Will 2019 Be The Year Of Small Business In Anson County?

Over the past few weeks there has been some healthy discussion about what organizations like AnsonEDP do to assist small businesses. The simple answer is A LOT, but I thought this might be a good opportunity to review some of the specific programs we offer to new and "emerging" businesses and to solicit feedback on new programs we could offer in 2019 to jump start new businesses. 

Grants

In June, AnsonEDP announced the creation of the Bootstrap and Enterprise grant programs. The Bootstrap grant offers to make the first three payments, up to a total of $2,500, on loans which Anson-based start-ups secure through the Rural Center’s Thread Capital program; a state initiative which itself helps to break down the barriers preventing new business owners from acquiring the capital they need to launch their businesses.

The Enterprise grant similarly matches 10% of the Thread Capital loan, up to $5,000 for enterprises that have been in business for more than 2 years and are looking to expand. Unlike many grant programs for small business, AnsonEDP has specifically made this program easy to use. The online application can be filled out in a matter of minutes and approval of the grant is generally made within a week or two of completing the Thread Capital loan process. There are no strings attached. This is free money which AnsonEDP offers to small businesses. 

Building Lease and Acquisition

We sometimes hear that building owners can be difficult to work with or not willing to rent space at a reasonable rate. While some owners may be reluctant to rent space for a variety of reasons, and that’s their prerogative, I have spoken with multiple building owners over the past few months, and they have been THRILLED to learn that there was an interest in someone renting space from them. The rents seemed to be reasonable and in some cases the owners were even willing to work with the business to offer decreased rates for the first three or six months. The inventory of available space may not be vast, but there are certainly willing landlords in both the Uptown and 74 Strip areas and we are happy to work with small businesses to facilitate finding a space that works at a price that makes sense for both parties.

Cutting The "Red Tape"

One of the most common criticisms of our business environment is that the county and/or the town doesn’t want new business, so they make it difficult to start one. There will always be a perception that government entities are anti-business because those entities are required to enforce the rules regarding where and how businesses operate. Zoning, where applicable, is in place to prevent businesses from locating in areas which are not appropriate for them, and while that can sometimes seem like an unnecessary restriction. I think we can all agree that certain types of businesses should be kept a reasonable distance from schools and churches. Everyone is a fan of laissez faire government until someone wants to build a chicken house on the lot next door.

Similarly, code ordinances, which I will be the first to admit can sometimes border on overkill, are in place to protect the public safety. The purpose of these laws isn’t to prevent businesses from starting, it’s to prevent bad things from happening in those businesses.

Economic developers are specially trained to assist businesses in working their way through the sometimes labyrinthine process of zoning changes and code enforcement. We cannot always get the outcome the business wants but if anyone can, it's us. And, yes, it can be a lengthy process. A zoning change or special permit simply cannot be done overnight. Not in Anson County. Not in Mecklenburg County. Nowhere.   

Training and Collaboration

Finally, AnsonEDP, in partnership with the Anson Chamber, South Piedmont Community College and Uptown Wadesboro, offer a wide variety of FREE classes for small businesses on topics ranging from social media marketing to bookkeeping. We also offer CoWorking Wednesdays on the first Wednesday of each month. This is an opportunity for small business people and people considering starting a business to work together in a relaxed, collaborative environment, make some new contacts and even make a few free copies. 

Okay, so what else should AnsonEDP be doing to promote small business in Anson County? We would genuinely like to hear your ideas, but please be realistic. It would be great if we could give every entrepreneur $100,000 in seed money or instantly make all onerous regulations go away, but we don't have the budget or the authority to do either.