Z Thrift Store
• Chair Care, Inc.
• Jeff Auto Service
• Smooth Cuts Unisex Salon, Inc.
• Touchstone Lawn Service
• 809 Autoshop, Inc.
• Goodecare Auto Pros, Inc.
• RIK International
• JC Tax Services
• IRK Upholsterers
A FEW SUCCESS STORIES
– IRK Upholsterers needed a dependable vehicle to offer service, which caters to the tri-county area. The City of West Park Mom and Pop Small Business Grant Program allowed IRK Upholsterers to put a $5,000.00 down payment on a new vehicle. Since then IRK Upholsters has participated in some major opportunities around the tri county area and their business continues to grow.
– Days Dry Cleaners used the grant funds to make minor improvements to the structure of their building, which helps increase marketing efforts and attract customers to the business. Improvements included replacing awnings that hadn’t been replaced in over 20 years. The new awnings will not only provide better signage so customers can see from a distance, but also better shade for customers when they are serviced at the window.
– In an effort to meet supply and demand and to increase sales A to Z Thrift Store used the grant funds to purchase an array of beds in all sizes that included twin, full, queen and king, to service people in need in the community.
– Purple Palace Barbershop used the grants funds to insure customer satisfaction witch will have a result in repetitive and new business.
The barber chairs and barber equipment such as clippers haven been in need of replacing, with the funds Purple Palace Barbershop was able to make those much needed changes.
Chair Care Upholstery, a local upholstery business with over 35 years servicing the West Park area and surrounding communities, was awarded a grant which has made a significant difference in marketing and productivity outcomes. This transformation helps the small business with development challenges, particularly to improve customer relationship processes and marketing initiatives with our new, state-of-the-art computer. Plus overall productivity has increased greatly with the full functioning, commercial sewing machine we were able to purchase.
Aurora Ocasio, co-owner of Chair Care Upholstery, says after almost four decades in this neighborhood the small business grant has boosted morale and dramatically improved business. “We are really excited about the future of our business. The support of this great city gives us a real feeling of hope and resilience in this great community,” says Ocasio.
That hope and resilience has translated into advanced progress for Chair Care Upholstery. With help from the City of West Park, Chair Care Upholstery can continue its momentum at a speed we certainly could not have made without this investment from the Small Business Grant. Thank you, City of West Park, for helping to take our business to the next level.
Goodecare Auto Pros, a small business owner and operator in West Park is grateful for the opportunity to be a recent recipient of this year’s Mom and Pop Small Business Grant Program. The funds will be beneficial to the business for growth and development. The owners plan to upgrade outdated equipment and are very thankful to the City.
