FAQ Check: The Grapevine Business Triangle

FAQ Check: The Grapevine Business Triangle Main Photo

10 Apr 2023


Blog, News

Whether you’re new to Grapevine or an established part of the community, you’ve got access to a wealth of public and private resources. Economic Development supports the business community, but so does the Chamber of Commerce and the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. It can be difficult to know whom to ask or where to start, especially since our economy is so heavily geared toward destination entertainment; a middle ground where all three of those resources come together. 

Knowing that, we’ve prepared a brief explainer that breaks down the specialties of all three organizations, the specific programs they provide, and a crash-course on where inroads for specific ideas and processes most frequently begin. 

To streamline the process, think of your business as a rocket. Here’s how all three organizations can help you blast off:

Grapevine Economic Development – The Launchpad 

Of the three organizations in this list, Economic Development is the only one based in City Hall itself. Staff here are primarily concerned with recruiting new businesses to the City and retaining the ones that succeed. So if you’re in the early phases of planning or Site Selection, these are your people! Certain types of businesses qualify for grant funding and/or Sales Tax Revenue Sharing agreements, and those deals start here.  

But that doesn’t mean you should only meet with Economic Development one time! Our website is full of useful information, from free analytics tools for Small Businesses to demographic and logistical data on the City itself. And we roll out new features about local businesses and Grapevine history all the time; just check out our Blog and the ‘Growing Grapevine’ podcast

Your 5-Star Accredited Grapevine Chamber of Commerce – Mission Control 

Think of the Grapevine Chamber as your “people people.” As a 501(c)6 organization that partners with but is not owned or operated by the City, the Chamber is a great intermediary resource for business owners. They offer a collection of networking events and facilitate ribbon cuttings for new members, making them a great next step for companies that have opened (or will soon open) in Grapevine but want to make it more official with a celebration. 

It’s common for the Chamber and Economic Development to work hand-in-hand, too: you can find a checklist for all the steps it takes to start a business on the Chamber website, and communicating with both organizations during your startup process will boost publicity and increase the pool of local influencers you interact with from Day One. In a City that values connections and community involvement, the Chamber has the staff and resources to keep you plugged in for the long term. 

Grapevine Convention & Visitor’s Bureau – Rocket Fuel 

Not every business that comes to Grapevine is geared toward festivals and conventions. But for those who are, the CVB is a ready friend. The Convention and Visitor’s Bureau is a department of the City government, even though its offices are at the other end of Main Street. Because of the strategic design of the market, Grapevine boasts a larger and more powerful CVB staff than most communities our size. It might be appropriate to involve this team in the startup process if your business falls within their realm of expertise: there’s a separate set of incentives for concepts that draw visitors into the City because they qualify for support through Texas Hotel Occupancy Tax legislation

In a nutshell, if your business helps to attract tourism, you can benefit from the economic activity that follows. Most often, that benefit takes the form of CVB-funded-or-managed marketing of the attraction in question. But other businesses have avenues to engage with the Bureau as well: festivals start here, as do vendor applications for eligible City events. And, of course, businesses on Main Street will interact with the Historic Preservation Committee; a separate entity with close ties to the CVB. 

If you’re ready to chat about starting a business here in Grapevine, we’d love to hear from you! Got more questions about the City? Let us know that, too... maybe your question will be the next FAQ we check!