Across the United States, malls are an endangered species. Once a marker of local economic success, the traditional, enclosed shopping mall are becoming abandoned, irrelevant, and forgotten structures. Many anchor tenants, like J.C. Penney, are relocating or closing down altogether. The high costs a … Read more

Funding sources to capitalize revolving loan funds is the fourth topic in a series on tools local governments can use to assist small businesses. As discussed in Part II of this blog post series, local governments across North Carolina are using revolving loan funds to support their small businesses … Read more

My last post highlighted the potential of promoting entrepreneurship and small business assistance as an economic development strategy.  In order to provide appropriate support for entrepreneurs and small businesses, it is important for public officials and local assistance organizations to understa … 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

Jonathan Morgan is a School of Government faculty member. This is the first in a series of blog posts focused on the topic of “What Works in Economic Development.”[1] Upcoming posts will discuss the latest information regarding what we know about the effectiveness of various economic development str … Read more

Jeff Hughes is Director of the UNC Environmental Finance Center and a School of Government faculty member. The corporation that owns the business at the end of Main Street has decided to close the business down rather than reinvest in needed new equipment. The corporation is willing to sell the busi … 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. What’s the connection between community development and econ … Read more

Jonathan Morgan is a School of Government faculty member. A widely cited statistic that is generally accepted at face value is that anywhere from 60 to 80 percent of new jobs are created by small and/or existing firms.  What is the basis for this information?  Is this a well-established fact or mere … Read more

Jonathan Morgan is a School of Government faculty member. On February 17, 2010 Governor Beverly Perdue signed Executive Order No. 50 that will give North Carolina-based businesses an opportunity to match the lowest bid on state contracts for the purchase of goods.  The order authorizes the Secretary … Read more