By DAVE DOMESCIK | Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO – Montevallo Main Street has announced the implementation of AL Spark, a new initiative of Main Street Alabama funded by the Small Business Administration, to give local businesses some financial help.

Four local Montevallo businesses received $1,000 marketing grants from the partnership: Bradford Real Estate Group, Falcon Art Supply, Meri Moon and Team Lehman Realty/Su Casa Real Estate.

Courtney Bennett, the executive director of Montevallo Main Street, gave some more background on the AL Spark initiative.

“AL Spark is designed to energize emerging and growing businesses in designated Main Street Alabama communities across the state,” Bennett said. “By empowering locally directed business development, this new marketing grant program is dedicated to igniting the potential of small businesses and entrepreneurs in our state, ensuring our communities thrive while maintaining their unique character.”

Bennett also acknowledged that the AL Spark program is still in its infancy, and it remains to be seen how it will practically enrich Montevallo businesses.

“This is our first year of AL Spark, and we hope that it will continue to get funded so that we may offer it again in future years,” Bennett said. “Although we have been a Designated Main Street Community for almost nine years, it has only been recently that Main Street Alabama has acquired grant funds that local programs are able to pass onto our local businesses… we are excited to see what the future holds.”

Bennett then touched on the challenges small businesses face and how the AL Spark program helps rectify those concerns.

“Marketing can be difficult for a small business, especially for a sole proprietor or someone with a small staff,” Bennett said. “However, it’s an important piece of the puzzle so that potential customers know what the business has to offer. Our goal by sharing this money with them is that they are able to try new things in terms of marketing that they might not otherwise have done.”

Bennett concluded by emphasizing that the diversity of businesses in downtown Montevallo makes it that much more appealing to the average consumer.

“Downtown Montevallo has a wonderful mix of restaurants, service businesses and retail that is reflected in our pool of winners, who span from the only full-service real estate company with an Australian Mountain Doodle as a mascot to Central Alabama’s only fine arts supply store to the best coffee shop and bar in an old movie theater to a bilingual real estate business whose office is host to downtown’s newest and brightest mural,” Bennett said.

For more information on Montevallo Main Street and the AL Spark initiative, visit Cityofmontevallo.com/MontevalloMainStreet.aspx.