Thinking about Chef Luna’s comment on the earlier post about Lunacy Black Market led to my big, really obvious idea for sustainable small business development in Downtown, Sweet Auburn, or Old Fourth Ward: Fly By Night Row.*
Renovate a series of storefronts within a couple of blocks of each other. Suit them up very basic retail fixings. Rent them out by the day, week, month, whatever for pop-up shops. An individual or business comes in, sets up shop, and peddles their wares for a set period of time, and then vacates for the next short-term retailer. These could also be temporary satellite locations for existing businesses that operate in another neighborhood or city or country.
a) This gets people downtown on a regular basis to see what’s new in those stores.
b) Would-be entrepreneurs or small businesses are more likely to try out running shop for a few days to see how it goes before taking the full, risky plunge into a venture.
c) Longer-term businesses would want to open up around this area.
d) Pop-up businesses eventually become long-term businesses.
e) No pre-paid mobile phone businesses allowed.
There’s already an existing stream of potential customers with GSU students – they’ll be around no many how many office buildings foreclose.
Bam. YOU’RE WELCOME.
More on pop-up shops: Forbes, Business Week, LA Times, Time, Times
*I am not a marketer. Someone else come up with a better name. Ephemeretail?
(Photo, of course, from Atlanta Time Machine)
Tags: downtown, pop-up stores, small business
I love this idea! Let’s do it!!!