Salisbury Small Businesses Receive Grants From Rowan Chamber Of Commerce

SALISBURY – The city of Salisbury along with the Rowan Chamber of Commerce is trying to help local small businesses grow. The city allocated 30,000 dollars in grants in its current budget.

37 small businesses across Rowan County applied for this grant, and six of them were able to receive that money. One of them being Brighter Beginnings Childcare.

Stephanie Roebock opened Brighter Beginnings Childcare in November of 2022.

“In that application process, you had to present a strategic business plan,” said Roebock. “You also had to strategically let them know what you would do with the funding.”

She is one of the few business owners selected for the grant, hoping to make improvements to help her business thrive.

“I have to do some things around the the yard and the parking lot and things, but whatever I have left over prayerfully will be getting a playground,” said Roebock.

Less than a mile down the road, Latavia Godwin’s business also received some of that grant money.

“I was absolutely thrilled when I got the email that I did get the grant,” said Godwin. “I was actually crying prior to the email because I was so stressed out because this is tough.”

Godwin opened the West End Mini Mart on West Horah Street in 2022. She tells me running a business, big or small, isn’t cheap. With the grant money, she is hoping to get new equipment. She also wants to give women a safe place to shop.

“As a woman, I want to be an example for our little girls coming up,” she said. “I want them to look and say, ‘Hey, that brown girl has a store. Maybe I can get a store. That brown girl started a business, you know, maybe I can.'”