Cortland County BDC, Legislature Help Local Woman Open Coffee Shop

A Cortland woman recently achieved the dream of opening her own coffee shop called Common Grounds thanks to the Cortland County Business Development Corporation as well as the County Legislature.

Dana Winant decided to pursue the idea during the pandemic, and reached out to the Business Development Corporation for more information. The BDC was able to provide assistance including guiding Winant in obtaining her sales tax registration and finding a suitable location for her shop, ultimately settling on a vacant space in the Crescent Commons building.

Additionally, the BDC was able to provide monetary resources for Winant’s endeavor after receiving $600,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Dollars to fund three small business programs. Winant applied and received a total of $15,000 to defray costs and support the purchase of equipment and supplies for her business. She added that without the aid, it would have been impossible to open the business.