Grant Awards - Fall 2010 Recipients

The Merchants Fund opened offices in the summer of 2007 in downtown Philadelphia after a twenty-five year hiatus outside the City. The board has outlined an ambitious grant-making program to support small businesses in Philadelphia.

Empirical Point
This successful woman-owned company recently relocated from Mt. Airy to a LEED certified building in Chestnut Hill. She was able to take advantage of the downturn in the real estate market and get a great rent in an upscale neighborhood. Her main project is the convert all of her records to a paperless computer system using technology to make her work more efficient for $7,664. She will then use the space saved from jettisoning her file cabinets to set up an additional patient area for which she needs a massage table for $1,200. She is negotiating taking on a junior partner to come into her practice. The plan is to eventually sublet her downtown space to her junior partner and work out of Chestnut Hill exclusively.

The Couch Tomato Cafe
This small pizza place which sources local produce own their three story building in Manayunk just off Main Street. They are expanding into the second and third floors to provide sit down seating and wine and beer (new liquor license). Upon initial review I was startled at how much a small company can earn selling salad and pizza until I met the owners. They have tapped in the pharmacy sales force of Philadelphia which provides a steady half of their revenue stream. The owners met in college and work well together.