As part of a new focus at Fayette County Economic Development, we’re excited to announce the launch of a Downtown Pop-Up Store, beginning Jan. 1.
The Fayette County Economic Development Pop-Up Store is a temporary retail space designed to give small businesses and entrepreneurs a chance to test their products in a real storefront setting. The space can be rented for as little as three days or up to two weeks, giving participants flexibility as they explore what works best for their idea. As this is a new program, we’ll be learning and adjusting along the way.
Located at 410 Central Ave., the Pop-Up Store is available for $25 per day. We’ll help promote each business during their time in the space, but a key goal of the program is to give participants hands-on experience marketing their products and gauging customer interest.
This initiative is intended to support ideas that could one day grow into permanent, brick-and-mortar businesses. While the space will not be used for indoor garage sales, we may host special weekend events in the future, such as themed or antique-style markets.
New small-business group launching soon
Working alongside the Pop-Up Store is another exciting partnership: the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Connection, launching Jan. 20, 2026. This group will meet six times per year and bring together local entrepreneurs with resources from the Eastern Indiana Small Business Development Center and other partners. These meetings are open to all Fayette County residents, not just those downtown or within the city and will include support for farm-based and agricultural businesses as well.
The first meeting will take place at 721 West 21st Street, and all interested small business owners and entrepreneurs are encouraged to attend. Together, the Pop-Up Store and the Connection are designed to build, support, and sustain small businesses throughout Fayette County.
We are always happy to collaborate with individuals pursuing product-based or service-based ideas and will help connect people to additional resources whenever possible. More information will be coming soon about ways to involve youth and students in entrepreneurship opportunities.
For questions or interest in the Pop-Up Store, please contact Brad Colter at bcolter@edgconnersville.com. Brad Colter is CEO/president of the Economic Development Group of Fayette County.