Small Shop Showdown offers free rent at mall for six months

T-L Photo/JOSIE BURKHART
Andrew Kopper of the Ohio Valley Mall speaks to entrepreneurs about the Small Shop Showdown.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Entrepreneurs have a chance to win 26 weeks of free rent at the Ohio Valley Mall.

Small business owners can pitch their businesses now through Sept. 4 to the Cafaro Co., working in partnership with the St. Clairsville Area Chamber of Commerce, in hopes of winning six months’ worth of free rent at a location inside the St. Clairsville shopping venue. The winner will also receive a free marketing package to help promote their business.

Entrepreneurs can go to the company’s website, ohiovalleymall.net/smallshopshowdown, to submit an application for the Small Shop Showdown. The application will ask them to explain their goods or services before meeting with a panel of Cafaro and chamber representatives. It also asks for sales projections, retail pricing information and details about the entrepreneur’s background. The application also seeks information on the business owner’s space, design and staffing needs, among other information.

The partnership between the Cafaro Co. and the chamber of commerce comes from Wendy Anderson, executive director of the chamber, loving the concept and how it supports small businesses. Anderson wanted to do something like that, she said.

Her goal is to support small businesses across the Ohio Valley, and she believes this partnership will help her achieve that goal.

“That’s exactly what our vision is, and that’s what we are doing is to support small businesses,” Anderson said.

Anderson believes that the Cafaro Co. and the chamber have connections that make this a perfect partnership.

“It’s a perfect partnership because we’re all about business, and the mall is all about business as well,” she said.

Not only is the contest open to owners of existing businesses, but it invites applications from those who have great ideas to start a new business.

Andrew Kopper, leasing director for Cafaro, emphasized during a press conference Wednesday that each individual who enters the contest will get to meet with the panel. He said with 26 weeks of free rental space, the winner will locate their business in the mall from Nov. 20, 2024 to May 20, 2025.

“They will enjoy the Christmas season, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and the Easter season,” Kopper said.

No money is involved for entrepreneurs who are interested. They are only required to fill out an application and meet with the panel, while the Cafaro Co. covers any costs.

Kopper said all businesses are welcome to apply, and because the mall already has a diverse range of businesses, applicants can focus on anything.

Entrepreneurs can benefit from winning this contest because every mall is going to have built-in traffic, Kopper said. The company has a marketing staff, a local team and is always promoting the mall, so the built-in traffic that is already at the mall will attract customers to the business.

The winner will be around Sept. 25.

“No idea is a bad idea.” Kopper said. “If you’ve been thinking about it for a while, all we ask is you apply and have a chance of winning.”