One Coast promises to help retailers through a new non-profit - One Coast is starting the new year with a new non-profit organization designed to support independent retailers through financial grants, training, partnerships, and mentorships.
On Thursday, January 5, at 5:30 p.m. CST in the business' showroom, WTC-265, at the Dallas Market Center, Heart on Main Street will be introduced and explained.
According to Patrick Keiser, executive director and board member of Heart on Main Street, "Independent retailers are the heart and soul of our communities." Every dollar spent at an independent retailer returns to the community 46 percent of the time. However, compared to their bigger rivals, independent retailers have less access to resources, both financial and otherwise. Heart on Main Street's goal is to provide independent retailers with the tools they need to succeed.
Heart on Main Street will begin a retailer education webinar series in February.
Independent retailers can apply for financial grants of up to $25,000 starting on March 1, 2023, to aid in expanding their operations. According to the Heart on Main Street website, retailers who are involved in their communities and who are working on a project that they can't finish on their own are the best candidates for the grants.
Additionally, retailers with less than three years in operation will be eligible to apply for admission to the Heart on Main Street mentorship program, which gives them access to experts in various aspects of retail to aid in the development of long-term success plans.
Friends of Main Street, a partnership network founded by Heart on Main Street, provides guidance and assistance in a variety of retailing-related fields, including branding and design, visual merchandising, financial planning, inventory management, interior design, marketing, legal issues, and others.