Empowering Local Businesses in University City: SBI Success Stories

University City Partners is proud to support and elevate local businesses through the impactful Small Business Initiative (SBI). Sponsored by the City of Charlotte, with additional contributions from the Truist Foundation and Pride PR, SBI provides small businesses with essential resources to grow, thrive, and contribute to a vibrant local economy. In 2024, 100% of the City of Charlotte’s allocated funds were utilized, directly supporting over 217 businesses with marketing, promotions, safety enhancements, and public relations initiatives.

Safety and community well-being remain central to UCP’s mission of fostering a thriving environment for businesses and residents. Recent efforts include the installation of security systems at The Pointe and University Plaza, in partnership with Veris Properties and Lat Purser & Associates. These investments aim to create a secure and inviting atmosphere, further cementing University City as a premier destination for business and leisure. UCP also supported enhancements like signage for Dave’s Paddleboat, showcasing its dedication to small but impactful upgrades that benefit the broader community.

Approximately 60% of SBI funds were allocated directly to businesses, with the remaining funds enhancing infrastructure and building a robust database of 910 businesses. This database now represents nearly 60% of the known businesses in the MSD trade area, enabling UCP to improve outreach, engagement, and support.

The stories of grant recipients highlight the profound impact of SBI. James Smith of My Outdoor Joy used grant funds to enhance marketing strategies and hire PR support, significantly growing his outdoor-focused business. Anita, owner of Zamariya Spa of Africa, leveraged the initiative to boost her online presence, attracting new clients and building stronger community connections. Christopher Peterkin of University Care Services expanded his reach with targeted ads in Pride Magazine, amplifying his visibility and client base.

The initiative also amplifies success stories through UCP’s podcast series, which featured nine small businesses. These episodes showcase diverse entrepreneurs and their unique journeys, fostering community awareness and inspiring other business owners. Listen to the podcast episodes on UCP’s YouTube channel: University City Partners YouTube Channel.

For more insights and updates, explore video testimonials from grant recipients like My Outdoor Joy and University Care Services:

Join the movement by subscribing to UCP’s newsletter and following them on social media. Together, we are building a brighter, safer, and more connected University City.

Video Summary: https://youtu.be/_vq05jDV4Y4 

 

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Receive Up to Date News


Receive Economic Development News


View Past Newsletters


View Post by Category


Press Releases

Meet our new intern, Haley Chilcott

Haley Chilcott is our new Marketing Communications Intern here at University City Partners. Haley is an undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and is majoring in Communications, with a concentration in Public Relations. After graduation...

University City Partners welcomes our newest board members

  University City Partners welcomes its newest members of the UCP Board of Directors: Charlotte City Manager Marcus Smith and Michael Fung, a regional leader for Wells Fargo's Corporate Properties Group. The University City Partners Board of Directors consists of...

Response to tragic police incident and unrest

Last night our community was at the center of a tragic police incident followed by several hours of demonstration, aggressive agitation and unrest. Our neighborhoods, businesses, retail centers and institutions were impacted with activity that has left us all feeling...

Introducing our UNC Charlotte interns

University City Partners is proud to introduce our "Class of 2016" - our fall semester interns from UNC Charlotte. Seniors Hollis Maye-Keye and Cagney Reeves will help us with communications and planning - key functions for our success. We encourage you to consider...

UCP video report: Planning for our transit-powered future

University City Partners has launched a new feature - a monthly video report on how we are investing time and resources to build University City. Today's report: UCP is leading a planning effort to make the area around the future JW Clay Transit station a more...

Our 2016 Annual Report chronicles a landmark year

The dramatic changes taking place across University City can be hard to keep up with - unless you have the University City Partners annual report. Our brand new 2016 University City Partners Annual Report chronicles these changes over the past year (July 2015-June...

University City Partners welcomes new board members

University City Partners welcomes four new members to its board of directors, including two UNC Charlotte grads. Tracy Dodson with Lincoln Harris, John McAlister with Electrolux, Phil Nicholenko with TIAA and Jane Wu, founder of Carolina States Regional Center, have...

Thanks for taking our survey; we heard you!

Our recent invitation to take a brief survey about University City Partners drew more than 100 participants and many useful responses. ”The survey was like a pulse check to make sure that what we are hearing in our meetings also represents the opinions of all of the...

University City Partners adds planning & development director

Tobe Holmes has joined University City Partners as its planning and development director. Holmes, formerly with Center City Partners, will oversee all UCP planning and development initiatives. At Center City Partners, Holmes managed economic and community development...

Meet our UNC Charlotte interns

One benefit of having UNC Charlotte nearby is the amazing wealth of student interns. We landed three of the best this semester: Meredith Avant (Communications with PR concentration), Miguel Avila (Economics with innovation focus), and Charles Trowell (Architecture...