A refurbished shipping container will soon be placed in downtown Enterprise to serve as a retail incubator for small businesses.
City Council Tuesday approved a three-year Memorandum of Understanding between Enterprise Main Street and Main Street Alabama for the shipping container and for it to be placed at 123 S. Main Street.
“This space will allow entrepreneurs to occupy the container to test their small business in the market before moving to a brick-and-mortar location,” Main Street Enterprise Executive Director Mariah Montgomery said. “We are so excited to offer this space to up and coming business owners and look forward to welcoming them to the heart of our city.”
The 8-foot by 20-foot container will include air conditioning, sliding glass doors, two screened windows, a custom-built desk, ceramic tile floors and adjustable shelves. The incubator is being provided by Main Street Alabama through a USDA Rural Development grant.
Entrepreneurs will soon be able to complete an online application to be considered to occupy the incubator. The Main Street Enterprise Economic Vitality Committee will review all applications and collaborate to select a tenant. The Main Street Enterprise Executive Director will then present the selected tenant to the Enterprise City Council for approval. Once approved, the tenant is permitted to occupy the incubator for up to 90 days at a rate of $50/month. Tenants must have a current Enterprise business license, must obtain personal property/rental insurance and must operate under agreed upon business hours.
For more information, visit www.downtownenterprise.com/incubator