Less than five months after unveiling 124 South Broadway as a location for budding business people, Delta Grounds owner Ebony Williams has a new partner- the Delta State University Women Minority Business Development Center. “They heard about us when they saw a story by Stephen Robinson on the Delta News about our open house,” Williams said. “Within the next few days we received a call from Mr. Finley.”
Gene Finley, Director of the center at Delta State officially announced the partnership between the University and Delta Grounds by bringing staff and a couple of the women business owners who will benefit from the center’s work around support of women-owned entities. “All of these clients are startups,” Finely explained. “The center assists these business owners with financial assistance when it comes to the first couple of months rent and other start-up expenses. We not only provide the seed month up until the month of November, but we also provide support and training in the form of our business development staff who help new business owners with strategies to help them sustain their businesses like webinars and other technical assistance tools.”
Two of the beneficiaries of this business partnership were on hand for the announcement. Nikki Landrum, owner of KGB expressed appreciation for DSU and Delta Grounds by saying, “My business is actually my daughter’s initials and it provides entertainment for events and services such as outdoor movies. When you’re starting a business, funding is the major issue and the women’s business center has provided great assistance with that.”
Andrea Young, owner of Plain and Simple Designs hopes that the assistance will help her expand and grow her business. “Plain and Simple Designs provides graphic design and decorating services,” Young explained. “For me, it provides a space where I can really concentrate on my business because I’ve been running it from home where there are a few distractions like my kids!”
Delta Grounds functions as a business incubator where they house such businesses as Zaria Dorsey’s seamstress, services, Kennedi Williams Pretty Pink Boutique for nails, a truck dispatching business, LaDarrien “Tokyo” Williams Podcast, Marketing, Videography and Photography and Regina Manning Johnson’s hair salon. “My clients really like it here,” Manning Johnson said. “It is very comfortable with a good atmosphere.”
Finley added,” It is the ideal location and we hope to be able to help businesses continue in this space.”
Williams is in awe of this very significant partnership. “I didn’t envision something like this happening. But, it just makes me want to continue to do the necessary things to this location to attract more businesses,” Williams said.
