Living in the vibrant City of Atlanta? Have you ever wondered about your Neighborhood Planning Unit and what it means for you? Let's break it down! Discover your rights, benefits, and how this community-driven group operates.

Register for the Zoom Training Session!

Wednesday 10.4.23 | 6-8 PM | Zoom

Have questions? We've got your back! And don't forget, the Comprehensive Development Plan ties it all together. Don't miss out on the valuable insights your NPU offers. Stay in the loop with updates from your City government! 

Show us what you got!

It’s time for the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream Pitch Competition!

Since 2008, this program has provided business owners with the key ingredients to start, strengthen, and grow their businesses – a.k.a. the ultimate recipe for success.

If you are an Atlanta-based food or beverage small business owner, are passionate about your products, and want to compete to win $10,000, then this contest is for you.

Here’s how it works:

• Fill out this short application to apply for the competition by October 6.
• We’ll let you know by late October if you’ve been selected to compete in person.
• If selected, you’ll pitch your business and product for two minutes to a panel of expert judges.
• If you win the competition, take home $10,000 and receive a full year of personalized coaching from business experts at Samuel Adams!

So, what are you waiting for? Brush up on your sales chops and prepare to throw down! Apply now.

Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream Pitch Room Competition

• What: A sales pitch competition for food and beverage business owners in Atlanta
• Application Deadline: Friday, October 6, 2023 at 5pm ET
• Who: Applicants 21 years or older who own a food product or beverage business based in the Atlanta area
• Where: Venue to be announced
• When: November 9, 2023 at 6pm ET
• The Winnings: In addition to a lifetime supply of bragging rights, the winner will take home $10,000 and a year of personalized coaching

Don’t miss your chance to gain top-notch pitching practice and take your business to new heights with a $10,000 business grant and a year’s supply of coaching from Samuel Adams!

Y'all showed up last night!

Thanks to all who attended and supported our September General Meeting/Public Safety Forum. We heard from APD Zone 6, Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari's office and Intown Cares reps. Huge thanks to our public safety chair Micki Silvestros of East Atlanta Copy for pivoting and taking the reigns at this timely meeting.

We enjoyed great food and drinks from our sponsors Grant Central East, Resurgens Legal Council, & AtlantaPurus. Our two featured businesses showed up as well! Amazing food from EAV Farmers Market and a raffle (won by Scott Lootens) from Atlanta Intown Disc Golf!

9.19.23 MEETING MINUTES

It's encouraging to see and hear the support for our little slice of #EastAtlanta that we all love so dearly. 

When it comes to the public safety of EAV, we all know that things can be done better. 

Let's keep the ball rolling with thoughtful discussions, plans and actions towards a safer #EAV for ALL.

Public Safety Next Steps:

• Concerns with police enforcement regarding harassment, drug dealing, property destruction, etc can be sent to our Zone 6 Commander, Major Andrea Webster at awebster@atlantaga.gov and Sgt M. Stenson at mastenson@atlantaga.gov

• Intown Cares will be starting with their dedicated social worker asap.

• Town Hall with Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari: date and format will be announced soon.

• Show support towards village cleanups with Georgia Works. Sponsors are needed!

• Attend EABA/EACA meetings regularly! Voice your opinions & concerns! Thoughtful discussions will lead to actionable plans.

It takes a Village.

Do you own a business that has considered a joint venture? A joint venture (JV) is a business arrangement in which two or more parties agree to pool their resources for the purpose of accomplishing a specific task. This task can be a new project or any other business activity. Each of the participants in a JV is responsible for profits, losses, and costs associated with it.

Attend this free event where you'll learn the do's and don't's associated with a JV, while also brushing up on your networking!

Thursday 9.21.23 | 10AM-12PM | @ City Hall Council Chambers

RSVP

Explore programs focused on accelerating the growth of Georgia's small and diverse-owned businesses. 

New Resources Added to GrowGeorgia.com:

• Beltline Business Solutions Office delivers tailored support to small businesses operating in the BeltLine Planning Area—with special priority placed on businesses owned by women and minorities.
• The Atlanta Hawks announced the launch of Hawks Ventures, a mission driven venture fund that will invest $50M in early-stage funding to startups and businesses.
• Spark Thomasville is a 12-week program offering training, support, and affordable resources to support entrepreneurs.

FIND RESOURCES

Did you know that East Atlanta Business Association was one of a select number of programs that received a Small Business Association Grant from Invest Atlanta? Today we officially kicked off the program with a meet-and-greet of other grant recipients and Invest Atlanta staff. The $10k EABA has received in funds will go towards supporting our small businesses in a way that fosters sustainability, growth and success.

As a recipient of this funding, EABA is required to carry out a handful of duties that will ultimately help to support our small businesses in the long run. Back-end reporting is a large part of our responsibility to fulfill the requirements of this grant. Over the next 2 years we will be gathering and supplying information relating to East Atlanta's small business community with the intention of tracking that support system. 

With this goal of small business support in mind, EABA would like to task you as a small business owner to let us know how we can help you succeed! We are a wealth of knowledge and have access to resources that you may otherwise not have known existed. If you are struggling with an issue or need a jump start towards growth just let us know and we'll point you in the right direction! hello@eastatlantabiz.com

Sometimes a problem can’t wait. The Strut is expediting this year’s grant process to donate $10,000 to help address homelessness in East Atlanta Village. We’re challenging our supporters to match that $10,000. 

The East Atlanta Community Association is contracting with Intown Cares for a full-time social worker based in EAV to do outreach with unhoused people. Council Member Liliana Bakhtiari has arranged for the city to pay the bulk of the contract, but EACA needs to raise $20,000. That’s where you and the Strut come in.

DONATE

Please be aware that multiple reports of fake prop money have been reported throughout the East Atlanta area. Local businesses should be vigilant when accepting cash for payment.

East Atlanta Roll | Friday 9.22 | 4-11 PM | Throughout EAV

Strut 5k | Saturday 9.23 | 8:30 AM | @ Village Fitness EAV

East Atlanta Strut | Saturday 9.23 | 12-6 PM | Throughout East Atlanta

Strut Block Party | Saturday 9.23 | 11AM-7PM | @ Village Fitness

Atlanta BeltLine, Inc., Invest Atlanta, and the City of Atlanta have collaborated to create a city-wide business survey which will provide valuable information for the economic development community to better serve business owners around the city. ETC Institute, a firm that helps local governments gather business data across the country, will conduct the survey and analysis. All data will be confidential and anonymized.

The survey, which is also translated into Spanish, will be inclusive of all businesses with focused efforts to ensure participation from legacy businesses, businesses in target equity areas, minority-owned businesses, small businesses, and others.

Upon completion of the data analysis, a comprehensive public report will be released, providing a detailed overview of the survey findings. The report will serve as a valuable resource for policymakers, city officials, business organizations and the wider community, facilitating informed decision-making and targeted policies to support business growth and development.

TAKE THE SURVEY

For inquiries or further information about the survey, please contact bizsurvey@atlbeltline.org.