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A small town of 3,500, Altavista, Virginia, has a large number of unique small businesses. Altavista On Track, the local Main Street organization, is working to cultivate and sustain local entrepreneurs with an educational business launch competition, Pop-Up Altavista 2.0.
This fall, Altavista On Track (AOT) is hosting its second business launch competition, Pop-Up Altavista 2.0. The program, which kicked off September 6, is designed to lead local entrepreneurs through a nine-week educational program to help them plan for their business’s future. Pop-Up 2.0 is ideal for all kinds of entrepreneurs, from aspiring entrepreneurs who only have a business idea to entrepreneurs who are ready to open their doors, or even seasoned business owners who want to expand their existing business.
The first Pop-Up Altavista program launched in January 2015, and was based on a similar program developed by Marion, Virginia. Prior to its start, a needs survey was conducted within the community to better understand the business types and services that local consumers desired and would support. The original program provided a six-week curriculum and had 25 participants. During the culminating pitch night, $25,000 in grant funding was awarded by AOT to three businesses with the best business plans. (Scroll down for Pop-Up Altavista success stories.)
AOT advertised the class for one week, and all 20 class spots filled up immediately—we had to start a waiting list. We were thrilled with how many people were interested in starting a business or expanding their business in Altavista.
For the second execution of the program, Pop-Up Altavista 2.0, AOT really wanted to focus on the organization and education of the program. We utilized the State of Virginia’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC), which visits our area frequently for business counselling services, as facilitators for the Pop-Up 2.0 classes. Working as a partnership, we wanted the SBDC to establish a larger client base in Altavista, but also serve as a long term resource opportunity for more businesses here.
Another advantage of our partnership with the SBDC was the creation of curriculum for the classes. The SBDC uses a program called GrowthWheel, a self-guided vehicle by which the business owner discovers the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in their business, industry, and market. Though Growthwheel is a global resource that many Small Business Development Centers use, this is the first time anyone has ever made it into an entrepreneurial training format or curriculum for a program. We are excited that our SBDC worked with us to be the first organization to pilot this program.
Once we finalized the curriculum, we also reached out to schedule local experts in their fields as speakers. Bankers, attorneys, marketing pros, etc., will come in each week and speak for about 15 minutes on their experience, and also give participants the opportunity to ask questions and make connections. We felt that having local leaders from the community involved in the program would help strengthen and support Altavista’s entrepreneurial climate.
Pop-Up 2.0 culminates with a "Business Expo Night" event where participants will pitch their business ideas to judges for the opportunity to receive funding. Instead of conducting a “Shark Tank-style” pitch session, we wanted participants to be able to have more personal conversations with the judges to present their business plan. Funding, which is determined by the judges, will be based upon the strength of the business plan, sustainability of the business, and the need for the business in the community. If funded, business owners will be required to submit their receipts to AOT to show that the money went toward expenses for business expansion or business start-up. After Pop-Up 2.0 ends, AOT plans to support the participants by hosting business mentorship breakfasts to further relationships with AOT, town officials, the SBDC, and Altavista Area Chamber of Commerce.
Altavista On Track is proud to bring local business owners together to work alongside other entrepreneurs to discover their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in their business, industry, and market. Pop-Up 2.0's specialized curriculum will help guide participants to create solutions tailored to their individual business needs—a business plan that will assist with the growth of their businesses, help them apply for loan packages, and investment opportunities. Throughout the program, participants have the opportunity to build lasting relationships with other entrepreneurs, the Small Business Development Center, local business resources, commercial lenders, and local professional services.
“Having the grant money available allows me to hire more people. That’s the big thing." - Gwen Synder Wells, Owner, Mitchell's Salon on 7th
Vahseer Meadworks
Jerome Snyder, owner of Vahseer Meadworks had studied the techniques behind craft brewing for years, and he always dreamt of operating his own meadery. Mead is the ancient alcoholic beverage using the ingredients of honey, water, fruits, herbs and spices to create a “honey-wine.” After completion of the Pop-Up program, Jerome was awarded $10,000 to start-up his business in the fall of 2015. Vahseer Meadworks is now the twelfth meadery in the Commonwealth. The Commissioner of Agriculture, Sandra Adams was invited for the grand opening to celebrate Jerome’s use of Virginia local honey and agriculture products to create his mead.
Altavista Medical & Oncology Massage Therapy
Silvy Perkins, a certified massage therapist, wanted to fulfill a need in the region for issues such as therapeutic massage, medical massage, cancer/oncology massage and lymphatic massage. Silvy was awarded $2,500 from Pop-Up Altavista and was able to open Altavista Medical & Oncology Massage Therapy in the summer of 2015. Since her opening, Silvy has hired an additional therapist to expand her business. She was also featured in the state-wide Small Business Development Center Client Profiles magazine for 2016.
Mitchell’s Salon on 7th
ThoughMitchell’s Salon on 7th was an existing business, owner Gwen Synder Wells participated in the Pop-Up program to expand the retail space in her salon. Gwen was awarded $10,000 to redesign her retail space and add an additional product line with Bare Minerals Cosmetics to her store. Gwen was able to increase her retail sales by 114% with the addition of Bare Minerals to her salon and has also been able to hire two stylists. The newest addition to Mitchell’s Salon on 7th is Aesthetician Jessica Sundblom with Blum Esthetics.
