Two South Hills businesses had been amongst 100 in Allegheny County awarded $10,000 grants as a part of a nationwide initiative.Blinkfly LLC in Bethel Park and the Mt Lebanon Academy had been chosen to receive the grants via Comcast RISE (Representation, Investment, Strength and Empowerment).Comcast RISE and the Comcast RISE Investment Fund launched in 2020 as a response to assist homeowners of shade who had been hardest hit by the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Comcast RISE program supplies advertising, technological and capital assist to small enterprise homeowners. Along with the grant, Comcast supplies the recipients with a one-year membership in Eureeka, a program that helps small businesses. “I’m completely grateful,” mentioned Shalaia Green, proprietor of Blinkfly. “What I’m most enthusiastic about and most appreciative of is the enterprise teaching that they provide for a yr. To have the ability to work intently freed from cost with a seasoned enterprise marketing consultant who can replace your web site and provide help to with advertising methods, every little thing {that a} enterprise must develop and have visibility, I’m grateful for that.” Blinkfly, which is primarily an eyelash extension firm, has been in enterprise since 2018. The enterprise additionally supplies physique waxing and facial companies, in addition to certification programs to show the artwork of eyelash extension and getting ready college students for entrepreneurship.Green mentioned the corporate has its workplace and academy in Bethel Park and the salon is in Murrysville.”My plans for the grant are to essentially ramp up our visibility and advertising, particularly for our academy,” Green mentioned. “I plan to work with a videographer to get some commercials on the market. We need to get a billboard. I even have a marketing consultant on my payroll and plan to get a proposal performed to work with cosmetology colleges as their unique eyelash coach.”Mt. Lebanon Academy has been serving college students for 40 years. Carolyn Pasanek, the varsity’s director and proprietor, is also delighted to receive the grant and the advantages that include it.
“It’s an exquisite alternative,” Pasanek mentioned. “I feel it may present a number of new methods to stimulate my enterprise and develop the enterprise and that is the entire objective of it. It’s an thrilling time.”Mt. Lebanon Academy’s choices embrace non-public tutoring in all kinds of programs, course assist, credit score restoration and enrichment companies. The faculty is not only for college students who’re struggling. Pasanek defined that the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in some college students slipping a bit of their research. With that in thoughts, she has some particular plans for the cash.”I needed to have the ability to direct a few of the monies towards scholarships for college students which have had some problem and are struggling proper now at school,” she mentionedPasanek mentioned enhancements to the academy’s web site and advertising methods might be thought-about with the cash. Assistance in these areas is offered with the Eureeka membership.Comcast is awarding $1 million to 100 Allegheny County businesses owned by girls and folks of shade, together with black, indigenous, Hispanic and Asian American homeowners, amongst others.The recipients are amongst 9,500 entrepreneurs nationwide chosen via the Comcast RISE program.”I’m simply exploring what’s accessible proper now,” Pasanek mentioned. “There’s so many instruments which might be going to assist all of those small businesses develop their enterprise. I feel it is a great alternative for any of us that acquired this grant.”
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