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GSMP, city join forces in ‘economic gardening’

Growing Businesses

As every gardener knows, young sprouts need to be nourished if they are to grow and produce.

It’s the same with businesses. This week, the Greater San Marcos Partnership (GSMP) and the city have announced an initiative to supply young businesses with the nutrients they need to flourish.

The Greater San Marcos Economic Gardening Initiative (EGI) targets “second stage” companies that “have moved beyond startup but haven’t yet reached maturity,” the GSMP said in a news release.

Limited for now to businesses with headquarters in the city, EGI offers assistance in four key areas: strategic market research, geographic information services, search engine optimization and social media marketing. The program is being administered by the Edward Lowe Foundation.

To qualify, companies must:

  • Be a for-profit, privately held company headquartered (for now) in the city of San Marcos and (later) in Hays or Caldwell County
  • Have between $750,000 and $50 million in annual revenue
  • Employ six to 99 full-time equivalent W-2 employees, including the owner
  • Demonstrated growth in either revenue or employees of 2 to 5 years
  • Provide product(s) and/or services to regional and/or international markets.

Qualifying companies can submit applications on the GSMP's website.

The Edward Lowe Foundation, established in 1985, doesn’t give out grants but funds its own entrepreneurship initiatives, according to the press release.

San Marcos Record

(512) 392-2458
P.O. Box 1109, San Marcos, TX 78666