MOLINE, Ill. — The City of Moline will soon roll out a program that will help small business owners or new entrepreneurs get off the ground with financial assistance.
The B.O.O.S.T. program, which stands for Business Owner Occupied Stabilization Transformation, was the center of discussion at a Monday, Feb. 6 meeting at Western Illinois University Quad Cities campus.
The program will use $1.1 million in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to support long-term growth. Moline small business owner or new entrepreneurs were invited to attend the meeting, and are eligible to apply for the program.
"That's why your all here... you wanna spur your own growth as a small business owner and do well and we wanna see you do well," Moline City Administrator Bob Vitas said during the meeting.
"That's what boost is... boost is the umbrella that encompasses all the different incentive programs that the city has to promote growth and development for our small businesses," Vitas said.
News 8 spoke with Angela Ridgway, owner of Angela Ridgeway - Metal Artistry in Moline. She said this money would go a long way for her store.
"As a one-person business, I can't do it all myself," Ridgway said. "It makes it really difficult to promote your business and make your products, make your art. So just having a little bit of almost like seed money to help you get started, for me anyway, would be perfect."
Ridgway recently moved to the Quad Cities and said she wants to see the city revitalize older areas.
"The city is looking to help revitalize some of the economics in the city, and some of the kind of depressed economic areas," Ridgway said.
Applications for the program will open in March 2023. More information is available on the City of Moline's website.