Commercial district revitalization

OVERVIEW

This approach, from The National Trust Main Street Center, focuses on the core commercial districts (“Main Streets”) of a neighborhood, not only to strengthen businesses there but also as a way of strengthening the image of the entire neighborhood to attract additional investment.
This approach usually utilizes four strategies:

• Improving the design of the district by making matching grants or loans to property owners to improve building facades and create a unified “look,” and through streetscape improvements (benches, trees, sidewalks and crosswalks, trash cans, etc.) that make it more walkable and attractive.
• Promoting the district through branding the district with a new image, advertising, special events, media placements and other means to bring in customers and businesses.
• Economic restructuring: recruiting and retaining the right business mix in the district through activities such as market studies, maintaining a database of available spaces, communicating key information for business decisions (e.g. traffic counts, market area statistics), recruiting complementary clusters of businesses and helping new businesses to cut through red tape.
• Helping to organize stronger merchants associations who can coordinate sales hours and promotions and collaborate on other activities to improve their businesses.  These associations may even form a Business Improvement District that levies a special assessment on properties in the district to fund programs such as enhanced sanitation and security, promotional activities, façade improvements and other initiatives.

RESOURCES AND EXAMPLES

• The National Trust Main Street Center® utilizes a four-point, community-driven strategy to help communities revitalize downtown and neighborhood business districts.  The website includes a description of the approach, case studies on award-winning local economic development efforts, tools, information about trainings and conferences, and other resources.
• The Boston Main Streets Program aims to revitalize the city's neighborhood commercial centers through initiatives that educate consumers on supporting local enterprises. Its efforts include incentive programs in which local purchases generate credits consumers can then use to support nonprofits and schools.
• The New York City Department of Small Business Services provides support to a network of commercial district revitalization nonprofits throughout the City.  Read more.

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Microbusiness development

OVERVIEW

This approach focuses on helping very small, often informal businesses (fewer than five employees and often one part-time employee) to develop and grow their business concept.

Key elements in this approach usually include:

• Training microentrepreneurs on business planning and business start-up.  Some trainings may help people with an interest in starting a business think through what kind of business they could start.  
• Technical assistance or coaching for microentrepreneurs, generally from people with substantial small business experience or skills in fields such as law and accounting.
• Making or packaging loans to microbusinesses, often beginning with very small amounts and helping the business to establish a credit track record.
• Connecting microbusinesses to available spaces in which they can operate.  Some programs have developed “business incubators” meant to provide these businesses with low-cost space integrated with some shared services

RESOURCES AND EXAMPLES

• FIELD (the Microenterprise Fund for Innovation, Effectiveness, Learning and Dissemination) identifies, develops, and disseminates best practices in microbusiness lending and development.
• The Neighborhood Development Center (NDC) in Minnesota has trained over 3,600 entrepreneurs to create successful businesses, has financed over $6 million in loans, given 23,000 hours of one-on-one business consulting, and re-developed over 150,000 square feet of commercial real estate to help small businesses start and grow.
• Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI)is a nonprofit Community Development Corporation (CDC) and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that provides financing and support in the development of job-creating small businesses, natural resources industries, community facilities, and affordable housing in northern New England.
• Acción US  is a nonprofit microfinance institution that uses innovative approaches to reduce the cost of services to the poor and increase the ability to provide services that reach millions of poorer and more remote people.
• Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation (Boston, MA ) provides guidance, financing, and incubation space for local entrepreneurs.
• Kiva  connects entrepreneurs from around the world—including the United States—with donors, allowing individuals to give micro-loans that supply critical capital to businesses.

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Workforce Development

OVERVIEW

This approach focuses on understanding the workforce needs of employers and on preparing local residents to meet these needs.

Key elements in this approach usually include:

• Conducting outreach to employers to understand their needs and job-seekers to understand their skills, as well as research to identify growing industries that pay living wages.
• Providing matching services to help employers and job-seekers find each other.
• Offering training to job-seekers in basic job skills (e.g., literacy, resume writing, workplace norms and expectations).  This training may utilize a mix of classroom training and “work experience” placements.
• Providing training to job-seekers in technical skill areas required for particular jobs (e.g., nursing, carpentry, information technology, etc.).  This training may utilize a mix of classroom training and “on the job” training, in which the program supports the costs to a business to train workers it has hired through that program.
• Providing supportive services, such as transportation and child care, that make it easier for job seekers to find and hold on to employment.

RESOURCES AND EXAMPLES

• The US Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration has information on the major government programs that help connect people to jobs and resources for businesses, job-seekers, and workforce development professionals.
• Career One Stop, sponsored by the US DOL, provides information on existing workforce development services in your area.
• The Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation (MDRC) is a social policy research organization that has conducted extensive demonstration projects and program evaluations in the area of workforce development (as well as in education).  Review reports and detailed “how to” guides at this site.
• Manchester-Bidwell Corporation’s  innovative jobs program in Pittsburgh, PA provides training in fields as varied as gourmet food preparation, chemical, office, and medical technologies, and education arts programming in ceramics, photography, and digital imaging.
• The Center for Employment Training (CET) in San Jose, CA has trained over 75,000 people including at-risk youth, farm workers, welfare recipients, and other adults.
• WIRE NET provides training in the machine trades and workforce support to residents in Cleveland. www.wire-net.org

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Supporting businesses that grow good neighborhood jobs

OVERVIEW

The elements of this approach include:

• Taking an inventory of existing neighborhood businesses and conducting research to determine sectors of the local economy that may grow and produce more jobs if they receive the right support.
• Conducting outreach to businesses to understand their needs.
• Taking an inventory of commercial and industrial space in the neighborhood and analyze the neighborhood’s strengths and weaknesses as a place for businesses to locate and operate.
• Targeting specific business types to assist based on the above research.
• Providing support to targeted businesses including financing, tax incentives, helping to connect businesses to opportunities (such as contracts with the government or other businesses) and specialized technical assistance.
• Marketing the neighborhood to businesses not currently operating there.

RESOURCES AND EXAMPLES

• The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City  presents research on competitive advantages that can help inner-city neighborhoods to attract jobs and businesses.
• The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) helps it members create high-quality jobs, develop vibrant communities, and generally improve the quality of life in their regions. IEDC provides resources on Eminent Domain, Brownfield Restoration, Disaster Recovery, and a variety of journal articles.
• Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (Maine) provides financing and support in the development of job-creating small businesses and natural resources industries.
• The Community Development Corporation of Long Island  provides loans and business training to small businesses throughout Long Island. It also offers training for existing and potential business owners on fundamental business management tools.
• Community Ventures Corporation (Kentucky) offers free business planning resources and office space, as well as training and lending services to entrepreneurs in Central Kentucky.

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Social enterprise development

OVERVIEW

Some community development groups have decided to themselves act as entrepreneurs, running businesses that generate profits to support the organization while also providing jobs to neighborhood residents.

RESOURCES AND EXAMPLES

• Community Wealth Ventures (CWV) helps nonprofits become more self-sustaining by generating revenue through business ventures and corporate partnerships. It also helps corporations improve bottom lines through the design and implementation of community investment strategies.
• The Social Enterprise Alliance provides tools, knowledge, best practices and networking opportunities to social entrepreneurs at all levels of development. Its website offers up a number of case studies as well.
• The Portland Rebuilding Center (Portland, OR) provides over 40 full-time jobs while building community and reducing environmental impacts through operating a building deconstruction program and materials reuse warehouse.
• Greyston Bakery, Bronx, NY, produces quality, locally made products and offers its employees a sustainable, satisfying livelihood.

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