Honeycomb Credit, Ohio City Incorporated, and Harness Cycle Team Up on Small Business Grant Program

Honeycomb Credit is partnering with Ohio City Incorporated and Harness Cycle to sponsor a second round of small business grants.

In order to support Ohio City’s small businesses throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Ohio City Incorporated and Harness Cycle raised $15,000 divided between 10 local small businesses earlier this year in their “Don’t Give Up the Ship” campaign. These grants helped women-owned, minority-owned, and legacy businesses in the neighborhood stay afloat in a difficult time for small businesses. With the success of the first round, Honeycomb Credit is joining Ohio City Incorporated and Harness Cycle in opening up a second round with another goal of raising $15,000.

“As a small business owner, I am really thrilled to be on the other side of the pandemic but for myself and other business owners this second round aims to help rebuild some of what was lost and impacted by the pandemic,” said Anne Harnett, owner of Harness Cycle.

These grants are intended to boost small business resiliency in a landscape where finding funding can be nearly impossible, especially from traditional sources such as banks. Crowdfunding offers an alternative where small businesses can not only get the capital they need to run, but also establish relationships with their customers in their community.

“Ohio City Incorporated is thrilled to partner with Harness Cycle and Honeycomb Credit to launch the second round of the small business relief fund,” said Donna Grigonis-Bailey, Director of Neighborhood Development for Ohio City Incorporated. “Our small businesses are the backbone of the neighborhood and it is critical that we support them in these uncertain times.”

Honeycomb Credit, a local crowdfunding platform, has already helped 23 Cleveland businesses raise capital for their growth projects, including Western Reserve Distillery, Squash the Beef Vegan Catering, and Go Buddha.

In this partnership with Ohio City Incorporated and Harness Cycle, Honeycomb is offering their crowdfunding expertise and marketing support, boosting the funding project’s capability to give back to another cohort of 10 entrepreneurs in the community.

"Now more than ever, it’s important for communities to step up and support the small businesses that make their neighborhoods great places to live,” says Chip Homer, Director of Growth at Honeycomb Credit. “We're thrilled to be partnering with Ohio City Incorporated and Harness Cycle to help further our mission of building vibrant, financially-empowered communities."

To learn more about the business grant program, visit https://www.honeycombcredit.com/ohiocity.