Four women-owned businesses have joined Maryland’s Shop Local retail incubator , located within the Rockville Town Center in Montgomery County.

The new tenants include Amaya Accessories, a handcrafted jewelry, handbag, and jacket shop; Costa Cosmetics, an eco-friendly soap and cosmetic creator; SweetsbyCaroline, a gluten-free bakery; and Yul d’UZ, a Central Asia-inspired clothing designer. By joining the incubator, the startups receive a temporary retail space to grow, promote their business, and attract new customers.

Launched by Rockville Economic Development, Inc. , the Shop Local incubator encourages entrepreneurial growth throughout the region, especially within the female and minority communities, and has helped several small businesses successfully enter the retail world.

The incubator is sponsored by the Maryland Women’s Business Center  (WBC), which assists more than 1,500 individuals navigate the entrepreneur process every year by providing business counseling, offering workshops for personal and professional growth, and assisting startups with finding funding sources. The center has three locations throughout the state, with offices in Prince George’s, Montgomery, and Frederick counties.

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