CLEARWATER, Fla. — "Being out on the water almost in any capacity here in Clearwater is really special."
When you're on the water with Misty Wells, there's an added element: peddles, just like on a bike. She opened Paddle Pub in Clearwater in January, welcoming people to take a seat, drink, and enjoy what makes Clearwater so unique.
"I think you learn a lot going through your first year of business, especially when it's something you haven't done before. But it's been a challenge. It's very stressful," she said.
Now, she has a unique opportunity to get some help.
She's one of ten businesses to embark on Florida's first and only tourism business incubator. We first told you about that program in August.
"I feel like really putting together your core and your base of your business is something I know that I need help with. So, without a strong, solid foundation, it's hard to really grow in the right way. So I'm really looking forward to getting help with that," she explained.
Amanda Payne, the President of Amplify Clearwater, explains what they stand to gain over the next ten weeks.
"It's really teaching you all of the important and integral parts of owning a business, operating a business, and then figuring out where your weaknesses are. So we can address them, help you to overcome them, and strengthen those places so you overall have a stronger business model," she said.
Twenty-three3 business owners applied to be the first cohort of the Amplify Clearwater Tourism Business Incubator.
Here are the selected businesses in alphabetical order:
1. Allori Blow Dry Bar
2. Aspirations Winery
3. Betty Shop St Pete
4. CR World
5. Essentials Spa of Clearwater
6. Fishing Clearwater Inshore
7. Girls Sailing
8. One Medical Center
9. Paddle Pub Clearwater
10. Tourism Transit System
"This isn't strictly tourism, as you may think about it in terms of hotels and restaurants, and those types of resort activities and services, you know, strictly to the guests into the visitor. Because we all know, living in a tourism community, really everything we do supports the visitors every day, maybe indirectly. So that's the really cool thing about this cohort is there's so much diversity in the type of business that we've attracted that, you know, you could look at this and say we really have everything covered," Payne said.
And by the end of the cohort, even investors are standing by, ready to propel Clearwater's next big name.
"There'll be a monetary prize at the end of that. So we're obtaining sponsors for that prize now. And that's the goal, as they pitch their ideas, pitch their business to our panel of judges, there will be a monetary reward for those that have come the farthest, those that have did have the best pitch, the best business model, kind of like a mini Shark Tank locally," she added.
Wells is hoping that's her.
"I've got the franchise for all of Pinellas County; this is boat number one. But I'd love to have a whole fleet."
