The Shadow
Rural communities have experienced challenging economic times with the overall decline in their population, lack of broadband, and many other amenities that metropolitan areas enjoy. In comparison to metropolitan areas, rural communities often do not have a comprehensive ecosystem with business development resources to support startups and small businesses. For this reason, rural communities are sometimes overlooked and underserved. One way to change this is by telling story to the world.
I recently attended the Brunswick County Business Summit along with other ecosystem stakeholders. The summit centered around discussions on how the county can tell its story more widely and frequently. The main topic of the event was to share that Brunswick County is open for business. Their goal is to build a comprehensive entrepreneurial ecosystem to support startups and existing businesses.
“The driving force of the event was to tell our story, to sing our song that Brunswick County is the Location of Choice. We are a valuable resource to Southside Virginia, especially to the Tri-Cities area. We are bridging the gap between Richmond and Brunswick. Today’s event highlights those partnerships that we have built as we continue to work collaboratively to establish an ecosystem for small businesses in Brunswick County. I invite everyone to contact the Brunswick County Department of Economic Development to learn more about our economic initiatives, ” stated Alfreda Jarrett Reynolds, Director of Economic Development.
The event was a revelation, and it illuminates some tips for rural communities to consider moving forward.
Craft a message or an elevator speech with a consistent message espousing the communities’ brand.
Become a champion and a convener for building an entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Partner with capital providers such as lenders, CDFIs-Community Development Financial Institutions, and the SBA. Access to capital is a vitally important component of growth.
Partner with schools to adopt entrepreneurship programs to foster the future.
Become a champion and a convener for building entrepreneurial ecosystems and inject a spirit of entrepreneurship into the community to help shape the business culture for
The SBA has a myriad of resources for rural communities. We value and understand the economic contributions of rural communities. That is the primary reason the SBA wants to help rural communities tell the story!
Please visit our rural businesses webpage- Rural businesses (sba.gov). Also, visit the SBA VA District Office to learn more about workshops and learning opportunities at www.sba.gov/va.
