The Richmond 5

Have you got a great business idea?

Richmond is a vibrant and growing community. Important to that growth is the increasing number of entrepreneurs that are opening businesses. The Richmond 5 is a competition to identify 5 entrepreneurs who will enter the EKU Business Accelerator (Incubator) for one year, and then locate their business in Richmond. Over the course of one year, Richmond 5 participants will receive office space at a reduced cost, accelerated coaching / mentoring, promotion of their business, and the tools they will need to launch a successful, sustainable business in Richmond. 

The competition will accept applications through 9/26/14 with the 5 winners to be announced in October.

To be considered for the Richmond 5:

1. Have a business idea that you would like to launch in Richmond. *We will consider home-based businesses that want to eventually open a store-front.
2. Complete the Accelerator Application – http://bizaccelerator.eku.edu/application
3. Schedule an appointment with the EKU Small Business Development Center to go over your application and answer any questions.  Contact EKU SBDC Director, Jason Rainey, 859-622-1384 or Jason.Rainey@eku.edu.

Richmond 5 participants will receive the following:

1. Office space (300sq feet) at a Richmond 5 rate.
2. One year of membership in the Richmond Chamber of Commerce.  Women-Owned businesses will receive a one-year membership in the Business Babes Society.
3. Training and networking opportunities.
4. Access to start-up funds.
5. Coaching and mentoring.
6. If needed, two hours of legal services for intellectual property review/search, LLC advice, and trademark/domain name review.
7. If needed, discounted web design and setup from Startup Production.
8. If needed, social media account setup including training, and professional design services to create a logo.
9. Advertising and promotion in the local paper for one year.

We would like to thank the following partners:  Richmond Chamber of Commerce, Richmond Industrial Development Corporation, Business Babes Society, Downtown Richmond Association LLC, Francis Law Office PLLC, Startup Production, KY Innovation Network Office, and EKU Small Business Development Center.