0:00
When you start a business in the city of Charlotte, you do more than work for yourself. You give a man a reason to get up in the morning.
0:08
You hand your first employee her first paycheck and help a new mother make her mortgage payment. You turn an empty storefront into sounds of laughter.
0:18
But above all, you kickstart a community waiting on somebody brave enough to begin. One open sign at a time.
0:26
I've never had any idea of anything besides working for myself. Understand your purpose. Understand your why and stick to it.
0:34
I thought, hey, why not start my own business and just get into it.
0:38
I love serving in an area like Charlotte just because the people make it beautiful to be able to do what I love every day.
0:47
Charlotte has become one of the hottest cities in America for entrepreneurs ready to build something.
0:53
We're ranked among the best places to start a business by LendingTree and CNBC. With housing costs below the national average and taxes that work in your favor.
1:04
The people moving here become your customers, your employees, your believers. And the entrepreneurs leading Charlotte's growth come from everywhere.
1:14
Different industries, different backgrounds,
1:16
different corners of the world, all of them threading something new into the fabric of a city that's still being woven.
1:25
With Charlotte being one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. I want to be right there to grow with it. Charlotte is a great place to run a business.
1:34
They are really about creating and fostering the entrepreneurial spirit and there’s a lot of great people who have a lot of great ideas here.
1:41
It’s really rewarding and exciting to see how many creative and amazing people live in this city and just want to make their city a better place.
1:49
What I like most about Charlotte is the diversity. The people. You won't figure it out alone.
1:54
Charlotte gives you a network of leaders from every sector of business, deep online resources, licensing support, funding pathways,
2:04
grants, loans, and venture capital connections. Your runway to launch is shorter than you think.
2:12
Charlotte is the perfect place for an entrepreneur to grow.
2:15
There’s so many resources here. There’s so many people that are invested in wanting you to succeed.
2:20
I was nominated by Scale Up for this opportunity.
2:23
AMP Up Charlotte nominated me for the 31 Days of Biz. City Startup Labs. The Greater Eastland Association. Charlotte East.
2:30
The Charlotte Economic Development Branch. Sugar Creek Business Association. LISC Corporation. West Wilkinson Merchant Association. Freedom Business Collective nominated me for this opportunity.
2:42
I’ve got so many resources here to help my business grow. A lot of good people in the program that kind of mentor us.
2:49
So that program has been phenomenal in supporting us as well as the other businesses in the neighborhood. I like the program. I like the community.
2:57
I like the fact that we’re coming together and working together.
3:00
Programs like LISC allow you to maintain your faith, your hope, and operate. And we’re now in our phase of thriving.
3:09
And if your business is rooted in a community that's waiting its turn,
3:13
Charlotte’s Corridors of Opportunity program is making significant and lasting investments across six historically underinvested corridors.
3:23
Infrastructure, safer streets, small business hubs, workforce training. Not someday. Right now.
3:31
Charlotte is a wonderful city for growth. I think with all the people moving here and all of the development coming,
3:37
I think that for me is exciting in the corridors because it is just so much opportunity looming and there's so many areas in Charlotte that still have so much opportunity.
3:47
The Corridors of Opportunity are important to me and I think that the city should continue to invest in their areas because when you invest in economic development,
3:57
you empower people, and it leads to a stronger city overall. If it will make a stronger Charlotte. You've got the dream and the plan.
4:06
Charlotte has the community to build it.
4:35
There are pockets of the city that have not yet seen its full potential. There's a lot of things going on in this corridor. A lot of businesses are here and it just seems so innovative.
4:44
What they're trying to do, they're trying to assist the community. They're trying to grow the community.
4:48
And what this corridor would be, just like a lot of the major corridors in the—That is very important.
4:53
The city of Charlotte continues to invest in the corridors of opportunity because over $250 million across six historically underinvested corridors,
6:02
Scale Up Charlotte. I'm so happy that they nominated me. I've learned so much in the program. They're interested in my growth.
6:10
A lot of things happen when you join in with the community. I would say if you have a dream, go for it. Don't stop.
6:18
Don't stop. Just keep moving. One step forward. I love the people in Charlotte. Listen, we never have a dull moment.
6:25
I love Charlotte and Charlotte is my city. I believe that we are in the best city in the U.S. You add value to clients regardless of your industry.
6:35
If you're focused on solving problems, that's the value add, and that's what customers are looking for today.
6:42
It's a great place to have a business, and we're proud to be able to support and be a part of the innovation and workforce ecosystem.
6:51
The mom and pops, the small businesses, the entrepreneurs actually make the city go.
6:56
And I believe it does take a lot of hard work and consistency and discipline. Just being consistent with it will pay off.
7:03
It's definitely a place that is small-business friendly.
7:06
It says it right on our bag, that we're all better when we lift others up, and we try to live that out every day.