You Can Bring Your Ideas to Life in This Main Street Shop
Crafters, creators, entrepreneurs, and artists will love MSU’s recently renovated Idea Shop located on Main Street.
For a small monthly membership fee, you can get access to all sorts of tools and equipment to bring your idea to life.
“You can come in and make anything that you want – whether it’s an anniversary gift or something you just want to try out,” says Idea Shop consultant Landon Casey.
An Idea Is Born
The Idea Shop was created through a partnership between the MSU School of Human Sciences and the MSU College of Business.
Private contributions and support from the USDA Rural Business Development program helped bring this idea to life in downtown Starkville.
The Idea Shop is there to help entrepreneurs learn the ropes and discover what works best for their burgeoning businesses.
Not only can entrepreneurs or creators develop products and art in the Shop, but they can also place these items for sale in the MSU Retail Product Accelerator located in the front of the Idea Shop.
This space allows entrepreneurs and artists to test out new retail products in a small environment for viability.
Access to All the Tools
Creators have access to an array of tools perfect for any project.
The Idea Shop provides 3D printers, laser engravers, a CNC machine, a workshop full of metal and woodworking tools, and design suite with CAD workstations.
The Turner A. Wingo Maker Studio inside the Idea Shop is a sprawling area that includes several workbenches.
“The goal is that anyone can come and make what their heart desires,” Casey says.
All it takes to create in this space is a membership, which can be obtained through The Idea Shop’s website. Anyone can join, including members of the Starkville community and MSU students.
Learn a New Skill
The Idea Shop often hosts workshops for people in the general public that are interested in learning new skills.
The Idea Shop is located at 114 E. Main Street. Store hours are Monday through Friday from 10 am to 6 p.m.; Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Discounts for student groups, families, and non-student groups are available and can be found on their website.
You can also follow them on Facebook for more information and updates.
