Creating an entrepreneur friendly community
According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service, more than 35 million U.S. taxpayers are self-employed. The small firms operated by these self-employed taxpayers are vital to the U.S. economy.
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy, small businesses account for half of all U.S. private sector employment and produce 60 to 80 percent of net job growth in the United States each year over the past decade.
Better understanding of small businesses' significant role in innovation and economic growth will lead to more jobs and faster economic recovery.
Economic Gardening
Since small businesses play such a vital role in the economy, many developers are paying attention to the concept known as economic gardening. Economic gardening is an innovative entrepreneur-centered economic growth strategy that offers balance to the traditional economic development practice of business recruitment.
It was developed in 1989 by the city of Littleton, Colorado, in conjunction with the Center for the New West. While it was introduced as a demonstration program to deal with the sudden erosion of economic conditions, it has emerged as a prototype for a rapidly expanding movement of like-minded economic developers looking for additional methods to generate truly sustainable economic growth for their community, region, or state.
The economic gardening best practices that evolved were associated with one of three critical themes:
- Infrastructure: building and supporting the development of community assets essential to commerce and overall quality of life (e.g. roads, education, and cultural amenities);
- Connectivity: improving the interaction and exchange among business owners and critical resource providers (e.g. industry trade groups, public sector supporters, and academic institutions); and
- Market information: access to competitive intelligence on markets, customers, and competitors comparable to the resources historically available only to large firms.
Local Applications
 In addition to services offered by the Quincy Entrepreneurship Center, GREDF, in partnership with other business-minded organizations developed Where to Go for What, a publication designed to help individuals navigate business services in Adams County. This guide explains the phases of small businesses, gives resources for key decisions and includes contact information for numerous assistance agencies in Western Illinois. It is a comprehensive, easy-to-understand manual for anyone looking to start a small business. To receive a copy of Where to Go for What, contact the GREDF office. Many thanks to GREDF's partners for their help in making the Where to Go for What book possible: University of Illinois Extension, Western Illinois Entrepreneurship Center, John Wood Community College, City of Quincy, Adams County, Illinois Small Business Development Center at Western Illinois University, Workforce Development Office, and Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
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