Lower Manhattan Jump Start: a Free Program Providing a Path Toward Small Business Success Now Open for Applications
The Alliance for Downtown New York has opened applications for Lower Manhattan Jump Start: A Free Program Providing a Path Toward Small Business Success. The program, in partnership with the consultancy Streetsense, will provide 20 new retailers and restaurateurs coming to Lower Manhattan with access to expert help and resources over four interactive sessions. The Alliance is paying for these services (estimated at a value of $10,000 per award) as an additional incentive for entrepreneurs to make Lower Manhattan their new home.
Almost every startup has moments during its launch period when they wished they could summon a steady, experienced hand to solve the inevitable problems. Whether it’s Covid-ready design questions, marketing or IT issues, savvy social-media strategies or demographic analysis, Streetsense will be that partner for qualifying businesses.
Applications for Jump Start are now open at downtownny.com/jumpstart
“Opening a new storefront business in New York City is incredibly daunting,” said Downtown Alliance President Jessica Lappin. “Unexpected challenges surface at every turn. Just because you have the best recipe for pho or a keen eye for tech’s next hottest gadget, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you know how to market it online or efficiently set up a payroll system. That’s why we are committed to helping new retailers survive and thrive in Lower Manhattan.”
Each of Streetsense’s four sessions will be customized based on the needs of each business, whether in the realms of physical operations, digital marketing, public relations or e-commerce. Streetsense will also draft a launch plan tailored to each respective business.
Eligible participants for Lower Manhattan Jump Start must meet the following criteria:
- Have a signed lease or letter of intent, dated on or after July 1, 2021, for a storefront commercial space in Lower Manhattan
- Lease must be of at least one year
- Location cannot be open at the time of application
- Be an independent business with no more than five locations in New York City, including this new one
- Not be a national chain or franchise
- Be located in the Lower Manhattan Business Improvement District
Acceptance into the program will be made on a first-come, first-served basis.
This program is part of a continuing effort by the Alliance to help Lower Manhattan’s business community recover from the Covid-19 crisis. In 2020, the Alliance awarded over $600,000 in rental assistance grants and, at the height of New York’s pandemic, partnered with Streetsense to provide 35 small businesses with one-on-one technical assistance to ensure Covid-compliance. The Alliance also awarded 27 of those businesses with additional $3,000 grants to implement recommended changes.
About Streetsense
Streetsense is an experience-focused strategy and design collective that creates brands people love and places people love to be. Founded in 2001 as a real estate strategy firm, Streetsense has evolved in response to emerging needs in the market. Today, we are an agency of over 150 researchers, designers, architects, planners, writers, analysts, strategists, and more. We offer expertise across a variety of disciplines and industries, reaching outside the box to deliver dynamic, customized solutions. We create memorable places, distinctive brands, and meaningful experiences. We are constantly refining our approach and expanding our capabilities to offer the best service and most innovative solutions.
About the Alliance for Downtown New York
The mission of the Alliance for Downtown New York is to provide service, advocacy, research and information to advance Lower Manhattan as a global model of a 21st century Central Business District for businesses, residents and visitors. The Downtown Alliance manages the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Business Improvement District (BID), serving an area roughly from City Hall to the Battery, from the East River to West Street. For more information visit downtownny.com