Ignite Portsmouth Alumni: Tim Palla
Tim Palla is an Ignite Portsmouth 2023 Alumni. He is also the food and beverage manager at Shawnee Lodge, a local pastor, and one of the sharpest dressed men in Southern Ohio. And Tim’s fashion sense - as well as a need in Portsmouth - drew him to pitch his business idea: Man O’ the Cloth Haberdashery.
“My family had always been involved in the men’s clothing industry,” explains Tim. “There just aren’t any around. In fact, I did my research and found the closest one is in Ashland, Kentucky. And I love clothes. So, I thought ‘why not bring something like that to Portsmouth?’”
Tim attended the grand opening of the SSU Kricker Innovation Hub back in March. There, he ran into former university president Jeff Bauer who told him about the Ignite Portsmouth Bootcamp and Pitch Competition.
The 2023 Ignite Cohort
”He told me the program was built for someone like me. So, I decided to apply. And I’m glad I did! There were so many things I loved about it. Our facilitator, Josh Lawson, gave us so much information that was valuable. Each night, it was a different subject. But myself and the other participants were encouraged to interact and have discussions. In many ways, I was learning from a whole class of teachers. It allowed me to be more creative, be more open minded about my audience, and really informed what I would do in business. There would be meetings where it would end and many of us in the cohort would get together outside in the parking lot and discuss what we had heard that night.”
Tim strongly recommends the program to others who may have a business idea. His business pitch, Man O’ the Cloth Haberdashery, is still in the works and he continues to gather market research and look at potential locations.
“There’s always an excuse: ‘I have a family. I don’t have time.’ This is one evening a week and you are going to learn everything about business from startup, to marketing, to investment, to financials, deb, and planning it from start to finish. I encourage everyone to apply even if you feel like you just have an idea. Ideas can become great realities.”
Ignite Portsmouth is the catalyst for new business in our region. This 8-week entrepreneurship boot camp is perfect for individuals with a new idea, business, or with plans to expand and grow!
Participants will become equipped with the tools they need to succeed. They will learn about value proposition, the business model canvas, market analysis and customer validation, financial and revenue modeling, access to capital, marketing, branding, and business pitching. They will also be connected to mentors that will help them along the journey. The 2024 Ignite Porstmouth cohort begins May 8th at 6pm.