Business & Tech
Two Seminole Heights Business Owners Seek $250,000 Prize
Two local business owners hope to be among a dozen small businesses around the country to be chosen to receive a hefty grant this summer through the Mission: Small Business program.
The name of Doug Zettles' business may be Make It Burn, but this summer, the Seminole Heights fire specialist is looking to make it rain.
The "Mission: Small Business" program, which will provide up to 12 individual grants of $250,000, was developed to provide small businesses with the resources needed to make a positive impact on their business. Zettles entered the contest earlier this month and is currently seeking votes online for Make It Burn, but he isn't alone.
For Seminole Heights' Dominic Cianciola, owner of Last Call Training, the money would bring legitimacy to his business, as he plans to open a full-fledged campus where he can train food service professionals.
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"We certify ServSafe employees, but right now we go to the restaurants and we teach them," Cianciola said. "I'd like to establish a campus in the Southeast Seminole Heights area, because we've helped open a lot of restaurants in this area. We want people to be able to come to our facility and have a hands-on training session rather than a theoretical book training course."
To be eligible to apply for the grant, the businesses have to have been open for at least two years and have fewer than 100 employees. Small business owners are required to explain why their business is unique, outline a proposed plan for utilizing the grant to grow their business and describe how the business is involved with its community.
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How You Can Vote
Consumers are encouraged to get involved by clicking the "Support" button at missionsmallbusiness.com and voting for their favorite registered small businesses. Each time a consumer clicks to support small business, Chase will add $5 to the grant pool, up to a maximum of $3 million. Each registered small business must receive at least 250 votes to be considered for a Grant. The voting period is open until June 30.
At the end of the voting period, small business applicants who have received 250 votes will have their applications evaluated, and grant recipients will be chosen and announced on or before Sept. 15.