The Columbia Pike Partnership offers a number of initiatives to support the vibrant and diverse small business community that serves Columbia Pike. Small businesses are the backbone of our community, and our business engagement mission is to develop, build, advocate, support, and connect with our business community.
Columbia Pike is home to 700+ micro and small businesses. You can find ethnic restaurants, beauty salons, and spas to suit every style, along with unique shops with one-of-a-kind finds, home-based businesses, and more!
The COVID-19 crisis created a series of challenges for micro and small businesses in our community. COVID-19 changed our way of living, working, and doing business. Small businesses needed to find and connect to resources quickly, and they needed to communicate with clients about business hours and services in a timely manner.
In response to these needs, Columbia Pike Partnership worked closely with local businesses to provide business signage (~40); acted as a liaison with Arlington County regarding Temporary Outdoor Seating Area (TOSA) updates, Pick Up Drop Off Zone (PUDOs), Grants and PPP application deadlines; attended meetings on behalf of businesses to stay up to date on resources available to and for small businesses; and raised over $66,000 for the Buy a Nurse Program as a way to support both small businesses and health care providers.
Columbia Pike Partnership continues to leverage partnerships to provide critical assistance and resources through our various communication channels. Thanks to the bilingual Business Engagement Specialist on our team, we provide in-person, boots-on-the-ground support for all our businesses along the 3.5-mile corridor. We coordinate and connect our business partners and business owners via our quarterly “Connect and Collaborate webinars.” We share resources and connect our residents and business community via our “Columbia Pike Businesses & Community Support” Facebook group. We provide one-on-one consultations and referrals to our business partners. And we developed the Columbia Pike Boletin to share additional information and resources with our Spanish-speaking partners and community.
We are constantly seeking creative, innovative, and relevant ways to leverage collaborations that will bring win-win situations for all parties involved. Each year we add new events to provide an opportunity for our residents, small businesses, and partners to connect, learn about, and support each other. Think of our business engagement as the vehicle that delivers resources and support from our partners to the small businesses along the Pike.
Our work is only possible thanks to partner organizations such as:
BizLaunch, Arlington Economic Development
Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC)
The Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC)
Enterprise Development Group (EDG)
Arlington County Police Department/Business Outreach Unit
Arlington Public Library/Columbia Pike Branch
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Arlington