This pilot project was developed to provide support to small businesses as they emerged from the COVID pandemic. The concept targeted five specific retailers, provided expert support across multiple sectors, and identified key areas for growth and improvement.
Commonwealth
Retail Alliance Technical Assistance Team Pilot Project in Phoebus
Resilience Planning
Retail Alliance Technical Assistance Team Pilot Project in Phoebus
Partners
Retail Alliance
Consociate Media
Angela Knight, Retail Consultant
Sara Harris Photography
Small Business Development Cente
Department of Housing and Community Development
Phoebus Partnership
Seawich Books
Firehouse Coffee
Sly Clyde
Arts Central Gallery
Happy Hempo
Palace Jewelers
Project Goals
The technical assistance team was assigned to provide design, marketing and financial services to selected small businesses in Phoebus.
Project Design
Utilizing an array of expertise, the technical assistance team collaborated to develop unified assessments and recommendations.
Retailers were chosen from a discrete area and specific businesses were selected through a competitive application process. The project team then interviewed each retailer, providing specific recommendations based on areas of expertise. Once all recommendations were available, the team met and determined the highest priority action items. Action items were then shared with each retail business and funding was made available to implement the highest priority recommendation.
Challenges & Accomplishments
Throughout the project, retailers, though enthusiastic about the support they received, were challenged to actively participate while juggling multiple demands from their businesses.
The project team quickly established a rapport with the retail businesses and provided high quality assessments with implementation recommendations that were unanimous. Furthermore, the assessments provide a roadmap for retailers to use over the coming years. For CPG staff in particular, a major challenge involved having two of the initial retail participants drop out due to unforeseen circumstances and having a Fort Monroe retailer added close to the project’s conclusion.