Retailers

College Station has plenty of small-town charm, but the presence of a major university also provides an unmistakable international feel with many diverse restaurants, boutique shops, and retail options. From yoga studios and CrossFit gyms to assorted clothing stores, College Station has something for everyone. Abundant resources are available for starting a business, and we encourage you to take advantage of the tools, expertise and networks our region offers. The City of College Station has partnerships with local organizations and corporations that can help you succeed.

Retailers choose our community because of the abundance of young professionals in our workforce, as well as the broad range of opportunities created by the significant international presence. Additionally, masses of former Texas A&M students – known affectionately as “old Ags” – continue to retire in College Station to be near their beloved alma mater. New senior living communities allow for aging in place and, combined with our fantastic array of community attributes, provide an expanding opportunity for retailers to identify and attract specific niche markets.



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Existing  Outreach
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Small Business Resources
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Economic Development Partners



Existing Outreach

Business Over Breakfast

Economic Development holds quarterly Business Over Breakfast meetings to provide an opportunity for local business leaders to network with each other and City staff, while providing a means to discuss recent news related to the City’s economy and tourism initiatives. If you would like to be added to the invitation list for this event, please email your request to [email protected].

Heart of Aggieland Visitors Pass

To strengthen the economy and continue our unprecedented reputation for hospitality, the City of College Station’s Economic Development Department created the Heart of Aggieland Visitor’s Pass Program specifically for those in town for city-booked tournaments and conferences. We want to make sure that the thousands of visitors that travel here for conferences and sports tournaments annually know about all of the amazing restaurants, retail shops and entertainment venues that are right here in the Heart of Aggieland! College Station businesses can opt-in for free. Don’t miss out on this easy opportunity to expose your business to thousands of annual visitors and sign up at grow.cstx.gov/visitorspass today!

Listing on Visit Website

We welcome the opportunity to introduce all of the great restaurants, retail shops and entertainment venues to visitors and residents alike and would love to include your College Station location on the list! If you would like to have your establishment added to the Visit College Station website, please register via the following link: New Establishment Form. This is an excellent opportunity to provide additional exposure for your location as both travelers and residents utilize this site to find local establishments to visit. Register today!


Small Business Resources

College Station and the surrounding community provide a variety of resources to grow and sustain success in small business operations. Below are just some of the services offered in the Brazos Valley.

    Brazos Valley Financial Fitness Center
    With help from volunteer financial professionals, individuals and families are taught how to develop healthy financial habits, build or increase savings, acquire assets, and plan for the future.

    >> Learn more

    Brazos Valley Small Business Development Center
    Small business development centers provide free business consulting and affordable training seminars to small and medium-sized business owners and managers. Consultants are available to help businesses develop strategies, attract customers, increase sales, and improve productivity and profitability.

    >> Learn more
    Skills for Small Business
    Through the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), up to $2 million is dedicated to small businesses with fewer than 100 employees for training offered through either a local community or technical college, or the Texas Engineering Extension Service. TWC manages the college application process to fund specific courses selected by the businesses to train new workers and upgrade the skills of incumbent workers.

    >> Learn more

    Startup Aggieland
    Startup Aggieland is a student-designed business incubator, accelerator, and co-working space. We help qualified student-owned startups leverage Texas A&M University resources and private support without relinquishing equity ownership in their companies.

    >> Learn more

    Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center
    Hosted at TEEX, TMAC offers manufacturers extensive opportunities to advance business profitability in skills training, business process analysis, and practices to boost productivity, regulation-required training, supply chain development and strengthening, and product innovation.

    >> Learn more

    Workforce Solutions Brazos Valley
    Brazos Valley businesses are eligible to receive a variety of specialized services, including job posting databases, skills matching assistance for employees, skill level evaluation for job seekers, labor market information for employers, tax credit application assistance, job fairs, and post-layoff rapid response services.

    >> Learn more

Economic Development Partners

We have numerous partners in our community that are here to help you and your business.

    Brazos Valley Council of Governments
    Brazos Valley Council of Governments was originally established in 1966 and has grown to serve over 315,000 citizens and covers 5,109 square miles consisting of 7 counties. They provide a host of services and data, including Economic Development information like rural transportation planning, economic development, small business funding, community development, grant writing, demographic interpretation, and GIS and mapping services. By partnering with the City of College Station, among other local governments, they help to cooperatively identify needs, develop responses, implement solutions, eliminate duplication and promote the efficient and accountable use of public resources, and to improve quality of life.
    Brazos Valley Economic Development Corporation
    The Brazos Valley Economic Development Corporation (BVEDC) works with the City of College Station to provide support to businesses looking to launch, grow or locate in the Brazos Valley. BVEDC offers services to a variety of business and with the upmost confidentiality. Their services include existing business support and assistance, site selection & community tours for new or expanding businesses, networking, market research and analysis, and serving as a liaison for governmental and educational connections.

    Bryan/College Station Chamber of Commerce
    The Bryan/College Station Chamber of Commerce serves to enhance the economic well-being of all businesses in the community. Along with the City of College Station, they partner to support and promote new and existing businesses, offering both professional growth opportunities, networking, and a platform for needs of the business community to be heard. Being a Chamber member is another level of professional validation within our community, and members enjoy leading information on groundbreakings, real estate, who’s moving/opening/closing, networking, and governmental liaison support.
    Small Business Development Center
    The Brazos Valley Small Business Development Center (BVSBDC) is resource available to assist small businesses in every phase of their business cycle from start-up to expansion. The BVSBDC offers free, confidential, one-on-one business consulting and can assist with
    • Creating a comprehensive business plan.
    • Develop a loan package and identify funding sources.
    • Prepare and analyze financial statements, including financial projections.
    • Evaluate business opportunities for starting/purchasing a new business.
    • Government procurement and international trade.
    • Business basics, marketing, and financing.
    • Technology and Commercialization.
    • And more.

    Along with the free advising services, the BVSBDC offers low-cost business training workshops such as QuickBooks, recordkeeping, and social media tools.

     

    Texas A&M University
    Texas A&M University is one of the country’s largest public universities. Continuously ranked as one of the national leading research institutions and graduating more than more than 15,000 students a year, there are numerous benefits Texas A&M has for businesses in College Station. Partnering with A&M, who brings in nearly a Billion dollars in research annually, allows for a Win-Win-Win between the University research community, companies located in College Station who tap into those research resources, and College Station citizens who benefit from employment and educational opportunities and stemming from both.
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