More About Altavista
Incorporated in 1912, Altaivsta, Virginia, is a one-of-a-kind town that’s waiting to surprise you. It’s a place where the town’s clock tower still looks down on a little red caboose by the old train station, a place where river currents glide alongside a park bustling with little league teams, runners, and bikers. On the outside, Altavista is surrounded by open land, rolling hills, and cascading rivers, but on the inside, Altavista offers friendly neighborhoods and historic sites, all tied up into one adorable small town.
Emelyn Gwynn is the Main Street Coordinator for Altavista On Track in Altavista, Virginia. Born and raised in Black Mountain, North Carolina, Emelyn came to Altavista after graduating from nearby Lynchburg College. Emelyn was recently featured as one of Lynchburg Business Magazine’s Twenty Under Forty.
Urban Impact Inc., harnesses strategic investments and collaborative efforts to foster a vibrant and sustainable future, from visionary adaptive reuse ventures to transformative development grants for small businesses and property owners in Birmingham, Alabama's historic 4th Avenue Black Business District.
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New Orleans, Louisiana © Bobby Boone
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Cincinnati, Ohio © Janet Hurn
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A podcast featuring some of the best advice we heard from entrepreneurs and community leaders across the country.
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Charlotte, NC © Pixabay
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Laramie, WY © Laramie Main Street Alliance
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© Allapattah CDC
Get ready to support your small business owners and encourage people to shop small this November!
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© Main Street South Carolina
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© Historic Valley Junction
This three-week live, online course will prepare local leaders to more effectively work with small business owners in their districts and create an environment that is supportive of entrepreneurship.
© Notice Pictures
Main Street America has a podcast! Tune into Main Street Business Insights to hear from small business leaders across the country.
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Congratulations to these innovative Shop Small events from across the Main Street network.
Stockbridge, GA © Stockbridge Main Street
Spencer Main Street's Main Street Micro Grants is injecting key funding into their small business ecosystem.
Spencer, IA © Spencer Main Street
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Boston, MA © Kyle Klein
From program budgets to big achievements, here's the latest data on the Main Street Movement in 2023.
Franklin, TN © Brandon Jean
Learn how Downtown Inc and York County Economic Alliance are supporting marginalized small business owners in their community
York, PA © Sully Pinos
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Evart, MI © Storyville
Matt Wagner looks back at his small business predictions for 2022 and shares predictions for 2023.
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Ottumwa, IA © Main Street Ottumwa
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Wixom, MI © Carissa Serylo
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Oceanside, CA © Road West Photography
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Colville, WA © Colville Together
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Camden, AR © Kimberly Moore Davis
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Silver City, NM © Silver City MainStreet
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Skowhegan, ME © Kristina Cannon
Main Street America is proud to support the Revitalizing Small and Local Businesses Act
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© JENNIFER E. WOLF
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Wheeling, WV © Wheeling Heritage
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Charles City, IA © Mark Wicks
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Little Rock, AR © Main Street Arkansas
Matt Wagner explores how Main Streets can navigate workforce concerns in the post-pandemic economy.
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Memphis, TN © Four Way
Heart of Biddeford shares the strategies they developed to support Black-owned businesses in their community.
Biddeford, ME © Heart of Biddeford
We heard from organizations across the nation about the incredible impact their markets have had on community engagement, entrepreneur and small business support, and keeping their district vibrant.
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Tulsa, OK © Dr. Tiffany Crutcher
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Fremont, CA © Fremont Economic Development
BDOs are place-based organizations that help small businesses and entrepreneurs to flourish. They have been on the frontline of support for the country’s hardest-hit entrepreneurs throughout the pandemic and have been working to enable thriving commercial corridors throughout the crisis.
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A vacant storefront is the perfect stage to creatively promote the available space or to showcase other businesses and events in the area.
Ripon, WI © RetailWorks, Inc
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The Batavia Boardwalk Shops are freestanding, purpose-built structures acting as seasonal pop-up locations for entrepreneurs, offered in tandem with a business incubator program.
Batavia, IL © April Duda Photography
For Black History Month, we want to recognize and celebrate the Black business owners and entrepreneurs who have overcome challenges and obstacles in launching and running their own businesses, thanks to resilience, creativity, and hard work.
As a vital place factor within an entrepreneurship ecosystem, pop-up programs allow for emerging businesses to test their product, gain consumer feedback, and promote their brand at an extremely low cost. In essence, allowing for a ‘fail-fast’ product development cycle.
Asheville, NC © Ablohkin
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© Cindy Shebley
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Small Business Saturday promo pic from Downtown Goldsboro, North Carolina, showing all the folks who took the pledge support a small business in their community.
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The craft beer industry is playing a key role in the rebirth of Main Streets and neighborhood commercial districts across the county.
Appealing to mobility-challenged shoppers yields benefits beyond the store.
Being the only person in the know can be fun, exhilarating even. Except when you are the one person out of 600+ in a room and you know bad news is coming.
Fritz the dog has made his way into the hearts of the residents of LaBelle, Florida, and helped our Main Street Community find a way to make what we do more noticeable.
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Main Street communities across the country are no stranger to seeking creative strategies to solve their most nagging issues – vacant buildings, marketing downtown, bolstering retail to name a few.
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Façade appearance is a critical aspect of the overall aesthetic appeal and unique character of downtown.
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Main Street Iowa, a program of the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Iowa Downtown Resource Center, created a one-of-a-kind three-year program to provide help for performance venues located in Main Street districts.
