Imagine that the employer your community has depended on for decades shuts down unexpectedly. Suddenly, ten-thousand people are now out of work and the local economy is in flux as residents begin searching for employment in neighboring municipalities. How do you respond to the sudden uncertainty and … Read more

Something is brewing in small towns throughout North Carolina. Far outside the city limits of Beer City U.S.A. (also known to North Carolinians as Asheville), craft breweries are opening up in and around distressed downtowns throughout the state. Part industrial facility, part retail space, part bar … Read more

This is the first in a series of blog posts about communities deploying capital into small businesses. The following is an overview of a statewide program funded by the US Treasury; subsequent posts will focus on regional, county and municipal programs. The State Small Business Credit Initiative (SS … Read more

Despite the tepid economic recovery, many communities and regions in the U.S. are having some degree of success with their job creation efforts.  Inquiring minds probably would like to know what magic formula these places are using.  What exactly are they doing and how?  What factors account for the … Read more

It is widely recognized that small firms with growth potential can be significant job creators in a local economy.  Yet, the role of local governments in supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses is not always clear.  Small firms, particularly those with a high growth trajectory, have a variety … Read more

Jonathan Morgan is a School of Government faculty member. This is a continuation of the blog post from December 6, 2011, which examined some of the elements of successful business incubation strategies. As discussed in the previous post, there are some common practices and characteristics that tend … Read more

Suzanne Julian is a UNC-Chapel Hill graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in Public Administration. She is currently working with the STEP leadership team in Pamlico County as part of the Carolina Economic Revitalization Corps program. Pamlico Community College (PCC) is one of 13 recipients of … Read more

Suzanne Julian is UNC-Chapel Hill graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in Public Administration. She is currently working with the STEP leadership team in Pamlico County as part of the Carolina Economic Revitalization Corps program. If you want to build the business sector in your community, … Read more

A prior post mentions economic gardening.  Economic gardening is a grow from within approach to economic development, putting most of the focus on entrepreneurship instead of luring the big businesses to an area.  It is not a new strategy/approach, although it seems to be increasing in popularity in … Read more

One interesting program suggested to me was Threads for HOPE, a project in Salemburg, NC that stems from a public health program out of the Center for Health Promotion, Disease Prevention at the UNC School of Public Health.  Threads for HOPE adds an business development/entrepreneurship element to p … Read more