Retail Business Contest
Do you have an idea for the next great retail spot in Detroit? Have you always dreamed of owning your own storefront business, but never taken the plunge?
Hatch Detroit is a non-profit organization founded by Ted Balowski and Nick Gorga, and they are giving away $50,000 in cash, and thousands of dollars more in free business services to the winner of their inaugural retail contest. Hatch Detroit defines a retail business as a brick and mortar storefront, where someone can walk in, and pay money for goods, services, food, or drinks. Think yoga studios, coffee shops, art galleries, barber shops, clothing boutiques, etc…The type of stores that make a neighborhood vibrant and cool.
The deadline to enter the contest is September 1st. Check out their Submission Guidelines for all the details on what’s required. 10 semi-finalists will be chosen. The semi-finalists will have their bios, videos, and plans plastered all over the Hatch Detroit website, social media sites and other media outlets for the world to see. From there, Detroiters, suburbanites, and Detroiters-at-heart around the world will cast their votes online to pick the Final Four. The Final Four will then compete in a live Q&A session with a panel of judges, streamed live for the world to see. The public will vote again to ultimately pick the winner.
The winner gets the $50,000, and the business services, while all of the others get weeks of unprecedented exposure to potential funders and the public at large. In reality, everyone wins. Please let us know if you are interested in supporting Hatch Detroit through monetary donations, or donations of services to the winner. We call this “crowd entrepreneurship”–Detroit lovers banding together to hatch and support businesses that will enhance the vibrancy and diversity of Detroit’s neighborhoods.
To learn more about submitting your idea, or donating money and services to the cause, go to www.hatchdetroit.com. You can also follow Hatch Detroit on Twitter or Like them on Facebook.
