What is it: "The Truth About Your Commercial Landlord," part of the Regional Incubator for Sustainability & Entrepreneurship (RISE) Speaker Series, will take place at 4 p.m. Friday at Saucy Brew Works, 215 E. Water St., Sandusky. The featured speaker is Kula Hoty Lynch, corporate counsel for Hoty Enterprises, Inc.
"Kula Hoty Lynch is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to commercial leasing," says RISE Coordinator Alissa Fisher via an email interview. "She is a landlord herself and is highly regarded amongst our small business community."
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Kula Hoty Lynch will present "The Truth About Your Commercial Landlord" at 4 p.m. Friday at Saucy Brew Works.
The event is for "aspiring and existing small business owners who are currently leasing a storefront or who are interested in leasing a storefront in the future," according to a press release from RISE, which is a small business support program in Erie and Huron counties.
"Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from an expert in the field and to network with other small business owners," according to the release.
Why is it important: “The goal of the presentation is to talk about what to look for in your commercial space and also how to set yourself up for success in your lease – including preparing yourself to present your business plan to a landlord,” says Hoty Lynch via an email interview.
“I’m a firm believer that small business is very important to the health of a community,” she says. “As a landlord, our goal is to help our tenants succeed in their business. It’s a little bit like having a partner. So, I wanted to give some insight on a topic that is vital to the success of a business but that can sometimes be confusing, overwhelming, and the importance of which is oftentimes overlooked when starting your business – your location and your lease and how they help set you up for success.”
Fisher echoes Hoty Lynch's statements about arming themselves with as much possible before entering into a commercial lease.
"Many small business owners (both new and existing) have a lot of questions when it comes to leasing a storefront," Fisher says. "In addition, we’ve found many aren’t prepared when they inquire about a lease – they don’t necessarily have a clear vision and plan."
How to get involved: Participation in the event is free, but registration is required due to space constraints. Interested parties can register
online.
Hoty Lynch's presentation is the first in the 2023 series. A second presentation is slated for 9 a.m. July 11 at Main Street Vermilion. The topic will be "Online vs. Storefront" with speaker Jacqui Adkins, owner of Mistakes on the Lake and
Main Street Threads.
To learn more about RISE, visit its
website or
Facebook page.