Macomb brings back competition to help kickstart new small businesses
Looking to start a small business? A little help may come in the form of the 2024 City of Macomb Small Business Competition, which is set to kick off next month.
Teaming with Western Illinois University, the City of Macomb and WIU's Illinois Small Business Development Center will be bringing entrepreneurs and new businesses into Macomb.
According to a news release, the Small Business Competition will assist potential small business owners who are seeking to open a new business.
The release said that future business owners will attend a series of classes and workshops in order to learn how to run a small business. This will include writing a comprehensive business plan, writing a business plan and creating individualized pitches for the prospective business.
Both the business plans and the business pitches will be judged by a panel of local successful business owners and community leaders, notes the release. The goal of the Small Business Competition project is to be a catalyst to new businesses for Macomb from concept to realization.
This is not a new project as the Small Business Competition was previously known, in 2018, as the Downtown Business Retail Competition.
The city has set out to enhance the opportunities for entrepreneurs and the ability for economic growth in Macomb by altering the parameters of the competition this year, according to the release.
This includes broadening the competition’s boundaries to include service and industrial-based business ideas as well as the expansion of an existing business.
Not limited to the downtown area, entrepreneurs will have the freedom to open their business anywhere within the city.
To increase the number of opportunities for growth, the City of Macomb will award three prize packages for first, second and third place business ideas.
“We are looking forward to the 2024 version of the Small Business Competition,” Mayor Michael Inman said. “We had at least two new businesses successfully launch from our 2018 competition, and we look to have even greater success this coming year.”
An informational presentation will be held at 6 p.m. on Feb. 6, at Spoon River Outreach Center, 2500 E. Jackson St. Workshops begin on Feb. 13, at 6 p.m. at Spoon River Outreach Center.
This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Small Business Competition looks to drive economic growth in Macomb
