Impacting change, representing the community and enhancing the services in Atlanta … all things Azhia Brown is committed to. This young, Black entrepreneur sees growth in the west side of the city and, rather than being a spectator to change, she is jumping right in. Brown owns City Dogz ATL, a unique boutique dog grooming and boarding facility. She opened her business prior to 2020 and then, like many business owners, ran into some challenges. That is when she learned about the Atlanta Open for Business Fund.
“We couldn’t have done this without the help of Invest Atlanta (and the Open for Business Fund),” Brown explains. “The grant is allowing us to build out our physical space and really represent what is happening in west Atlanta. This area is about growth, community and support, and I hope this space personifies that.”
The Atlanta Open for Business Commercial Property Improvement Grant (CPIG) enabled her to make big changes in her corner of the city. The grant is possible because of a $20 million donation from Wells Fargo to help Atlanta small business owners own more of their businesses’ assets, including property and equipment, and to enable physical upgrades to their facilities. Invest Atlanta, in collaboration with United Way of Greater Atlanta, will distribute the funding as a mix of grants and loans in the city, with a focus on Black-owned and other diverse-owned businesses.
The CPIG money will do two big things for her business. The first is to fence in the area and create a safe space for dogs and their owners as well as keep people passing by safe. The second is the addition of turf and large containers.
Brown says the turf will be used in the play yard for pups while the containers serve as a barrier and will later be used for a planned expansion of services. Brown’s vision for City Dogz is to be more than boarding and grooming. She intends to create a dog community for the pet owners around the area.
“We want to offer residents in the area the use of our yard after hours so people walking their animals have a safe place for them to run,” she says. “We also want to expand to a self-service after hours dog wash for those who live nearby.”
Brown, who has mapped out her growth strategy for City Dogz ATL, says without Atlanta Open for Business it would take a lot longer for her dreams to be realized.
The Atlanta Open for Business Fund is designed to help small business owners in Atlanta build wealth and to help Atlanta businesses impacted by the pandemic recover.