Authorizing the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development to hold public hearings on the process of starting a microbusiness or pop-up shop in Philadelphia, and on how the City can streamline that process so more microbusinesses grow into small businesses.

Authorizing the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development to hold public hearings on the process of starting a microbusiness or pop-up shop in Philadelphia, and on how the City can streamline that process so more microbusinesses grow into small businesses. WHEREAS, Every small business in Philadelphia starts somewhere, and for many it starts at a folding table at a craft fair. A weekend booth at a holiday market. A food cart on a corner. For many Philadelphians, that is the only way in; and WHEREAS, A microbusiness is generally understood to mean a business with fewer than ten employees and modest annual revenue, often operating without a permanent storefront. WHEREAS, Council has heard directly from microbusiness owners that the path from a folding table to a storefront is harder than it should be, and that the cost of trying often piles up before a single dollar comes in. A vendor signing up for a curated market in Philadelphia frequently pays both an application fee and a separate entry or booth fee, on top of whatever city paperwork they still owe; and WHEREAS, There are curated markets in Philadelphia that handle the process well, and while further improvements can be made, Council should learn from them. Christmas Village at Dilworth Park and LOVE Park, supported by the Department of Commerce's own Christmas Village Market Grant, the Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market, and seasonal art crawls across the city all show what a clear, predictable, and vendor-friendly …