Charlotte recently donated more than $200,000 to University City Partners. The nonprofit is funneling its funds to local entrepreneurs.
Behind every small business is a big dreamer.
Making that dream come true requires a lot of hard work at Binki Café, where you can drown your worries in a bubble.
“We also sell a lot of boba drinks and food,” said AJ Harris of Binki Cafe.
After more than five years in business, Binki’s leaders are looking for ways to increase foot traffic.
“It’s very difficult for small businesses to get their brand out there,” Harris said.
This is just one of many barriers University City Partners is addressing through its Small Business Initiative program.
The nonprofit organization has visited and actively engaged with 4,700 small businesses to address their needs.
“We think a lot of them are from underserved markets, but a lot of them are also small, long-established family businesses,” said Keith Stanley of University City Partners. ” he said. “We want to reach out to them and see how we can help.”
Download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app to get the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts.
From assisting with branding services to marketing consulting, Stanley said their team wants to help each business thrive.
“Small businesses are the gateway to our community, and we want to know if they’re healthy. If they’re not healthy, we have a problem,” Stanley said.
Binki’s business leaders said this is a community the Millers love and if you support it, they will support you.
“You are essentially just like us, and that’s great because we connect with you on a personal level,” Harris said.
University City Partners said it already has funding in place.
They said that once they finish researching the company, they will get back on track and raise money where it is needed.
Stream WCNC Charlotte on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV by simply downloading our free app.
