Norm Brodsky is a writer for Inc. Magazine. He is the co-writer of: The Knack: How Street Smart Entrepreneurs Learn to Handle Whatever Comes Up. He also has started six businesses. Lets call him an entrepreneur. In the April issue of Inc, Brodsky writes in his Street Smarts Column about lessons to use when your original plan goes … More Making lemonade
Think the talk of “green jobs” is malarkey? This article on RichmondBizSense.com provides an example of how targeted incentives help promote growth in designated industries, such as home solar power, especially in the early stages of an industry’s growth when the economies of scale have not yet kicked in. Another article from The News Leader reviews the growth of the … More Home grown business
Last week we discussed the first step of “Economic Gardening,” preparing your community for entrepreneurial success. Now lets focus on the next steps: planting the seeds and nurturing the sprouts. One of the primary ways that a community can foster home-grown businesses is to offer a business incubator. Business incubators take many forms, the most … More Economic gardening: part II
Over the past two decades, communities across the country have begun fostering economic growth from within using a technique called economic gardening. This technique is a response designed to reduce dependence on the traditional targets of economic development – large industry. The benefits of an entreprenuerial society are immense. Number one among them – profits from … More Economic gardening: Part I
Helping the downtown merchants is one of the most important functions of a Main Street organization. At the recent Virginia Main Street (VMS) Designated Community Managers’ Retreat, several VMS communities reported that their retailers had a successful 2008 holiday season with increases in sales over 2007. While much of the increase was because the downtown merchants … More 23 ideas for tough times
Virginia Main Street 