A new business has opened at Edison Mall in Fort Myers to help smaller enterprises grow.
It's called the Business Growth Gallery. Owner Lucy Quinones said she wants to help small business owners find their unique difference, to stand out in the avalanche of 'Hey look at me!' messages all over social media.
"Ninety-five percent of small businesses, even though they have the information, the social media, A-I, they still are not able to get to that next level," she said. "Once you find clarity, whether it's through mentorship or coaching or direction, you then begin to find those unique propositions, that make you unmatchable."
Quinones explained that many consumers are overwhelmed by the mass of information they see online, and they can't really determine which product or business is the best. She said even reviews of businesses can be contradictory or confusing, leaving people wondering which company or service truly is the best.
Recently Quinones hosted a grand opening for Business Growth Gallery. Dozens of business and community leaders from all over the region attended.
Some people might question opening a place in a shopping mall? Quinones and her investors explained: there still are a lot more customers in a mall that you might think. In addition a storefront allows space for business owners to gather and train, and potential customers are walking by the gallery all the time.
"And then for some who happen to walk in, we can change their lives," Maggie Perez, a mortgage broker, said. "It may be that we can set up financing for a child's college. Or in my case, help them buy their first home."
Perez said she has gotten some valuable training from Quinones in the past, and attended the opening to show support.
Quinones and some investors are paying for the space, and she said she will offer free introductory sessions for small business owners. Then she will charge for more in-depth trainings. A man who's known as the gallery's ambassador believes it will succeed, and also benefit the Hispanic community.
"A lot of Spanish people need help, guidance, and Lucy is going to have that here," Jose Manuel Barcela said. "I have a good heart about it, a good feeling about it."
A veteran in local real estate said he believes Quinones is addressing a vital need.
"A lot of people have the skills to open a business," Rene Alvarez of Innova Real Estate said. "But to succeed you need an extra level of training, coaching and abilities. And I believe that is what Lucy is going to bring to the small businesses that maybe don't have the skills to do it."
Quinones said she doesn't have to make this effort, but can't ignore what she sees as the need to help some small business owners succeed.
"But I've always known that I have been called to do more," she said. "So I really believe that when you combine your knowledge, your trajectory, with a purpose that will drive you, and a vision to make you passionate, then the profits, they will come on their own."
Mike Walcher is a reporter with WGCU News, and also teaches Journalism at Florida Gulf Coast University. WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.
