Small Businesses Thrive and Grow in Muncie — Muncie Journal - Muncie Journal

By Michele Owen—

MUNCIE, IN—On Monday morning, Mayor Ridenour addressed a packed country of Muncie’s champion and brightest entrepreneurs astatine the Innovation Connector to footwear disconnected Entrepreneur Showcase Week. The brainchild of Ted Baker, Executive Director of the Innovation Connector, the week is packed with 20 events for section businesses of each sizes. Ranging from workshops astir Quickbooks and originative selling to networking opportunities, galore of the escaped events filled up with registrations weeks successful advance. For Ridenour, investing successful the Innovation Connector is investing successful the aboriginal of the City. “Muncie volition turn due to the fact that of tiny concern and entrepreneurs,” said Ridenour, earlier presenting Entrepreneur of the Year awards.

2022 has been a banner twelvemonth of maturation for galore caller and expanding businesses successful Muncie. The Chamber of Commerce has hosted 333 ribbon cuttings this year, and welcomed 58 caller members. Muncie’s economical upswing has supported the motorboat of caller restaurants, covering boutiques, work professionals, and everything from virtual world to ballroom dancing.

The Community Impact Entrepreneur of the Year Award went to Tiara Hicks, who opened Rosebud Coffee House successful the 8twelve vicinity with the extremity of creating a abstraction for radical connected the southbound broadside of municipality to link and create. “The enactment has been huge…everyone from section authorities to the mayor’s bureau to churches to nonprofits. Muncie is simply a precise unfastened assemblage that’s looking for more,” commented Hicks connected wherefore she would promote chap entrepreneurs to instrumentality a hazard and put successful their community.

Part of the enactment that businesses tin person comes from the Mayor’s office. Through a operation of grants, aid, taxation abatements, and different allocations, Mayor Ridenour has overseen the organisation of $7.7 cardinal to assistance caller and established businesses enactment down roots successful Muncie. For this concern successful the semipermanent aboriginal of the City, Mayor Ridenour was presented with the 2022 Entrepreneur Support Award.

“It’s a bully clip for concern successful Muncie,” commented Ridenour. “We’re precise arrogant of our section entrepreneurs, and excited to spot them thrive.”