New College Hill businesses open in time for Small Business Saturday

COLLEGE HILL, Ohio (WKRC) - Five new businesses are opening their doors this Saturday, right in time to get your holiday shopping done!

The five businesses will be located in two storefronts along Hamilton Ave. in College Hill.

These business owners are getting a shot at their dream, and it’s all made possible through a new program called OurShop.

OurShop connects retail entrepreneurs with rent-free space and resources to grow and scale their businesses.

It’s a six-month program run by the College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation.

Each business brings something different, innovative, and creative to the college hill neighborhood.

One of the businesses that’ll be open this Saturday is Launch Party. It’s an indie beauty self-care boutique.

Owner Brit Cochran says this opportunity means everything to her.

“I don’t know if I would be in this storefront today if I had not had this opportunity. Because of the pandemic, everything is still very uncertain, especially with retail and to take that risk into a full retail space of my own, just it wasn’t the right time for me, but to be in this space rent-free, was exactly the opportunity and the step up that I needed,” Cochran said.

Along with Cochran, the other tenants include DeeDee’s Butter Bar owned by DeAngela Gill, LAMA Herbal Solutions owned by Maria Walkup and Laura McCarthy, and Like Mom’s Only Vegan owned by Naomi Sams.

They will be located at 5846 Hamilton Ave.

At 5852 Hamilton Ave, the tenant is Set the Vibez, owned by Erika Standifer.

Shopping starts Saturday at 11 a.m., and a ribbon-cutting is planned for 10:30 a.m.

There were 55 applicants for this program.

The College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation will track how the businesses are doing in the next six months and decide what happens long term.