A winner of last year’s Main Street Challenge, The Local Hiker wants residents to ‘hike out of their comfort zone’
Continuing UBJ’s coverage on the three winners of the Spartanburg Main Street Challenge, this week we’re checking in on The Local Hiker, an outdoor equipment and apparel store.
The Local Hiker recently held its grand opening celebration at its new location at 173 E. Main St. in downtown Spartanburg.
Kathy Silverman and her husband, Michael, were already in the process of turning their idea of a hiking and outdoor store into a reality when they heard about the Main Street Challenge. The duo had completed an initial business plan, looked at retail space, and had begun arranging financing.
“Entering the contest actually slowed us down a little,” said Kathy Silverman, who quickly added that they are thrilled to have been named one of last May’s winners.
The Silvermans saw an opening when they realized the lack of retail outlets in Spartanburg County to buy hiking wear, boots and outdoor equipment were forcing shoppers “to go to Greenville,” she said.
The couple intends to offer classes and guided hikes in the future in addition to tweaking the $100,000 in inventory, all in hopes of making the store a “destination for outdoor enthusiasts,” she said. Kathy Silverman works in the store full-time, supervising five part-time employees, while her husband continues at his current job.
As a Main Street Challenge winner, the business received $12,000 in subsidized rent and another $8,000-$10,000 in startup services such as legal advice, printing and accounting services.
How did the Main Street Challenge contest help you launch your business?
The Main Street Challenge helped launch our business from a media standpoint that we could not have imagined. We are so grateful for all the positive publicity from the city and others involved, as well as citizens who are excited about new businesses downtown. The in-kind services have been phenomenal, way too many to name, but we’ve taken advantage of 99 percent of them so far.
What obstacles or challenges did you have to overcome?
I would say one of the biggest obstacles for us was finding financial backing for our business due to the economy and no one wanting to loan to new business for fear they would not last.
What are your plans for the next year?
We plan to expand our current product lines and venture into guided hikes in the spring. Beyond that, we hope to get involved with some local organizations or persons to get some who may not have the opportunity or gear to hike out of their comfort zone and let them experience the great outdoors.
Of the services and money received from the Main Street Challenge, what have you used so far? What was the most helpful?
The in-kind services have been very helpful. Things like a membership to the Chamber and Spartanburg Downtown Associations are actually things we had factored into our business financials; it was wonderful to get them at no cost for the first year. We’ve also taken advantage of nearly all the other services offered as well.
