Page 216 - 1-Entrepreneurship and Local Economic Development by Norman Walzer (z-lib.org)

Understanding and Growing a Community’s Microbusiness Segment 205

promote and pursue social goals in nonprofit and volunteer sectors that are
part of all strong communities.
The goal is locating and developing the entrepreneurial talent that can then
become successful microbusiness owners (Markley and Macke 2003). It is
what this entire group offers to the economic growth possibilities in a com-
munity that is important. In The New Architecture of Rural Prosperity (Clin-
ton et al. 2005), the Southern Growth Policies Board identifies the need for
communities to create new businesses, retain and expand existing as well as
recruit new businesses.

CONCLUSION

The concepts and examples presented in this chapter provide strong sup-
port to encourage a community to see microbusiness development as a re-
quired element in any local economic or community development plan.
Microbusinesses often are the “mom and pop” or main street stores that
form the fabric binding a community together. Not only are they crucial in
the sense of providing needed goods and services, but the people who own
and work in these businesses represent the human capital needed for future
growth. They are often the “movers and shakers” of community growth.
This chapter offers ideas regarding the needs of microbusiness owners as
well as some programs that one agency in one state has used in supporting
development work. The list is by no means exhaustive of what might be of-
fered in a community to microbusiness owners or to the community itself
as it seeks to establish a nurturing environment for local businesses as an
opportunistic community. Being such a community builds on itself because
each new idea, new program, or new business encourages others to think
broadly. Examples of such opportunistic thinking and the tools that then
transform such opportunities into action can be found in the rest of this
book, from other service providers in the state, and from service providers
across the nation.

REFERENCES

Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO). 2004. Making the case for microenter-
prise: AEO 2004 legislative priorities. Arlington, VA: AEO.
Audretsch, David B., and Max Keilbach. 2004. Does entrepreneurship capital mat-
ter? Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice 28(5): 419–29.
Baines, S., and J. Wheelock. 1998. Working for each other: Gender, the household
and micro business survival and growth. International Small Business Journal 17(1):
16–36.