Hope & Main incubator to hold info session

WARREN – Hope & Main LLC, Rhode Island’s first food business incubator, will hold a series of information sessions this spring for potential applicants and other food entrepreneurs interested in learning more about the program.
The next session will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 12, at The Handkerchief Factory in Warren, where Hope & Main has its temporary offices. Mentors from the Hope & Main team will be in attendance to walk those interested through the application process and answer any questions.
For more information or to register for the April 12 event, visit www.eventbrite.com.
Hope & Main is still accepting applications and can incubate up to 50 businesses, according to its website. Members will pay a $100 annual membership fee in addition to monthly rental fees based on the storage space and number of kitchen hours used.
Hope & Main’s 17,500-square-foot Warren location, currently under construction, will open in the summer of 2014. The incubator program aims to give food entrepreneurs and early-stage culinary businesses the chance to grow by providing kitchens, equipment and storage at affordable rental rates and offering business support services.
In addition to holding information sessions about the incubator program itself, Hope & Main is also hosting a series of workshops geared toward food entrepreneurs. The next workshop, to be held April 26, will focus on marketing and branding strategies for food startups, including best practices for social media, tips for word-of-mouth marketing, and how to execute a cohesive marketing plan.
Food startups are encouraged to bring samples of their product for on-the-spot feedback from session instructor Ruth Bazinet of HB Agency, a Newton, Mass.-based marketing and branding firm.
Current Hope & Main applicants and members may attend the workshop free of charge. The cost for general admission is $12. To register, visit www.eventbrite.com.
For more information about the Hope & Main food business incubator or to apply, visit www.makefoodyourbusiness.org or call (401) 480-4524.

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