CINCINNATI — More than a dozen small businesses across Cincinnati are receiving grants to help grow and overcome any obstacles they may face.
Each business will receive $20,000 from the City of Cincinnati’s Commercial Tenant Improvement Program (CTIP) through the Department of Community and Economic Development.
“Helping to kind of create a more vibrant community and strengthening our regional economy would be the goal of our Commercial Tenant Improvement Program and relieving the barriers of really high construction and material cost that are being, you know, being realized right now by our small businesses,” said Gerald Fortson, senior community development officer for the city’s Department of Community and Economic Development.
The grants are available to businesses that have been in business for at least one year within the city or are looking to relocate to the city.
This is the second round of CTIP grants the city has given out. In 2024, they provided grants to 11 local businesses.
One of the businesses receiving $20,000 is Selfie Cincy, located right downtown.
“We have a lot of different experiences all within this space,” said Amari Samya, CEO and owner of Selfie Cincy.
WATCH: Local business owners break down how these grants will help
Selfie Cincy has nine different interactive rooms where customers can take all the photos and videos they want. With the grant money, Samya said they plan on moving to a new space with double the square footage of their current building.
“We’ll be expanding to upwards of 15, which is like a big jump, and we’ll be able to curate a space that is also meeting the need and demand of event space,” Samya said.
Renika Smiley and her business, Lusheous Collection, also received a $20,000 grant. They will be using the money to turn an old barber shop in College Hill into her dream boutique specializing in women's plus-size clothing.
“With me being a plus-sized woman, and me knowing how hard it is out there for us, I wanted to make sure that we have something of our own,” Smiley said.
The new Lusheous Collection building will have a boutique in the front, and suites for other beauty-centered small businesses for rent in the back.
“So we’ll have more revenue come in and we’ll be able to highlight other business owners and grow within College Hill,” Smiley said.
We asked both Samya and Smiley what it meant as small business owners to have opportunities like this grant to grow their business.
“A blessing, a huge huge blessing,” Smiley said. “It gives you a lot of confidence.”
“The grant opportunities, the city support, the support of the City of Cincinnati is very important to us cause it allows us to keep our footing and grow,” said Samya.
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