Becoming a Presence in Your Small Business Community
Support small local businesses owned by women and minorities by visiting Arts Marketplace in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. Our mission with this inclusive space is to provide a hub for the community that will improve retail presence downtown, as well as offer support for the diverse and talented artists and makers in our city. Learn more about how you can become a force in your small business community.
Find a Central Location
A large part of making your business well-known is finding a central location to house it. This may be in a strip mall, local farmer’s market, or a community hub that has many shops in a busy downtown area, like Arts Marketplace.
Our inclusive community marketplace hub was founded to provide more retail experiences in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan while also supporting local businesses owned by women and minorities. Vendors that have their businesses at Arts Marketplace enjoy an aesthetically pleasing space for their business that’s located in the heart of downtown to bring increased visibility and customers.
Find Your Niche
Even once you’ve established your business location, it’s important to find the niche that your business fits into to become more established in your target market. For example, if your small business sells local natural products or is a seasonal business, it would be beneficial to sell at farmer’s markets where customers will be looking for similar items in the same season. If your business is based on being local, woman-owned, or minority-owned, it is advantageous to participate in fairs or events where those types of businesses are featured. Arts Marketplace is an example of this, as we provide support for local businesses owned by women and minorities, as well as host events to help attract the public.
Vendors who house their businesses with us reap the benefits of having a core group of like-minded shops and customers that celebrate diversity and inclusion. The marketplace also provides a way for customers to shop locally and support people like you. By finding your niche and interacting with customers and other businesses in it, you become a more ingrained part of your community.
Make Connections
Another way to become a presence in your community is to make impactful connections with members in it, whether that is with mentors, customers, or other business owners. Network with community members to put your business’s name out there and develop goodwill to organically strengthen relationships and grow your business. Build relationships with your customers and serve them with friendly and efficient service because word-of-mouth referrals can help your business grow and become a well-known presence in the community.
The inclusive community environment at Arts Marketplace allows our makers to thrive and make connections with the citizens of Grand Rapids, and is a great example of making connections in your area to cement your place as a community fixture.
Contact Us Today
Increase the visibility of your business and grow into a community presence by becoming a vendor at Arts Marketplace, or at least by following the above tips. Arts Marketplace is proud to provide an inclusive community space in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan for women and minority-owned business owners to flourish and thrive, and we also are glad to share insights with other prospective business owners. Contact us today for more information.