Local Business Competes for Big Grant

Little Louie’s Gift Store, an Oceanside-based gift and souvenir store, is asking the community for support as they attempt to get a $250,000 grant from Chase as part of a newly launched program titled Mission Main Street Grants.

The store needs 250 votes to be eligible for the grant, organizers said. Customers, fans and community members are asked to vote online on the program’s website.

The voting deadline is November 15. Expert panelists select Grant recipients.  

“With the success of our business model we are looking to expand to a second location in Carlsbad,” organizers wrote in a news release. “$250,000 would allow us to pay our loans from starting the business as well as pay for the start of our second location. This would allow us to hire four more employees and help create a very much needed beach orientated gift store in the downtown Carlsbad area. No loans would make us more capable of surviving a downturn in sales and give us more freedom to show more new local artists products in the stores as well.”

Mission Main Street Grants will award $3 million to small business across America, organizers wrote. All businesses that apply for a grant and meet the eligibility requirements will receive a special advertising offer from Premier Sponsor, Google. In addition, the 12 grant recipients will be eligible to receive a trip to Google for an exclusive small business marketing workshop with Google experts and a Google Chromebook Pixel laptop, organizers wrote.

For additional details Little Louie’s encourages supporters to visit the Mission Main Street Grants website.