PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Small businesses have been "blooming" in downtown Portsmouth. News 3 has followed along as local entrepreneurs and artisans have grown their businesses as part of the Bloom Market on High Street near Effingham Street. Now the retail accelerator program looks back as it reaches one year in operation.
For a year now, the window shopping has brought people in off of High Street.
"They're like wow, what is this? This is great," said Joy Wansley, Bloom community manager.
Peek in the window today, and you'll find flowers blossoming, but it's not just the flowers that are in bloom; it’s the entrepreneurial spirit.
"This is our entry for retail based entrepreneurs really getting their first taste of a brick and mortar," said Liz Pasqualini, assistant director of Portsmouth Partnership.
"Going from online to being in a market place and the brick and mortar it's totally different. It's about building that loyal customer and having that one-on-one interaction," Wansley said.
Wansley and Pasqualini showed News 3 the wide range of products Saturday — all created by various creatives, many of whom have also been completing the Retail Alliance's CROps (Certificate of Retail Operations) program to equip them with business skills like marketing, product design, sales and operations. 18 vendors completed the certification in the first year.
Wansley and Pasqualini said the market has become a point of pride for the community.
"They're proud because the artists live here in Portsmouth, they create here in Portsmouth and they grow here in Portsmouth, so that's really exciting," Wansley said.
"And we see this as an opportunity not just to help local entrepreneurs start their business but also to help our local economy and start filling some of the storefronts on High Street," Pasqualini added.
They say the first year in operation has been a success. The market has generated more than $37,000 in revenue. One hundred percent of that goes to the vendors. And that’s not all...
"We've seen at least three vendors go to brick and mortars, and we're excited about that," Wansley said.
The one-year anniversary brings hopes of welcoming more entrepreneurial programs — like a seed capital activator and a healthcare accelerator — more vendors, and more visitors too.
In honor of the milestone, Bloom Market will hold a celebration and outdoor vendor market. The celebration is at Bloom Market on March 29 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It's free and open to the public.
Bloom Market is a program that's part of Portsmouth Partnership. It's funded by the Portsmouth Economic Development Authority.
