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STEUBENVILLE -- The city has inked its contract with an Ambridge, Pa.-based economic development consulting firm tasked with helping entrepreneurs create and grow businesses.
Urban Projects Director Chris Petrossi said the city's $159,946 one-year contract with Paramount Pursuits was signed Oct. 15 and the firm is "working on a program policies and procedures manual now."
Federal CARES Act funds are paying for the program.
"The Microenterprise Technical Assistance program will begin after the program policies and procedures are approved," he said.
Paramount specializes in helping communities rejuvenate and redefine their downtown areas.
"The goal is to get started right away," Paramount President Trish Digliodi said. "We have the application ready to go, there's just some paperwork -- government-funded projects always have paperwork. Our goal is to get it rolled out as soon as possible."
Petrossi has already passed on the names of a couple people interested in the program, which Digliodi said is designed to help people who are interested in starting a business, "or maybe have an existing business they're looking to grow or COVID-affected businesses (that) may need help adapting their business or getting their business online."
"It can be someone who just has an idea," she said. "Or it can be someone who's been doing (something) on the side … and their goal is to make it (a business). Those are all things we can help with."
Digliodi said the program includes two mentoring sessions a month, an educational component featuring various speakers of interest and a networking component where fledgling entrepreneurs can "build connections" with other business owners. For the time being at least, the mentoring will be a mix of virtual and in-person sessions.
"Really, the cornerstone of our program is the one-on-one mentoring," she said. "That way we can dig in, learn about the persons' business or idea and figure out where they need help, specifically how we can help them. We identify their goals … and work on them together. It's a lot of listening … listening what you want for your business and how we can help you get there."
She said change will be gradual, "but we'll be working to build strong, stable small businesses, and that affects communities in every way." Businesses pay taxes and "start contributing to the community in other ways."
"So many small businesses are the ones that end up donating" for community projects and teams, she said. "You can have such an impact on a community when you have a strong, stable business. And taking it a step further, you have vacancies on Main Street … how many of these businesses may eventually get to the point where they can open on Main Street?"
Digliodi said a participant would normally have to pay about $7,500 for the entrepreneurship program, "but they'll be getting it at no charge. It wouldn't have happened without council making sure they had access to funding."
Sixth Ward Councilman Bob Villamagna, chair of council's economic development committee, said he's "very excited" about the opportunity for local entrepreneurs.
"I think COVID-19 hurt a lot of people, hopefully this can get something started again," he said. "I'm really optimistic about it."
"This is to try to help people who wouldn't have a chance at it any other way -- they want to get started (in business) but don't have the knowledge to do it and need a little boost. There's a lot involved. Everybody thinks it would be easy, starting a business, but that's not how it works."