"MY IDEA - MY SHOP" - A SUCCESS STORY FOR VILLACH'S INNER CITY
The joint pop-up support program of the City of Villach and the Carinthian Economic Development Fund (KWF) has been helping to establish new businesses in Villach's inner city for a few years now. The idea competition "My Idea - My Shop" offers support for founders and existing businesses to successfully implement innovative business concepts in the city center.
ATTRACTIVE FUNDING OFFER FOR A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS START-UP
"My Idea - My Shop" is aimed at founders who want to take the step into self-employment as well as existing micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises that want to try out new products, concepts, or locations in the city centre of Villach. 2023 is the fourth year this has taken place and interested parties were able to apply with their concepts.
The initiative offers the selected entrepreneurs a comprehensive support package for a successful start-up in Villach's city centre.
A rent subsidy gives them the opportunity to test attractive business premises at a favorable rent in the city centre. The winners also receive a one-time bonus of up to 5,000 euros for opening a business, as well as assistance with permits and a networking meeting with successful city centre entrepreneurs, where valuable experiences can be exchanged. In addition, the entrepreneurs benefit from the marketing measures of the KWF, the City of Villach, and the City Marketing to optimally support their business idea. Through the partnership with the HAK Villach, entrants, and winners can also draw on the economic and practical knowledge of students and receive support for their business ideas in the context of diploma theses and project work.
THE SUCESS STORY CONTINUES
The idea of competition has already successfully established numerous businesses in the city centre, which have remained in Villach for the six months of funding and continue to enrich the city's retail offering. Now the initiative is bringing four more winners of the current round to the city centre:
- Advertising agency and co-working space "90 Quadratmeter" - Karin Steiner and Bibi Moser are expected to open a joint space for their advertising agency and a co-working space on Hans-Gasser-Platz in September.
- "ItaliaSì" - Giuseppe Cerza takes over the former Hartl space in Ringmauergasse and opens a shop with farm-fresh Italian food at the end of July.
- Tea shop - Melanie Kröpfl plans to open a tea shop in autumn.
- Energy workshop and dog salon - Renate Daxer offers nutritional supplements and grooming for dogs in Lederergasse. She already started in spring and applied for "My Idea - My Shop".
A STRONG FUTURE FOR VILLACH'S CITY CENTRE
Small, individual businesses in particular, are of great importance for the future of Villach's inner city and immensely enrich the diversity of the retail offer. The ideas competition and the support programme "My Idea - My Shop" help entrepreneurs to realize their business ideas and successfully start their own businesses. In this way, the initiative helps to attract new and innovative businesses to the centre and make the city more attractive for locals and visitors.