Four retailers open in Branson incubator

Tenants at the new incubator, 105 E. Main St., are Digital Blacksmith, a Branson-based ironworks company; Evergreen, a Branson-based home décor store specializing in outdoor-themed products; Leslie Glenn Interiors, a Branson-based home interiors store; and Justise Furniture, a retail location for a Lebanon-based furniture manufacturer.

Retailers sign one-year leases at the incubator and are given space and product showcasing with lower overhead than if they opened on their own, according to a news release from the association. Merchants are required to attend small-business classes and have a role in allotting marketing dollars.

“What we’re really hoping by that is that we are building a strong entrepreneur that completely understands some small-business philosophy before they just go somewhere, pay rent and go, ‘Oh my, there’s a lot more involved here than I realized,’” said Gayla Roten, the association’s executive director.

Besides giving startups a jumping-off platform, the incubator is designed to support downtown’s business diversification, Roten said. Shoppers were surveyed about the kinds of shops missing from the downtown scene.

“We want something that is different and new – we don’t want any product being oversaturated, and we want our business owners in the downtown to thrive,” Roten said. “This is all about creating … diversity.”

The incubator has been funded through grants and will be further supported by its tenants. Roten said the association hopes to have 10 or 12 retailers at capacity; efforts to educate potential tenants are under way.