Dream-O-Vate Business Competition:
What is Dream-O-Vate?
Do you ever dream of opening your own business? Are you a small business owner looking to innovate? The time is now! Starting a business is hard work and the first year can be the most difficult. Many startups struggle with finding the right location, accessing capital, managing overhead expenses, navigating the permitting processes, and the daily tasks of managing the business.
The Dream-O-Vate Business Competition is a game changer. Dream-O-Vate supports entrepreneurs to bring their dream of opening a business to reality.
Produced by Livingston County Economic Development, Dream-O-Vate is a retail business plan competition that encourages entrepreneurs to compete for the chance to open a storefront and earn a coveted business start-up package to turn their dream into reality. The goals of the program are to:
Recruit new business that will enhance the existing business mix
Improve the economic climate for all area businesses through increased resident and tourist traffic in our Village cores
Capture greater resident and visitor spending
Create a positive buzz about Livingston County and its communities
Through Dream-O-Vate, Livingston County is seeking makers, creators, movers, and shakers to open retail establishments that will enhance the visitor experience in and around our nine historic Main Street districts. We are looking for the next “best” business in LivCo. You bring the innovation – we’ll make the dream come true. The competition will focus on funding businesses in the following areas:
Food + Drink
Tourism
Specialty Retail
Entertainment
Meet some of our past winners:
Milk & Honey Cafe
Lima, New York
Sunrise Bouldering
Geneseo, New York
Trail Otter
Leicester, New York
Six Sprouts Farm Market
Avon, New York
Woodlawn Distilling
Linwood, New York
Cosmic Charlie Cafe
Geneseo, New York
Applications are now closed.
All submitted applications are under review, applicants will receive further information via email.
